Hear all three Manley mics on the same session!

Which Manley Reference Microphone is right for YOU?

People often ask us what the sonic differences are between our Reference Cardioid, Gold, and Silver tube microphones. In these three videos, you can hear each of them on both vocals and acoustic guitar, where the differences are clearly audible between the three mics.

You’ll probably hear the Reference Cardioid as bright, present, and “larger than life”. This mic is often used for a very forward, immediate sound: pop vocals and voiceover work really shine with this mic, making it our best-selling product, and the world’s #1 modern tube vocal mic.

The Reference Gold is much more flat and natural, capturing heaps of sonic detail without tonal exaggeration. If you’ve got the perfect source in the perfect room, and you want true realism with a touch of class, the Gold mic is definitely the way to go.

Finally, the Reference Silver has a smooth, rich, buttery sound with a nicely rounded tonality that works perfectly for singer-songwriter material. Note: for this particular singer and this particular guitar, it would be our first choice of these three mics.

The track is ‘NightSweats’, performed by Chris Holloway with his 1946 Gibson J-45 recorded through a Rupert Neve Designs Shelford Channel mic preamp, with no EQ or compression applied.