Manley Reference Cardioid Microphone

The Manley Reference cardioid microphone shares the same electronic attributes as the Gold Reference Series, but has a center-fixed cardioid-only capsule with a thicker gauge (6 micron) gold-sputtered diaphragm. With similar film thickness and construction; high-frequency resonance (a little edge); proximity effect; and pretty good immunity from pops and sibilance problems, the Reference Cardioid more closely recalls how many of the vintage European tube mics, such as the beloved U47, sounded like when they were new.

The Manley mic’s rich tonal balance and liquid character is consistently admired for instruments such as guitars, drum overheads, saxophone and especially vocals. With your present mic, if you find yourself leaning on your compressors and boosting 5K or 10K to score a bit more testosterone, then the Reference Cardioid just might be the mic you’re looking for. If you seem to be constantly boosting 12-18K and trying to get a clean, intimate sound, then the Reference Gold is definitely a safe bet.

A proven hit-maker, the Manley Reference cardioid microphone was used to record all the vocals for Britney Spears, N’Sync, and The Backstreet Boys.