MXL 603 & 603S Review
Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Highlighted Customer Reviews
Showing 1 to 20 of 33 Reviews
One of recording's best kept secrets
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by P Woof on B&H Photo Video
I have a pretty good mic collection, and for my clients I would always try to use my more expensive big name mics for acoustic guitar and similar sources. But for my own projects, I would use the 603S. Then I realized that my acoustic tracks cut with the 603s's always had more presence and clarity than the high dollar mics. Now they are my exclusive go to mics for acoustic guitars. I recently worked on a project with a Grammy nominated producer in Florida where we used the 603s's for acoustic guitars, mandolin and dobro and he was completely blown away by the quality of the sound. And his Grammy nomination was for an acoustic recording.Upon my return to Nashville I immediately sent him a stereo pair as a thank you gift. ... More
Great mics, good price
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by strangebru on B&H Photo Video
This is my 2nd pair of these. The 1st pair I use for recording acoustic guitar as a stereo pair and it greatly improves sound quality over one mic. The second pair is used to mic live drums at gigs. We have a kick drum mic and these 2 as overheads to capture a 60's retro sound rather than individually micing (for that more modern sound). But they would also work great for just the cymbals with the other drums individually micd. In the configuration we use it is SO simple to get the sound right because its just 3 mics (including kick drum) rather than 7, which is another advantage. They have great sound, no feedback problems even when turned up loud. They are extremely light weight so no fear of large boom falling over. The case is convenient, shock mounts are made really well, and wind screen is a nice add. Overall I'm really pleased. ... More
Very nice mics
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I bought these to use with a portable recorder, mainly recording bands in small clubs. They work very well for that, except that for very loud music, a built-in pad (like the MXL 604 now has) would be nice. But I have a pair of inline XLR pads so I don't mind that. The nice aluminum case and shock mounts make up for that. These mics have a wide cardioid pattern which is not really suitable for applications where a highly directional mic is needed, but they are great where an omni-directional would pick up too much. They sound very natural and detailed on guitars (especially acoustic) and drums, so they work well for room-recording a whole band. The B&H price is the best I could find anywhere... ... More
Good Bang for buck
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by ATL Drummer on B&H Photo Video
I got these to use as a pair of overhead mics for a drum kit. I have mics on the kick and snare already, and have these set as overheads for toms and cymbals. I can't compare these to a more expensive set, as they replace a single Behringer large diaphragm condenser. It was a big improvement for me. They come with some shockmounts which seem pretty good and a case that looks good in the pics, but is pretty cheesy when you feel it. Overall, this is a budget choice mic and seems worth the few $$ I paid for it ( $100). ... More
Good Value
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by Joshua on B&H Photo Video
Right up front...I am NOT an audio professional, nor even particularly an audiophile. I do not have sophisticated playback equipment. That said, I am a professional symphonic musician with more than a half century of experience. To my ears, on my equipment, these sound a little biased towards the high end, but they are sturdily built, well balanced one-to-the-other, and not particularly fussy about exact placement. I find them more than adequate, and far more than I expected for this sort of money. The shock-mounts, windshields, and hard case are welcome extras. In short, knowing what I know now, I'd buy them again in a heartbeat. ... More
Ads
Wide Cardioid is Euphemistic
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
These are more or less omnidirectional microphones. Consequently, the only way to get a good pan when using them as overhead drum mics is to use the recorderman setup. That said, they have good sound quality, and at the price I picked them up for ($), it was an amazing deal. Because I don't think it's fair to give a product a 5-star rating on value alone, I have gone to 4 stars because of the omnidirectional thing.
Surprisingly Good
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by Cauldron Soundwerx on B&H Photo Video
I haven't used these much yet, but hooked them up to my tube preamp and did some sample recordings. Boy are they sensitive, and if you have an impedence knob you can get some variable results, all of which seem to be very good. Can't complain about the case. It's not like you're going to be tossing this thing around like a gorilla at the airport; it's just for storage and it looks cool. Shock mounts seem fine too. Great for the money, I'd say! I also like that you can swap the capsules to different patterns for not too much money. Really an excellent option for more variations! ... More
Absolutely Reliable Workhorse Mics
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by Mode on B&H Photo Video
I don't even record indoors with these, I take them out into forests, fields, swamps, blizzards, even rainstorms (with precautions!) and they always work. These are very nice sounding mics and have respectably low noise, but what impresses me most is how well they can withstand low temperatures, humidty, and the elements in general. Build quality is cheap so you have to treat them with care, sound quality is way above their price point.
There's better out there for the price
MXL 603S
Reviewed by Justin S. on Reverb
I bought one of these on sale for $30, which for that money my review would be different. These mics are ok, they get by but are not worth $100 ($200 for an un-matched stereo pair.) The Rode M5 is $200 for a matched pair, and will provide much clearer, less noisy audio. If you can find one of these for $50 or less, its probably worth it, but just know that there are better pencil mics out there.
Works good for Church Choir
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Our music director brought in a pair of 603's as he wasn't happy with the mics being used. I must say they were a vast improvement. There's not too much info about these mics for this application so thought I would submit these comments. The church ended up buying a pair so now have our own. They've survived an AZ summer with no problems in our sanctuary with the air conditioning turned off as we meet in a smaller room. I'm thinking about buying another pair to use for the hand bell choir.
Great product at a great price
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by Luke on B&H Photo Video
These mics are typically seen as studio mics, from what I understand they do a terrific job there. I purchased them to mic cymbals in a live setting. They sound great! The shock mounts were perfect for using a mic boom clamped to the cymbal stands. You can't hear any noise from the cymbal stand. If you prefer more polar pattern options you can simply buy the omni capsules for the 604 as the are also designed to work with the 603.
Solid--well suited for drum overheads.
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
This is my second matched set of MXL 603s mics. I use them primarily for recording drums. One pair is used in an X/Y configuration for drum overheads. And the other pair for snare reinforcement (bottom of the snare) and high hats. I think they are accurate and revealing and can take highly SPLs. Recommended. B&H's delivery was top notch as well. They also sound fine on acoustic guitars. A lot of bang for the buck.
Great sound for value!
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by TommyA on B&H Photo Video
I purchased these mics for a home recording studio a while ago and was blown away by how great the sound was for under $200. I use these mics mostly to stereo mic acoustic guitars and the range of highs that I get are amazing. The mics pick up the warm sound of the guitar's neck especially well. Along with having great sound these mics are also very beautiful. My only concern was that the included stock mounts are not great, but what can you expect for the price.
Great budget mics
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by John the bard on B&H Photo Video
I use these mics to track acoustic guitar in stereo. They come in an awesome case with shock mounts (they even included extra shock cord). They have a simple and sturdy design. The sound quality is great for the price. On the down side, one of the mics seems to be slightly unbalanced so as to pick up a bit of radio frequency, but it hasn't interfered with my recordings. Overall a fantastic product for the money.
Good mic set
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I use these to mic my drumset as stereo overhead mics. They sound good, the shock mounts work well and the case is awesome, great for gigging and being on the road. The value is great too! I've also used these to mic tube amps, just turn the gain down on the mixer and youre good to go. Great mics overall, im impressed.
Outstanding
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by Jim Perhaps on B&H Photo Video
I have to say for the cost of this set the sound quality is more than I expected. I have a Oktava M-219 which does a very good job recording my acoustic guitar but I am more pleased with the 603S. I place one at 12th fret and one at saddle and the guitar as excellent presence and tone. I doubt I will bother looking for anything better. These work just fine for me and I think will for all but the hardcore audiophile.
Good Mics
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by StringPlucker on B&H Photo Video
I am using these mics to record accoustic guitar. Initially I thought the sound was not so good relative to a similarly priced large diaphragm cartioid condenser mic, but then I positioned the 603s more carefully (near the junction between the neck and the body of the guitar) and the sound improved noticeably. I still like the sound of the LDC a little better, but the 603s sound good.
Decent mics
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by drunk_monkey on B&H Photo Video
Bought these to record a live show from the audience. Did a pretty good job. They sound good, clear, flat, nicely directional. Would be nice to have a bass roll off or pad built in, but for the price, I can't complain too much. The shock mounts are cheapish, but they hold the mics okay. No complaints, decent mic for the money.
A Useful Pair of Mics with Shock Mounts
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by Mark on B&H Photo Video
Despite getting panned by some recordists, these are actually decent mics for the money... And the shock mounts work well... The case is a plus, and the stock cardioid capsules can be switched with the 603/4 omni capsules... I use these mics on grand pianos, spot miking instruments, and some live work...
Sound great, excellent value
MXL 603 PAIR Small-Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones (Stereo Pair)
Reviewed by James on B&H Photo Video
I am using the 603's to record live music in small (100-300 person) venues. I usually locate the pair near the front-of-house sound console (on a stand as high as I can get away with to minimize picking up audience chatter) and mix with a direct feed from the console. I am very happy with the results.
