MXL R144 Review
Studio Ribbon Microphone
Introduction
In this article, we delve into a detailed analysis of 6,780 user reviews from various languages worldwide to examine the MXL R144. This analysis is performed by the RR artificial intelligence and updated daily with newly submitted reviews. The RR AI utilizes a complex algorithm to first scrutinize user reviews for credibility, filtering out unreliable ones. It then proceeds to dissect and evaluate the valuable insights within these reviews, providing users with ratings regarding the features of this product. Based on these assessments, users can make informed decisions about whether this product is suitable for them or not.
Ratings Based on Features
These results are a summary of user reviews of the MXL R144. For example, 78% of 504 users who have commented on the Sound quality of the MXL R144 have given positive feedback.
Highlighted Customer Reviews
Showing 1 to 20 of 64 Reviews
GREAT
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by LaBz on Guitar Center
amazing for the price. perfect for starting to record AMAZING vocals, or eval micing amps, or acoustic guitars, or percussion, what ever you need, this mic is unbelievable.
very good
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by critter on Guitar Center
i find this mic to be very professional for the sound and the qaulity of the mic i give it 5 stars good deal for the price
Great for drum overhead
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by Kevin on Guitar Center
I recently bought this mic to use as an overhead for my drumset, and for the price it works really well. the shockmount is very nice too. easy to use. I dont really like the sound im getting from my bass and snare but thats what individual mics are for. Im sure you could get an even better sound than im getting if you used an audio interface. im using the blue icicle (xlr to usb converter) which also works well. I suggest buying this mic if you're on a budget.
What's Old is New Again
MXL R144 Studio Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by David Beneke on B&H Photo Video
Ribbon mics are coming back in vogue, after a good 40 year absence. I think the reason is, condensers can sound a bit harsh in the digital world, and a good ribbon will sound smooth and nuanced, not really harsh, as they don't have to cut through layers of analog tape and noise reduction. This mic is basically an experiment for me. I wanted to see what a modern ribbon sounded like, without paying over a grand. The R144 was highly reviewed, mostly for vocal recording and instrument micing. I was looking for a voice over mic. It sounds a bit too dark for that use, unless you use EQ. I also looked on forums for ways to improve the sound of this mic. I would not recommend this to be done, first it will void your warranty, secondly you may damage the mic. As I said, this was an experiment, so damaging the mic internals, which I did not, was not an issue. I also have engineering experience. By removing the inner mesh from the head basket and the ribbon itself, the mic became more transparent and open. Next I padded the internal tube with felt, which dampened some of the unwanted resonance's. Although, this mic did not have a slack ribbon, it is very sensitive, even before my mod, to table vibrations, any movement or tap on the cable or stand causes low frequency bumping noises, not apparent in any other mics I use. I will be upgrading the transformer and ribbon as well to this mic soon. For the price of a starter mic, if you want to try a ribbon, this one may be a winner, depending on what you use it for. ... More
Can Be Great When Used Right
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by Michael Kassel on Guitar Center
I got this mic because it was inexpensive, well-reviewed, and I always wanted to try a Ribbon. It's a really cool mic to start out with and with the proper use and support it can be even better. Accessories are pretty nice, too. On it's own, its output is low so you really have to drive your gain. But, used in conjunction with a Cloud CL-1 mic activator, which was designed for use with ribbons, gain is no longer an issue and clarity is greatly improved. Position of your voice or instrument is also crucial, so experiment to find the best spot before committing anything to "tape." For example, while the mic sounds kind of muddy in the mids when aimed at the soundhole of my ukulele, it sounds incredibly open and clear - more so than mics costing thousands more (seriously) - when I aimed it at around the twelfth fret. You can hear the difference. The strings come alive! Also, since it picks up from the front and the back side, you should try it facing both before committing to tape. For my purpose, the back seemed clearer than the front, but your mileage may vary. Don't give up, though, because once you find the right setup, the R144 performs beautifully! It is going to be my "go to" mic for recording ukulele from now on, even though I have a choice to use mics in the studio again literally costing not hundreds but thousands more! But agaion, check its positioning because it matters to the sound. But overall, this is one of the best values in mics out there and at this price it's a no-brainer. If you're thinking of using a ribbon, this is a great place to start! ... More
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Great Ribbon for the price
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by Jon Visser on Guitar Center
I purchased two of these mics. This is a great mic on very sibilant sources including violins. There is also a strange resonant boost around 400hz, but that can be taken care of with a little silicon where the head basket connects with the body. I would also suggest taking out the protective metal screen right next to the ribbon motor- just that increased the high frequencies by about 9Db (starting around 8k). You can also remove the inner metal mesh in the head basket for added highs, but you must be extra careful moving the mic around and using it to prevent ribbon damage. Use a metal pop filter (the nylon ones reduce too many high frequencies). I have not swapped the tranny yet, so I cannot say what effect that would have. You must also have a good preamp to make use of this mic. The typical Inexpensive converters will not give you enough volume with their pre's. Even though these are the least expensive mics I own, I would give this a 5 star after the mods have been done. They compete well against mics 8x's the price. The Nady RSM-4 and 5's seem like a good choice too, but I believe they have 6 micron ribbons. The MXL 144 has a 1.8! Well done MXL. ... More
Love it - the SM58 of Ribbon Mics
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by KENNETH ALSIP on Guitar Center
This mic just exactly what I wanted it to do ? 1. For singing with a voice that is not windy and powerful - in a small room through a large PA system; 2. Recording the same type voice. Here?s some things you may want to think about. The instruction say to use a pop filter to keep breath moisture off the ribbon inside. If you blow on a ribbon mic, or drop it, you can damage the ribbon. My personal observation is that the mic doesn?t like effects and sounds its best 100% clean. It?s very sensitive. Once I reached its loudest setting without feedback, I set it in the middle of the room. 6 inches back it picked up voice & acoustic guitar well, even clearer (voice only) at 3 inches. I used it with a cheap Ballari MP 105 tube mic preamp. The highest settings I could obtain was only one or one and a half marks on the gain and level knobs. Low settings on the master and channel on the Carvin 800W PA system too. Guitar Center said these are very popular and they are real workhorses ? excellent quality for a 100 dollar mic! It?s like the SM58 of the ribbon mic world. ... More
Awesome sound
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by Manny Beetz on Guitar Center
At first I had no idea what I was getting into.....lol. I have never used a ribbon mic before and now I am glad I did. The sound from this Mic is awesome. I have recorded some with it and vocals are rich and warm. I run it through a PreSonus Tube pre into the Lexicon alpha into Garageband. All it needed is a little reverb and I was ready to record. Buy this mic you will not be disappointed. Just a few things about the mic, IT DOES NOT REQUIRE V48 PHANTOM POWER. Also the mic is very, very sensitive, did I mention sensitive? So handle it with care. It sounds very good for recording acoustic guitar as well. ... More
Disappointed with this ribbon mic.
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by Colin Weaver on Guitar Center
I was looking for a new mic to add a new flavor to my arsenal. I've had good experiences with MXL in the past, and I've wanted a ribbon mic for quite some time now to use on vocals and guitar cabs. I wasn't expecting Royer quality or anything when dropping $100 on the R144 -- but I was still disappointed. The R144 sounded incredibly muddy regardless what I was recording. I tried it on vocals, acoustic guitar, my fender deluxe -- I just couldn't get anything usable. At first I thought it was because of the figure 8 polar pattern, but even guarding the rear of the mic I couldn't get a remotely clean sound. Next, I thought my interface or my outboard pre's maybe weren't driving it hard enough, so I bought a Cloudlifter for some extra boost, but even with the cloudlifter the R144 just sounded terrible. Bottom line: if you're looking for a budget microphone, you'd be better off with one of MXL's other offerings, like the 990 condenser. If you're looking for a mic with some color -- save a couple more bucks and pick up a tube condenser. ... More
MXL R144 big Ribbon sound
MXL R144 Studio Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by The Missing Symphony on B&H Photo Video
Being an orchestral music composer, sound is everything and when using mics I try to not eq anything but keep the natural instrument and the microphone natural. For under 100 bucks these mics deliver a great sound on toms, vocals and nylon string guitar. That is what i have recorded so far. With this ribbon mic you do need a thick pop filter since the aluminum element is very pop sensitive, but well worth having in the collection. For vocals this mic set up with a Neuman 87 made a great pair, a bit more sizzle on the 87 and warmth and bottom with a clear mid range for the R144. I have two of these mics and will buy a another pair to try out on timpani, electric guitar cabinets, and the grand piano.I would reccomend these mics to anyone who needs a sensitive mic without spending 4k on a ribbon.Michael Schumann Smith - Composer@ ... More
Very Impressive !
MXL R144 Studio Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by Cardo on B&H Photo Video
I bought this mic as an experiment, figuring for $ let's see what this is about. I was looking to add an affordable ribbon mic to offer a different aural tone. My first usage was on an acoustic guitar; this turned out to be a bit disappointing as it was inly ok. Next up was on a banjo where this mic was quite impressive, giving very clear tones and a keeper track. Then we tried it on an amp; again very impressive and another keeper track. It also gave a nice softer quality to vocals. Overall, an extremely good value !! Highly recommended, particularly at this price; you could easily spend hundreds more and not get a better mic. ... More
Great cost\quality ratio!
MXL R144 Studio Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I use this for live recordings of trumpet, trumpet ensembles and brass groups. Ive used it in both live halls and in my home studio. Ribbon is the way to go for horns (and vocals of course). Very warm and complimentary to trumpets and deals very well with high SPLs. I use it with a Zoom H4-N and an M-Audio Audio Buddy. A preamp for some added gain is def needed as well as a GOOD mic cable. Tilt the mic back (or forward depending on acoustic environment) about 30 degs or so at about 8 feet back and 8 feet up in a nice hall or church. You will NOT be disappointed. Ordering a second one soon. ... More
Love the versatility and warm tone
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by Matthew F. on Reverb
This has quickly become my favorite mic in my locker now. I am so happy I bought this after discovering all the incredible audio I can obtain with it. Here's my favorite techniques: Side mic in a mid-side pair on acoustic guitar (taking advantage of the figure 8 pattern); bass amp close mic; Acoustic bass close mic; room mic for percussion; room mic, and close mic for vocals. I'm still discovering fantastic new techniques and mic combos with this super affordable treasure. Love the warm tone and sibilance cut. It kinda resembles the response curve of an SM57, but without the harshness. Bass tone is super silky, Best of all is the room tone for drums when crushed with a good compressor. Never dreamed my drums could sound this good with this as a room mic instead of just using chamber plugins on close mics. ... More
Great Vocal Texture
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by Jay P. on Reverb
You need to know about this microphone. It is a MXL R144 ribbon microphone. I had read quite a bit about ribbon microphones before buying this one. I figured a lot of what I read was just hype. But, to my pleasant surprise, this thing delivers the goods. To my ear it reminds me of the vocal quality I would hear as a child on some of the old 78 rpm records. It endows the vocal with a mellow and smooth quality. In that sense you could say it colors the vocal, but the color is a vintage color that is pleasant to hear but not particularly distinguishable as to what is giving the vocal that texture. I think it is pretty amazing, and I really like the sound texture it bestows. This one is definitely a bargain. Oh, by the way, it is not a phantom powered microphone. Also, use the pop filter. ... More
Better than expected
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by JORGE GUZMAN on Guitar Center
When I bought this microphone I was kind of skeptical because I really didn't know much of MXL microphones. But when I received it I was impressed. Its not the best ribbon microphone in the world but for a low budget home studio or for beginners its great. The vocals are really clean and smooth, I have it through a Samson C Valve with Electro Harmonix 12AX7 Gold Pin Tube and it sound great. I have recorded acoustic guitars and it sounds great too.
Sexy and Sounds great!!
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by Gregg Jordan on Guitar Center
I did a lot of research before buying a studio mic due to my low budget. I needed something that could record an acoustic EP well and sound clear. this mic does that perfectly. I know that for more money the quality will get better up to a certain point. But for the money this mic is GREAT and the sound needs little mastering, if you want to sound natural that is, it's obviously your choice on if you want too sound like T-Pain or not lol. But I would suggest this mic. Plus it looks amazing next too any other equipment. ... More
great mic
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by daniel salazar on Guitar Center
I was debating on getting this mic for a while but finally decided to try it out. I'm glad I did because it produces a big clear sound as long as it's plugged into a decent preamp. Alone, it's a big basey but if you have a preamp that has a filter it will cut out the baseiness. I have it plugged into a personus bluetube and gain turned up to about 50 and then it will give a full loud signal with a medium/low singing voice. It might even be better than a lot of condenser mics that cost more. It's great for people who sing higher pitched who don't want so much of the highs recorded as a condenser mic would do. There's surely better ribbon mics out there but I don't have any desire to get another one not being a professional singer anway and this does the job well. ... More
Great Old School Sound
MXL R144 Studio Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I bought this microphone expecting to return it. What a surprise I got when I mounted and plugged into our digital board and it reproduced my voice in a warm, clean way. We bought two more and use 3 of them for podcasting. Our EQ'ing is minimal and the sound makes all the difference in the world. The shock mount is quality and the case is a nice bonus. I have not tried with an instrument nor used for musical applications. Enjoy!
Very happy
MXL R144 Studio Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
My studio has many mics but I didn't have a ribbon mic. Given the low price I wasn't expecting the quality of this mic. I used it to record the vocals for a grunge/punk band in studio that week. The mic has a transparent flat response and I didn't get the harsh ss's I often get from expensive condenser mics. I used the inexpensive Studio projects VTB1 preamp on a no tube setting, and was very impressed with the quietness and quality of the recording.
Not quite what I expected . . .
MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone
Reviewed by David L. on Reverb
I think it is just emblamtic of my beginner status with digital home recording, but I was surprised by the very low level of output from this mic using it direct into a Tascam DP-02CF free-standing 8-track digital recorder, and using it through a Berhinger xenyx 1202fx mixer into the Tascam. This mic does not use phantom power, it works more like a dynamic mic in that sense (both of those units have switchable 48v phantom power), so maybe that has something to do with it. Have tried it for vocals and as a drum overhead, still haven't see the results I hoped for. But I'm going to keep trying. ... More
