MXL V69 Mogami Edition Studio Microphone with Case
With a 1" diaphragm, 12AT7 tube, and internal Mogami wiring, the V69 delivers warmth and character. The case includes a cable, shock mount and windscreen.
Overall User Ratings (based on 42 ratings)
Submitted May 17, 2013 by Gary P in Marion, NC
"A "Diamond Discovered""
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I have owned numerous mics such as Neumann, Rode Classic, and other high end mics. I bought this mic out of pure curiosity. And..I was shocked. I've recorded gospel, pop, country, male, female and group vocals on a variety of microphones including the ones I named above. For $299 this mic is a deal! It's not fancy, doesn't have the "glamour" of some mics, but it gets the job done, and done very well right out of the box. Mics are a matter of personal choice, and there is a lot of hype, prestige, and other "have to have" factors associated with many of the high end name brands, but if you have $299 to spend you owe it to yourself to try this mic. Most folks talk about vocals on these reviews, but if you play acoustic guitar especially finger style try this mic about 12 inches out from the soundhole and slightly forward on the neck. Regardless of what you use it on I don't think you'll be disappointed with this mic especially at the price.
Musical Background:
Private Studio
Musical Style:
All types.
18 of 18 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted May 4, 2015 by Bill A in Bogota, NJ
"Excellent price/performance"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I'm quite pleased with this microphone. It does lack a couple of essential features, but with some forethought, you can overcome these deficiencies.
The sound is excellent. Equal to mics costing 2-3 times the price, possibly even more. I would put it head to head with a u67, and it wouldn't be left in the dust, so to speak.
The supplied tube is actually quite good. I tried a couple of other tubes in it, with little, if any, improvement in character and sound. My advice is to just leave the tube, and just do some recording. This mic is ready to go as soon as you let it warm up. I'm sure that after a nice burn-in period, it will sound even better.
Now, to the deficiencies:
1. the SPL handling is on the low side, so you'll want to make sure that you check your gain staging carefully. Many vocalists will need to put a bit more distance between their mouth and the capsule because of this. I certainly did. With most mics, I can get pretty close to the motor or capsule without any issues. If you do that with this mic, you're going to be overdriving the built in preamp circuit, and while the onset of distortion can be pleasing, it is quite easy to go past the pleasing, and into the no zone.
2. no low frequency roll-off. This is easy to overcome with a bit of low pass filtering, whether it's on your external preamp, sound interface, mixing console or DAW.
Overall, this is a great value. I also own an MXL2003, which I've modified with some higher quality capacitors and basket clearing. While that mic was a good value, too, this one is much more useful to me in my studio.
Musical Background:
Professional Musician/Composer and Producer
Musical Style:
jazz/rock/classical, with an emphasis on progressive rock
8 of 8 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted May 22, 2003 by a customer from cleargravy.com
"Cheap tube mic ripoff? Think again."
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
Sound
A warm and wonderful mic that picks up detail and treats vocals the way vocals should be treated. One of the best sounding mics in my studio it easily rivals the "N" brand that has a price tag 7 times higher.
Features
Thin on features, no pad or rolloff switches, it's not thin on sound and that's what counts. The 140db SPL makes them useful as overheads for drums, but they really shine on vocals and acoustic guitar. The response is so flat that you don't need a rolloff switch and for acoustic instruments and voice a pad isn't much use either. So I appreciate the money saved by not paying attention to features that have little value in this instance.
Quality
Well built. The parts fit tightly but it also disassembles easily to allow you to get to the tube.
Value
At this price, I bought two! So much more you can do with a pair and any other "quality" tube mic starts about double this price. I don't think there's a better value out there for a quality tube mic that shames ALL the competition under $1000 and holds its own with the "big boys" without pretending to be something more than it is. A truly GREAT mic!
Manufacturer Support
No experience.
Musical Style:
ALL
28 of 29 people (97%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted July 17, 2014 by Kyzer MF in Silver Spring, MD
"Excellent"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
The stock tube sounded pretty good, considering the cost of the microphone. I was expecting a horrible "chinese" tube but it wasn't unpleasant. The sound was very distinct and it had a bit too much character to be very useful for vocals except in specific scenarios, but I swapped out the tube for a Mullard 4024 NOS and it sounds realllllyyy good now. Reminds me a lot of the Blue Baby Bottle microphone. A lot less mids heavy and "tinny", more universal, way easier to fit into mixes. I'm keeping the stock tube for specific occasions because I like the sound for acoustic guitar, though, so it all works out!
Musical Background:
10 years this year, home studio since I was a little kid with a USB mic
Musical Style:
Hip Hop, Rock, R&B
6 of 6 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted December 9, 2006 by a customer from hotmail.com
"Gospel, R&B & Spoken word worthy"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Over all it is a great sounding microphone. It is worthy of what it cost and more. I am not a sales rep neither! I am just very excited about this mic. I will be using this for a while. I would actually try some other MXL products now.
Sound
I have worked with the best of the best of Tube mics and condensors. From Nuemann to Manley. I must say that the sound of this mic is very pleasing to the ear though a bit to sibilant. I have notice very smooth lows descant mids and over polished Highs. It is easier to remove what you cannot appreciate however, than to give what is not there. Being a gospel singer I have noticed that it does pickup every nuance of a vocal dynamic, creshendos, vibrato and glatos very detailed. I did eventually change the tube to a mullard 12AX7T and WHOA! I have struck Gold. Try it you will not regret this microphone. I even now record without compression going in, it will not distort if you monitor levels. Hats of to Marshall.
Features
No real features. No polar patterns, no pad, whatever. If a mic is right who needs all of this with one mic. There are other mics in my collection that have these features. It is collection worthy.
Ease of Use
Plug it in use it. My 8yr old could set this thing up. Very straight forward.
Quality
I should mention that the casing to the mic should have been tightened at final inspection, however I was capable of tightening the housing myself.
Value
My goodness! I have been using this mic exclusively on this current album for the first three songs yet. I think for what I have paid it far exceeds its cost and even competes with more expensive mics.
Manufacturer Support
Have not needed support. How great is that?
The Wow Factor
A mic is not sexy. A woman is!
Musical Background:
Minister/Singer/Songwriter/Producer/Engineer
Musical Style:
Gospel/Acid Jazz /R&B/Hip Hop/Pop
5 of 5 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted November 8, 2007 by a customer from aol.com
"Every studio should have this mic!!!!!!!!!"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I need to buy more of them.
Sound
I love the sound now that I switched the tube to a nos GE 5751. It now has that creaminess of the $5000 Neumanns!!! I use it with a Nightpro mic pre, a Manley tube compressor and an old Ashley parametric EQ.
Silky as any mic I've heard.
I use it on vocals, acoustic guitars and drum room mics.
Features
If it had a bass roll off and pad, it would be great!!
Ease of Use
Put it up and go!
Quality
Looks great, sounds great, easy to use..............what else is there!!!
Value
The best bang for the buck I know of.
Manufacturer Support
I had to return another MXL mic that I had for 2 years and to my surprise the mic was still under warranty................3 years actually. It was a MXL 9000 mic..............another great one.
I called MXL, they gave me a return # and their UPS # to ship no cost to me and said they would either fix it or replace it free of charge.
SUPER SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Wow Factor
The clients love the look of this mic!
Musical Background:
full time recording engineer, producer and working musician
Musical Style:
all
3 of 3 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted April 27, 2006 by a customer from taconic.net
"GET THIS MIC!! AMAZING QUALITY!!"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I'll be satisfied for many years to come with it. I also have the SP TB-1 and it is also a killer tube mic. Between the 2 of them I won't be looking to buy for quite awhile.
Sound
Unbelievable sound quality at any price! This mic is very warm and excellent for vocals and acoustic guitars.
Features
Comes with the shcok mount, mogami cables and a pop filter. You'll need a much better pop filter though.
Ease of Use
Very easy. Reproduces the source material exactly!
Quality
This mic is made very well. Strong and durable but don't drop it of course! Contrary to some reviews I've seen regarding the carry case I think the build quality is excellent. It's strong and very rugged. A wooden case would've been nicer though. Still this is an amazingly priced package!
Value
It's worth 4 times what I paid!
Manufacturer Support
Had a few questions and support was awesome. Quick response and very helpful.
The Wow Factor
Very sleek! Very sexy!
Musical Background:
Active musician and engineer
Musical Style:
country, country cross over, light rock and folk
11 of 12 people (92%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted October 14, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com
"Finally! A budget friendly step into the world of "expensive" mics!"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
I expect to keep this mic in my collection for a LONG time. I'm sure I'll keep adding to the collection but for now, this mic has a special place in my studio as the "go-to" mic for vocals and acoustic instruments!
Sound
The sound is natural and true to the human voice. I've found that it CAN be natural and true on acoustic guitar, but depending on the instrument, it can take a minute or two to find the "sweet spot" (which would have been much easier to do with a high pass switch).
Don't forget that this is a tube mic. Let it warm up for a good 15-30 minutes before recording any tracks. Once that tube kicks in, it's like listening to warm silk...clean and smooth.
Features
Don't really need a PAD switch for this mic since its max SPL is 140db. Plenty of headroom. However, it sure would make things easier if there was an 80Hz high pass switch.
Ease of Use
It's pretty much plug it in, let it warm up and away you go. The reason I gave it an eight is because the external power supply can be a little bit of a pain depending on your environment.
Quality
First time I took this out of the box it had the eye-catching, classy, vintage look that (in my opinion) all microphones should have. However, the black casing scratches very easily and shows the true grey metal underneath. I've noticed that the gold grill has become a little wobbly (which is exactly what has happened to ALL previous MXL mics I've owned) over time. Despite those things, everything else seems to be pretty sturdy. Just be sure to treat this mic with a little extra TLC.
Value
Still the best sounding mic for the money that I've heard. I just finished recording a project were we did a bit of a shoot-out between the V69ME, an AT4040, an AT4080, and an SM7B. The V69ME won hands down in clarity, presence, warmth and balance.
Manufacturer Support
I haven't had to deal with them but some friends of mine have and have had some good and some bad experiences. Everything from, "Yes sir. We'll fix it right away!" to never getting a reply.
The Wow Factor
Is this mic sexy? Why yes...yes it is. The black and gold combination give it a 'modern' vintage look. Everyone that sees and hears it automatically assume that it costs about 3x what it actually does. Shhh! I won't tell anyone if you don't.
Musical Background:
Active Musician, Recording Engineer
Musical Style:
Rock
9 of 10 people (90%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted August 22, 2017 by Steven R in Ridgeway, VA
"Can't Go Wrong With MXL and Mogami"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
MXL knows Large Diaphragm Condensor Mics! and now since I tried this tube/Condensor I am blown away with the crisp highs and smooth analog feel on vocals! I tested it with garage band used "Tracking Vocals" mic settings and the vocals fall right in to the mix!!! My suggestion go get it don't sleep on this one!
Musical Style:
R&B, POP, Funk, Soul, and Gospel. www.cdbaby.com/kikaboo
Did you find this review helpful?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted May 14, 2014 by Eric P in Rochester, NY
"Crystal clear!"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Lets be honest, this microphone is sexy. But beyond it's looks, it's sound is phenomenal. It has that nice warm sound you want for a vocal microphone. Hell, I even put it over a glockenspiel and the recording sounded better than being right in front of the glock. And zzounds delivered it to me a lot faster than I expected so I commend them on that
Features
Not really any features. Maybe would've liked if it could switch polar patterns? But not complaining
Ease of Use
Real easy to use, just be sure to turn it on for a couple minutes to warm up for the best sound. Just a little peeved that the power source has to take up an outlet space, but minor detail
Manufacturer Support
Haven't needed to deal with any support
Musical Style:
Hard Rock
1 of 1 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted May 27, 2022 by Mr Scratch Hook in New York City, NY
"MXL V69 Mogami Edition"
I bought this exact mic back in 2007. I really had no idea what i was buying but it looked nice. Fast forward to 2022 and i still have this very same mic with absolutely zero issues what so ever!!!! I've recorded countless artist and never received a complaint. So i'm here just to state that this was one of the best microphone purchases i've ever made and will most likely ride it till the wheels fall off at this point. Thank you guys for such a great product!!!!
Musical Background:
Recording Engineer/DJ
Musical Style:
Hip Hop/Rap/R&B/House
Did you find this review helpful?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted April 4, 2006 by a customer from yahoo.com
"What are U waiting for?! Buy this Mic NOW!!!!"
As long as im in this industry..
Sound
Warm, and Crystal Clear!! I have this mic running through my Avalon 737 sp mic pre..This mic beat my Neumann TLM103 so many times i sold the Neumann..
Features
Everything works great..except for the foam windscreen that comes with it..better off using a pop filter....
Ease of Use
Plug -n- play
Quality
Everything seems well built..
Value
I have this mic paired with my Avalon 737 sp and it sounds great!..I owned a Neumann Tlm103 before this, but after i bought this mic, I quickly sold the Neumann..This mic beat it by a long shot!
Manufacturer Support
Never had to use them..hhmm
The Wow Factor
Everyone thinks i paid "thousands" of dollars for it because of the "gold" grill..lol
Musical Background:
Recording Engineer
Musical Style:
Hip Hop, Rap, RnB
5 of 6 people (83%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted April 24, 2012 by Vincent P in Baltimore , MD
"Great Mic, second time was a charm"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I'd been in the market for a new studio recording mic to complete my home based setup for some time when I came across this mic after much research. I tested it out at a local music store and decided this was the one, I was lucky to find out that ONLY Zzounds had the BEST deals on them so I order them here.
I'll admit they came it way quicker the I thought (2days) and I was excited to try it out. But maybe because I had ordered the refurbished version cause when I got them it was making an unbearable jumping sound which made recording with them pointless.
I contacted Zzounds and told them about it and they told me to ship it back for another one which I did all shipping expenses taken care of by them. The second one they sent me was perfect. I love this mic and what it does to my vocals, just clear, clean, saves me much time editing vocals. I would recommend them.
Musical Background:
Music Producer, writer, performer
Musical Style:
Gospel, hip hop, RnB
2 of 3 people (67%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted August 25, 2008 by a customer from hotmail.com
"Great mic; at any price!"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
I will have this in my arsenal for as long as I own a studio. I may get two more just because I can change out the tubes.
Sound
This product sounds pretty amzing on its own, however putting a mullard black sable tube in it! Wheweee. I bought the Royer Mojave MA200 tube mic, when I listened to the mic I thought this is descent. I did a back to back comparison and the mxl wons with flying colors. I found that the MA200 is actually patterened after this mic. So this mic has a wonderful sound to it.
Features
There are no features, thats one of the best things about it. It makes it easy.
Ease of Use
Change the tube, plug in and play.
Quality
What can I say it is amazing. What is so great about it is that it is very consistent. I tried this mike through the FireFace 800 Mic Pre, the A Design Pacifica and the Behringer tube pre. It sounded amazing through them all. This is a must have piece of equipment.
Value
It sounds beter than so many more popular mics and cost a fraction of their cost. You cant beat the value of this mic. Who cares if it is made in china.
The Wow Factor
Mics are not sexy! If anyone thinks they are they need to get examined.
Musical Background:
Active Musician, Recording Engineer
Musical Style:
Gospel, Neo Soul & R&B (All
3 of 5 people (60%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted July 21, 2006 by a customer from netscape.net
"Nice sound works well feels heavy."
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Very pleased
Sound
Just watch the proximity effect and use a pop filter. It works really on vocals and once you get the sweet spot dialed in it speaks the truth..
Features
needs bass roll off.
Ease of Use
Just plug er in and experiment with your particular acoustical situation. Mine is used in a truck sleeper.
Quality
Bought it cuz I was kind of shiny aluminiumed out. This doesn't look like something purchased at a truck stop or walmart.
Value
Heavy sexy,first impressions are everything when selling yourself,for $$ an hour you don't want to look like the nerd with a Mac anbody can do that.
Manufacturer Support
No experience. If it goes bad buy another one. That's half the fun isn't it? I don't think they quit selling stuff yet have they??
The Wow Factor
already embellished.The case doesn't make it sound any better unless you are giving it away with every recording
Musical Background:
active musician multi instrumentalist recording engineer
Musical Style:
Country blues rock, experimenting with techno.
1 of 2 people (50%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted February 16, 2004
"Top-of-the-line sound...mmm mmm good."
The best mic in my collection. I don't have top-of-the-line stuff, but only a very seasoned studio engineer probably would ever tell this from a multi-thousand dollar Blue or Neumann.
Sound
Absolutely fantastic sound. People complain about the case it comes in, but wow, that sound. I'm not an expert, but I've used MXL 1006, Rode NT-4 and NT-1, Audio-Technica 3035, and it blows them all out of the water. Of course a SM57 will be better for snare and stuff, but on vocals, this thing is silky smooth. Fuller and richer than the Audio-Technica, with beautiful high frequencies. I assume a U87 sounds better, but this is still the best I have heard.
Features
Pad and roll off would have been nice, as would switchable polar patterns, but hey, this didn't cost $800
Quality
Seems very well made, even though the case is crap. I got one of these that was DOA, so I got a little nervous, but I assume it was UPS.
Value
For the sound, the best value around.
Manufacturer Support
No experience, but I've heard good things.
The Wow Factor
very pretty finish
Musical Style:
I play electronic synth stuff, but I record everything
2 of 2 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Please wait.