Boutique Microphones: Made By Hand
We look into boutique microphone manufacturers.
We check out some different manufacturers of hand-crafted boutique microphones that can expand your mic locker for taking on a wide range of recording projects.
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When you invest in a boutique microphone, it goes without saying that you will probably end up paying more. However, the hand-built manufacturing process relies on uncompromising audio specs with specially selected components, allowing designs that simply aren’t feasible on large-scale production lines.
Whether you’re looking for an accurate recreation of a vintage tube mic design or a more modern FET workhorse condenser, boutique manufacturers take time and care to deliver mics with unique sonic profiles that can easily outperform designs governed by staying within a certain budget.
Boutique Microphones: Sontronics
Founded in Dorset, England, in 2004, Sontronics Microphones has established itself over the past two decades with its distinctive identity developed through maintaining an impeccable standard of hand craftsmanship and quality control. Throughout the lineup, Sontronics mics are known for their characteristically smooth high-frequency range, for a sound that requires little to no EQ.
The range covers large-diaphragm tube condensers like the MERCURY and ARIA 2, as well as solid-state designs such as the SATURN 2, the ZETA, and the ORPHEUS. These condensers are designed as workhorse mics for everyday use, and are equally at home when put to use in the vocal booth as they are in the live room.
Besides the versatile STC-1 small diaphragm condenser, the Sontronics range also includes a selection of modern ribbon mic designs such as the APOLLO 2, SIGMA 2, and DELTA 2 for projects that require that extra vintage warmth. In addition, there are also dynamic mics in the lineup for recording, podcasting, and live stage use, so be sure to explore the range to find something that suits your application.
Boutique Microphones: Ohma World
Los Angeles microphone manufacturer Ohma World was established only a few years ago and has steadily built a reputation with its range of customizable ribbon and condenser mics. At first, you might mistakenly think these mics are all about their aesthetic appearance, but in fact, members of the design team honed their craft at companies like AEA and Bock Audio for years before putting together these spectacular mics.
The Ohma World transformer-based mics are available in cardioid condenser and figure-8 ribbon designs, each with its own specific sonic profiles. While the ribbon design is inspired by the classic RCA 44 and delivers that vintage silkiness, the condenser design has similar voicing to a vintage mic, but with additional low-end reinforcement and high-end presence.
Once you’ve decided on your mic type, you then have a choice of five different swappable acoustic screens that introduce different tone-shaping characteristics. While the Motif gives you a more finished sound, the Stripes screen is ideal for aggressive guitar cabinets, and the Windows enhances low-end. Meanwhile, the Scales screen preserves the crispy top end of snare drums, and the Holes screen is ideal for vocals.
Boutique Microphones: Soyuz Microphones
Soyuz Microphones is a high-end boutique manufacturer, established in 2013 by US musician David Arthur Brown from the band Brazzaville, and the Russian entrepreneur Pavel Bazdyrev. In Russian, the word Soyuz means ‘union’ or ‘alliance’, and this is a symbolic homage to the Apollo–Soyuz space program, as a collaboration between Soviet era manufacturing ideals and Western design and marketing.
Soyuz is celebrated for its hand-built large-diaphragm condensers, both in tube and solid-state design variants. This includes the flagship 017 series, ideal for vocal recording, the 023 series, created to become the workhorse of your recording studio, and the more accessible 1973, a transformerless mic that delivers a brightly detailed modern sound.
For more adventurous recording escapades, the Soyuz 013 series includes tube and FET versions of their versatile small-diaphragm condensers, as well as the 013 Ambisonic mic designed for immersive 360-degree audio capture. In addition, Soyuz also offers a selection of high-quality preamps, and their very own handheld dynamic mic for stage performance.
Boutique Microphones: Milab Microphones
The legacy of Swedish manufacturer Milab Microphones goes back for the better part of a century. Known for its unique rectangular microphone capsule designs, Milab has resumed production in a new facility in the south of Sweden, overseen by veteran production manager Hans Svensson, who has over 40 years of experience building Milab mics.
The current Milab lineup consists of a range of large- and small-diaphragm condensers for different recording applications. The flagship VIP-60 is a modern successor to the classic VIP-50, with five selectable polar patterns, reduced noise floor, and its signature warm sonic profile. Meanwhile, the DC-196 multipattern FET is an ideal compact workhorse for modern studios.
Then, the DC-96C provides a more accessible cardioid solution for vocals and instrument recording. In addition, there are small-diaphragm and specialist options such as the VM-44 Classic, an excellent multipurpose studio tool, the LSR-3000 handheld condenser for stage performance, and the BDM-01 designed for kick drums and bass cabinets.
Boutique Microphones: Manley Reference Series
While Manley Labs is renowned for producing tube-based studio hardware for recording, mixing, and mastering, the California-based manufacturer’s Reference Series is one of the most sought-after microphone ranges available. The Reference Cardioid mic is a professional standard for vocal recording, delivering an open sound that brings the vocals forward in the mix simultaneously.
Each of the three impressive mics in this lineup takes a slightly different approach to the capsule design, so while the Reference Cardioid gives you a modern U47-style tube mic, the Reference Gold is inspired by the AKG C12, and the Reference Silver gets its cues from the legendary Sony C-37A. Each one also has some unique features to accentuate its sonic profile.
So the Reference Gold offers continuously variable polar pattern control for added creative freedom, making it ideal for orchestral recordings, and the Reference Silver uses a simple mechanical switch to select either cardioid or omnidirectional pickup patterns and shines in overhead configurations and for the recording of brass instruments.
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