Milab VIP-60: The VIP-50 condenser microphone gets an update
4,0 / 5,0 | 
37 years after the original VIP-50’s introduction, Milab shows off its long-awaited successor, the VIP-60. The microphone takes its visual and aural cues from its venerable predecessors, but it ought to have what it takes to convince modern recordists with its features and sound. To that, the sound has been sensibly improved owing to an updated capsule.
Milab VIP-60
While development certainly didn’t take all of 37 years, the manufacturer’s R&D team spent a while working on the VIP-60. Testing and feedback took 18 months alone. I’d like to assume that all the effort has resulted in a seriously good microphone that looks the vintage part like almost nothing else! The VIP-60 should offer markedly improved performance, thanks to the new capsule and significantly lower self-noise. The expected sound quality and character should still be present, along with a combination of warmth and presence which takes the sound into ribbon mic territory.
The VIP-60 comes equipped with a roll-off filter which can be set at 200Hz, 500Hz, or ‘Flat’. There is also a pad switch to attenuate input by -20 dB, -10 dB, and 0 dB. The microphone also retains the five directional settings (cardioid, wide cardioid, hypercardioid, omnidirectional, figure eight). It all sounds very promising and quite versatile, but don’ expect to get this one for EUR 150 or whatever!
Milab VIP-60
Features
- Frequency range: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
- Directional characteristics: cardioid, wide cardioid, hypercardioid, omnidirectional, figure eight
- Filter: 200 Hz, 500 Hz
- Pad: -10 dB, -20 dB
- Max. SPL (1% THD @ 1 kHz): 118 dB
- Max SPL (10 dB pad): 128 dB
- Max SPL (20 dB pad): 138 dB
- Sensitivity: 14 mV / Pa
- A-weighted noise level (IEC 179-A): 14 dB
- Phantom power: 48 V
- Output impedance: <200 ohms
- Connection: XLR
- Weight: 440 g
Price and availability
The Milab VIP-60 should be available from January 2022, but the price is not yet known. The predecessor can be purchased for around EUR 2350, which is fairly low by vintage mic collector price standards. So let’s see how expensive the new model will turn out to be! We do know that the scope of delivery includes a waterproof case and a Rycote InVision USM shockmount, though. It sounds like a premium offering in the making, so we don’t expect to have the VIP-60 below a couple of thousand euros.
More information about Milab VIP-60
- Milab VIP-60: Milab
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