Continuing from my previous tube microphone post, I have finished the build! The sound quality is strongly colored and vibey, which is to say it definitely has the “tube mic” sound, and it will definitely add its own sound to your source material. I tried it on vocals, acoustic guitar, and a toy flute I keep on my accessory shelf, and I think this mic would absolutely dominate for modern pop vocals. On acoustic guitar, my guitarist friend Matt and I both found that it added too much color to be the best choice. Matt wanted to hear more of the nuances of his own playing style, which he has spent decades practicing and perfecting, and which this mic tends to stomp over and with its own signature sound. I agreed. Color is good, but only in the right amount. On the toy flute, I liked the way it added a bit of sizzle to the breathiness of the instrument. Again this type of sound would work really well for a pop or ambient/ethereal recording, but classical performers probably wouldn’t like it, since they tend to prefer accuracy and neutrality of sound over added color. I loved this mic so much on my own voice that I was tempted to keep it for myself! In the future, I will likely build another one to keep. This one, however, is currently for sale on Reverb [Update: It has been sold]. I hope that I find a buyer and that I can build many more microphones and other gear to sell.
