the t.bone MB 75

I use all sorts of mics, from a little "superscope" stereo mic that came free with a PC motherboard about 12 years ago, to an early 80's Calrec Soundfield CM4050 Mk.IIIa with the modular preamp/control system, some vintage 1950's British and German ribbon mics, 1960's Calrec (again) small diaphragm condensors, Shure, Beyer, and so on. Yet, through being introduced to them by friends over the last 20 years, I have become a lover of T.Bone mics, from the cheap and cheerful MB85, to the SCT2000. I started using these regularly about Ten years ago, and, apart from one EM81 drum overhead mic that went faulty, all have behaved impeccably, and done the job perfectly. This from 24 track studio down to home use, and including occasional gigs. In general, I recommend T.Bone mics, and /over/ the big name brands, because they are better value for money.

Basically. I recommend T.Bone mics in general, as a brand, and for all uses, from home, to high end pro studio.

Specifically about the MB75. I like /everything/, having used 4 of them, generally substitutes for a Shure SM57, and been quite impressed. Does the same job. Is /slightly/ different, seeming to have a little more clarity in the "low treble" range than "the real thing", but still the same general "body"and "thickness".. I specifically like these types in front of a guitar amp, snare, tom, or even the top end of a biamped bass rig. Where I want things to "roar" in a rock context generally.

The cons: Handling noise is much higher than the SM57, and, on a mic stand, it seems to pick up sub 120Hz (where I set the shelf when this happens) rumbles from nearby machinery (a tumble drier) quite well via the mic stand. Disproportionately even. I was barely aware of this sound via air and ears, yet via building and mic stand, it was fairly obtrusive. A high pass filter on the input of the desk at 120Hz fixes this, but if you don't have a HPF, you better find someplace quiet to record, and be aware of building/stand transmitted vibration. This is really the only con for me in practice, though the pair that arrived today were not tightly screwed together at the mid-body point. A little twist of the wrist sorted that before I even connected them to the preamp.

Given that mechanical noise isn't much of a problem for me usually, and I have the equipment/knowhow to fix this in an instant, I don't see a good enough reason to pay more for Shure mics, though some clients may be less impressed if/when they realise I'm using "cheap" mics, regardless of the fact that I am delivering the same tonal quality, but I'm not really chasing clients at the moment, and my other equipment has enough "impressive" value to more than negate this silly bias, so it's not an issue for me at all.

Why pay more?

Again. I have A/B'd these (in pairs panned L/R) with SM57, and the MB85 against SM58, and in general, prefer the T.Bone sound. But then I do have nice consoles with transformer balanced inputs and so on.. I could see perhaps why someone with a transformerless input desk might prefer the bandwidth limiting effect of the Shure's onboard transformer.

At the current price (£28), you can afford to try one out and see if you like it.

Suggestion for T.Bone though.. It might be an idea to do a "bare" version, like with the MB85, without the (very good) hard case and cable bundled, and at a similar price to the MB75.. And conversely, to offer a "deluxe" MB85 set with case and cable. (or just sell cases and cables seperately.. I'd go a couple of MB85 cases if you were to offer at reasonable price.

So the question in most people's minds is: is it a SM57? You can read reviews online, comparison videos on you tube, etc. and some people actually claim it is as good or better than the SM57. I wouldn't go so far, especially because I do not have a SM57! :) Now, if the question is if I am satisfied, I would say yes, but not completely. I use it for micing an amp cabin, for recording and PA. For PA, it is fine, but I can't say I am thrilled about the recording results. The sound is not very well defined, and doesn't capture the fullness of the cabin.

Mind you, I am not a recording expert, but still I hoped to get a bit better results. For this reason, I am planning to get a SM57 soon, and sincerely hope the big difference in price bring a big difference in sound as well.