How is an instant classic? East. The Myburgh M1 is an impressive tube condenser microphone with an M7 capsule and a long lasting military grade tube.

When a professional decides to go for a high-end microphone, the options start to narrow down. I’m talking about something worth more than $6K, where you could say “Buy me a car…or this?”

The obvious brands may come to mind, but it would be very wise to consider the German company Myburgh now. Their only product at the moment is the M1: a large-diaphragm tube condenser microphone with a German-made M7 Mylar capsule made by Siegfried Thiersch and a Russian military-grade long-life tube. We took this beautiful beast for a test in the studio.

When a Pelican-inspired waterproof case arrived at the Happy studio, we knew this was a serious piece of pro audio gear. The Myburgh M1 is the brainchild of analog audio lover, engineer and producer Andrew Myburgh and was designed by world-renowned audio designers Andreas Grosser and Eckehard Dux.

It is with great sadness that we inform you that Andreas Grosser passed away in the middle of this year. Andreas was an extremely talented and committed technician who was one of the few people in the world to be trusted to work on vintage parts. He bought that craft from the Myburgh M1. The Myburgh team assured us that they will continue as planned keeping Andreas standards as close as possible.

Turning on this mic, the obvious first choice was voice. With the kind help of alternative pop artist Bambi O’Hara, we dive right into recording one of her new songs. She recently came over for a Live from Happy performance, you can see that here: Bambi O’Hara – Religion (Live from Happy).

Keeping it simple but classic, we mic’d up a Universal Audio 6176 preamp. Having used a vintage Neumann U47 and U67 before on Bambi O’Hara’s vocals, I’m no stranger to the character and quality they impart. I instantly remembered that this mic is just such a mic, but without the background noise and careful setup. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be careful with the M1, but it’s a brand new unit so everything feels solid and it hasn’t seen more than 50 years of use.

We opted for the standard cardioid polar pattern, however on the mic power supply there are 2 other polar patterns of Figure 8 and Omni selectable via an indented potentiometer and true cardioid button.

Once attached to the swivel it is a large unit with a stunning modern yet classic design. The cable is a 7-meter (23-foot) Mogami Neglex 3172 tube microphone cable, the power supply is solidly built – everything has that rainbow of calm blue colors and sounds beautiful. To give more information to the curious, the microphone has not one but two custom transformers; one on the microphone and one on the power supply.

Glamour, tone and accessories aside, I had a bit of a problem. As we followed the vocals, Bambi O’Hara moved the foot of the stool she was sitting on to the floor, creating a huge mic thud. While I was impressed with the extended low range (the microphone has a frequency range of 30 Hz to 20 kHz), I remembered that the package didn’t include any shock absorbers.

I know, I know, some tube condensers of yesteryear didn’t come with shock mounts, so I’ll relent on this point. If you want a shock mount for this, I’d go for one of these Rycote studio shock mounts if I intended to decrease sound transmission. Especially since Myburgh states: “…handles SPL better than your favorite FET kick drum mic.” I would love to try that next time!

Those tiny issues aside, you’ll get what you pay for. It is impressive in its sound and design. It’s an instant classic. I was absolutely blown away by this mic and am seriously considering buying one. Once you hear it, it’s hard to go back…

The Myburgh M1 is priced at $6,495 USD (approx. $10,457 AUD) and for more details head to myburgh.eu