Mojave Audio's MA-50 microphone starts with the same capsule as their MA-200 tube condenser and MA-201fet models. The MA-50 is a FET condenser microphone that will handle up to 140dB SPL, making it an excellent general-purpose tool for any recording application from vocals, voiceovers, acoustic guitars or orchestral instruments—even as a drum kit overhead.
I first gave the MA-50 a trial here recording acoustic guitar using my Retro Powerstrip recording channel. The MA-50 has a 1-inch large-diaphragm capsule with a gold-sputtered, 3-micron thick Mylar diaphragm and fixed-cardioid polar pattern.
Recording acoustic guitar with the MA-50 went very smoothly with the included, well-made shock mount enabling me to try various positions before settling on the best place. I wanted a good mix of brightness and full-bodied tone and the MA-50 has all the warm depth you could want.
For recording vocals, I used 30dB of gain from my RTZ 9762 microphone pre-amp only—no compressor or EQ. For this male tenor, the MA-50 produced a warm, natural timbre with a very slightly open top end.
The Mojave Audio MA-50 sells for $495 and I give it a “big thumbs up” for a good, all-around microphone that’ll give years of solid performance in your studio.
BARRY RUDOLPH is a recording engineer/mixer who has worked on over 30 gold and platinum records. He has recorded and/or mixed Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart, the Corrs and more. Barry has his own futuristic music mixing facility and loves teaching audio engineering at Musician’s Institute, Hollywood, CA. He is a lifetime Grammy-voting member of NARAS and a contributing editor for Mix Magazine. barryrudolph.com
