M 160

The M 160 uses two thin aluminium ribbons and a hypercardioid pickup pattern, which is unusual for a ribbon design. Sound from the front is favoured, while the sides and part of the rear are reduced, with 25 dB of rear attenuation at 110° and 250°. This gives useful channel separation when several sources are close together.

It is described as having a warm, natural tone with little coloration, and it copes with the high sound pressure of a guitar amp. Typical uses are guitar cabinets, drum overheads, hi-hat and room miking, plus acoustic guitar, brass and strings. With a wind shield it can also be used on vocals, and it can be paired with the figure-eight M 130 for M/S recording.

The microphone is compact and light, and is built to be more robust than most ribbon models. Each unit is measured individually and ships with a printout of its curve, and it comes in a hard case. Connection is by 3-pin XLR.