Miktek MK300 Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone Reviews

So I was using the apogee hype mic and switched to an actual audio interface and cabled mic. Alejandro set me up with the miktek MK300 with the Arturia minifuse and let me tell you, this mic packs quality with affordability. The sound coming from this thing is so clean. When I eq and clean up the mess, you can without a doubt, compare this to a higher quality and pricier mic. If you're on a budget, this should be the go to. This mic is absolutely incredible and should have a higher msrp.

This is a steal for the current sale price. I have mics that cost 10 times this one does, and putting this one up, in no way, makes me feel like I'm using a toy. It is solidly constructed, and feels good in the hand. This is a modern, bright, professional-sounding microphone, at a shockingly low home studio price. It is detailed and clean. I have other mics of the smooth, vintage designs. I bought this to round out my mic locker; to be able to record modern, highly-detailed sounds. While it is a bright microphone, it is not harsh, and takes eq well. Very flattering to the source.

I'm very happy with this microphone. I only use it for vocal recordings. Coming from a Neumann TLM 103 I can honestly say that Working with the Miktek MK300 it's way better at a cheaper price. My recordings and my mixing stage are better for me now. A more natural sound and easy to handle and mix. At this price? don't look at other options. My clients are happy, I'm happy and the music is coming out great.

I am not an engineer, just a musician getting into home recording. This mic worked great on acoustic guitar.

I liked this mic so much I bought a second one. I usually use more expensive mics but I've been really impressed with the MK300. Quite a different sound from the C7 as well. No other mics in the price range has a filter, pad, 3 patterns, and output transformer.

I needed a brighter mic for voice over. I have an MKH416, but it doesn't capture all the brightness I need for certain projects. I recommend that you try this mic before spending a fortune for the TLM103. This mic will give you what you need at a steal of a price.

This is my best microphone by far! The sound is outstanding, and the price is fantastic! I use this microphone on acoustic guitars, vocals, drums, and guitar amps. You will not be disappointed with the quality of this mic. Miktek makes out of this world microphones for affordable prices!

When I got this mic I was a little frustrated(2 stars) so I just left it connected to my interface with everything turned on. Came back after a few hours to try some intense EQ. Behold everything had changed. This is not a tube mic but I guess it needed some warm-up. The highs just got balanced with the mids and all sound so full and smooth. Thinking I cheated Miktek. At this price range I think this is the best.

I purchased this mic to use it in Omnidirectional mode in order to capture the ambiance of the room.

My goal was to get my 12 string to sound rich and detailed and opened like in the recent Jimmy Cliff's version of Guns of Brixton.

I use it in rather in X pattern in front of an acoustic guitar or a bit farther from the instrument in ORTF configuration and an SM81 closer to the instrument.

We are very impressed with the results. Sound is very sweet.

It's very interesting to experiment with mic positioning when you have decent equipment.

The only bad, is the cheezee pouch it comes in. Condenser mics are usually shipped in carrying case with foam and all. It's an expensive mic to drop. This is too bad because my plans are to go out and record with this mic in existing buildings where the acoustic is great.

I remember hearing the Miktek C1 at Gearfest and was immediately blown away by the quality. For them to pack that same incredible sound in a budget friendly mic to be honest made me a skeptic. But after talking to Miktek directly via phone and researching the components with my sales engineer, I decided to give it a shot. I needed a mic to take on the road to still lay sketch vocals, have decent quality, and a solid build to withstand travel.

Most budget mics require some EQ work and additional processing in post to make them usable for final projects, but the MK300 eliminates that. The vocals are big, clear, and very detailed. Stacking multiple takes doesn't muddy them up, and they just sound great. You'll find yourself listening more to the vocals and less hunting for plug-ins to get the sound you were hoping for. Multiple low cuts would've been nice, but to be honest, it cuts in the right place or you can record flat and roll off in post. Either way, what you will get is a quality vocal track that will have you never regretting the decision to purchase it.

Some mics just do the job intended, and those are the ones that keep you listening to the vocal and not what you need to do to make it sound great, and this is what it excels at. This went from a travel mic for scratch vocals to living in the main studio: it's that impressive. Thanks to Jeff Green at Sweetwater for helping me make such a great choice in the MK300.

This mic also should be a part of all studio great all around mic for vocals and recording instruments

Been reviewing a variety of large diaphragm condenser mics for about 3 weeks because I wanted to upgrade from my Shure PGA 181 mic. Being on a budget makes you a tad slow as it relates to upgrading because your approach is more methodical in not wanting to waste funds. I had settled on the Audio Technica AT2035 but I was intrigued by a review of the Miketek MK300. I liked what I saw and heard, but kinda slowed my rush to purchase. I really compared these two before, reluctantly, settling on the AT2035. Placed the order, begrudgingly, and happily read the order placed email. I rec'd a call from Stuart Niven, who is a pleasure, and we discussed my dilemma. After conversing with Stuart, and it didn't take much to persuade me since I was already hemming and hawing over the purchase, he was able to swap the mic order. I hung up with him happy and satisfied. When the mic arrived, I quickly installed it and tested it out with my Focusrite 6i6 and Logic Pro X. I recorded a few bars and when I tell you there was warmth, depth, clarity, and little to no eq'ing needed, I was SOOOO GLAD I have this mic now.

Do yourself a favor, and if you can, get this mic. You'll be glad you did.

There weren't many reviews on this mic when I bought it but I was told it was a good mic by a Sweetwater employee so I took his word for it. I don't much when it comes to studio gear and condenser mics but this one works great for what I do. Just a little home studio and it picks up sound crystal clear. I would recommend it for sure if you don't know what to get. I have a couple other cheaper ones that aren't as good and I've used a few really expensive ones in other studios and I really couldn't tell you much of a difference between this and a really spendy one. Also the build and feel of it is great.

This wonderful mic has such a nice, full sound, and definitely looks good while doing it!

I'm digging the sound of the mic. So far it's done a great job. Solid build, get a good mic for the price for sure....

For the first time, I like the way my singing sounds. Crisp and clear with plenty of gain. I originally wanted this microphone to use in a particular acoustic guitar microphone setup (because it has a super 8 pattern). But I found that its best use is as a vocal microphone. I can sing well backed off and still get all the volume I need. Couldn't be happier with it.

Having little to no experience in the "sound" aspect of playing live, my "Feast" band has had a lot of mic problems. A blue grass player told me the best and easiest solution was to go to a single Mic BG set up which will pick up both voices and instruments.

I did the research but still had questions... and when Brandon called to see if I had any needs... I unloaded on him... ;) . He helped me pick out the Mic in my price range, answered my questions and now our sound set up is complete!

The fact that Sweetwater has a store here in IN is icing on the cake as I'm buying locally supporting people who live locally.

Thank you guys!!

I own many microphones including the cv3. I bought this because I travel a lot and it was relatively cheap and they claimed it had the Miktek signature sound so I went for it and I absolutely can't believe it....I'm blown away! I tried this microphone on everything and I love it, but I think it sounds best with vocals and The build quality is amazing. Don't hesitate... pick up that phone and grab this thing. It's the best $ I ever spent and I'm kidding you not I have a lot of microphones. Big Thanks to Matt masek at sweetwater for recommending this gem to me

I'm new to recording but not being recorded. Over my career I've been blessed to have been a part of group with 3 gold records. Having recorded in some of our country's top studios I have knowledge of what great microphones sound like. So now back to the review of the Miktek MK300.
I started building my home studio with Focusrite Clarett 8preX coupled with Focusrite's Octopre. I already had great drum mic's but wanted a good vocal condenser, only problem was only had a few hundred to spend. Talked to David Hess and he hooked me up with Miktek's MK300. Told me this was their least expensive mic but not to be deceived as it was a professional microphone with great versatility.
I almost went with another brand but glad I didn't.
After receiving I recorded my first home studio song. Started my mix and what came back was nothing short of perfect tone and clarity. I'm not in anyway a great singer but given the right song I hold my own.
The build quality is second to none. I can say without a doubt the Miktek MK300 in my opinion is in the same sound quality of any high priced microphone. Don't think twice and call David Hess and order this incredible mic. Like I said, only complaint is only having one...Dave I will be calling you myself.
Great job Sweetwater and MIktek.

In my many years of recording, I have used many mics, some very expensive and some not-so expensive. They have included brands like Miktek, Blue, AKG, Royer/Mojave, Shure, Rode, Groove Tubes, ADK Custom Shop, Beyer, Sterling, Neumann, SE Electronics, and Audio-Technica.

Let me say that with all the mics I have used, I have always been struck by the sound and quality of Miktek. There is just something special that these mics have over many others. Some kind of extra magic that seems to consistently find its way into the mix. I first discovered this years ago when I upgraded my main tube mic from a Rode K2 to a Miktek CV4. The difference was beyond words. That doesn't mean the Rode was bad, but the Miktek was special with a unique and moving character. Almost like it was an instrument in its own right, both alive and organic in its response to anything put into it.

This brings me to my review of the MK300. When I first saw this mic, I wasn't really interested in what was described as a "value" or "project studio" mic. Usually when I see those words, I think "sibilant" and "hard to mix". However, I was looking for a new mic and kept finding myself wondering about this one in particular. I mean, there are plenty of legendary mics like the SM7B or 57 that are around this price point, so maybe it would be worth a try?

Since I couldn't find any reviews or demos of the MK300, I decided to compare the spec sheets of the MK300 and C7. After realizing how close they were, I began to understand what this mic was about. It wasn't simply a cheap mic. It was rather a more affordable version (outsourced w/ Miktek parts) of their more expensive mics. I called up Miktek to see if they could give me a little more information and they were super helpful. They confirmed my thoughts and even admitted to me that they may have priced it too low. Well, at this point I had to try it and ordered one that day.

Got it in the mail, plugged it into my LA-610MKII and proceeded to pick my jaw up off the floor. This is a great mic! Although it happens to be priced very low, this is not a cheap mic. It is a mic that (in my opinion) is EVERY BIT AS GOOD as any Miktek I have used. It doesn't sound like a lesser or budget version of anything. Even if I had spent $1000 on it (thankfully I didn't), I wouldn't have been disappointed. It has all the Miktek vibe and mojo that you would expect. I actually did a shootout between the MK300 and the Miktek CV3, and for my voice, the MK300 won hands down. The CV3 was great, but the MK300 just fit me better and absolutely held its own. It is built like a tank and I wouldn't hesitate to use this on any session. Do yourself a favor and try one. I mean, at this price, it would be crazy not to. I may even have to buy a few more!

I've been doing everything myself in music for about 2 years coming on 3 now and can say that this mic is definitely worth every penny. The sound is amazing, the highs are crispy but smooth and the mid to low range isn't muddy. It's very clear. If you're looking for a good starter mic or you're more experienced in the music industry, this mic will work for you! Another great mic is the Aston origin if you're unsure but this mic can compete with 1,000 dollar mics!

very powerful mic not for your average 48v interface, if u got it to work with out burning out ur interface hmu lol.

I always wait past the honeymoon period to write a review but after 6 month of owning it, I am still very satisfied with my Miktek MK300. The Sweetwater vocal mic shootout will actually give you a good idea of how this mic compares to other microphones so check it out.

I tried and owned quite a few other microphones in the $300-$500 range (Audio-Technica, Blue, Rodes...). My main frustration with them was always their harshness and sibilant sound which was almost impossible to eq out.
While this mic won't have the magical top end of a German made $7K mic, it has done miracles for me. Keep in mind this magical top end often disappears in a busy mix anyway ; ). The MK300 emphasizes some clear and defined high-mids without any harshness and makes vocals fit in the mix with perfection. It delivers some really professional results without any type of eq'ing especially on male vocals. The cardioid pattern frequency chart clearly shows this emphasis of the 5-7khz zone followed a sharp drop. The transients are on the smooth side which probably explains the lack of harshness.
Overall, with its sweet sound, it complements perfectly the accurate, bright and sharp AKG C4514b which I use to record acoustic guitars. I also use the MK300 as "side" for M/S recording thanks to its figure 8 pattern option. You can certainly use it successfully for other applications especially when a little boost of high-mid frequencies is useful. I used it on the low side of a piano - with the AKG C451 for the highs, for dobro and as a room mic and even mic'd my bass amp with it.

The only thing I dislike (hence the 4.5 rating) is the shockmount. It is a little flimsy but I guess for that price, I don't mind eventually getting something sturdier. Thank you to my engineer, Anthony for his follow up and advice during and after the purchase process.

All in all this Miktek is a sweet mic, especially if your main purpose is to record vocals. With its multi-polar options the MK300 definitely punches above its weight.

I don't get to do as much studio work as I would like right now, but I bought a pair of these for two reasons. 1. As a drummer, I've wanted a pair of mics that would open to me the option of M/S recording for Overheads, as that is my overhead style of choice. 2. I needed higher quality LDC's in my mic locker.

I got to talk to the managing director of Miktek while I was at gearfest, and he told me what I have read from a few others: same parts, outsourced labor. He mentioned that they may have priced too low, and that combined with the fact that most good things that are new gain some value over time, i decided to get them while I could afford them. Did I pay a little more than I planned? Yes. But I'm pretty happy that I did.

These guys have a nice smooth sound. I ran some vocals through them with my grace m501 preamps, and wasn't as thrilled as I was when I demo'd them, so i would suggest that you pair them up with a little more colorful preamp to get the most out of them (I'm hoping to get a tube pre soon, so it will be interesting to see with that).

A beautiful sounding microphone - much warmer than any dynamic I've used. Its selectable pickup patterns are useful too. The only thing that prevented me from giving it a 5 star rating is the flimsy plastic shockmount included. The mic is so heavy, its weight bends the shockmount, making precise placement tough to achieve.

I love the sound quality of this microphone. It picks up everything, including vibrations. I like the setting options on it as well. The only problem I have with it is its weight. The mount that comes with is can't support it, and I had to hang a 5-pound dumbell from the back end of my boom stand to counterbalance it.

I purchased two of these microphones for my son who moved to Houston from CA. Before leaving I tested the mics.

The mic sounds well but wow, what a useless and terrible shock mount.

I called Sweetwater and their response was that I should make a video of each shock mount not working and send it to them so they could review it and send itbto Miktek. It just wasn't worth the time, effort or wait for a response.

These are no longer a bargain if you have to spend an additional $ per mic for a shock mount that fits and works.

I have two of these mics now. They sound great and are versatile with the polar patterns, low freq roll-off and pad built in.
I have two nitpicks though. It is not very easy getting the XLR cable out of the mic as the included shock mount all but covers up access to the button/lock on the xlr connector.

Additionally, the capsule and mount in one of the mics was twisted (off by about 10°). It looked off through the grill, but hard to tell. I took the mic apart and sure enough it was off. I was able to carefully twist it back into the proper position without touching the membrane or capsule face.

The second mic upon inspection had one of the internal circuit cards slightly twisted. It was sticking out over the main internal mic structure. I was able to carefully twist that back into the proper position as well.
I'm not sure if this is a QC issue or perhaps something that happened due to shipping.

I do however recommend them for their sound quality. They're very reasonably priced.

When Sweetwater did their vocal mic shootout a few years ago, the MK300 jumped out to me as having a smoother, richer sound than most of its price point competitors, so it went on my shopping list. I recently picked up a pair, and the mic itself does not disappoint—it really does have a distinctively fat, euphonic (but clear) sound that distinguishes it from similarly priced mics, probably due to its output transformer.

However, the mic has a major flaw — a shockmount that is just terribly designed, in two ways. First, it's made of flimsy plastic that isn't sturdy enough for the mic, which is on the heavy side thanks to that transformer. The weight of the mic actually bends the neck of the mount slightly. This not only looks like a recipe for long-term failure and possible disaster, but it means that you can't set the angle of the mic accurately by setting the angle of the mount—you have to allow for the bend. On top of this, the mount is designed so that when a cable plug is inserted into the mic's output jack, the little lever that releases the plug is not accessible. To detach the cable, you actually have to unscrew the mic from the mount and pull it out first, remove the cable, then fish it back through the mount. This is…:headdesk:.

So, a mixed bag. It's a fine mic. If Miktek had designed a sturdy, usable shockmount for it, I'd give it a 5.

Read so many positive reviews and ordered one two weeks ago through a friend and was dismayed. The highs are way too airy and tiny. It may sound smooth at the lows and mids but very crunchy at the high mids. Maybe I got a bad product. Sounds good for deep male voices and that's it. My AT2020 beats this thing hands down.