I don't hand out five star ratings; the product must earn it. The SF-2 is one of the world's three best sounding ribbon mics and, because of its ability to use phantom power, perhaps the most consistent because it has enough gain to sound good with any mic preamp. So it is likely to be the ribbon you use most often.

I would compare it to an exceptional musical instrument.

The output is uncolored and natural. When close miking acoustic instruments it requires no EQ or very little because, unlike even the finest condenser, it's a ribbon's nature not to exaggerate the upper mids and to minimize key and finger noise. It is more silky, less brittle, a quality ideal for digital recording.

Finally, in comparison to some other ribbon mics, the pickup is consistently accurate throughout its range. I carefully compared the SF-2 with other (top of the line) mics and, for miking individual instruments, think it may be the most versatile.

It's a tool that costs more than some competitors. But if one tool can replace the need for others, then in the long run it is a wise financial investment. It's also a wise "artistic" investment.

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