recordinghacks

BidirectionalOktava ML-53

  Street: $400 / MSRP: $475 Bidirectional Ribbon Microphone

Oktava ML-53

Description

The ML-53 is a passive ribbon microphone with a dual-ribbon motor design. It is essentially identical to the ML-52 (aka ML-52-02), but with a redesigned and more-acoustically-transparent headbasket and grille shape.

The vertical bars surrounding the grille on the ML-52 can cause reflections within the microphone’s headbasket. Further, this construction is susceptible to mechanical resonances and ringing.

The ML-53 (like both models of the ML-52) utilizes a dual-ribbon motor, in which two corrugated strips of 2.5-micron aluminum are suspended side-by-side and wired into a single transformer-coupled output circuit.

Factory-matched pairs, for Blumlein stereo recording, are also available.

In September, 2009, Oktava retailer Oktava-Online began offering the ML-53-L, which swaps the stock transformer of ML-53 with a Lundahl LL2912 transformer.

The Oktava ML-53 is also known as: ML53, ML-53-L.

The mic was released in 2004.

Specifications

Pickup Patterns Pads & Filters
Bidirectional (1.6 mV/Pa; 40 - 18,000 Hz)
Ribbon Construction Impedance SPL/Noise
dual 2.5-micron, 50mm aluminum ribbons 300 Ohms (Low) Max SPL: 135 dB
Weight Length Max Diameter Interface(s)
600g (21.16oz) 205mm (8.07'') 52mm (2.05'')
  • 3-pin XLR male (1)
Power Specifications

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