the t.bone MB85 Beta

So the mb85 Beta arrived today, and first impressions are really great. Like it's brother, the mb75 Beta, it's well-built and the case it comes in is really useful.

I recently placed a review here on the 75, where I expressed a little disappointment at it on both vocals and guitar when compared to a Beta57 that I owned a few years back. I've since come to quite like it, having done some vocal singing home recording, with the gain increased a bit.

I A/B'd the mb85 Beta today against the mb75 Beta and it's slightly more crisp and present, with similar output and useful but not over-bearing proximity/bass increase. I also compared it with my Rode M2 and it's certainly not too far off in terms of open/airy sound - it's a typical dynamic mic in the sense that it's more punchy and direct, when compared with a condenser's more open tone.

I also compared it to a Behringer XM8500, and the MB85 Beta was hotter and had a greater emphasis in the upper frequencies (without every being harsh). I can see that this mic would be a far better option than an sm58 (which I've never been a fan of personally) and understand from hearing it that they've aimed to get it closer to the Shure Beta variant.

I think it's going to be a great asset - and one that I'll certainly not hesitate to use live should I need something a bit more punchy than my M2.

I admit I don't know that much about microphones (and singing, just an amateur), I bought a Superlux s241 years ago (small diaphragm condenser mic) because I thought it would be good both for voice and for recording acoustic guitar, however I could never get a voice tone I was satisfied with so, since I needed to buy something to get free shipping on my order, I decided to get this mic because I liked better how the demo voice samples sounded and it's cheap.
After testing it for a while I'd say I like my voice tone better on this microphone compared to the Superlux, it's fuller and more pleasing, probably nothing that couldn't be obtained with some EQ, but it would be one more thing that I could mess up, so I prefer to have a more solid starting point.
As expected it needs more gain than my condenser microphone, but nothing dramatic, I can turn up it enough without having significant hiss.
Construction seems solid, nothing to complain about

It's a cheap dynamic mic, but not cheap in a bad way. It sounds great and build quality is high enough that I don't worry about breaking it. Comes with a case and a holder, but the holder is a bit too stiff for my liking and it's hard to mount the mic in. Records voice well as well as my amp and the range is decent enough. I can't compare it to other microphones because I don't have any besides the one on my headset, and this definitely outshines that microphone by 100x in both dynamic range and clarity. I mostly use it for talking to my friends over Discord or streaming on Twitch, but it also works well for recording both my acoustic and my electric guitar.

Pros:
+ Cheap
+ Good dynamic range
+ Good build quality
+ Accessoiries

Cons
- Mic holder not the best
- Really bad microphonics, not usable in a live environment or when holding it in your hands

Edit:
After having this mic for some years now I've been dealing with one major issue that has made it really hard to use this anywhere other than a static studio environment. The microphonics on this mic are so bad. That I mean with that is that even holding it in your hands introduces a lot of noise, making it only usable when using a stand and not touching or moving it AT ALL! Any slight movement, even on a microphone arm, will introduce loud unwanted noise into your recording.

I was using a cheap usb condenser microphone which I was not totally satisfied with, being rather hollow sounding. So I wanted something better and saw this t.bone mb85 Beta microphone for not much more than I paid for the usb microphone. Bought with the Behringer U-Phoria umc22 audio interface the cost was only ¤80 for both. I can't compare it with the established mikes like the Shure SM58 because I've never used it. All I can say is that I was looking for a clear, natural sounding microphone for a good price and this perfectly fits the bill. It seems to me to be quite a professional microphone but either way, if you're looking for a quality microphone at a bargain price this microphone will be a very good option.

As for the characteristics at least for my voice when I eq through audacity I find that rolling off the bass slightly and increasing the treble produces the best sound for me. Actually the opposite of the usb I was using but I wouldn't say it is a particularly bassy microphone. It's quite balanced. I do have to push the gain up to 75% on the umc22, any higher and it starts clipping like crazy. It isn't the loudest, in fact I wish it was but audacity will raise the volume sufficiently for my needs. I just use it for voiceover on various audios I do.

So 5 stars for the price to performance ratio.

I produce voiceovers and Youtube videos as a hobby, and I'm completely clowning away by the price quality ratio of this microphone. This mic handles voiceover and vocals like an absolute champ. It also handles acoustic guitars very well. It's also super sturdy, I have knocked over my desktop mic stand a couple of times and the mic didn't even suffer from a mild scratch.

If you are starting out and need a mic, if you need a dynamic mic, this is the one you need to get. I have a Shure BETA 87A, which is a condenser mic (not which this t.bone is built after) that was supposed to be my vocal mic, but I found myself coming back to the t.bone all the time. The dynamic mic is just less sensitive to ambient noise.

If I have to say something about cons, none.

Wow !!! bought 2 of these to try them out with punters geting up to sing and speak at functions. Am amazed ... Compared them to our old SM58s and am delighted to say they were so impressive, I've swapped the old 58s out and am using these instead. The was a crispness and brightness and a nicer warmth at the same eq setting as the SM58. Lets see how they stand up to the rough and tumble of gigging and getting bounced around on stage... In the meantime i am happy to give them a 5 star review and would recommend them to anyone not olny as a backup mic but try them as a replacment to your stage mics.... ☆☆☆☆☆

I have never ever been so happy about anything ??on a budget?? like with this mic . This mic kick ass for real. You can record and get superb quality and use it for live show and theres absolutely no difference between MB85 and Shure SM 58 except awesome price for this baby.
Pros: Really good sound quality and feeling so good while using it because it is all metal and knowing that you cant even wait to buy another one right after first touch...
Cons: This maybe isnt right place but I will try to say it that I personally would like that it is a bit bigger but this mic is not small i repeat IT IS NOT SMALL and that is just my preference.

Thats it, in this moment Im placing order on another one and my suggestion is BUNDLE with stand and cable where you can save about 15% of total price rather than buying all separately.

:) So happy...