Not Much Different Than An SM58, But Cooler-Looking
By Tom
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2023-12-17
This is my third MXL 770, the first two having been purchased during the pandemic, when I thought I'd be using them a lot more than I did. Ultimately, I sold those two (practically brand-new) for half of what I paid, so buying a new one was quite a kick in the head for me.
At my new job, however, I found I needed a decent voice-over mic that had an impressive look about it, so amateurs coming in to cut VO's took the gigs a little more seriously. My Shure SM58 sounded just fine, but it looked too much like the mics people were used to singing karaoke into. I needed something that looked more like a Neumann or something of that stature. The MXL 770 ticked off THIS box and also the sound quality and (most importantly) price boxes, so i bit the bullet and ordered a new one.
For $60, the MXL 770 is a no-brainer. It's $40 less than an SM58, sounds almost as good, and comes with a shock mount (not the sturdiest) and its own carrying case. Even when it's not on sale, an MXL 770 at $70 or $80 is a good buy if you want something that looks like a studio mic.
I have only used it for voice-overs, so I can't comment on its qualities as a vocal or instrument mic; however, I can say that the 770 delivers a nice, crisp audio track, especially when you tweak some of the switches and make sure the VO artist gets right on top of the mic. It's a very sensitive mic, so be sure to purchase/use some type of windscreen with it or you'll be knocking yourself out trying to splice out plosives later on. Also, it requires 48v phantom power, so be sure your mixer or interface includes this feature.
I wish I had kept my original two MXL 770's, but that ship has sailed now and I'm glad the sale price was actually lower than when I purchased my first two in 2020. Bottom line: If you already own a Shure SM58 or something similar, the only reason I can think of top replace it with this is for the look and studio vibe of it. If you're trying to choose between this and a 58, go with this. When it's on sale, as it often is, you can almost buy two for the cost of one SM58, and the difference in sound quality is negligible.
Bang for the Buck winner from B&H Photo.
By Moses
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2020-09-29
We run Shure SM7b and Electrovoice Re20. For grand piano, this lowe cost unit exceeds them both. We were surprised.
Granted, you can get better performance from other much higher priced units but for a budget unit, the MXL 770 is remarkable. It even comes with a case and shock mount. And B&H gives free shipping.
Really, it is hard to beat this value proposition.
