If you are looking for a truly decent and reliable condenser microphone at a reasonable, affordable price point, you should take a look at MXL microphone models. MXL mics are hugely popular on the market due to the excellent performance they offer as well as their budget-friendly prices. MXL V67G and MXL 770 are two products that often cause people to get confused. MXL V67G and MXL 770 are available in a similar price range – you can get either of them with a budget under a hundred bucks – yet, each of the two products has each own distinctive characteristics. So, what are the differences between MXL V67G and MXL 770?
Design
MXL V67G comes with a black body and golden grille, while MXL 770 is predominantly black and with a golden font. Putting the two models side by side, we can then see that MXL V67G is slimmer but taller than MXL 770. MXL V67G is also slightly heavier than MXL 770, but the difference is trivial and neglectable. Both are very lightweight. Even so, MXL V67G and MXL 770 are best used with a stand and a shock mount in order to reduce the handling noise. Both MXL V67G and MXL 770 have a cardioid polar pattern. They pick up sounds the best from the front, while attenuating the sides and especially the rear.
Technical Specs
| MXL V67G | MXL 770 |
|---|---|
| - Type: Pressure gradient condenser mic | - Type: Pressure gradient condenser microphone |
| - Diaphragm: 6 micron gold-sputtered | - Diaphragm: 6 micron gold-sputtered |
| - Capsule Size: 32mm/1.26in. | - Capsule Size: 22mm/.87 in. |
| - Frequency Response: 30Hz - 20kHz | - Frequency Range: 30Hz-20kHz |
| - Sensitivity: 15 mV/Pa | - Sensitivity: 15mV/Pa |
| - Impedance: 200 ohms | - Output Impedance: 150 ohms |
| - Equivalent Noise: 20 dB (A-weighted IEC 268-4) | - Equivalent Noise: 20dB (A weighted IEC 268-4) |
| - S/N Ratio: 74 dB (Ref. 1 PA A-weighted) | - S/N Ratio: 74dB (Ref. 1Pa A-weighted) |
| - Max SPL for .5% THD: 130 dB | - Max SPL for 0.5% THD 137dB |
| - Power Requirements: Phantom Power 48V (+/- 4V) | - Power Requirements: 48V phantom power (+/- 4V) |
Output Quality
It is interesting that MXL V67G and MXL 770 actually have the same frequency response range. Their frequency response range is 30 Hz – 20 kHz. In general, the two mics can capture similar lows, mids, and highs with decent accuracy. They also have a similar sensitivity level of 15 mV/Pa, and a self-noise level of 20 dBA. These mics are very sensitive. Hence, you should use these mics in a controlled environment, where you can eliminate every possible noise source so that the mic will not capture any unwanted sound wave.
However, due to the slightly different internal designs, MXL V67G and MXL 770 sound quite differently from each other. MXL V67G, with a bigger capsule and a bigger impedance, generally delivers brighter tones. The audio reproduction is bright, clear, and crisp. Meanwhile, MXL 770, with smaller capsule and impedance, typically sounds relatively warmer and smoother.
Feature
The next difference between the two models that you need to be aware of is the included features. MXL 770 comes with a pre-attenuation pad and a high-pass filter, two features that MXL V67G lacks. The pre-attenuation pad can be set to -10 dB, allowing you to handle louder sounds up to 147 dB at 0.5% THD. Meanwhile, the high-pass filter functions can be turned on to attenuate low-frequency noise such as breath sounds, wind sounds, and mechanical vibrations.
MXL V67G Vs MXL 770
Conclusion
In general, MXL 770 may seem to be a better value for the money, as the extra features of pre-attenuation pad and high-pass filter can be very handy and beneficial in usage. However, if you prefer a brighter mic, then you should choose MXL V67G.