Tape Op Review: Monheim’s Royalty Tube Microphone

I've had the opportunity not only to sing and play into many sought-after microphones, but I've also been able to use even more mics on artists and instrumentalists as a producer and engineer. I recall the first time I ever performed into a vintage Telefunken ELA M 251E. I was young and didn't really "get" what I was about to sing into. My first thought was that the microphone was utterly unattractive, with its creamy greenish color. My perceptions immediately changed when I heard myself back in my headphones. Singing felt effortless, and my vocals immediately sounded like a record.

This review, however, is all about the new Monheim Royalty tube condenser microphone, which is visually a vast departure from common brushed nickel or black microphones. Andrew Monheim has purposefully designed the exterior of this mic to pay homage to Prince – "The Purple One" – so the all-brass microphone body has been custom painted (in collaboration with one of Snoop Dogg's auto body painters), and its multi-layer custom purple with gold sparkle changes brilliance depending on the light. Adding in a 24-karat gold-plated grill housing and bottom bell, I have never seen any microphone that is quite as visually dazzling! Even the shock mount is coated with the same purple and gold sparkles as the microphone body.

While the sonic reference gives a nod to the classic Neumann U 67, Monheim's Royalty features a K67-style capsule tuned to their specifications, enhancing the low end compared to traditional K67s, resulting in a richer sound. When the high-pass switch is engaged, it puts the vocal or instrument performance on top of the mix without sounding thin. Like the U 67, the Royalty also runs on an EF86 vacuum tube.

Read the full review in Tape Op