Around here, we're looking at gear all day. From flashy instruments to vibeless utilities, we just about see it all.
If you're anything like us, you may have noticed these gorgeous mics from Ohma World start popping up everywhere: on gear-minded YouTube channels, social media accounts, and right here on Reverb. Even Janelle Monae was spotted using one back in June.
These colorful, hand-painted mics are not simply aesthetic, though their vibe is a breath of fresh air in the usually plain-looking realm of recording equipment. They're high-quality ribbon and condenser microphones, built by a team of passionate musicians and engineers in Los Angeles.
A deeper look at Ohma World mics
Made in the same housing, Ohma's Ribbon and Condenser mics are two separate platforms, both built with custom components.
The Ohma Ribbon features the detailed yet smooth tone of ribbon microphones, complementary to vocals, guitars, drum overheads, and other applications. The Condenser features the company's own "The Debby" capsule and vintage Cinemag transformer, a combination the company says strikes "a perfect balance of classic color and musical detail."
One unique facet to all Ohma mics are the variety of the swappable screens, which each carries a certain look and sonic character:
- Motif screens offer a "finished" solid, warm, and round sound.
- Stripes accentuate the midrange frequencies for a more "up-front" flavor.
- Windows are wide-open.
- Holes screens reduce some low frequencies and adds brightness.
- Scales approximate a dynamic mic sound.
So when shopping their mics on Reverb, you'll see a wide variety of options, since Ribbon or Condenser mics can be ordered with any of these screen sets to start. You can also buy additional screen sets and swap them in and out, meaning your purchase of a single mic can result in a variety of new sounds.
With a huge variety of colors available, looking at the shop's inventory is almost like seeing a whole garden bloom at once.
Head to the Ohma World Reverb Shop to pick yours.