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Oktava ML-19
Oktava SDM

Oktava ML-51

Manufacturer:

Oktava

Model:

ML-51

Country of Manufacture:

Russia

Microphone Type:

Ribbon

Polar Pattern:

Figure 8

Production Start Year:

1977

Production End Year:

1987

Rarity:

2
Oktava ML-51

Frequency Response:

Frequency Response Graph

Microphone History:

MoMics View:

The ML-51 is clearly a budget microphone that was designed to look a lot like the Sennheiser MD421, right down to the white plastic body. The active circuit is notoriously noisy and many users find it beneficial to modify this microphone, either by removing the active circuit completely or replacing it with a low noise phantom powered booster. Once done, they can be quite useable.

Technical Description:

The Oktava ML-51 is an active ribbon microphone with a battery powered booster circuit inside. From the Russian data sheet:

ML-51 bidirectional ribbon microphone for recording and broadcasting music and speech in concert studios and halls.

  • Nominal frequency range: 40–16,000 Hz
  • Sensitivity at 1,000 Hz: 9.5 mV/Pa
  • Rated load impedance at 1,000 Hz: 250 ohms

Further Reading:

Click here to see the circuit diagram.

See the ML-51 manual in Russian

Related Microphones in Collection:

Oktava ML-19

Oktava ML-19

Oktava ML-16

Oktava ML-16