Blackbird Studio Expansion Pack

Please note: This expansion requires the Slate Digital ML-1a or ML-1 microphone

Nashville’s Blackbird Studios wields a staggering 1,400+ vintage and modern microphones. Last year, Blackbird owner John McBride personally hand-picked the five best vintage tube mics for the Blackbird VMS expansion pack. With the Blackbird VMS Expansion pack, VMS users will gain instant access to the exact tone of five of the very best vintage tube mics in the world!

Included microphone models:

Blackbird 47

With its fast transient response, the Blackbird 47 gives vocals and instruments a gorgeous, round tone that’s full of presence and detail with zero harshness. Because it offers a balanced response at all sound pressure levels, the 47 is in demand by a wide variety of musicians—from vocalists to drummers & more. See why George Massenburg, inventor of the parametric EQ, called the Blackbird mic “the finest 47 I’ve ever heard.

Blackbird 251

The most unique, beloved mic in the entire VMS collection, this famed microphone, serial number 584, is the one mic Blackbird clients were never allowed to use. Why? Because it was specially reserved for owner John McBride’s wife, legendary country singer Martina McBride. See why singers like John Legend and Demi Lovato consider this one their go-to microphone for thick, silky vocals.

Blackbird 67

This mic lives in a completely different league from other 67s. By delivering a slightly darker, thicker sound, the 67 has been a favorite of artists from The Beatles to Frank Sinatra. Its ultra-smooth top end subtle tube shimmer helped this microphone define the 1960s. A unique character makes it stand apart from every other microphone in the Blackbird Collection.

Blackbird 12

The Blackbird 12 boasts smoother highs and flatter lows than the original classic tube microphone. With stunning, open high end, detailed mids, and dramatic lows, this microphone will be your best friend when you need a vocal to sit perfectly in your mix. If that wasn’t enough? Warren Huart says this emulation is worth the price of the entire collection alone.

Blackbird 49

The original 49 was built specifically for vocalists. The Blackbird 49 kicks it up a notch by adding even more air, depth, and a dark presence in the lows that gives vocals a rich smoothness. Considered by many recording engineers to be the finest mic they’ve ever used, the Blackbird 49 gives vocals and instruments alike a warm, full tonality.

Features

• Requires Slate Digital ML-1 or ML-1a microphone
• Includes 5 vintage tube mic models from the legendary collection at Blackbird Studios
  • Blackbird 47 – Detailed, round tone with natural presence
  • Blackbird 251 – Silky, iconic vocal mic once reserved for Martina McBride
  • Blackbird 67 – Dark, smooth character with classic tube shimmer
  • Blackbird 12 – Open highs, rich mids, and deep low-end weight
  • Blackbird 49 – Airy, warm, full-bodied sound ideal for vocals