Sweetwater’s Mic Locker: Colt Capperrune’s Tour of Sonic Legends

Step inside Sweetwater’s hallowed vault and you’re hit with more microphones than the BBC’s entire 1980s inventory. Colt Capperrune, our enthusiastic host, teams up with Sweetwater’s head engineer Jason for what’s basically the Olympics of microphone show-and-tell. Drawers, shelves, hooks—you name it, they’ve crammed a mic into it, from rare vintage models to modern monsters. There’s a method to the madness: the locker’s loosely sorted by dynamic, condenser, and ribbon types, with a bit of healthy chaos for spice.

But don’t get it twisted—this isn’t just a museum flex. These mics are weapons, not wallflowers. Sweetwater’s collection is stacked with everything from decades-old classics to fresh-off-the-factory-floor workhorses. The sheer scale is enough to make any engineer’s knees buckle. And yes, they’ve got more Shure 57s than some bands have fans.

Dynamic mics get the first spotlight, with stalwarts like the Shure SM57 (all 57 of them!), Beyerdynamic M201, and ElectroVoice RE20 taking centre stage. Each has its own attitude—some clicky, some chesty, all capable of surviving a drummer’s wrath. The collection doesn’t stop at the usual suspects; the Soyuz V-1 and Mojave MAD make appearances, bringing new flavours to the old-school dynamic game.

Condenser territory is where things get posh. Gold-plated Soyuz O17s, United FET47s, and Blue Bottles flex their sonic muscle. The vibe shifts from gritty to glamorous, but the intention stays the same: capture sound with character. Ribbon mics? They’re the velvet hammers—AEA R44s, Royer 121s, and the legendary RCA 77 offer up that dark, woolly magic. This locker covers the full cocktail menu, with Jason and Colt pouring out examples faster than you can say “phantom power.”

Some mics come with stories that deserve their own Netflix doc. The Neumann U47, U67, and M49 reissues are treated like the Holy Grail—expensive, yes, but as close to the vintage originals as you’ll get without a time machine. Colt and Jason rave about the Telefunken Diamond Series, declaring the modern clones every bit as good as their legendary ancestors. The Blue Bottle stands out for its sheer size and client-impressing looks, while the RCA 77 gets a hero’s welcome for its timeless sound and classic radio-voice vibes.

Of course, there are oddballs too: Scope Labs’ Periscope with its built-in compressor, and CB and telephone mics for when you want lo-fi character without a plug-in. Sweetwater’s locker isn’t just about trophy pieces—it’s packed with creative tools and weirdos, each ready to be the secret weapon on your next record.