David Bowie's Microphones

Launched in 1971 as Sennheiser’s flagship dynamic the MD441 has remained in production ever since. Famous users include David Bowie, Stevie Nicks and Elton John. It is a superb example of German design and engineering, and even today has few competitors.

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According to Beyerdynamic, Bowie is using a Beyerdynamic M88 in this video for Let's Dance.

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In this interview with Tony Visconti from Sound on Sound, the producer states, "David bought himself the Manley Gold Reference stereo mic about 10 or 12 years ago — he'd kept it in storage, and when he asked me if I'd be interested in trying it out, I said 'sure'. I love anything made by Manley, and so we took the mic out of mothballs for Heathen, and it worked so great that we used it again on this album."

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Used as the vocal microphone in Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture

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"Visconti had no shortage of tricks up his sleeve for the production of the album. . . . He was the proprietor of Neumann U-87 microphones, often using multiple at a time to capture not just vocals but instruments as well as the space of the Hansa hall. . . . Taking full advantage of the large spaces at Hansa, the producer used three microphones to capture vocal takes, one close, one at 15 feet and one at 20 feet."

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In a 2000 performance of "Ashes To Ashes," David Bowie is seen using a Shure SM58 microphone.

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David Bowie frequently used the Shure Beta 58A microphone during his concerts, as highlighted in an ABC News article.

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This is a community-built gear list for David Bowie.

  • Find relevant music gear like Microphones, Guitars, Amplifiers, Effects Pedals, Pianos, Keyboards and Synthesizers, Studio Equipment, Software Plugins and VSTs, Headphones, and other instruments and add it to David Bowie.
  • The best places to look for gear usage are typically on the artist's social media, YouTube, live performance images, and interviews.
  • To receive email updates when David Bowie is seen with new gear, follow the artist.

Discography

Album Credits

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