I have a confession – I don’t play my favorite instrument. I’m allegedly a bassist, although with Vanguard taking up roughly 190 hours each week, I haven’t touched my bass in nearly a year. But my REAL favorite instrument is the cello. And my favorite mic for the cello is the Vanguard V13 Tube Condenser.

I know, I know – it’s just shocking that the owner of a microphone company would recommend his own microphone. Fortunately, you don’t just have to hear it from my biased point of view!

Istvan Matok is an excellent audio engineer specializing in orchestral recording in Budapest, Hungary. He’s got his own iMDB credits, has written an Audio Engineering Society white paper, and has worked regularly with the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra as well as renowned composers, conductors, and instrumentalists.

He recently alerted me to his latest work with French composer Laurent Petitgirard and French cellist Marie-Claude Bantigny recording Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Concerto for Cello & Orchestra No. 2”, along with the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra. His secret weapon, as you can see in the photo, is a Vanguard V13 for Marie-Claude’s cello.

for the woodwinds I have used Vanguard V1s. For cello I have used two mics, one was my “secret weapon” until these recordings, a Calrec CM 2151C, and the Vanguard V13…and now my secret weapon for cello (and of course a lot of other sources) is your V13! On cello it has a very open sound, very detailed, and a touch of the tube sound, great!

Better yet, Istvan sent us an audio file to back it up: