beyerdynamic
M 88
Dynamic · Hypercardioid · 30–20,000 Hz · a rider regular
- 30 Hz to 20 kHz from a moving coil — wide for a dynamic, and part of why it is used on kick as well as vocals.
- The rare mic that is specified for both lead vocals and kick drum, which says more about its low end than any number does.
Frequency response
Redrawn from beyerdynamic’s published response graph (approximate, ±2 dB) on the fixed MicSense scale — 20 Hz–20 kHz, −20 to +15 dB — so two microphones can be compared at a glance. No image is copied; it is a guide to the shape, not a measurement. Drawn for: 1 m distance ("1m Abstand"); 2 cm and 10 cm proximity curves not used. The maker’s graph (Sollfrequenzkurve (frequency response), Datenblatt M 88 D7/M88 (09.23) p.2 — 1 m curve).
Polar pattern
Generated from the first-order directivity formula for hypercardioid. It illustrates the pattern type — it is not a measurement of this individual model.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | beyerdynamic |
|---|---|
| Model | M 88 |
| Type | Dynamic |
| Form factor | Handheld |
| Polar pattern | Hypercardioid |
| Frequency range | 30–20,000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | 2.9 mV/Pa · -51.0 dBV/Pa |
| Max SPL | — not published by the maker |
| Self-noise | — none (passive capsule) |
| Impedance | 200 Ω (nominal; load ≥ 1000 Ω) |
| Connector | XLR3M |
| Powering | None (dynamic) |
| Weight | 331 g |
Specifications: beyerdynamic specifications page · last checked 2 Oct 2026. These are the maker’s published figures for this model. A dash never means zero: “not published by the maker” means the maker’s documents give no figure; “not yet checked” means MicSense has not confirmed one yet. Spotted an error? Tell us.
MicSense notes
| Price tier | Pro |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1962 |
Price tier and “a rider regular” are MicSense’s own judgement, not the maker’s.
What it gets used for
- FOH vocal
- Kick in
- Bass cab
- Horn / brass
- Toms
MicSense tags microphones by the job on a live stage, not by studio category — so you can filter for “kick in” or “monitor vocal” instead of working backwards from “large-diaphragm condenser”.
M 88 alternatives: closest in published specs
Based on published specifications only — always listen at soundcheck. These are the microphones in the MicSense library whose datasheet figures sit closest to the beyerdynamic M 88’s for the same live job, with the reasons. It says nothing about how they sound.
Not compared for the beyerdynamic M 88: max SPL not published by the maker.
-
Audix
OM7
- Same job: FOH vocal
- Same type: dynamic
- Same hypercardioid pattern
- Same form: handheld
- Similar published response shape (≈ 1.6 dB apart on average, 100 Hz–10 kHz)
- ≈ 11 dB less output — add about 11 dB gain
-
Shure
Beta 58A
- Same job: FOH vocal
- Same type: dynamic
- Same form: handheld
- Similar published response shape (≈ 1.3 dB apart on average, 100 Hz–10 kHz)
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Supercardioid instead of hypercardioid — deepest rejection at ±126°, not ±110°: check where the wedge sits
-
sE Electronics
V7
- Same job: FOH vocal
- Same type: dynamic
- Same form: handheld
- Similar published response shape (≈ 1.1 dB apart on average, 100 Hz–10 kHz)
- Supercardioid instead of hypercardioid — deepest rejection at ±126°, not ±110°: check where the wedge sits
- ≈ 3 dB less output — add about 3 dB gain
Compare it against the alternatives.
MicSense lets you put up to four microphones side by side — spec table, overlaid response curves and polar diagrams on one screen. Free with a free Squaresmile account.