The new Revelation II is the same physical size as the original MXL Revelation I reviewed in these pages back in 2010 but it is now darker and cooler looking with a dark violet case with black chrome accents and screen--it nearly disappears in dimly lit studios!

It has a sensitivity rating of -40dB relative to 1V/Pa, a -10dB attenuator pad, 138dB max SPL, 125Hz 12dB/octave high pass filter, 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response, and the mic weighs 907-grams.

I put the Revelation II to work recording lead vocals at my studio; I wanted to try both omnidirectional and cardioid pickup patterns. The power supply has a control pot you can adjust anywhere in between omni, figure-of-eight, and cardioid.

This control varies the polarization voltage applied to the front and rear facing capsules. After the mic's tube has warmed up, I found it best to pick a pattern, select it, and allow about a minute for the capsules to stabilize. Changing this polarization voltage can produce a "popping" sound and that is normal--mute the mic and wait a minute before use.

MXL Microphones Revelation II Vari-Pattern Condenser Microphone Power Supply

I proceeded to get three vocal takes in succession each one using cardioid, omni, and figure-of-8 patterns. I like singers to be close in so I always use a pop filter and try to keep the singer "on mic" at all times. Cardioid has the proximity effect--a bass buildup when singers are close to the diaphragm. If you like the presence of your singer close in but find bass buildup too much, try switching in the high pass filter located back on the power supply.

The omnidirectional pattern does not have proximity and your singer will sound 'thinner' compared to cardioid with the same mic distance and singing volume. If I am looking for more room tone in a lead vocal sound or I am recording backing vocals, I use omnidirectional.

Figure-of-8 is awesome for two singers facing each other--one on each side of the Revelation II. Figure-of-8 also has proximity so you get a big fat sound on each singer as if you have two Revelations back to back!

For my lead vocal track I went with cardioid and love the big sound of this mic. I heard all the nuance and tone of my singer with clean highs and tight lows.