5/5 Neumann KM84

Stav: Neumann KM84 – the original vintage one is the only thing for that silky string sound, classical guitar, anything that sounds so good that you don’t want it to change, particularly in the classical world – harp – classical guitar – cello.

Name: Neumann KM84 | Year Introduced: 1966 | Type: Condenser | Pattern: Cardioid

Stav: These are all quickly followed by the Neumann U87 for its solid versatility and performance on just about everything, and the AKG 414 for its near perfectly even figure of eight pickup which is the only thing I use from mid side.

Michael “Stav” Stavrou is a world renowned producer, recording and mix engineer with an illustrious career spanning almost five decades. His passion for recording music sprouted from the tender age of three when he asked for a tape recorder for Christmas – by the age of ten he was obsessed.

This passion flourished in his teenage years and into early adulthood with a flurry of jobs in different radio stations around his hometown of Yorktown, Virginina, but it didn’t quite scratch his recording itch. Through a series of extraordinary events, Stav landed the job of a lifetime at George Martin’s AIR Studios in London – what he calls “the biggest hit factory in the world” – in 1974, and the rest is history. 

Stav has worked with the cream of England’s finest, including Sir Paul McCartney alongside Martin himself. Upon deciding that he had worked with all the famous names he could never have dreamed of, Stav decided to dedicate his life to discovering and fostering up-and-coming artists and more established acts who could benefit from his keen ear and extensive skill set more than anybody, something he continues to do today. 

Stav is also the author of Mixing with Your Mind. A book that every producer, engineer or studio owner should have a copy of.