Brand’s 990 and CR89 Microphones Prove Essential to Delivering Pristine Audio
LOS ANGELES, MARCH 16, 2023 – Raised by a family of musicians, Therese Curatolo knew from an early age that her calling was also going to be music. From studying operatic voice at the University of Nevada and performing on Broadway, to singing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Curatolo has had her share of experience in the industry. Recently, she’s homed in on her true passion, songwriting and playing guitar. She has since begun releasing original music and sharing content on her social channels. To record her personal projects, she turns to MXL Microphones’ 990 studio microphone, as well as the brand’s CR89 large diaphragm condenser microphone.
“I received my first MXL mics as a Christmas gift from my dad several years ago, who told me that MXL is an industry favorite. He gifted me the bundle, which included the 990 and 991, and they are just great; I still use them today,” says Curatolo. “I started using the mics for both my voice and guitar, and people started asking me what I was using to record the videos I was putting up because they sounded like professional recordings. That’s when I started bringing the mic into the frame of all my videos.”
Since then, Curatolo has continued using the 990, but has also added the brand’s CR89 LDC microphone to her collection. “The CR89 is so rich and so warm, and it gives you a full scope of whatever you’re recording, whether it’s the voice or guitar; I’ve used it on both. It picks up every little nuance and always creates a beautiful recording.”
For Curatolo, one of the main elements that sets an MXL microphone apart from the rest is its resistance to plosives, or distortions that often come with the sounds of a consonant when singing. “As a vocalist, I’m actually known for plosives, and usually a great studio mic, especially a condenser mic, will pick up on all of that mouth noise,” she explains. “With my MXL mics, I haven’t even had to use a pop filter or shield, which I’ve had to do in the past on other mics.”
Curatolo not only plans to continue using her 990 and CR89 on future projects, but is also looking forward to giving the brand’s R77 classic ribbon microphone a chance too. “The R77 just looks so beautiful,” says Curatolo. “Between my 990, which is super bright and my CR89, which is just so rich and warm, I cannot wait to try the R77 on both my guitar and my voice as well.”
MXL Microphones have become a staple for Curatolo and whenever given the option, she claims she’ll always choose to use them. “There are a lot of times where I’ll have to go into a studio for my work and I’ll have to use their gear. But when I have the choice and I’m recording my own content, it will always be MXL.”
For more about Curatolo, you can subscribe to her YouTube channel @theresecuratolo2908 or follow her on Instagram @reesetea, or TikTok @thereesetea.
