Shure KSM137 Cardioid Instrument Microphone

Shure KSM137 Cardioid Instrument Microphone

The Shure KSM137 is an end-address condenser microphone with a cardioid polar pattern. Designed for studio use, yet rugged enough for live applications, the KSM137 can withstand extremely high sound pressure levels (SPL). Its low self-noise and extended frequency response make it ideal for recording musical instruments. Comes with windscreen and carrying bag. Champagne finish. Features A highly consistent cardioid polar pattern Ultra-thin, 2.5 micron, 24 karat gold-layered, low mass Mylar diaphragm for superior transient response Class A, discrete, transformerless preamplifier for transparency, extremely fast transient response, no crossover distortion, and minimal harmonic and intermodulation distortion Premium electronic components, including gold-plated internal and external connectors Subsonic filter eliminates low frequency rumble (less than 17 Hz) caused by mechanical vibration Switchable 15 dB pad for handling extremely high sound pressure levels (SPLs) Three-position switchable pad (0 dB, 15 dB, and 25 dB) for handling extremely high sound pressure levels (SPLs) Three-position switchable low-frequency filter reduces background noise and counteracts proximity effect Performance Characteristics Extended frequency response Low self noise Exceptional reproduction of low-frequency sounds Can withstand high sound pressure levels (SPL) High output level No crossover distortion Uniform polar response Superior…

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CAD U37 USB Studio Condenser Recording Microphone

CAD U37 USB Studio Condenser Recording Microphone

The CAD U37 USB Condenser Microphone combines a high-quality large diaphragm condenser with USB connectivity. The U37 USB provides a smooth, extended frequency response that is excellent for singing, speech and instruments. A bass roll off switch and a 10 dB pad make this one of the most versatile USB microphones we carry. The U37 also features a cardioid pick-up pattern that helps to minimize background noise and isolate the main sound source. Includes a desktop microphone stand for easy placement.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Great mic, but picks up environmental noise
The CAD U37 is a great mic for the money, but you have to be willing to tolerate its desire to capture ambient noise. If you’re around a noisy computer, for example, it will capture that sound. If you are in an echo-prone room, it will pick up any echos. You might like this for multiple people to be gathered around a single mic and speak or play an acoustic number, but if you want something akin to an isolated sound where your voice and only your voice is registered amid a din of activity, you’ll be disappointed.

I have not fiddled very much with the two settings on the microphone. I have kept the buttons facing to the left (if you are looking at the CAD logo (facing up) on the microphone).

5 Stars Best value for money USB Microphone for Computer
I had been researching USB Microphones for a long time and was nervous to make a selection, incase I ended up with a lemon. Well I just heard about this microphone a couple of weeks ago and read up on CAD Microphones. I took the plunge and bought this little beauty. It is made of a plastic casing, but don’t let that put you off – this is obviously the trade off in getting a good quality USB for under $100. It’s the inside heart of the microphone which makes it a great mic. Yes it is sensitive in picking up background noise, but I don’t mind. I love that this mic has the ability to pick up a full texture of sound in the room. I also like that it records with very low background hiss, which is a big problem with integrated mics in laptops.

One important thing to remember with any USB mic is to know how to open up it’s settings on your computer. When I first connected the U37 to my computer, it defaulted its input sound level to practically zero. It is in this setting that I have learnt to control the sensitivity of the microphone.

9/10 for this microphone. You won’t be disappointed. Peace Out

2 Stars works okay, but not the best solution
The CAD u37 isn’t as great as I thought it would be. The mic is very noisy and picks up way to much ambient noise. The other problem is with Logic Pro 9, it had way too much latency to be useful. I actually had to activate low latency mode and set my buffer size much lower than with any other usb audio device I’ve used, and sometimes it would still have latency. I am fairly disappointed as I had hoped it would be plug and play. I did like the quality of the microphone, maybe not the warmest microphone but has a lot of clarity to it which is nice. I would recommend this for podcasts or something where the timing of the recording is not critical. Another problem with USB mics is that they cannot be upgraded. If you are serious about getting nice semi-professional quality from microphones, I would suggest getting an actual xlr condenser with an audio input device with a phantom power supply like the line 6 ux2. Would probably be a better investment for you seeing as all you would have to do to upgrade is just purchase a better condenser. Will be returning this product.

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MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shock Mount

MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shock Mount

The MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shock Mount has a silky, sweet high end while retaining tight, solid low and midrange reproduction. The 3/4″ gold-sputtered diaphragm creates a professional sound suited for digital and analog recording. Attractive vintage body style with champagne finish. 30Hz-20kHz frequency response. 130dB maximum SPL. Includes custom shock mount, mic stand adapter, and case. Requires phantom power.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Too muddy. For $50 more you can get so much better.
I had this mic for one day, which was enough time for me to put it through its paces for my use: voice-over work. Unfortunately, this mic didn’t have the presence I was looking for in a condenser microphone, and the mids were far too muddy. I couldn’t EQ them out with my basic 4-channel audio board + phantom power. Garbage in = garbage out. I returned the mic to the store about 24 hours later.

Someone said in another review that you’ll quickly grow out of the MXL 990 mic once you realize that it sounds like a cheap Chinese condenser mic. I totally agree with that.

Also, a condenser is really not a good choice for a podcast mic. They pick up far too much noise — they are really meant to be used in studio applications with heavily treated rooms that have no background noise. If you use it in a normal room, you’ll hear every tiny little sound along with your speech. I suggest you look at a decent Dynamic microphone. As far as super inexpensive, I’ve had good luck with the Audio Technica AT818II mic in Asia. In the US, it’s actually more expensive, and is called the Audio Technica “Professional Unidirectional Microphone.” You can find them here on Amazon for a song. I’ve been happy with the sound for my podcasts, and as a dynamic, they handle background noises much better.

A great (but a little expensive) mic for podcasts, probably the best, is the Shure SM7. You can read about that all over the web.

1 Star MXL yikes!
I was really in the market for a less expensive condenser mic. A friend had one of these at his studio and I tried it out. Iwas really terrible. Sounded awlful. Very harsh. Acoustic guitar sound hollow and harsh – not good. Vocals were really unflattering. Tried a couple of different mic pres. Still bad news. You really hardly get what you pay for with this stuff.

4 Stars The holder broke, but the mic still holds up
I use this mic for everything now. I like using it for vocals because it has more depth and is less tinny than my Sm58. Of course, as a condenser, it is meant to pick up everything in the room. That just makes it great for cheap, semi-decent garage band recordings of practice with only one mic.

So in the end, incredibly cheap, but better than a lot of other mics around. The hinge that holds the mic broke, which was a bummer. That’s why I took away a star.

1 Star Garbage!
These Mics are Garbage! I know we all don’t have alot of $$$ floating around right now but if you seriously want to get good budget priced mics for vocals ect….recording,… these are not it! The best these are for is to throw them and the head of the salesperson who tries to tell you these are a good buy!

-j-

5 Stars awsome
got this for my boyriend for xmas we have an extra room that was he uses as a studio hobby room for fun. was a sound enginer for 7 years for a band. and its great he plays with it everyday.thank you:)

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Samson Multi pattern Condenser Mic

Samson Multi pattern Condenser Mic

Samson is proud to introduce the C03U, multi-pattern USB studio condenser microphone. Based on the extremely popular C03 studio condenser, the C03U delivers the same pristine audio quality and enhanced capabilities along with a high quality A/D converter and USB output.The C03U features dual 19mm internal shock mounted diaphragms with switchable omni, supercardioid, and figure-8 pickup patterns. Perfect for recording vocals or any acoustic instrument plus the selectable patterns make it ideal for a variety of specialized recording situations, like multiple vocalists, ambient room miking, and even a group of people around a conference table recording a podcast.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Podcasting Mic Mounted to Desk with Gooseneck
This mic is phenomenal. I struggled for weeks deciding whether to go cheap, or invest in quality, and I couldn’t have been happier with my decision to go ahead an invest. I record screencasts and podcasts as training and resources for my line of work, Web design and development.

I live by a busy highway, and the Super Cardiod pattern seems best at handling just me and not the background noise. However, the Omni pattern picks up EVERYTHING… which can certainly be great in many cases. There’s also the Figure 8 pattern which is also useful at times for picking up sound directly in front or back of the mic, but not from the sides.

I grabbed a gooseneck and shock-resistant flange mount and as far as vibration reduction (which we get a lot of vibration being so close to the highway) the results are great. No need for an expensive shock mount.

I attached the flange mount right to the side of my desk. Together, everything works perfectly. I couldn’t be more pleased with my setup.

The gooseneck I use is by Atlas Sound:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002LHSFC?ie=UTF8&tag=a354-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002LHSFC

Flange mount with rubber shock pad is what mounts the gooseneck to the desk:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OJ03BW?ie=UTF8&tag=a354-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001OJ03BW

5 Stars awsome mic.
This microphone has excelent sound quality. I got it for my friend who is into music and it is amazing. Great pickup from all around.

4 Stars Great microphone, but confused messages on shipping time
This microphone is a great improvement over my analog headset mike for instructional narration and voice-acting. Its control software does not work on Vista, but its hardware switchable options were adequate to easily find a setup that sounds great, and saves me hours of post-recording editing. However, the shipping time was confusing. Amazon told me during the ordering process that standard shipping would take 7-10 days. But, after ordering I got a message that said, “You have chosen to ship your order via Standard shipping. The delivery estimate for this method to your address is 18 to 33 business days after shipping. The actual delivery time for the item(s) in your order will depend on the shipping policies of Ace Photo Digital and when the item(s) are available to ship.” I got the product in 10 days, so I remain puzzled about the mixed signals on shipping time.

5 Stars GREAT MIC
I was looking for a microphone that i could record songs with and this is just for me. It has a reasonable price with great quality. I would definitely recommend this!

2 Stars works great … when it works
i own 2 of these mics, and have had great luck recording various forms of hand percussion and drum set with them. The first one lasted about a year but was replaced relatively hassle-free by the company, and the second one is still going strong. My only advice is that if you do buy it, walk or drive carefully with it, as it is a delicate condenser mic. I clicked 2 stars but i could easily stretch it up to 3 or 4 – i’d say its a worthy investment. Maybe go with the recording/podcasting pack version of this mic, since a hard case is included. the CO3U has great sound quality, something i’d expect from a much more expensive mic.

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Tascam TM ST1 Stereo Microphone

Tascam TM ST1 Stereo Microphone

The Tascam TM ST1 Stereo Microphone is ideal for anyone looking for a versatile field microphone.The TM ST1 features a stereo pattern switch that allows you to select between 90 and 120 degree pickup to capture more ambience or to reduce background noise. The mid-side design captures a wide stereo field while maintaining a solid center image.The TM-ST1 uses a back-electret condenser design for crisply detailed audio with a long battery life for portable recording. The output cable terminates to a 3.5mm stereo jack, ideal for plugging into a DR-1 recorder.Also included is a microphone clip, table-top stand and windscreen. The microphone is battery-powered and designed to run for hours and hours.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Good Stereo Mic
Tascam TM-ST1 Stereo Microphone This mic does a good job in recording Stereo on my PC & Canon FS-10 camcorder. I am impressed by the left/right seperation & center channel. No problem with noise from camcorder issuse as I HAVE heard from another reviewer. You have to play with it a while & then you will get great results with it.With the Ashampoo Music 3 I get great sounds from such a low cost stereo mic.

3 Stars TM-ST1 Mic Initial review — looks better than it sounds
I just bought the Tascam TM-ST1 for use with my Edirol R-09 generally for recording live rock/alt rock performances (with permission, of course!). While I have not yet used it to record any live performances, I did manage to run some (unscientific) tests using my Stereo’s CD player as music source with this external Tascam microphone and I also recorded the exact track with the Edirol using a powered Aiwa CM-30 electret condensor mic and the Edirol R-09 built in stereo mics for comparison.

I recorded the same CD song with each of the three mics and I also recorded with the Tascam mic using both the 90 degree and 120 degree cardiod settings. I’ve concluded that the Tascam did not produce a very warm sound, sounded “tinny” and seemed to be lacking in it’s ability to reproduce a good, deep, bass response. In general I prefered the built in Eridol mics over this which to me defeated the purpose of buying the Tascam mic in the first place. The Edirol R-09 built in mics produced a nicer bass response in the recordings (perhaps a bit too much bass but at least I can adjust the levels when transfering or listening). In general, the TASCAM TM-ST1 120 degree degree mic recording sounded better and much fuller than the 90 degree setting — however this may not work for me as I prefer a minimal amount of crowd noise from crowds off to the side and behind me(I probably need to consider purchasing a 6-8 foot mic stand). Based on this initial test, I’m afraid that this mic probably will not live up to my expectatons at the going price of $65-$70 and may be better suited for recording discussions.

The mic is attractive and the mic base and lower casing is made of a good, heavy grade of metal — after you remove the casing to put in your battery you notice that there’s not much to this mic. Hopefully I will have an opportunity to test this mic in the setting originally intended and report back with an update.

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