Gear Reviews

LDCs, Microphones  |  No. 109

Roswell Pro Audio: Mini K47 condenser mic

reviewed by Tony SanFilippo

I received an email from Matt McGlynn of RecordingHacks.com, asking if I'd like to try the mic his new company was releasing. I am never going to say "No" to a new mic. A week or so later, a pair of...

LDCs, Microphones  |  No. 105

Monoprice: 600850 Lollipop-Style condenser mic

reviewed by Joseph Lemmer

This multi-pattern, large-diaphragm condenser mic is hefty and appears to be very solidly made. It does not ping at all when flicking any part of the mic with your finger. The all-metal shockmount...

LDCs, Microphones  |  No. 100

RØDE Microphones: NT1 condenser mic

reviewed by Garrett Haines

The original NT1 was a big deal when it hit the market. Back then, most large- diaphragm studio condensers cost over a thousand dollars. Australian company RØDE aimed for the small studio and...

LDCs, Microphones  |  No. 100

Sterling Audio: Sterling ST6050 condenser mic

reviewed by Mike Jasper

Sterling Audio teamed up with legendary engineer/producer Allen Sides of Ocean Way Recording to create an affordable go-to FET condenser mic, the Sterling ST6050. Recently, I was lucky enough to try...

LDCs, Microphones  |  No. 99

Ronin Applied Sciences: Dove LDC FET mic, Archangel mic preamp

reviewed by Joel Hamilton

Transparency comes in many colors. The Archangel is a mic preamp that seems to create its own reality of transparency - with unprecedented "passive gain" topology; cool, interesting design; and...

LDCs, Microphones  |  No. 91

Ear Trumpet Labs: Edwina large-diaphragm condenser mic

reviewed by Larry Crane, Pat Kearns, Kevin Robinson

As anyone who's seen the TV show Portlandia knows, in our little city, the dream of the 1890s is still alive. People cure their own meats, roast coffee, raise chickens in the backyard, and pickle any...

LDCs, Microphones  |  No. 55

Karma Audio: K35 FET condenser mic

reviewed by Garrett Haines

Karma is a new microphone brand based out of Cupertino, CA. The units are produced in China according to Karma's specifications. But let's make something clear right away: this is not another line of...

Microphones  |  No. 49

Neumann/Gefell: CMV 563 mic M 7, M 8, M 9, & M 55K capsules, Bottle mic, B4 capsule, B6 capsule, B7 capsule, Type A, Type B

reviewed by John Baccigaluppi

When I was close to finishing this review, I began to realize that it's not only just scraping the tip of an iceberg, but it's bound to open a can of worms, and many people will disagree with at least...

LDCs, Microphones  |  No. 48

SE Electronics: SE2200A large-diaphragm cardioid condenser mic

reviewed by Andy Hong

$300 (street) buys you a fantastic-sounding, large- diaphragm condenser, complete with suitcase and shockmount? Unbelievable! I recently recorded four songs with Chris Colbourn (Buffalo Tom) and...

LDCs, Microphones  |  No. 45

Gefell: M930, UMT70S

reviewed by Andy Hong

Recently, I was asked to record a private concert featuring acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Paul Cantelon (who is also an accomplished violinist and composer). The concert took place in a New...

LDCs, Microphones  |  No. 41

M-Audio: Luna, Solaris

reviewed by AJ

I recently got to try out M-Audio's new large- diaphragm condenser mics. The two are well constructed and moderately priced (though not as dirt cheap as the many bargain-basement Chinese condensers...

LDCs, Microphones  |  No. 39

RØDE: NT1-A

reviewed by David Barbe

The Rode NT1-A is another entry into the ever-growing field of affordable large-diaphragm condenser mics. It lists for $349, but I found $199 to be the common street price on the internet. Like others...