Topic: CAD e70 - Great Budget Mic's (Samples Inside)

[Neilyboy]

Figured I would post this here as there was a thread some time ago that archivalaudio posted when these guys first came out. I was lucky enough to find a pair for a pretty good deal on fleabay about 5 months ago. I decided to finally unbox them and give them a shot at a Backyard Tire Fire show a couple weeks ago. The results are pretty darn good if you ask me!

Hit up my LMA post: http://www.archive.org/details/btf2009-10-03.cad.e70

I really enjoy the sound of these things. I have been running my 4041's for some time now. I have always enjoyed them but I feel that they roll off a bit of the low end (which some prefer) but these cad's seem to do a great job. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Neil

[chris319]

These are fantastic mics! I used them just last night to record a rehearsal and I am very pleased with the sound. Below is a monaural clip using the cardioid capsule (it is a youth orchestra and you can hear the conductor giving bowing directions):

www.miclisteningroom.org/MSLMYSO/CAD_e70_short.wav

I must point out that this mic was modified. The ceramic capsule-to-FET transistor was replaced. See this picture:

www.miclisteningroom.org/pics/CAD_e70.jpg

The center ceramic capacitor in the cluster of three orange capacitors was replaced with a polystyrene capacitor. It helped tighten up the low end. For the daring, the replacement capacitor is a Xicon 23PS147 available from Mouser. It is an axial lead cap, meaning the leads stick out from the ends. It is mounted on the bottom of the circuit board and is a snug fit, with the leads wrapped around the ends of the capacitor. The center capacitor is then destructively removed (yank it out).

[chris319]

As requested, here are the "after" pictures of the CAD e70 with the stock ceramic capsule-to-FET capacitor replaced with a polystyrene cap. The first picture shows the cap mounted to the "back" of the board. Note that it is an axial mount. NOTE: it is helpful to hold the capacitor in position with double-face tape prior to soldering. Also, make sure the capacitor leads do not come in contact with any of the solder joints on the back of the board. The second picture shows that the middle of the trio of ceramic caps has been removed. Simply grab it with long-nose pliers and wiggle it free.

The result of this mod is a more cohesive low end. This is not a warm-sounding mic. It has a nice crisp sound which I was seeking.

[Neilyboy]

Thank you so much for the pictures! It answered my question I just did not understand why you would solder it to the bottom of the board but it looks like it was just too crowded on the top for a solder iron to get in there and play around! I may have to look into this mod as I like your sample a lot. Have you used them in the field to record any other music yet or just the orchestra so far? I would be interested in hearing them now in a higher spl area.

Neil

[chris319]

No, this orchestra was the test drive.

[Neilyboy]

very nice! well I am going to run them stock tomorrow night for blitzen trapper but may have to think about running the mod on these. As I do like the sound of your recording there quite a bit.. I am just afraid to open the thing up lol (for fear i may break it lol). Do I just screw the screw in to allow the xlr to drop out the bottom?

Neil

[chris319]

Yes, just screw the screw in and pull on an XLR pin with pliers and the connector and circuit board will slide right out. I believe you turn the screw clockwise when removing the circuit board -- I've put the mic away so I'm not going to try it. Also be sure to touch ground first so as not to fry any components with static electricity.

Again, the improvement in sound isn't dramatic. It's quite subtle, but the lows seem to be a little better defined.

[Neilyboy]

good call thanks for the info I may have to try this out!!

Neil

[ArchivalAudio]

Neil,
sounds great
from what I can here so far

what I don;t know is how large (or small) is the venue and how high caliber the PA is?
so you were next to the FOH mix position at 15' from the stage?

I assume you ran cardioid?

did you use an array or mic pattern? such as DINa 90° @17cm  or ORTF 110° @ 17cm?
 or were they just PATS (point At The Stacks)?
if they were PATS
you might try DINa
the 17cm is the average distance of the human ears
if give some width and separation between channels

or try some spaced omnis, spaced about 8' FOB
or for a band w/o vocals
spaced Omnis onstage- would be very sweet!

I do like what I hear

hopefully you can record some other stuff and share it too.
perhaps a larger venue,  with a huge phat sound mice up about 10- 12'...

any way I am glad to hear these mics

and would recommend them for new tapers
some day I might pick some up myself - heck they are more versatile than a SM 57 or SM 58 and cheaper, and sound waaaaaaay better ta boot!


Peace
-- Ian

Edit:

Nice: This is my Post # 666  super sweet!

[Neilyboy]

Cocount Louie's is a pretty small place. There is a half wall in which the soundboard sits on (where this was recorded from).
I did run with the cards...
I ran them in a shure vert bar XY just crossing the heads at a 90 one on top of the other.

I was able to run them this Friday (two days ago) at the blitzen trapper show at the canopy club in Urbana.

I have linked a couple of samples from there. I ran these again about 45 foot from the stage quite a ways up there.
Hard to judge how high it was as the floor slopes up but from where I ran it it was about 8' high.
I again ran XY 90.

I was able to get a board feed as well (as its a boomy room) I have linked a sample of just the e70's and then a quick mix of board and e70.
Keep in mind this is not what will be released as I have nothing here at the girlfriends house to listen to this through.
I am just listening to the mix through the built in notebook speakers on this vaio laptop.
I only mixed the two to get an idea of what it could sound like. But again its for this sample only so if it sucks dont worry its not a final mix. I just have no way of listening to it.. (I just opened them both in audacity alligned them and saved a sample so its just a 50/50 mix, although the board feed is probably a couple db louder than my pull)

e70's: blitzensamplee70.wav
e70's + sbd: blitzenmatrixsamplee70.wav

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=1622cf7e13cd90781f8e0fff488e27e0e04e75f6e8ebb871

Let me know what you think. If you are in the states and want to borrow these ever let me know ill package them up and send them your way.

Neil

[chris319]

On the "matrix" sample, which I assume is a mix of the board feed and the e70s, I hear major phasing problems on the vocals as your room mics fight with the stage mics. There is also a background noise problem on the room mics.

[Neilyboy]

well as im still here at the girlfriends place with only a laptop and its speakers what can I do to tinker with this? phasing as in something wrong with the stereo feel? what type of background noise are you hearing? I listened to my room mic's through my stereo at home the morning after the show and it sounded ok to my ears.

Neil

[chris319]

Listen to the mix of room mics and board output and listen carefully to the lead vocal. Your room mics are fighting the stage mic and that's making the lead vocal sound hollow. That's the hazard of picking up the same source with two different mics. Plus, your room mics are probably getting the lead vocal from the P.A. system, adding to the trouble.

[Neilyboy]

I got no good way of listening here as this laptop sounds alright to me. Ill have to try it on my stereo at home. I am not sure what else to try when running a matrix recording as all the matrix recordings I have come across are a mix of both aud mics and sbd.. how is it that they are phasing are you thinking my right and left channel are opposite of the sbd feed? as for the noise you are hearing I am curious as to if you heard it in my tire fire pull as I used the same exact hardware and exact same setup... if it was not present there I have no idea where the noise is coming from as it was recorded identically.

take care,
neil

[chris319]

Neil -

Let me know when you can listen to this material on good speakers.

[Neilyboy]

Chris,

This sound any better to ya? I tried inverting the left channel of my aud source. Then laying them down over each other again..

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=604c8a120c42ec8975a4fc82078ae6c8e04e75f6e8ebb871

Neil

[chris319]

Neil -

What I observed is not a stereo left/right problem. The problem is, you are picking up the same source on more than one mic. In simple terms, whenever this happens, unless the sound waves arrive at each mic exactly in phase, you're going to get summing and cancellation at various frequencies and it's going to sound bad. To make matters worse, your room mics are picking up the lead vocal off the P.A. system and your board mix, I assume, is picking up the lead singer directly. This is going to happen whenever you try to combine room mics with a closely-miked mix and the results are likely to be unsatisfactory.

Your latest mix sounds better but I suspect I am hearing much more of the board mix in this version. I still hear a lot of noise from the crowd.

[ArchivalAudio]

^^^^^^^^^ I think what Chris is trying to say
is that the speed of sound travels slower than the sound thru the wires to the FOH mix (soundboard) if you are further back then say 25 feet (right now I am not remembering the milliseconds)
but if you run mics from further than 25 -30 feet away from the source and mix it with the board  you need to apply a delay to the board feed
either with a specified delay time
or
it is possible for you to align the waves forms  in a four track   situation
you'll need to physically move the  Soundboard feed  forward in time so the waveforms line up exactly, this can be done if you zoom in  while the 2 track of the soundboard are selected physically drag them to the right- or forward in time, and match the waves.

btw - I have not listened to the new "matrix" samples, but I saw you were like 45 feet back- which would cause a horrible delay fromt eh stage sound to where the mics in the audience are

one easy to avoid this is to place the mics on stage, or at the stage lip, you'll avoid that horrid delay - I think sound travels at 300 feet per second (I'm sure someone will correct me), but thru the wire it's "instant" or at least much lees of a delay.

phasing usually refers to when sound waves line up on th e opposite -= causing cancellation, which is not really what would be happening if the mics were 45' from stage, you'd be hearing one source first (the soundboard) and then you'd hear the mics just a few milliseconds after it causing a boomy echo like sound.

make sense?

hopefully
-- Ian

[Neilyboy]

Sure I understand but I have zoomed way in on the tracks in audacity and matched them up exactly which is what is confusing me. I will have to try it again but I am sure its aligned spot on.. is a delay filter different than just moving the audio right/left in my editor? Should I get it all lined up and then run a delay filter on the sbd feed of about .045?

or if anyone else has any good tips I could try out im all ears as I do want to make as best of mix as possible with this as the sbd feed sounds beautiful!

Neil

[ArchivalAudio]

neil,
well
as long as the wave forms are truely lined up from start to end, then the delay should be "time aligned" correctly.
as for the delay filter, you'd need to figure out the speed of sound and distance
by using a fomula- of which math is not my strong subject, perhaps sone one else could help, may be in the computer recording thread area.  ok
I found this

Sound travels at different speeds in different physical media. For air, the typical speed is 350 m/s (1100 ft/s).

and  this

Code: [Select]

Speed of sound.
In air, approximately 1130 feet per second at 20 degrees Centigrade. [3]  here:http://www.keithyates.com/glossary.htm

also see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound

where you will finsd some formulas

for those savvy with the fomulas could figure out the millisecond delay for 45 feet- but not me.

peace
-- Ian

[Neilyboy]

I read somewhere that it is .010 per 10 feet.. or something like that. so I was going to try running a delay of .045 or something like that... I have no idea what im doing haha. If anyone wants to take a shot at mixing this thing let me know and ill get the stuff to ya.. otherwise im going to keep playing around to figure it out.
I would love to learn but am having trouble finding any tutorials on how to figure out how much to stretch one source to match up with the other..

Neil

[Neilyboy]

I think I may have just figured it out! I have to take the mix to a buddy's house over lunch break here but I think it sounds pretty good through my zune earbuds haha

Neil

[chris319]

Even if you get the waveforms lined up, your mix will consist partly of the lead vocalist singing at close range into his mic (I presume) and the distant, echo-ey pickup of your room mics. Just something to think about.

[chris319]

you'll need to physically move the  Soundboard feed  forward in time

You need to move the board feed later in time. The room mics are more distant from the source so the board feed must be later in time to match the delay to the room mics.

phasing usually refers to when sound waves line up on th e opposite -= causing cancellation, which is not really what would be happening if the mics were 45' from stage, you'd be hearing one source first (the soundboard) and then you'd hear the mics just a few milliseconds after it causing a boomy echo like sound.

make sense?

No, it doesn't make sense. Two mics picking up the same source at different distances are going to have different times of arrival for the sound they are picking up. This causes a difference in phase regardless of the distance. Phasing is the difference in the times of arrival no matter the distance. This can cause summing and cancellation at different frequencies.

[raymonda]

That is the beast you work with when using a 2 channel board mix and 2 channel ambient mics. Often, however, the vocals are fairly dominate in 2 channel board mixes done in indoor, small venues. Usually the only thing the soundman really has to reinforce in the house is the vocals. So, you can often get a decent mix.

Play with it to your liking until it sounds good to your ears.

[ArchivalAudio]

you'll need to physically move the  Soundboard feed  forward in time

You need to move the board feed later in time. The room mics are more distant from the source so the board feed must be later in time to match the delay to the room mics.

^^^ yep that's what I said- to the right is later (or forward) in time  -- exactly.. depending on how you look at time and the terms forward or later -
if it is 8:00 am then 8:01 am is later in time  - it is also at the same time moved forward in time

and as far as Phase I think we are both right
see definitions here:
http://www.recordingeq.com/glossary/glospt.htm#sectP

Phase - A measurement (expressed in degrees) of the time difference between two similar waveforms.

Phase Addition - The energy of one waveform increasing the energy of another waveform because the two waveforms have similar phase relationships.

Phase Cancellation - The energy of one waveform decreasing the energy of another waveform because of phase relationships at or close to 180 degrees.

Phase Distortion - A change in the sound because of a phase shift in the signal.

Phase Distortion Synthesis - A method of altering a wave shape to add harmonics by a phase shift while a cycle is being formed.

Phase Linear- The quality of not having phase shift.

Phase Lock - 1) In the control of tape machines, a method of keeping machines synced together by sensing phase differences in the playback of pilot tunes by the two machines and adjustment of speed to eliminate the phase difference. 2) In synthesizers, the control of one tone generator so that it begins its waveform in phase with the signal from another tone generator.

Phase Reversal - A change in a circuit to get the waveform to shift by 180 degrees.

Phase Shift - A delay introduced into an audio signal measured in degrees delayed. 

Phase Sync – 1) A term with the same meaning as the term Phase Lock. 2) A method of keeping machines synced together by sensing phase differences in the playback of pilot tones by the two machines and adjustment of speed to eliminate the phase difference.

Phasing - An effects sound created by variable phase shift of an audio signal mixed with the direct signal.

and here:
http://www.rane.com/par-p.html

phase Audio signals are complex AC (alternating current) periodic phenomena expressed mathematically as phasors, or vectors. Phase refers to a particular value of t (time) for any periodic function, i.e. it is the relationship between a reference point and the fractional part of the period through which the signal has advanced relative to an arbitrary origin. [The origin is usually taken at the last previous passage through zero from the negative to the positive direction -- IEEE.] See Georgia State University's great website HyperPhysics for more detail.

phase cancellation When two signals have the same exact time relationship to each other, they are said to be "in-phase;" if they do not, they are said to be "out-of-phase." (Compare with polarity) If two out-of-phase signals add together, since this is vector arithmetic (see phasor), they will, in fact, subtract from one another. This is called phase cancellation. Another type of phase cancellation occurs when water waves interact. One wave's energy becomes stronger when two waves collide in-phase (summing) and becomes weaker when they collide out-of-phase (cancelling).

phase delay A phase-shifted sine wave appears displaced in time from the input waveform. This displacement is called phase delay and is usually constant for all frequencies of interest. Used as another name for group delay; however there are instances where they are not the same, for example systems exhibiting ripple in their phase vs. frequency characteristics.

phase lag and phase lead Phase shift caused by reactive elements (capacitors and inductors) that either subtracts (lag) or adds (lead) degrees of shift. See the RaneNote Linkwitz-Riley Crossovers: A Primer.

that's why a long time ago -about 18- 19 years ago in my experience of recording - and running matrix, recordings - I found mics on stage are the way to go,.  run them thru the snake to the FOH mix position, and you are golden, or run the FOH mix back to the stage, though this can also cause more of a wire run - thus causing more delay. the other way all the stage sound is traveling through the wires the same distance and relatively the same speed.

peace
-- Ian

[Neilyboy]

I will have some samples posted soon but I think I did a good job on getting the show sync'd and I made 8 different mix's yesterday (dropping my aud pull by 1 db each time, as it was a bit louder than the board feed). I ended up liking my ~65/35 mix the best. I listened to it in two vehicles (work vehicle and mine) as well as two home stereo systems (one at my buddies place after work and then on my own). Every time I end up picking the same one as my favorite.. So I think I have it mixed pretty well. I will have to get it tracked and up on the archive here soon. Thanks for all the tips!

Neil

[rokpunk]

I hate to be the naysayer....but I'm a dealer for CAD/Astatic and have still yet to hear a mic by that company worth anything more than change I can find in my couch. Crappy quality, crappy sound. Cheap, yes. If that's what you are looking for, you have found it with the CAD's.

[illconditioned]

Thanks for the info about the CAD.  I guess this is what we suspected.

Has anyone tried the AKG Perception 150/170 small condensor yet?  --> may be similar, but with better quality control (I hope).

How about the Behringer B5 (not the C4), the one with omni and card caps. --> made by 797 Beijing, may be comparable to Studio Projects C4, which I like.  Something like $100 each new.

These both seem like good budget condensors.  Either that, or scoring a pair of Studio Projects C4 here for $200 used.

  Richard

[Neilyboy]

http://www.archive.org/details/bt2009-10-16.cad.e70.mtx

have a listen.. It sounds ok to my ears..

Neil

[robotaper]

Can't believe I missed these guys.  Good stuff.

Your recording sounds pretty nice imho.  Nice work matching your sources.  Did you do most of the heavy lifting with Audacity?

[Neilyboy]

I used nothing but audacity.. It is my first matrix mix so I was happy with it... You should have rolled with us rob! we bought a cheap shit motel for the night and hit up a few places right after the show. you should have seen the looks i got while carrying my gear through a few of those bars at 1am...

glad you dig it..
neil

[ArchivalAudio]

A phase difference is a time delay in this situation.  What is commonly referred to as "phase reversal" is actually polarity.  Two mics can have opposite polarity without a time (phase) difference--for example, two close mics on either side of a drum.  A polarity reverse switch is sometimes used to try a fix a phase problem; it can be a partial solution but it's no substitute for fixing the problem.

Speed of sound at sea level = 340m/sec or 1105ft/sec.  The rule of thumb is 1 msec delay for 1ft.  Close enough for goverment work, but at long distances it's probably worth getting a bit more accurate.  For example, 41msec for 45 feet, or 43msec in Denver    Of course you have to know the distance accurately . . .

I would err on the side of SBD in front a bit, because it contains less reverberent information (which you want to come later).

Jon,
thanx again for your clarification on these matters.

are you saying that you would actually place the soundboard first in time in the mix - so in effect there would be a delay in the audience mics? or am I not understanding your comment about reverberant information?

--Ian

[illconditioned]

Ideally you line everything up.  However, due to differences in the various signals, it's not usually possible to achieve anything close to sample alignment.  If you are able to line up within 1 or 2 msec, you'd be happy.

Given that framework and the window of uncertainty, I am suggesting you put the SBD at the beginning of that window.

Another thing to consider is that you're likely to rely more heavily on SBD if the hall or your location in the hall is bad.  That might mean the AUD mics are picking up first reflections that are nearly coincident with the direct sound.  That's bad; it can sound like mush.  In that case, you might consider purposely pushing (or keeping) the SBD in front of the AUD and turning down the AUD a bit as well.

Your ears will ignore any reflections that arrive a few msec after the direct sound, and reflections that arrive after 40msec or so will sound like pleasant reverb.  It's those reflections in between that you have to worry about.

I think there are different approaches to this.

What I've often done is put the aud/mics a few ms *before* the soundboard.  My idea is that, even with added soundboard, it should still sound like an aud/mics recording.  Just a better one.  If I hear soundboard only, it sounds unnatural to my ears.  I want it to sound like it was really recorded in the room.  I've also tried adding reverb to the soundboard, to make it sound like it was in the room.  Then mixing this with the aud/mics.

In summary, I'm using the soundboard for its clarity (no pa distortion, higher vocal levels).  But I want it to still sound like a plausible aud/mics recording.

 Richard

[rjp]

Has anyone tried the AKG Perception 150/170 small condensor yet?  --> may be similar, but with better quality control (I hope).

I have a pair of 170s (bought as individual units - they aren't sold in pairs). So far, I've only run them at my church, from the balcony, sometimes vanilla NOS, and sometimes using as wide a spacing as possible using a K&M 235-1 stereo bar, with the mics pointed directly at the front corners. I've been very happy with the results either way.

I put a short sample up in this post.

[chris319]

I hate to be the naysayer....but I'm a dealer for CAD/Astatic and have still yet to hear a mic by that company worth anything more than change I can find in my couch. Crappy quality, crappy sound. Cheap, yes. If that's what you are looking for, you have found it with the CAD's.

Have you heard or used the e70? If not then I'm not comfortable with your blanket statement. I have shot out the e70 against several other mics and I'm happy with the way it sounds.

[jim1274]

I hate to be the naysayer....but I'm a dealer for CAD/Astatic and have still yet to hear a mic by that company worth anything more than change I can find in my couch. Crappy quality, crappy sound. Cheap, yes. If that's what you are looking for, you have found it with the CAD's.

So, something like this version that is cherry-picked, burned-in, retested, etc. is still crap?  I stumbled upon this version by chance and was wondering if it might make a good utility mic for the  mic locker.  Seems too good to be true given the price.

http://www.audioproz.com/AP.php?Article=51&Tab=Home


A Short Note Concerning our CAD e70 Microphones   (Update)   Oct 5th, 2009
These CAD e70 microphones are simply amazing! Simply put, they will compete with any similar design on the market at any price. Vince has compared them at the test bench against the fanciest stuff out there, including Neumann and AKG. Since they are a higher output mic, the self noise can read slightly higher off the spec report, but the extra 4 to 6dB of output signal level easily makes up for this self noise. The e70 is a better mic with wider bandwidth and truly does 20Hz to 20kHz! It is a favorite for acoustic instruments, especially large body guitars, upright bass, and drums. The quality of low end definition is remarkable, picking up more pluck and deep thump of sonic impact than most vintage mics, which in fact have limited low frequency response. (Just read the manufacturers’ specs data and it will be obvious that bass roll off occurs below 100Hz to 70Hz in most older mics.) Be aware that microphones which truly pick up such deep bass can also be more sensitive to room noise, rumble from street noise, etc. With this in mind, the e70 comes equipped with pads and roll-off switches to limit its sonic pickup to sound more similar to vintage mics if desired. We QC all these microphones on the bench and cherry pick only the very best. Typically 80% pass high quality spec. We then “burn in” the microphone and retest to guarantee you get only the highest quality, super spec microphone possible. We will compete with any legitimate prices, but only AudioPro can guarantee a super spec microphone for the absurdly low price of $125! We understand that this may be about $25 more than the cheapest street price, but keep in mind that ours have been professionally tested at the bench and come guaranteed. Thank you for your support!

Also, be aware that two versions of the e70 exist. One version has a thin gold ring around the cardioid capsule; the other does not have the ring. According to the spec sheet, the version without the ring has a slight bass roll off below 50Hz. It’s only 5dB down at 20Hz, so it isn’t too crucial. For an additional $30 we will use our equipment to make sure you get a matched pair of mics.

[ArchivalAudio]

^^^^ looks like a nice deal
any one ever deal with these guys before?
125  + 125+ 30  = 280 for a burned in matched pair...
sounds like a great deal

or pick up a street priced pair and burn them in yourself

--Ian

[jim1274]

^^^^ looks like a nice deal
any one ever deal with these guys before?
125  + 125+ 30  = 280 for a burned in matched pair...
sounds like a great deal

or pick up a street priced pair and burn them in yourself

--Ian

Would be interesting to hear rokpunk comment.  Are they crappy across the board to his mind or more of a quality control thing.  I still am wary of the mics due to the low price, but there are some pretty respectable inexpensive chinese mics out there--own more than a couple myself.   Others have had good results, but are these really much better than other similar priced mics?  I'm still not jumping on the bandwagon and buying a pair.

I could not find anything on TS about audioproz.  Perused their web site for a while and it was kind of a hodge-podge to me. 

[Neilyboy]

Watch around on ebay. Heck I snagged my pair for 99bucks shipped for the pair. very well worth it if you ask me

Neil

[ArchivalAudio]

^^^^ then maybe it's only $125 + 30 = 155 for the burned in matched pair...
I wonder about any kind of internal electronics / wire  mods that could be done to make 'em even better?
--Ian

[jim1274]

Watch around on ebay. Heck I snagged my pair for 99bucks shipped for the pair. very well worth it if you ask me

Neil

There is a single one on ebay now:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CAD-E70-PENCIL-CONDENSER-MIC_W0QQitemZ200415598479QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2ea9b3578f

[chris319]

Would be interesting to hear rokpunk comment.

Would be interesting to hear if rokpunk has ever actually heard or used an e70.

I've owned three. One suffered a horrible death by modification but the capsules remained intact. Of the three capsules (both omni and cardioid) two were pretty close in frequency response and one was not. Now I have two good e70s with polystyrene capacitors replacing the stock ceramics. I have shot them out against many other mics and am thoroughly pleased with them; however, they may sound too bright for some applications. Given the price tag, I'm very, very pleased with them. I've also shot out AKG Perception 150s and they are likewise very capable mics, coming in a close second.

[chris319]

Someone asked about the capacitor mod on another board and I gave him this caveat:

You will probably need to file down the black plastic piece attached to the end of the PC board ever so slightly in order to get the guts back inside the mic body. Just file a very small amount off the surface between where the two screws are and the angled part. If it doesn't fit, file some more off until it does. We're talking about maybe 1/64th of an inch or less. DO NOT under any circumstances try to force it back in. It will fit after a very small amount of filing.

[Neilyboy]

good tip chris (although I have yet to attempt the mod myself) I have thought about it. I am always afraid of breaking them haha..

Neil