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Gear / Technical Help => Microphones & Setup => Topic started by: patrickcrisp on May 27, 2012, 09:09:36 AM

Title: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: patrickcrisp on May 27, 2012, 09:09:36 AM
Hi all

Just wondering if anyone knows the difference between these mics. I only have CM300s and CM700s.
Please enlighten me!

Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: Hypnocracy on May 27, 2012, 10:21:47 AM
IIRC...

CM100's had the ability to run with AA batteries...but they ran with the 9v Mercury battery also...I've ran my set for 20 years with batteries up to 10.5v...

Sonic-ally the consensus was the CM100 had a bit better bottom...CM300 everything else was nicer sounding...and the CM300 came with two capsules CP-1 and CP-2 omni...

I wanted the CP-4 shotgun caps so I went with the cheaper of the two bodies...
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: patrickcrisp on May 27, 2012, 11:29:32 AM
Thanks. So can you use the CM300 caps on the CM100s? They're interchangeable?
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: Hypnocracy on May 27, 2012, 11:48:37 AM
Yeah...I believe the CP-1,2, 3 & 4 are interchangeable, but, I'd not swap the Attenuator Barrel  with the 300
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: Roger Gustavsson on May 29, 2012, 07:21:04 AM
The low voltage of the AA-battery, results in 20 dB lower headroom, 118 vs. 138 dB. You can use 9 V (or even higher) in a CM-100 too. CM-100 and CM-300 uses the same type of capsules, so they are interchangeable. CM-300 came with double sets of capsules, cardioid and omni. Primo made the microphones and it has been stated the Nakamichis were selected units. Primo still make some of the capsules as well as the microphone.

Roger
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: runonce on May 29, 2012, 07:55:17 AM
Are they the same FET?

Only other difference I can think of is the vents on the preamp barrel.
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: Walstib62 on May 29, 2012, 08:13:32 AM
They are essentially the same mic. The major differences are cosmetic. The perceived sonic difference is likely more anecdotal than anything else.
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: Roger Gustavsson on May 29, 2012, 02:02:07 PM
Are they the same FET?

Only other difference I can think of is the vents on the preamp barrel.

Same FET, 2SK30 or 2SK118-O. The schematic printed in the manuals differs slightly.

Roge4
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: patrickcrisp on May 30, 2012, 02:59:13 PM
Thanks for all the replies
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: Walstib62 on May 30, 2012, 03:05:16 PM
DO you notice a difference between the 700's and 300's?
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: patrickcrisp on May 31, 2012, 04:30:57 PM
DO you notice a difference between the 700's and 300's?

Hiya. I was just gonna ask if anyone has any opinion of the 700s compared to the 300s! Personally I think the 700s are a little more detailed and a little more sensitive. I really like their shape and feel. They're relatively heavy and feel like a professional mic. Also they use a regular, lithium?, battery which is cheap and easy to find. I'd love to hear other opinions.
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: datbrad on May 31, 2012, 09:17:19 PM
To my ears the 1000s are the best mic Nak ever made. Some of the best setups with 700s that were around back in the day were chopped down to the capsule with a lemo added and powered with the Rutlehuber(sp?) box. Nakguy on this site used to run this setup. His Phish Vegas 2000 tapes are to me the best audience source I have heard of that show.
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: patrickcrisp on June 02, 2012, 08:10:32 AM
To my ears the 1000s are the best mic Nak ever made. Some of the best setups with 700s that were around back in the day were chopped down to the capsule with a lemo added and powered with the Rutlehuber(sp?) box. Nakguy on this site used to run this setup. His Phish Vegas 2000 tapes are to me the best audience source I have heard of that show.

Do you have any 1000s?
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: Hypnocracy on June 02, 2012, 09:04:59 AM
To my ears the 1000s are the best mic Nak ever made. Some of the best setups with 700s that were around back in the day were chopped down to the capsule with a lemo added and powered with the Rutlehuber(sp?) box. Nakguy on this site used to run this setup. His Phish Vegas 2000 tapes are to me the best audience source I have heard of that show.

Do you have any 1000s?
I've counted about 4-5 sets of CM1000's in the posession of members on TS....they are around...
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: ArchivalAudio on June 10, 2012, 02:46:42 AM
I have never heard the Nak 1000's are there many circulating recordings?

To my ears I have always  thought that Nak 700's sound fuller or maybe flatter than the 300's and my least favorite is the 100's.

like the card caps, or a 3 mic card omni blend, shotguns sound ok, but present the typical hollow hyper sound to my ears.

though I never have heard  a comp of all 3 (or 4 ) mics from one show at the same location... now that would tell me if I could really hear any difference.

Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: Roger Gustavsson on June 11, 2012, 10:29:15 AM
I have never heard the Nak 1000's are there many circulating recordings?

To my ears I have always  thought that Nak 700's sound fuller or maybe flatter than the 300's and my least favorite is the 100's.


There have been a show recorded with CM-1000 and CM-700, simultaneously.

Nak 700's and cm1k's on the same stand:
http://www.archive.org/details/ast2009-04-24.cm702.flac16
http://www.archive.org/details/ast2009-04-24.cm1k.flac16

The CM-100 and 300 should sound the same if you use 9 V for powering. Same capsules and the innards are almost identical. Cardioids have less bass the omnis, especially if used at a distance.

Roger
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: patrickcrisp on June 12, 2012, 05:30:23 PM
Thanks for that. The CM1000s definitely sound a little nicer to my ears.
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: fmaderjr on June 14, 2012, 02:28:22 PM
The CM-100 and 300 should sound the same if you use 9 V for powering. Same capsules and the innards are almost identical. Cardioids have less bass the omnis, especially if used at a distance.
Roger

So Franken CM-100's should sound about as good as Franken CM-300's and handle the same SPL?
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: Roger Gustavsson on June 19, 2012, 09:44:43 AM
I think so. The schematics are almost identical. There can be slight differencies between various microphones. My own CM-300 are different from what is printed in the manual... You can probably change the internals to be fully identical if desired.

Roger
Title: Re: Nakamichi CM100 vs CM300
Post by: mpmks on June 22, 2012, 07:40:33 PM
i own and used both the 100's and 300's
they both sounded the same to me
i ended up using the 100's more just because i was lazy and it was easy to get AA's
and they sound so much the same to my ears (but my hearing is nothing to get excited about)

when i chose to chop down a set i also chose to chop down the 100's
and still have the unaltered 300's but i don't think i have used them in years
would likley only use them if i decided to do a show with the cp4 capsules
which i most likely have done maybe only a half dozen times in the last 10 years

i am sure you will be happy with either the 100's or 300's


The CM-100 and 300 should sound the same if you use 9 V for powering. Same capsules and the innards are almost identical. Cardioids have less bass the omnis, especially if used at a distance.
Roger

So Franken CM-100's should sound about as good as Franken CM-300's and handle the same SPL?