RECORDING May 2023 - 53

REVIEW
CAD Audio C98, D29, D89 and D88
Compared to the SM57, the D89 had a similar presence in
the lows and low mids but was a bit darker in the highs. The
high midrange was the most different, with the D89 exhibiting
more of an almost 2 kHz " nasal " push and even a bit of
bite-not necessarily a bad thing depending on the snare and/
or guitar cabinet it is capturing and the mix of which it needs
to punch its way out. Overall the D89 performed admirably
against the SM57, offering yet another dynamic flavor from
which to choose.
D88 Dynamic Kick Drum Mic
Also part of the CAD Live line, last but not least, we have
the D88 Kick Drum Microphone. The D88 is a supercardioid
dynamic mic with a frequency response of 20 Hz to
As a dynamic mic, it was expectedly darker than the C98,
and I found its off-axis rejection to exhibit a bit more isolation
as well. The drum clamps did their job and stayed firmly put as
I played. They feel plenty reliable for both the stage and studio.
I also tried the D29 on my snare drum and the same observations
hold true. It would do in a pinch, but personally, I
preferred its sound on my toms.
D89 Supercardioid Dynamic
Instrument Microphone
The D89 is part of the CAD Live series and is the most traditional
style mic of the bunch. It is a supercardioid pattern dynamic
mic with a TrueFlex diaphragm for a fast and articulate
transient response and a PowerGap Neodymium magnet for
hot signal output.
It features a frequency response of 50 Hz to 17 kHz and a
max SPL of 150dB. They weren't kidding about the hot output! I
immediately had to turn down my preamp on the snare channel
about 5dB lower than where I previously had it set.
The D89 comes with its own foam-lined handheld carrying case.
In Use
The D89 was my personal favorite of the bunch-it just
works. It has that classic dynamic mic sound perfectly tailored
for use on snare drums (and guitar cabinets and hand percussion).
Overall, the D89 is one of those indispensable all-around
utility mics of which every studio needs a handful.
Its sound was balanced across the frequency range with a
slight bump around 2 kHz, which is typical for your standard
dynamic mic. As I always do with snare mics, I did a direct shootout
with a Shure SM57, a common benchmark for snare mics.
50 RECORDING May 2023
C98 Cardioid Condenser
Frequency Response: ................................ 50 Hz-20 kHz
Polar Pattern: ......................................................Cardioid
Sensitivity: ..................................................-45dBV @ 1Pa
Impedance: .................................................................60Ω
Max SPL: .................................................................140dB
D29 Dynamic Instrument Microphone
Frequency Response: ................................ 90 Hz-13 kHz
Polar Pattern: ......................................................Cardioid
Sensitivity: .................................... -53dBV (2.2mV) @ 1Pa
Impedance: ...............................................................560Ω
Max SPL: ...............................................................>120dB
D89 Supercardioid Dynamic Instrument Microphone
Frequency Response: ................................ 50 Hz-17 kHz
Polar Pattern: ............................................. Supercardioid
Sensitivity: .................................... -50dBV (2.8mV) @ 1Pa
Impedance: ...............................................................520Ω
Max SPL: ...............................................................>150dB
D88 Dynamic Kick Drum Mic
Frequency Response: ................................ 20 Hz-17 kHz
Polar Pattern: ............................................. Supercardioid
Sensitivity: ......................................... -65dBV (mV) @ 1Pa
Impedance: .................................................................80Ω
Max SPL: ...............................................................>150dB
RECORDING May 2023

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