Recording - April 2018 - 11

large-diaphragm, dual-capsule condenser microphone, which
brings an extended level of dynamic range, sensitivity, and
support for capturing very high sound pressure levels. It offers
three selectable polar patterns-cardioid, omnidirectional or
figure-8-making it a great choice for vocals, grand piano,
woodwinds, brass, recording ensembles, etc.-Christopher
Palmer, HARMAN Professional Solutions, for AKG

Aston Spirit
$449; astonmics.com; reviewed December 2016

For the slightly more adventurous songwriter, Spirit has an open
and sparkly top end and a wider variety of uses for instrument
miking, while also ideal for acoustic guitar and vocals. For
only $449, it's the mic of choice for most of the pros, but
at entry-level pricing.-James Young, Aston Microphones Ltd.

Audio-Technica AE5400
$379; audio-technica.com

Audio-Technica makes many great products that would
work well, but let's look at one of our unsung heroes-the
AE5400. Being a handheld mic, the AE5400 works great
on stages from 10 to 10,000, but being a large-diaphragm
condenser makes it equally at home in the studio, on both
vocals and acoustic instruments. Did we mention that it uses
the same capsule as the legendary AT4050 side-address mic?
It is roadworthy for live sound, or studio-ready vocal tracks...
win-win.-Gary Boss, Audio-Technica Professional Markets

Audix VX5
$249; audixusa.com; reviewed May 2014

For beginning singer/songwriters, we'd recommend the VX5.
It's a great all-around handheld condenser microphone that
can be used to record vocals and a wide variety of acoustic
instruments. It's a great microphone to use in rooms that are
acoustically less-than-perfect, and it also performs well on live stages.
-Abbey Masciarotte, Audix Corporation

Avantone Pro CV-12
$449; avantonepro.com

The microphone I would suggest as the "workhorse" mic of the
Avantone Pro line, especially for a singer/songwriter, would without
a doubt be the classic CV-12. A studio staple for over a decade
now, this microphone has an incredible amount of presence that
is balanced out with a flattering midrange that really shines on
vocals. It has also become a standard in studios around the world
when it comes to recording acoustic guitar and in stereo for piano.
It is one of those microphones that always just sounds "right" with
a minimal amount of effort. It allows you to spend more time
recording and less time trying to get the right sound. Price wise, it
performs well above its class and allows fully professional results
with a project studio budget, one of the main reasons for its widespread success.-Seth Berman, RAD Distribution, for Avantone Pro

beyerdynamic THE FOX
$179; beyerdynamic.com

THE FOX is a new USB studio microphone that can use your
computer's USB connection to quickly get you podcasting whatever you're passionate about, recording your own version
of your favorite song, or begin writing a future
Grammy-nominated hit. It's a real mic, fast and
studio-quality: 24-bit, 96 kHz with zero latency.
This large-diaphragm condenser mic includes a
built-in audio interface and a headphone output
that allows you to hear what is being broadcast
or recorded, along with volume and mix controls.
-Larry Drago, beyerdynamic

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RECORDING April 2018

http://www.audixusa.com http://www.astonmics.com http://www.avantonepro.com http://www.audio-technica.com http://www.beyerdynamic.com

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