Avantone CK-6 Large Capsule Cardioid FET Condenser Microphone

I purchased two of these and used one of them for the first a couple of days ago for our singer (we run a 9 piece swing combo) to put down some vocal tracks on our new demo. I was very, very impressed by the clarity and overall sound..... It was a very 'truthful' rendering of her voice.Clean yet pleasantly warm.... They look really cool too!!! Build quality seems top class and the anti-shock mount is strong and easy to use. I'm looking forward to using them to record larger ensembles.... like a brass band. I was puzzled to read some very conflicting reviews.... perhaps the reviewer got a 'bad one'. i.e. faulty, or more likely, simply wasn't using the mic correctly! So far so good..... I'm sure that these will be getting a lot of use.Paul H

I'm hoping that this was a fake otherwise Avantone are a bunch of con merchants. I have a mic I paid £28 for which performs just as well if not better. It looks nice and has a nice box ( hence the one star !)

My mic arrived yesterday and I quickly unboxed it and set it up in my studio to cut some vocals. What can I say that hasn't been said already? Fantastic sound for a mic in this price range: smooth mids, and very balanced highs that are not nasal or brittle like so many budget condenser mics I've used (I have an MXL V63M that costs somewhere in the same range and the CK6 is in a different league entirely). I bought this mic to replace a much more expensive Neumann TLM 49 that I'd been borrowing (honestly who, apart from big studio engineers, can afford a 1700 dollar mic?), and while the sound isn't all that similar (the CK6 is a lot "punchier") I've no doubt that this will be an awesome addition to my mic collection.The Basics:This mic is well constructed and feels very sturdy, with nice craftsmanship solid-feeling components. The switches (hi-pass and pad) are tight and operate smoothly. The shockmount is well-built (metal!!) and comes with an extra pair of elastic bands, which was a nice surprise. The aluminum case is fairly sturdy, well padded, and securely holds it's contents, and the wood box that the mic itself sits in is made ok, though the latch seems a bit brittle... overall not a big deal since the whole "box in a box" thing is a bit of overkill to begin with.Sound:This mic is pretty hot- I tested it through a few different preamps (Warm Audio WA12 / TB12 and a UA 610), and it took a bit of tweaking with each to keep the levels fairly even. The pad helps here, even on vocals if you have a singer who likes to belt it out. I worked the mic from about 18" with a pop filter, and I found that I had to really pay attention to moving back slightly on louder notes. I'd say this mic is suited to a vocalist that has some mic technique and who has a bit softer of a voice, or you may want to compress slightly when tracking. On the other hand, even when I did accidentally clip in my DAW, it still sounded great- smooth, warm, and great presence (I'm a male with a tenor range). I found this mic to have less of a boomy proximity effect than others I've used when worked pretty close, and a close, quiet vocal maintains an intimate feel rather than a muddiness like so many cheap mics.The pad works well on vocal though I did notice a bit of high-end roll off which eliminates a bit of presence, but a quick EQ job can fix that. The hi-pass filter is really nice as well- it rolls off the low end without losing the nice midrange, and doesn't cause tinniness.Overall, I'd say this is a really great mic, especially for the price- it beats the pants off any offering from MXL that I've ever heard, and holds it's own with others that cost hundreds more. You could certainly spend more on a bigger brand name, but for the home-studio engineer, this is more than adequate, especially when paired with a good preamp (I preferred it with the Warm Audio WA12.)For those reading other reviews here, please note that while quality control may vary (as it does with all companies) those who have left reviews like "it doesn't work / too quiet", etc. are likely missing something. Remember, condenser mics need phantom power (supplied by most interfaces/preamps) and are much more sensitive to room noise and self-noise than dynamic mics. Take your time, experiment, and I think you'll love this mic.

Beautifully crafted piece of equipmentsound clarity is more than expectedwould definitely recommend as a excellent addition to any small to mid size or larger studio

This microphone has to be the worst mic i ever use in my life!!! I turned my mic volume all the way up and still had to scream to get a muffle this mic is not good for vocals at all and should not be even sold to anyone that does music a big waste of my time. prolly better for instruments but not vocals

good!

But I have been experience some static noise issues from the first time I used it. Maybe its a manufacturers Fault so I'll let them have a look at it and see whats up with it.