CAD M179 Multi-Pattern Microphone

I used this mic for solo vocal recording in a school band room. I was only able to test the Omni setting, but was very pleased with the results. The mic was especially friendly to a young but accomplished female solo voice, giving a very smooth sound. I really like the multiple-pattern concept and look forward to hearing the mic at different settings in different situations.

This was my 6th CAD M179 purchase! What can I say you cant go wrong or have enough of them! I first used them on drum toms but have used them as mid / side on acoustic guitars, room mics, percussion & etc. They sound great and you get a whole lot of bang for the buck. It is really incredible how versatile they are!

They do what a mic is supposed to do. Capture sound accurately, doesn't hurt these also have more features than you can shake a stick at. I was reassured in my purchase after hearing the toms through these little guys, seriously, the heavens opened up, champagne fell from the clouds, and the drummer wouldn't stop hitting the darn things. The only thing that would be a negative about this package is the mic case. Its overly large, awkwardly shaped, and the handle likes to fall off. But come on, I'm complaining about the case people, the case.

This is a great work-horse mic. The frequency response is balanced across the spectrum. It handles high SPL well and has a mildly (but noticeable) warm tone. This represents one of the greatest values available. It works great for mic'ing guitar amps!

A great feature on this mic is the Omni option. When recording a particular electric guitar, I couldn't quite get the sound I wanted. So, I tried this mic and switched it to omni mode. It then sounded just like the amp...which is what I needed (Pro Tools HD). In cardioid mode, this mic tends to hype up anything you put it on. It hypes up the lows and highs. Sometimes this is good, but sometimes it is not. It definitely has a characteristic sound. It's great as a live overhead. Since it hypes up the top end, you don't need that high shelf to get the symbols/snare to pop out. I've had very good results with this mic on most applications. However, I will not use it on vocals. It just is not flat enough and doesn't seem to have the transient response needed. I recommend the Samson C01 if you need a really cheap flat mic. C01 blows away some mics 4 times the price. So, be careful and listen to you mics carefully when purchasing/demoing.

For the price, you aren't going to get a more versatile microphone. I have used it to record drums as an overhead and to record guitar amps and it worked flawlessly. I even used it as an omni room mic and once again it delivered. Aside from those uses, it's a great tom microphone that rivals the Sennheiser MD-421 and costs less than half as much. I've been more than happy with mine and have to say that anyone on a budget MUST grab one of these, and anyone who isn't on a budget should grab one too because it is just that good.

I'm glad these guys recommended this mic for my needs. I first tried it on percussion. The band was so large at the church we ran out of mics, so I used this mic for percussion. I actually used a figure of eight pattern. The bottom picked up djembe and the top shakers, maracas, etc. Nice. No monitor feedback either! It sounds more natural than an SM27 on acoustic guitar. It's better than an sm57 on guitar cabs (way better). The 57 colors the cabs too much. The 179 actually sounds like the source you put it on. I even used this when I only had two channels to pick up a drum kit. Kick, then the 179 on OH. Snare, toms, and symbols were adequately heard in the mix with minimal EQing. I would do it again if I needed to. Recently I tried it on kick, and it's amazing. I like the response a little better than a Beta52.

This mic has a great neutral response. Tried on drums, acoustic guitar and vocals. Through both interface inputs and joe meek channel. Every usage has resulted in a musically pleasing representation of the instrument. Definately worth saving up a few dinners out and spending the cash on this piece of kit.

This is a great all around microphone with a price that won't break the bank. Switchable patterns and no transformer. Mine is great, I love it.