Category 
Studio & Home Studio
A place where acoustics are carefully studied and controlled, the studio, like its little brother, the Home Studio, brings together all the necessary equipment at the different stages of music production: mics & preamps for recording sound; converters and recorders or computers for recording; console, sound treatment and effects processors for mixing, and of course a monitoring system to hear if everything’s as it should be.
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List of user reviews
Studio & Home Studio
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Characteristics 
- The Rode NT1000 is a large diaphragm condenser microphone that is designed for use in the recording studio. I wouldn't bring this mic outside of the studio as it is too fragile for live shows and I generally wouldn't use a condenser outside of the studio anyway. The mic has a cardioid polar pick up pattern and will pick up the full range of frequencies in human hearing (20 Hz to 20 KHz).
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Overall Opinion
- I've been using the Rode NT1000 for about a year or more and I've found it to be a very strong sounding microphone. Rode always amazes me with the quality of the microphones that they make considering how cheap they are. This Australian company has a great microphone in the NT1000 as it overall has a great sound quality. Of course it doesn't sound as great as the true top tier of microphones made by the likes of Neumann and other top end companies, but it comes pretty close considering how big of a price discrepancy there is. I have used the Rode NT1000 in a variety of situations and have found that it can be considered an all purpose microphone as it sounds good on most applications. I have used it with good results for acoustic guitar, vocals, and acoustic piano, as well as horns like saxophone and trumpet. I am looking at this microphone from the view point of a home studio owner looking to get the most bang for their buck, which is exactly what the NT1000 will give you. I can't say that I would recommend it to a professional studio owner, but for home studio owners this is the perfect microphone. The Rode NT1000 is a microphone with a wide and detailed sound that is only about $300 USD. If you are looking for a nice microphone that is cheap while still maintaining a level of quality, the Rode NT1000 is a great option.
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Characteristics
- The Crown Sound Grabber II is a PZM (pressure zone microphone) that can be suited for both live shows or in the studio. I personally only have experience with this microphone in the studio, although it is definitely suitable for use outside of the studio. The mic is definitely a unique one and those who don't know about PZMs, basically all you need to do it place it in a room in order for it to do its job and pick up everything around it. The mic has a hemispherical polar pick up pattern and will pick up frequencies between 50 Hz and 16 KHz.
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Overall Opinion
- I've been using the Crown Sound Grabber II PZM microphone for a little less than a year and I have found it to be an effective PZM mic. I don't usually use this microphone as the only mic around to pick up sounds, rather I use it as a supplemental microphone. I often won't use the sound in the final mix, but sometimes I find that it sounds great and is perfect to blend with. Beyond just using it to pick up all of the sounds in a room, it is also good for some specific applications like piano, as it is easy to place on the inside of the cover of the piano. I find that this does a great job of picking up the signal, but unless there are other things going on the in room I will generally again, use this a supplemental microphone with a condenser or a more detailed microphone. While this isn't the best PZM microphone that I have used, it definitely gets the job done and because of its reasonable price, it won't break the bank. This is the perfect microphone for someone who is looking for a PZM on the cheap, but who also doesn't want to get something that will break easily as I have found Crown to generally make reliable products, including the Sound Grabber II. All in all, the Crown Sound Grabber II is a unique microphone and is the perfect way to try out a PZM microphone.
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Characteristics
- The SE Electronics Titan is a uniquely designed condenser microphone that is designed for use in the recording studio. It is a FET (field effect transistor) microphone and has a cardioid pick up pattern. It has bass roll off as well as a -10 db pad. It comes with a unique shock mount as the design and shape of the microphone is overall unlike most other microphones out there.
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Overall Opinion
- I've used the SE Electronics Titan a handful of times in a home studio setting and was overall pretty impressed with not only the sound of the mic but also with the cool look that it has. It is definitely something that will impress the clients which of course matters! The microphone has a nice and clean tone and is probably best suited for vocals, although it can be used with just about any acoustic instrument that you would be looking to get a detailed sound from like acoustic piano and guitar. It is also a good microphone for orchestral instruments like violin and cello as its extreme attention to detail makes it the perfect fit for applications like this. While it definitely has a nice sound it is by no means the best sounding microphone out there or the ideal microphone or the industry standard for anything. It is however a nice microphone to have in your collection as you never know when it might be the perfect fit for something. The price of the SE Electronics Titan isn't the cheapest as far a home studio microphones go, but also isn't as expensive as some other FET microphones out there. It is a perfect in between of quality and price and is therefore a great option for home studio owners. If you want a unique microphone to add to your collection the SE Electronics Titan is worth looking into, but probably isn't the ideal choice for an all purpose microphone.
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Characteristics
- The Neumann BCM 705 is a large diaphragm dynamic microphone that is designed for use in the recording studio. It shouldn't be brought out for live shows even though it is a dynamic microphone because it is still quite fragile and expensive. This is a fairly new microphone and I believe it is the first and only dynamic microphone that Neumann has ever made, so naturally I was intrigued about it from the start. The microphone comes with the swivel mount that is shown in the picture...
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Overall Opinion
- I've only used the Neumann BCM 705 a handful of times as I do not own one but I feel I have a good amount of experience with it to have been impressed with it. Being that it is the first and only dynamic microphone made by Neumann, I was eager to hear the tones that I could get for recording things that normally would require a dynamic microphone because of the pressure level that they are at. Applications like this include electric guitar, kick drum, and anything else like this. The Neumann BCM 705 will also work great for other applications that you would want a condenser as this is a very detailed microphone that will still pick up a lot of subtleties. This is also a great microphone for recording vocals, especially rock male vocals as I find dynamic microphones like this one are often the best way to go, depending on the voice. The Neumann BCM 705 isn't as expensive as a lot of the condenser microphones that Neumann has to offer, as is the nature with dynamic microphones. This is overall probably one of the best sounding dynamic microphones out there and is definitely a microphone I would recommend trying out if you are looking for a great dynamic microphone.
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Characteristics
- The Chandler Limited TG Channel MKII is a single channel microphone preamp with a five band EQ built in. The pedal is an analog one and has XLR connections in the back with a 1/4 inch input in the front for using this as a DI box. The unit is rack mountable and will only take up a single rack space.
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Utilization
- The make up of the Chandler Limited TG Channel MKII preamp isn't too hard to follow as I think that anyone with any experience with preamps and EQs won't have any trouble with it at all. You've got knobs for line level, output level, and five bands of EQ are a labeled as hi shelf, mid peak, mid cut, low boost, and lo cut. Each of them except for the lo cut has parameters for both frequency and gain. The pre amp section also has buttons for phantom power, phase, line, and EQ in/out along with a switch for choosing whether you want to use the unit as either a DI or use the mic or line inputs. I don't think that a manual is needed for the Chandler Limited TG Channel MKII unless you are new to channel strips like this.
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Sound Quality
- The sound quality that both the preamp and the EQ exhibits on the Chandler Limited TG Channel MKII is really great. These are copies of the pres that were used at Abbey Road on many classic records and it definitely has the sound to back that up. I can't say enough about how great this sounds for all sorts of applications including vocals, drums, guitars, and keyboards. Granted you are using good microphones and good instruments, this will definitely give you a full and rich sound that accurately will reproduce the sound that you are sending to it. The Chandler Limited TG Channel MKII is definitely very impressive sounding overall.
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Overall Opinion
- I first used the Chandler Limited TG Channel MKII a few years ago and to date it is definitely one of the best outboard channel strips that I have used. While it is one of the best channel strips that you can buy, it will definitely cost you a pretty penny to acquire this and for this reason I can probably assume that most won't be able to afford this. However if you are looking for an absolutely awesome microphone preamp with EQ, the Chandler Limited TG Channel MKII is a preamp that definitely needs to be considered.
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Characteristics
- The Great River MP-2NV is a dual channel microphone preamplifier that is simply a two channel version of the Great River ME-1NV as it has the same configuration. This is an analog unit that has XLR connections in the back and has 1/4 inch inputs in the front for plugging directly into this. This is indeed a rack mountable piece of outboard gear and will only take up a single rack space.
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Utilization
- The configuration of the Great River MP-2NV is easy to follow as there isn't anything unusual to be seen here. Each of the channels simply have knobs for gain and output level and buttons for polarity, phantom power, impedance and loading. Each also has a meter for both the input and the output levels. I can't say that this is hard to manipulate at all and I think that most people won't have any problems operating this pre amp. I can't say anything about the manual as I have never needed to look at one.
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Sound Quality
- The sound quality of the Great River MP-2NV is exactly what you would expect - it is outstanding. It has a great deal of warmth and clarity and it definitely portrays an accurate picture of the signal that you sending to it, whether that is with a microphone or direct. I would say that the MP-2NV is pretty much suitable for use with any application in terms of instruments as I have had success using it with just about all of the applications that I have used it with. The bottom line is that it is just a good mic pre and this will translate to whatever you use it with.
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Overall Opinion
- I've been using the Great River MP-2NV for about a year or so and I've always been extremely pleased with the sound that this has. It has a very authentic sound and is a great pre to have around even if you have a console as it will give you another option to go to. Of course with great quality comes a price and for this reason this isn't a cheap set of pres. I believe however, that this is a good deal even if it is out of the price range for most home studio owners. Overall, the Great River MP-2NV is a special pre and is a great all around choice in terms of stereo mic pres.
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Characteristics
- The Summit TPA200B is a dual channel microphone preamp that is tube based and is made of all analog parts. It has XLR connections in the back and also has 1/4 inch Hi-Z inputs for plugging your instrument directly into this. This is indeed a rack mountable piece of gear and will take up two rack spaces.
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Utilization
- The configuration of the Summit TPA200B is pretty basic as far as mic pres go as it has pretty much all standard parameters. Each channel has knobs for input and output gain, and then has switches for either line or mic input, a pad that can be switched to either -15 db or -25 db and a phase switch. There is also a switch for phantom power that will engage phantom power on both of the channels. This is a pretty basic set up and I don't think that anyone who has experience with mic pres needs a manual or will have any trouble at all using this.
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Sound Quality
- The sound of the mic pres on the Summit TPA200B are pretty incredible. The clarity and depth that can be achieved with this is outstanding as this is one of the better mic pres that I have used outside of a console. It is great two have two channels of such a high end pre in the same unit as it allows me to do some great stereo recordings within a single unit. The pre accurately portrays the signal that you send to it and won't color it other than the natural sound that you give it. This is definitely an overall top notch sounding microphone preamp that is as good as just about any that I have used before in its own way.
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Overall Opinion
- While the price of the Summit TPA200B is quite high, if you are looking for great tone without having to consider price, this is an excellent choice. I believe that it is a great unit for just about anybody looking for a dual channel high end mic pre and understand that this is the price that you will pay for a great pre like this one. If you are a home studio looking for a single unit that will help out your recording quality a great deal, the Summit TPA200B is a great investment and is something that should absolutely be tried out.
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Characteristics
- The Vintech Audio 273 is a dual channel microphone preamplifier with built in EQ. It is an analog piece of outboard gear that doesn't have any effects or anything beyond the preamp and the EQ. It has XLR connections in the back and has 1/4 inch inputs in the front for using this as a direct input box if you so choose to. It is indeed a rackable piece of gear and will take up a single rack space.
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Utilization
- The configuration of the Vintech Audio 273 isn't too hard to follow, especially if you have experience with channel strips or mic pres and EQ in general as the parameters seen on here are all pretty standard. Each channel on the pre has parameters for gain, output, and two bands of EQ. It also has buttons for impedance and to choose between either a mic or line input. It then has switches for phantom power, phase, and EQ in/out. I haven't seen the manual for the Vintech Audio 273, so I can't say if it would be useful or not, but I can say that the unit is easy enough to use on its own that most people will probably not need a manual.
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Sound Quality
- The sound quality of the mic pres on the Vintech Audio 273 is outstanding. This is just like having a great console pre and EQ combination in a racked pair and definitely lives up to this in terms of sound and clarity. They are great pres for just about any application and the EQ sounds pretty awesome as well, although I don't always use the EQ. The pres won't really color your sound exactly as I do believe that it presents a clear picture of the signal that you are sending it, but like all pres, each one is different and will bring its own sound to the table. Overall, this is a great sounding set of mic pres and it is always a pleasure to use them.
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Overall Opinion
- I've been using the Vintech Audio 273 stereo channel strip on and off for the last year or so and I'm always happy when I get a chance to track with these pres as I always seem to get extreme clarity and warmth in terms of tone. The price isn't cheap, but also isn't all that expensive for a two channels of mic pres and EQ that sound as great as this one does. While definitely suitable for both professionals and home studio owners alike, I would make a case that home studio owners without a board could get a lot out of having one of these as you then have a great pre to record two channels with at once, which is a huge upgrade from just using the pres on your audio interface. Anyone looking for a stereo mic pre/channel strip should definitely consider buying the Vintech Audio 273 channel strip.
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Characteristics
- The AKG C 214 is a large diaphragm condenser microphone that is designed for use in the recording studio. I wouldn't recommend bringing it out for live shows or anything like that as this is pretty much strictly a studio microphone. The C 214 has a cardioid pick up pattern and also has a -20 db pad and a bass roll off switch as well.
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Overall Opinion
- I've only used the AKG C 214 a few times at a friend's home studio, but definitely got a good impression of the microphone in those times that I used it. I did only use it for recording some vocal parts and was generally pretty pleased with what came out as I could hear a good amount of detail and clarity. This definitely isn't one of my favorite microphones out there but is quite good for the price as it won't cost you too much at all. It is definitely a microphone that is catered toward home studio owners and I would suggest that professional look elsewhere as I don't believe it is up to snuff for professionals. However, those home studio owners looking for a very good sounding microphone at a budget price for a mic like this, I would definitely suggest the AKG C 214. It is kind of at a strange in between price but I would say that this is in our favor as consumers because while it isn't all that cheap, you are getting a very well built microphone without having to shell out an exurbanite amount of money on a single microphone. Like I said earlier, this isn't the best microphone out there by a long shot, but it definitely will get the job done for homes studio owners looking for a very good microphone at a reasonable price.
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Characteristics
- The Summit TLA-50 is a single channel compressor that is semi-modeled after the classic LA-2A. It has XLR and 1/4 inch connections for input and output as well as a 1/4 inch output for a side chain. It is an analog piece of gear and is also rackable as it will take up two rack spaces.
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Utilization
- The configuration of the Summit TLA-50 isn't hard to follow at all as this is just about as basic as a compressor as you can get. It has knobs for gain and gain reduction and it has switches for attack, release, and for setting the meter. This is all that there is to the TLA-50 and even those without any experience with compressors shouldn't have too much trouble understanding how to use this as long as you understand what a compressor does. A manual definitely isn't necessary as this is easy enough to use on its own.
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Sound Quality
- The sound of the Summit TLA-50 is quite good but of course isn't as great sounding as a LA-2A, but at the same time it will only cost you a fraction of the price. I've had success using this with all sorts of instruments and voices, but vocals are probably the main thing that I run through this. It has a wide sound that for whatever reason seems to work best with vocals. Having the same amount of parameters that it does makes it easy enough to dial in a great sounding tone within a few minutes every time...
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Overall Opinion
- Overall, the Summit Audio TLA-50 is When comparing this to the LA-2A this obviously isn't going to sound as good, but when comparing it with other compressors in this price range, this is a great deal that is definitely worth trying out. The price is quite reasonable for a great sounding compressor like this, but at the same time if I have access to an LA-2A I am always going to use that over this. Whether you are a professional or a home studio owner, the Summit TLA-50 is a compressor that is a great deal for your dollar.
