Apex Electronics 430

I've been playing since 1986. Started with bass guitar, then acoustic and now electric, as well as vocals.

I rented an AKG 3000B condenser mic from Long & McQuade for a short recording project, and I loved the acoustic guitar sound. Before my rental month was up, I picked up the Apex 430 for $130 Cdn. (The AKG was about $700 at the time, out of budget). I compared them side by side for a couple of nights. The Apex had a bit more bass, and a bit shallower sound up top. Far and away superior to a dynamic mic for vocal or acoustic, however.

For the money, it is a really good mic for about $100 US right now. Comes with a good quality shock mount and a small bag to keep the mic in. Great for learning condenser mic singing technique...I have to sing off-axis just a bit to avoid blowing into the diaphram. Try setting it about 3 feet away directly out from the 12th fret on your acoustic...but don't tap your feet too loud...this condenser mic records it all.

No attenuation pad for louder sources. When you mic a guitar amp, go easy on the volume. Also add a pop filter for signing, and watch your breathing because this mic will pick it up! And remember, you'll need a +48V phantom power supply to run it.

Solid for 3 years now. I lend it out on occasion, and everyone enjoys using it. It was the best mic I had for 2 years of home recording.

If music is about experimentation, then you can learn alot from playing around with this affordable mic. Plus you can spend the money you save on more stuff, increasing your experience. If this is your first condenser mic, you will not be dissappointed with the results.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Specifications
Black housing
Included shockmount
Pickup Patterns Pads & Filters
Cardioid (14 mV/Pa; 20 - 20,000 Hz)
Filter: HPF: -6dB@100hz (Via Switch)
Capsule Dimensions Impedance SPL/Noise
Diaphragm diameter: 25mm
200 Ohms (Low) Max SPL: 140 dB
Weight Length Max Diameter Interface(s)
362g (12.77oz) 152mm (5.98'') 45mm (1.77'')
3-pin XLR male (1)
Power Specifications
Requires phantom power
Phantom voltage: 48v

OVERALL OPINION

This is a great budget studio mic. It's main plus is that it can handle extremely high SPLs, so putting this in front of even a shotgun in a studio setting would work well with no capsule distortion. It's great for a secondary kick mic, to add definition. It's good in front of a raging amplifier or a very loud snare drum. In a budget setting, this will do anything pretty well for the money - acoustic guitars, vocals, percussion, brass and winds... It captures the highs better than something like an SM-57, so if high frequency definition is a must, this is a better choice than a 57.

It feels cheap, however. I mean, it is inexpensive, but the shockmount that comes with it feels shoddy, and the casing doesn't look like it could handle a drop onto a studio floor. Mics should never be dropped, ever, but this seems like it would perish for sure with a tumble. For the price, one cannot expect durability miracles or top quality construction, but it is a point I need to mention.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to someone that was just starting to learn recording, or had very little money to spend on a condenser microphone. It does a pretty decent job on most anything. I could pick out a better microphone than this for any application, but for a budget mic, this is hard to top. Even for someone that has a well-stocked mic locker, this makes a great high-SPL go-to microphone as well.

I bought it without esprer fantastic (this is the cheapest studio condenser microphones) for 140 euros with suspension and the price is not bad at all. lgre bump in the high mdiums, somewhat in the lower lge (from a 4050 AT 4000 balls) but all in all an enjoyable enough grain with clarity and precision in treble (sometimes a bit too brilliant, but nothing prevents the correct lgrement EQ) well for voice, acoustic guitars, a lot of overhead in battery ...
oh of course it was not the neutrality softness and warmth of a Neumann or AKG C414 but seven times cheaper ... but it has something to obtain records trs honorable, not what the price a decade ago.

OVERALL OPINION

Would do the m choices for the relative quality unbeatable price.