Sony C-38B

The Sony C-3B is the type of microphone that can be used for anything. It is a large diaphragm mic that is intended for broadcast and studio uses. I love the way this microphone sounds with more aggressive instruments with a lot of dynamics like trumpets and saxophones. With the dual switch that it has on it for omni-directional and uni-directional polar patterns it gives exactly what you may need for the current recording session. The price for this microphone is very expensive and I have only used it in a big studio where the acoustic treatments and perfect environment could be a contributing factor to how it sounds. But if I could afford to spend almost 3 grand on a microphone to have at home I would get this one in a heartbeat!

OVERALL OPINION

The sound of this microphone is very clean and crisp. When we recorded with it there was no need to even worry about boosting any frequencies because it puts a little boost on those mid to high range frequencies and they were cutting through the mix right away without even touching them. There is also a low cut filter and a pad switch on the Sony C-3B.
The engineer at the studio said this is his favorite microphone to record with because it works perfectly for anything and has never failed him. I highly recommend this microphone to any musician or studio that can afford to purchase it.
The pad switch is an -8dB pad witch that gives added headroom while leaving out distortion. The C-38B has a great dynamic range to pick up all sorts of vocals and instruments. I would love to see how it would sound in just a regular “home bedroom” setting and not a major studio just to see how it can compare to some higher end affordable microphones that I have. Because in the studio, there are a lot of acoustic things to take into consideration on how much better it could be making it sound. But the C-38B has become my dream microphone that I plan on purchasing as soon I get the money for it!

The Sony C-38B is a large diaphragm condenser microphone designed for use in the recording studio.  While the mic is indeed a condenser, it has a classic look and the outside is reminiscent of a ribbon mic.  The mic has options for both cardioid and omni polar pick up patterns and the mic also features a pad and a low cut filter.  The mic will pick up frequencies between 30 Hz and 18 KHz.

OVERALL OPINION

The Sony C-38B is overall a very impressive microphone.  I think that anyone who has used this would agree with me when I say it has a top notch tone and is great in a variety of situations.  I've gotten great results with it for recording all sorts of different instruments including vocals, acoustic piano, acoustic guitar, and pretty much any other acoustic instrument where I would a lot of details to be picked up.  This is a sensitive mic and will work wherever you want to make sure that you are getting all the subtle sounds from acoustic instruments.  Being that this is a top tier condenser microphone from one of the best in the business, this isn't a cheap mic.  Having said that, if you are seriously looking for a high end condenser microphone with some versatility, you know that you have to pay a good amount as you will get what you pay for.  I would absolutely recommend looking into this mic regardless of if you are a home or professional studio owner as it is both a great mic to add to a larger collection or to get a good one started.  I hope I'm able to use the Sony C-38B in the future more as it is a really great sounding microphone that I find useful for a lot of different applications.