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Published on 07/14/11 at 07:16
*Microphones are very subjective. Some microphones that work for some brilliantly may be disastrous on others. It is therefore important to understand the context in which this review is written and take it with a grain of salt, like all reviews on microphones should be treated.*
The Apex 460 is a very entry level tube condenser microphone from Apex, a Chinese company. What's interesting about this microphone is that it has been rebranded under several different manufacturers, but it is quite a stable platform that includes a lot of interesting features for only $200.
What's nice about this microphone is that it comes with a flight case and all the included accessories. It includes the power supply and the proper connector for plugging the microphone into the power supply. And to round it all out, it come with a shockmount. You may think this is standard for tube microphones, as tube microphones generally come in nice packages anyway, but considering the fact that this microphone costs so little, it's a wonderful thing that Apex has included these accessories. (Of course, any manufacturer that doesn't include a power supply with their tube microphone is a bit silly.)
Before I forget to mention it, the 9-pattern switch on the supply does create some interesting possibilities, and I personally think it's a big plus.
OVERALL OPINION
You have to consider the price of the Apex 460. At $200, you can't really go wrong if you just want to add a tube microphone to your collection but don't really have the money to do it. It isn't that the Apex 460 is a great sounding microphone by a long shot; in fact, even as a tube, it does suffer the same bizarre harshness as other Chinese made microphones do, but when you take the price of the microphone and combine it with one, the fact that it's a tube, so you're getting a whole new dimension in your microphone sound, and two, the fact that the Apex 460 is a fantastic platform for modding, you have a very nice package for very little money.
I didn't get to run extensive tests on the microphone, but any trained ear should be able to pick up on different sounds in an instant. In my case, I found the Apex 460 to be a very interesting microphone that adds a nice tube warmth to an admittedly harsh stereotype of Chinese condensers.
The Apex 460 is a very entry level tube condenser microphone from Apex, a Chinese company. What's interesting about this microphone is that it has been rebranded under several different manufacturers, but it is quite a stable platform that includes a lot of interesting features for only $200.
What's nice about this microphone is that it comes with a flight case and all the included accessories. It includes the power supply and the proper connector for plugging the microphone into the power supply. And to round it all out, it come with a shockmount. You may think this is standard for tube microphones, as tube microphones generally come in nice packages anyway, but considering the fact that this microphone costs so little, it's a wonderful thing that Apex has included these accessories. (Of course, any manufacturer that doesn't include a power supply with their tube microphone is a bit silly.)
Before I forget to mention it, the 9-pattern switch on the supply does create some interesting possibilities, and I personally think it's a big plus.
OVERALL OPINION
You have to consider the price of the Apex 460. At $200, you can't really go wrong if you just want to add a tube microphone to your collection but don't really have the money to do it. It isn't that the Apex 460 is a great sounding microphone by a long shot; in fact, even as a tube, it does suffer the same bizarre harshness as other Chinese made microphones do, but when you take the price of the microphone and combine it with one, the fact that it's a tube, so you're getting a whole new dimension in your microphone sound, and two, the fact that the Apex 460 is a fantastic platform for modding, you have a very nice package for very little money.
I didn't get to run extensive tests on the microphone, but any trained ear should be able to pick up on different sounds in an instant. In my case, I found the Apex 460 to be a very interesting microphone that adds a nice tube warmth to an admittedly harsh stereotype of Chinese condensers.