All user reviews for the M-Audio Sputnik

The Sputnik lamp is a microphone that I use primarily on the voice. I have a fairly comprehensive fleet of pickups and he immediately found his place. I well remember my Gefell in the style of his.

OVERALL OPINION

The very first time I have used the musicians I was recording all wanted to know what c'tait. When they saw the price, they did not. I compared it with the U47 trsmthodiquement on voice and also with a AKG414, two microphones that I leave now in the closet.
For voice speak, it is perfect! I used dernirement on a trailer.
Otherwise, I also used on three albums since then, mainly on the voices. Ings all the sounds that I know who use it do not always come back ... Me either!

Micro lamp in the style of the Neumann U47 and AKG C12. Look sduisant.
I bought APRS logieux reading comments on the net that the Submitted as worthy of a U47. Considering the price drisoire, I tried my luck.

OVERALL OPINION

In fact, has nothing to do with a U47. I had the opportunity to catch a lot of votes with a U47 for an album and I finally certain securities with the Sputnik (the silent one location U47).
If the behavior in the lower mdium s'avre similar treble do not see anything. Not found in the grain CHARACTERISTICS Neumann nor the sweetness of the legendary U47. The Sputnik sounds much stick. One wonders if the lamp really works.
The Sputnik is not a bad mic, however. It offers a ready-made usable for the song, much less drive a Static Audio Technica 4040 or 4030 for example. But as might be expected, a microphone 500 euros can not compete with a product thousands of dollars.

Edit of 01/06/2010:
APRS two years, the micro gnre of noise. It has nevertheless remained in its box most of the time in a closet not wet. This must be done long before the heat phnomne disappears. I have little hope for the future.

Lamp with power supply dedicates.
Book in a nice aluminum briefcase with two power supply cables of suspension and a nice, soft protective cover over.

Look fabulous, excellent craftsmanship.

3 directional pad and attnuateur!
Omni / cardio / 8! Gnial!

OVERALL OPINION

I made a comparison with a Rode NT3, AKG C3000 and a MXL 990, the Sputnik wins hands down in characters and grain, something incredible. However, transparency is the opposite cot ... all dpend what you want ... BUT tight deadlines that has come!
With an excellent analog compressor-pramp it must be a slaughter!

It is a tube condenser microphone, with a wide directivity membrane and 3: in 8, omni and cardio.

I use it mostly for voice but also occasionally for acoustic guitars.

OVERALL OPINION

It is now two years that I have and I could look into the studio with other static tube in a preamp Analog Device (something neutral so relativment): a Prodipe Ludovic Lannen, a Neumann U47 and ADK. To my surprise, if Prodipe and ADK were really initéressants (acute aggressive and lacking body in the lower midrange), the M-Audio is the one who held the best distance in front of his majesty the U47. The highs are very sweet and generous super low, probably due to the lamp used (a small Phillips, not a 12AX7 as on most tube microphones to low-end, which makes no sense).

A real good plan that I recommend to any home studio, although some finishing defects are annoying: too long a cord to store easily in the carrying case and cutting the foam inside of that briefcase so bad realized that it requires to store the mic preamp on position.

Apart from that little detail, go for it because it's really a good plan that many do not know ...

M-Audio's Sputnik is a tube condenser microphone that is designed for use inside the recording studio.  It has a switchable polar pick up pattern that includes settings for figure eight, omnidirectional and cardioid.  It comes with a variety of items including a power supply, a shockmount, and a case.

OVERALL OPINION

I first used the M-Audio Sputnik tube condenser microphone a few months ago after hearing some good things about it.  While I wasn't expecting too much from it since it isn't expensive and is made by a company that isn't exactly known for making microphones, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that this is a very good sounding microphone.  I do believe that this is about as cheap as you get go to get a good condenser mic and really wasn't expecting all that much because of this budget price tag.  However, the sound is pretty warm and makes for a great vocal microphone.  While I probably wouldn't recommend this to a professional engineer as this is on the low end of the spectrum in terms of good sounding tube mics, it is the perfect tube microphone for a home studio owner looking for that tube mic sound for a fraction of the price.  I'm definitely skeptical of cheap microphones as I tend to believe that they are too good to be true and still don't exactly trust M-Audio to make high quality microphones, but they are definitely offering up a bargain here.  I also appreciate that they give you a nice case for it as tube microphones are fragile and need to be handled with care regardless of the price.  While I don't own one of these for my home studio, I did use it a someone else's home studio so I can definitely say that it will sound good in a home studio as opposed to a professional studio.  If you are looking for one of the cheapest tube microphones out there while still getting a good quality mic, definitely check out Sputnik.

- What type of microphone? (live, recording, mixed...)
Recording.

- What technology? (electret, condenser...)
Condenser, tube mic.

10dB pad, and low cut filter.
Omni, cardioid, figure 8 patterns.

OVERALL OPINION

- For how long have you been using it?
A few months.

- What thing do you like most/least about it?
Looks great, has loads of patterns, comes with pro suspension, sounds AMAZING!!!

- Did you try many other models before getting this one?
I own an AKG C3000, Rode NT3, AKG D5 and i've compared this to an MXL 990 too.

- What is your opinion about the value for the price?
Amazing value.

- Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice?...
Oh hell yeah!!!