CAD CM 217

The CAD CM 217's are small diaphragm condenser microphones that are designed for use in the studio. However, they are definitley cheap enough where you could probably use them under any circumstances if you wanted to. My experience in the studio with the CM 217's hasn't been very extensive, as I've really only used them on two separate occasions and didn't actually use them on the recordings. The mics have a cardioid pick up patter and have a frequency response ranging from 40 Hz to 13 kHz. The mics also have a high pass filter and a pad on them and include a mic clip.

OVERALL OPINION

While I can't say that the CAD CM 217's would be my first choice for a microphone under any circumstances, they are decent enough small diaphragm condenser mics to get you started with if you're just putting together a home studio. Even so, I'd still recommend spending a bit more money if possible, but if you're just looking to spend close to nothing on a small diaphragm condenser, the CM 217's will get the job done. The mics are suitable for any application where you'd want to pick up signals that have a decent amount of high end, as is the case with all small diaphargm condensers. The one application that I tried the CM 217's for was as drum overheads. The studio I work at has a number of cheap CAD microphones as extras just in case someone needs some scratch microphones to work with. These are included, although they don't see very much use at all, and for good reason. While the CM 217's aren't the cleanest sounding microphones out there, they do give you a general idea of what something will sound like. The price is of course going to be the determining factor here, as this is as cheap of a small diaphragm condenser that you'll find. In fact, I saw that Musician's Friend is selling these buy one get one free. While not ideal, the CAD CM 217's are only okay if you have next to no money to spend for your home studio...