Stellar CM3

The Stellar CM3 is a tube condenser microphone from a little known company. I'm pretty sure that Stellar is a one man operation. The CM3 is directly from China, and also can be found under the name Apex 460. It's the same exact mic put out by a different company - Nady has this mic available as well. The mic comes with it's own power supply and cables as well as a shock mount and a hard shell carrying case. It should only be used in the studio as it's not intended for live shows unless you were recording it.

OVERALL OPINION

The Stellar CM3 is a good choice for a super cheap tube microphone. I don't own this mic any longer, but I got it on eBay a few years ago and sold it the same way. I don't think you'd be able to buy the CM3 or any other Stellar microphones from a dealer, although you can get this same exact mic under the Apex or Nady brand if you do want to go through a dealer. Having said this, the Stellar version is just a tad bit cheaper than the others. I've used the CM3 for recording a variety of instruments, including for acoustic piano, male vocals, and acoustic guitar. It's definitely a better sounding mic than you would expect for the price, but it still won't match up to true higher tier tube mics. It's perfect for the home studio owner looking to get some cheap tube mics to have around, but it's never going to replace your higher end tube mics. I stopped having a need for a tube mic at home, but if you need one, the CM3 is a fine choice to make for the price. Also scope about the Apex 460 and the Nady version of this mic for print points.