Correct. The 1.1" capsule (called the "Optema" by CAD) was one of two capsules that shipped with the VX2 (the VX2 had that and a 1.25" capsule which, sorry to report to a VSM owner...is better on most sources!). The VSM is an excellent mic that ballpark has the VX2 sound. I have picked it on certain vocals in the past as well.

War

is the VSM still in production?

Gone, for over a year.

War

CAD mics, for the money, are some of the best mics around. I use the old NDM 10 and 11's on my snare and toms, and an E-100 (with the pad engaged) on the bass drum. Sound great, built like the proverbial Sherman tank, and they will not break the bank.

The 350 also claims an Optema capsule... only 11 dbs of self-noise... and frequency response from 10 - 20 kHz. If I had to offer an impression of where it excells, I'd talk about situations where the room sound is a prominent factor. Stages with a scooped shell at its back... alcoves in a church setting. A real gem, if you can find it.

I own the E100, E200, E300, E350, GXL2200, and GXL1200. Love 'em all. Great for the price.

I have a chance to get a CAD E300 at a good price. What can you guys mention abouth this Mutli pat mic?

We have a few E-100s, E200. E350 and VX2. I have found great uses for each one. Really overlooked mics imo for the price.

We actually had an old CAD desk with a 300 point patch bay for a while but it ended up being more of a pain in the ass than we wanted to deal with and got rid of it.

3 things: clear, clear, and clear.


Very accurate and warm and friendly. For some reason the figure-of-8 pattern is best for even a cardioid situation. Maybe this is because it really scoops in lots of off-axis stuff if you let it?

Extraordinary room mic in omni. None of this kind of dense-noise-crowding-over-your-shoulder that I associate with other "cheap" mics, if you know what I mean--distorty and heltery-skeltery. Instead, you get an even breathing and relaxed sound. Like... the stuff it picks up sounds nice. It really takes a third-grade vocabulary to do it justice.

You know, I have found that on a lot of people I actually like the VX2 in fig. 8 for vocals. I thought this was really strange but it just sounds better a lot of the time. I havent found this in other mics.

OK so people really do use CAD mics lol! I have an old E200 that rocks. Also have the E100 and E300. And a M9 wich sounds awesome thru my prochannel. I know flame me now but is sooo smooth on the last female vocal I did. I put a JJ ec83 in it. and I have some ndym CAD drum mic kit also but it is rather dusty. I don't have a giant Mic closet (Limited Budget Project home studio) But I have a matched pair of AT 4033's, and a AT 4050, and an assortment of 57's 58 etc. etc. And mostly the CAD's are my mics of choice. The M9 is crazy good for being so cheap. How they ever sell ya all that stuff in a aluminum flight case for that price is beyond me. I was expecting mega lowend when I saw it. I mean with all the extra stuff required like power supply etc. But was pleasantly amazed after I plugged it in. Even with the chinese tube it sounded pretty good.
Glad to see I am in good company CAD rocks... heh

Thanks Joel. I'll be holding it in my hand tommorrow

Used my E100 and pair of early E200s on SO many live broadcasts!!! Sound fab. I had to part with the E200 pair finally as my clients only seem to want "name" mics from my list...but they are really great LOW END microphones with high end sound quality. A good E200 beats a mediocre, un-modded U87 IMHO. But a modded U87 ROCKS!!!

Jim

I have a CAD Equitek II from the late 80s or early 90s (I bought it used around 92 or 93). Like some of their other mics, it's a multi-pattern BDC with internal shockmount.

I like it pretty well and, when I took clients, it was always a fave (but then I don't have much of a mic locker)... it's big and I think that impresses people. heh


I don't think it sounds like a U87 but I think it has its own merits. It's not hyped, it's pretty smooth, the pickup pattern is pretty forgiving; its omni mode is kinda desirable for the right instrument in the right environment, still plenty warm even without prox effect, I liked it on violin and sax (and would have liked to try it on more instruments, actually... I think it would have been good on cello. Well... I guess I still might, actually... I still own the mic, I'm still recording [my own stuff] and, if I'm not mistaken, cellos still exist... )

I'm pretty early on in putting together my mic collection. First mic I ever bought was a gxl 3000. I don't like it for guitar much but just tonight I A/B'd it with my voice against my other LDC (AT3035.. OK so maybe that's nothing special either but they are competitive price-wise). At least for my voice, the gxl3000 sounded so much better. I like the 3035 better for guitar though. I think the very things that make it better for acoustic guitar (seems brighter) make it less compatible with my voice.

After realizing this I searched on gxl to see what people are saying about it and found this thread. I had been thinking that the next step up for me is AT4047, but maybe something in the cad line would suit my voice better. Wish I could find a rental shop around here to try some out before diving in but from what I see so far I guess I'm leaning towards the cad for my next step up in vocal mics (for my voice anyway).


Charlie

I have a VSM and I think it rocks.

The mastering engineer for my last project loved the vocal on one song in particular - the one song where we used a Trion 8000 tube LDC. The other mics we used were an old 414EB (flattish) and a Dave Thomas modded CM12 (bright). The Trion sits between those two. It's warm but present. (The singer is David Gray-ish.)

Funny thing is, when I got my first Trion 8000, I thought it was too bland, so I sent it to Dave Thomas for the CM12 mod (Peluso capusule and transformer.) Got it back, and now, the DT modded Trion is my rock & roll mic, the stock Trion is my mellow-mic-with-attitude, and my AT4047 just sits on the shelf, looking sad and forlorn.

(The vocal the mastering engineer loved so much was the Trion 8000 going through a Eisen 'neve-ish' 500 pre, which tends to velvetize the top end. Run the Trion through a crappy preamp, and YMMV.)

I have one of the older E300's and I love it. It's huge though and very heavy so on a boom stand it's a bear.

Here's a picture of my older model e300.
I also have a sample test recording of singer-songwriter tune (single track vocal + guitar) on this mic on omni in a small bedroom using my old super crappy home recording setup .
Brendan Brennan's Pink Humpy Bass Traps

I scored my Vx2 as an end of line from a shop closing down , paid the equivalent of $400 us for it.

Its a great mic , awesome on most types of vocalists rich and deep sounding,

I love it loads as mentioned before a real sleeper...

If you see one 2nd hand pick one up its a great mic.

I prefer it to MANY of my other large diaphrams and is an absolute monster on kick drums.

G

i have the c1 the b3 and the tube mic and although they are more powerfull than they cost they do not comeclose to the u87 and i love em to death always dependable i had one that i dropped down 12 wooden stairs on accedent and i swear it worked better after i dropped it. awsome for the value but no match for the almighty u 87

I find the VX2 in fig-8 sounds stellar on vocals and stringed sources like AG and mando. - a great timbre with a deep soundstage. I prefer the smaller cap (110) on AG and mano, but I'm about to throw the larger cap on a refined fiddle player -- I expect good results.

Had a chance last week to pick up a used e300/2 at a price I couldn't resist. I did a quick test with it last night. Hard to describe the sound. I would just call it much "fuller" sounding than any of the other mics I have. OK the other mics I have are all pretty cheap mics but I was somewhat surprised at the size of the step up in sound quality. Only did a quick test on voice and acoustic guitar - so far so good.

My first post after years of reading.......


Ray Kennedy (who has his choice of mics and I've personally seen/used that ridiculous arsenal) turned me onto the vx2 with a mod back in 2004. All I can say is that after having used countless "go to" mics and having the luxury of trying out many others, this mic ultimately has become one of my favorites.

I use anything from 57's and sm7's for some vox, 87's and c12's on others ad nauseum....bottom line comes down to ears/talent/mixing and musical sensibilities.
This mic has proven that when I can't access the standard go to mics, it always sounds huge, phat, clear, bright, round and all those other ridiculous terms we use to try and describe the good stuff.

I bought it, use it, don't worry about it and rely on it.

Cheers,

Levi

If anyone is trying to get rid of one so they can buy the cooler stuff, I'll gladly take it off your hands.

since we're talking CAD mics... anyone else have CAD 92s? SDCs - I picked up a pair cheap a bunch of years back and can't find a whole lot of info on them (never could).

Maybe WAR knows something about them, CAD guru that he is?
"-)

Heard the 350 at AES a long time ago, and it was identival to the U47 they had. Are any of the more recent models similar to the 350?

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha thank you for making my day.

I think when most people buy mic X under the belief it will sound like mic Y, they are either in a for great disappointment or a pleasant surprise, either way because it WON'T sound like whatever they were expecting, if in fact they knew at all in the first place.

Whether they sound like some classic mic or not, there's a shitload of mics today for peanuts that simply sound great. That's really the bottom line. People should stop thinking in terms of what the mic MIGHT sound and think instead of what it DOES sound like. Chances are whatever it is you may be quite satisfied with the result.

As for CADs, these guys simply know how to make a great-sounding mic. Whether it's one of the older models or a new Chinese-made one, they sound great. I still have my original E-300 simply because it sounds great.

Not sure if this SN makes it an early model, but it's a great-sounding model:
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i3...zor/cad-sn.jpg

From my own experience, the U87, especially the ai, is really not that good of a mic... Actually, for a grand more, you can get a used Sony c800g, and it beats the hell out of the u87 in my books.

Isnt it amazing how your opinion on something can change after actually using it.