Studio Projects Review: B-1 Large Condenser Microphone

History:

Purchase: Ordered on line from Sweetwater.com, $79 incl. free shipping! Why? My goal: Make some profitable recordings with cheap gear; just to annoy my gear-junkie, audio-tweaking friends. BTW, I succeeded. I made money and irritated the smart guys who think they can hear dog whistles. That's another story.

What I Like About This Studio Projects B-1 Large Condenser Microphone: This mic has no right to be this good for $79. I wanted a large condenser mic for vocals. I'd heard some pretty marginal sounds from other Chinese mics near the same price point and thought I'd have to step up to the $200 level (e.g., Studio Projects C-1). But this thing is remarkable. Not as smooth as the Shure SM-7 I had to return to its selfish lender, but the B-1 has a nicely even response and more sparkle without harshness.

What I Do NOT Like About The Studio Projects B-1 Large Condenser Microphone: Nothing, except it should be uglier for such a low price. It's not a work of art, but it looks so substantial one is tempted to expect too much from it.

Studio Projects B-1 Large Condenser Microphone Quality Rating: It appears well made. Hefty cylindrical metal body, sturdy mesh screen, champagne color. Its a simple cardioid mic that does a fine job on vocals and my acoustic guitars. Comes with a basic mounting adapter, I'm glad I sprang a bit more for a shock mount. Comes with a good foam wind screen. No fancy packaging or extras, which is good. With cheap equipment you hope the money's in the item you're really buying, not the "free" cable, carrying case, etc.

Review Summary: Low-end gear these days is simply remarkable. Out of all the mics in the world, I'd still rate this this mic highly for vocals and acoustic instruments. In comparison, maybe 3.5 to 4 picks. But, no doubt, the B-1 rates a 5 in it's price range.

Rating of this Studio Projects product: 5

This Studio Projects B-1 Large Condenser Microphone Microphones Review Submitted By: Kevin Alan Mattson

Review Date: 2004-05-27