So... you decided to purchase a tube mic for your studio and this particular mic has caught your eye? READ THIS!
So upon doing some research, I found that this mic is actually an OEM of the very 1st version of the sE Electronics Z5600. I have never used any of those mics before, but I figured the sound can't be that far off. I was also told to replace the chinese 12AX7 that it came with to ensure lower noise and better sound quality.
Before we even get to the mic, I feel the need to mention everything it comes with and in. The briefcase it came in was just awesome. Sturdy and just plain cool, however I've had major issues to set the lock code, as the instructions were terribly unclear. The power supply and cables were fine, however I have to caution everyone with the shockmount!
It's reaaaaally poorly cut, i cut my fingers 2ce on the sharp edges as I was screwing it onto a mic stand! You are given some spare bands for the shockmount, which is a nice gesture, but I'd rather see the shockmount be well cut and not needing those.
On to the mic itself. It comes in a wooden case that weighs nothing, and would not protect the mic from anything. The mic itself felt like it was going to fall apart when I was pulling it out, as the metal casing is really really shitty. After replacing the tube, I plugged the mic into it's power supply, let it warm up for about 10 minutes, plugged that into into a Warm Audio WA273 into a 1176 clone and went to town.
Looking beyond the shady worksmanship, the sound of the mic was honestly super impressive. The rich bottom end, creamy mids and super crisp clear and sharp top end really let you hear the intimacies of any voice.
I put up the mic next to my Warm Audio WA87 and while the mics are very different, for many voices, I'll be reaching for the SCT2000 quite a bit!
But for real thomann, that shockmount needs work. I'll be needing industrial gloves when I handle that thing.
