Studio Projects

Email your Testimonial to Studio Projects

If you are satisfied with your Studio Projects Microphone and wish to share your experience with others, please e-mail us your testimonial, and we will get it up on this page. By sending us your testimonial, you are allowing us to place it on our web site.

***Any opinions offered on this page are those of the user. We make no suggestions or direct comparisons to any other microphone manufacturer. These are offered freely by users of the Studio Projects Microphones as user comments.

Artist Spotlights
Check out our new artist spotlights, highlighting artists and their experiences with Studio Projects.

Rae DiLeo
Tony Lindsay
Jim Messina
Jason Miles
Steve Nathan

For years I have been recording vocals and acoustic instruments with an Audio Technica AT4033. When I bought it, it was more expensive that it is now, and the purchase was one of many steps up into a higher caliber of recording equipment. I have had no problems with the mic, and no complaints, except that its transparency borders on brittle. It seems to be an accurate mic, but little else, i.e., it has no "personality."

Recently I started shopping for mics that would better equip me to mic drum kits. I wanted to select microphones that I could use for other purposes besides drums, and also wanted to add a few more large diaphragm condenser mics for vocal groups and instruments. I started researching the brands I was familiar with, and made my selections. Somewhere in the course of my research I stumbled across the name "Studio Projects." When I came across it again, I thought I should check it out.

The reviews I read had all the ingredients I needed to make a decision: (1) Reviewers from reputable publications who were prepared to hate the mic loved it in spite of themselves; (2) multiple, independent comparisons to the Neumann U87; (3) low price, and hence low risk if it turned out not to be everything they said it was.

I ordered a C1 from a dealer in Nashville, and I am happy to say the mic is everything the reviewers said it was. The day it arrived I used it on a vocal session. The presence and "personality" of this mic are apparent from the first signal. While it seems generally accurate, i.e., not obviously coloring the signal, it goes beyond mere accuracy and lends a presence and polished quality to the signal that makes it sound like it was recorded with very high end equipment. It made (in the case of that first session) a mediocre vocal sound pretty decent, and since then has made good vocals sound great. I have also used it on acoustic guitar with excellent results. It wasn't too long before I bought a second C1. I have also recommended it to several friends with studios.

Recently I was playing a prospective client some tracks from a project I had worked on. I played the first cut on the CD, then the seventh. After listening to track seven, I thought something was wrong with the mix of the first song. I was ready to panic and start re-mixing when I realized that the first vocal track had been cut with the 4033 and the second, with the C1. It is THAT different. At this point, I simply do not want to use my other microphones.

John R. Bolles, Allegra Recording Company

Allow me to introduce myself, Kevin Vollbrecht here VSPlaneteer "primate58". I've got a home studio with the 2480 as the heart and lots of outboard gear including Joemeek VC1 pres and a Rosetta. In my search for Great mic's and due to the hype of Studio Projects on the Planet as well as some great advice of particular Planeteers Paul and Mike I started seriously considering Studio Projects as my next investment even after demo-ing a U87. The C1 is the rage on the Planet. I stepped in "going all the way" to the T3 after reading some history on C12's and the 6072 tube. It is Truly an Amazing mic. I Loved it sooo much within two weeks I ordered a second T3 for stereo overhead recording. My musicians and music affecionados alike have all been amazed with the results of these units. Congratulations to Studio Projects! I am now a Loyal Fan and Consumer!

Kevin Vollbrecht

My local equipment retailer - Midwest Music in Hays, KS - loaned me a B-1 a few months ago. They didn't mention price. They knew I'd played and engineered in several studios, and had experience with the Neumann 47, 67 and 87s, as well as the standard rack of AKG, Shure, AT, etcetera. I used it on a quick acoustic guitar demo - no EQ, no preamp and not much attention to mic placement - and was knocked out. I found out about the price and bought it (of course), and ordered another B-1 and a C-1. Then I did another demo on acoustic guitar, with vocal and harmonica. Again, clean and clear. So I went nuts and ordered a second C-1, a B-3, a C-3, a TB-1, and a T-3. My next session was with a vocal impersonator (spoken word and singing), and I tried the T-3. Listening to that mic handle everything from Tennessee Ernie Ford to Marge Simpson to Willie Nelson to Clint Eastwood was amazing. Everything was clean and rich. Since then I've done full band recordings and these mics are incredible. Vocals, miked bass, electric guitar, drums - everything sounds great. I'm using virtually no EQ; judicious mic placement alone is getting everything I need. I can't wait to try them on horns and strings. I hope the two VTB-1 preamps I ordered arrive soon. If they match the Studio Projects mics I'll be in heaven.

My partner and I never considered setting our studio up as a full commercial enterprise. We thought the cost of four top line mics and two hot preamps - a bare minimum for a commercial studio - was just too much investment for a studio in the middle of Kansas. (We estimated at least ten thousand dollars.) Thanks to Studio Projects and my local music retailer I've got eight terrific mics and (soon), two preamps for only a little over two grand, which means we can start printing business cards. I can't wait to try the C-4s and the new stereo preamp when it comes out.

Mike Ferguson Hays, Kansas

I don't usually rave - but the Studio Projects B1 has arrived and of course I tested it out - Perfect for my needs doing voice overs and narrations for clients. Stellar... I even used it for a news report into BBC World Service - even with high bit rate encoding into MP3 to send to London - the engineers of whom I used to be one (!) emailed to ask what mic was I using this time around ! They were told. Ha! They are still using AKG D 202s and Beyer 601 mics in studio and they heard the SPB1 'roaring' with depth.. My life started with Coles 4038s and Neumann's and AKG 414 As and even a C12 A — the sound on male voice is just the same to my ears and the disparaging ears of others! Blew my socks and pants off! Congratulations.

Brian Butler San Francisco

I have a B.L.U.E. Dragonfly that I paid $800.00 for new and have had it for about two years now. I got my C1 about 8 months ago and have been using it ever since in place of the Dragonfly to record most of the vocal tracks that I record. After seeing all the hype about the C1, I took the plunge and bought one, only to find that it wasn't hype at all. The C1 really is a great mic for recording vocals or anything else you can throw at it. I've had the pleasure of recording vocals for some international R&B acts with the C1 and have had nothing but great results. As a matter of fact I liked the C1 so much that I bought a C3 for when I needed a multi-pattern mic to do stereo recording. The C1 was $229.00 and the C3 was $349.00. So as you can see for that $1200 that he wants to give away, he can get two great mics to do many different types of recording and still have a good chunk of money left over instead of the one that will limit his options and leave him with no money to buy the cable.

John H. Clark Up All Night Productions

I just wanted to let you know we did a mic shoot-out today on vocals. We used the AT4050, Rode NTK, B.L.U.E Baby Bottle, TLM103, and the C-1. The C-1 won hands down with the NTK and the Baby Bottle coming in second. The TLM103 was fourth and the AT4050 was a very distant fifth. We ran all of the mics through a Presonus VXP and used a Fostex DMT8 for recording. We selected mic's that all listed under $1000 and could be bought for under $600. The C-1 really is an amazing mic and if some of the so called experts out there would just try one they would be very surprised. Any word on the Stephen Paul Mic? Take care and good luck with your new SP Mic's.

Maxmusic

For the last few years, we've had them all, from Germany till Austria, and now we've just discovered the C1 from Studio Projects. We did an A-B test, and i was not happy at all. The c1 sounds better than our $2300.- Rode Classic, and that hurts, because it cost's something like 15 % of the Classic II. So if you're looking for a $2500.- microphonesound, stop searching!

Peter Jansen, Music Bizz Audio Design, The Netherlands

Having heard Ted Perlman and Pete Leoni raving about the high quality of the C1 microphone on the Cakewalk newsgroup, I decided that I should definitely give it a try.

As a project studio owner, I cannot afford thousands of dollars for high quality vocal microphones, so the reasonable price of the C1 was very attractive to me. I received the C1, and was immediately impressed by the quality of its construction, and by the nifty case [grin]. I couldn't wait to try it out.

I tested it first on didgeridoo (my primary instrument) and it sounded great. Noticeably better than the AKG C3000B that I had been using for recording. The didgeridoo uses many vocal techniques, so vocal microphone is ideal for recording it. However, it also has a VERY high sound pressure level with the barks, toots and other loud techniques mixed in with the drone.

The C1 had a very warm, smooth sound that really complimented the sound of the didge. After testing it on the didge, I decided that I should give it a test on vocals, since it is touted as being ideal for that purpose. I was not disappointed. I am not much of a vocalist, but it even made my voice sound good.

To give it a real workout, I decided to do an experiment and create a song that was done entirely using the C1. It is entirely made up of vocal chanting, effects, overtone singing, whistling, finger snapping, hissing, and effects using fingers on the foam microphone windscreen. There were no instruments used at all. Effects were done with the Lexicon MPX-200, and the song was recorded entirely in Cakewalk's new Sonar sequencer. I was really blown away by the quality. If you want to listen to the song, it is called "Neptune's Lament" and can be found at my mp3.com site below. The song is currently #5 on the experimental charts! Thanks to Alan Hyatt for making such a great mike available at a great price!

Martin Schiff Starbirth Music
Listen to my music free at: http://www.mp3.com/starbirth

OK, so I read several rave reviews about the Studio Projects C1 mic on the net. This seemed like one of those "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" sort of deals. But I figured for $200 I could use it as a beater mic if nothing else.

The Sound:
It came today and I hooked it up, straight through my Mackie with the EQ flat. At first listen I thought that I must be looking at the wrong channel - this mic sounded like I was running it through my JoeMeek VC1q (with EQ boosted). Another look at the console and yes, the EQ was flat. The sonic quality blew me away. In a word, astounding. Enough punch to knock you out. The highs absolutely shimmer. This is definitely a mic with character, a LOT of character. More punch and sheen than my AT-4033. Puts my E-200 to shame. Knocks my M-177's out the door!

The Verdict:
It took me about 30 seconds to realize that I was going to order another one of these mics. One just isn't enough.

Ron Wilson

The T3 has more body, roundness, and warmth as compared to my whole mic cabinet (U87,U89,C1,Tlm103, Audio Technica 4033). It is a forward sound, maybe because of the tubes. The reverb sounds better because of the thicker signal it is receiving to affect. I use the T3 with an Avalon 737-sp and my peers think I'm at Omega studios or something. I'll bet this mic is similar to a Sony c800g and a C12! Dr. Dre will be using one soon.

Stan Wilkerson

Good ole reliable UPS just delivered my 2 new C1s to the door a couple of hours ago. I could hardly wait to get one of them on the mic stand to work it out. I concur with Don Cicchetti's post of a couple of days ago... Not overly hot in 5k region. Nice round and level response at 12" to 18", but closer proximity effect has a usable warmness for certain situations, never got overly boistrous.

There was no strident, slice your head off, "cheap condensor" upper mids either. Siblance problems were minimal to non-existent with myself and my daughter who is famous for being able to "set the S's off". These initial tests performed on a neutral Mackie 32x8 pre, no Eq.

Fit and finish is *nicer* than the web pics show it to be. Lettering is engraved into the mic as opposed to just silk screened on. It has a nicer champagne nickel *looking* finish as opposed to the chrome finish I was expecting. I truly feel these mics are the steal of the century. IMO, anyone taking the pure "those mics are crap" point of view, either haven't actually used them or have nip'd a little too deeply from the snake oil bottle. Put your fears and prejudices aside.... the C1 is for real!!

Michael Broyles Stafire Media

I got my C1 last week and setup it up over the weekend and boy it sounds so good. One of the greatest things I love about the mic is the proximity. On my inexpensive Audio Technica Condensers (ATM31 and MB4000C) I had to get right up on the mics to get decent sound but with the C1 I can put up the wind screen and get 12" away and pretty much stay at unity gain on my preamp and have plenty of signal.

At 24bits with the built in DBX Compression/Limiting on my Core 2 things are sounding real real good good. Ya know what I mean? This is a great mic not to mention the unbelievable price. Thanks for taking us Independent Recording Artist to the next level Alan. You've put us little guys in the big leagues.

TL

I just completed a CD project for a singer named Beth Ivy. She has a wonderful voice that reminds me, at times, of an early Joni Mitchell with a soulful twist. I set up the AT 4033, and her first response was that it made her sound "nasal." I had borrowed a friend's AKG 414 and, after trying out that mic, was told that "it made her voice sound thin." I was at a loss as how to continue, so we worked on piano tracks that day.

The next day, the Studio Projects C1 that I had ordered came in. I set it up for the very first time in my vocal session with her. After the first verse, she stopped singing, came out of the vocal booth and said "what kind of mic is this? It makes my voice sound gorgeous!" After each song that we recorded, she continued to rave about the mic. There was no way that I was going to tell her what I had paid for it!

I am so pleased that I had bought this mic. I had only read comments and reviews about it on the internet. I bought one since the price was so good that, even if it sucked - I figured that I could always throw it on some instrument that it would sound decent on. Now the C1 is my main vocal condenser. It has changed my concept that you have to spend thousands to get a great studio mic.

I enjoy this mic so much that I have recommended it to two friends who, on my recommendation alone, purchased their own C1s. Thank you.

Greg Youtsey San Diego, CA

I just purchased one of the Studio Project mics, and just wanted to write a little note to tell how great it sounds. I own just a small home studio, but this mic has revolutionized my sound. I have been running it throught the Joemeek VC1Q and through some other tube gear and I finally feel like I am getting that sound that I hear on alot of professional CDs I listen to.

Thanks for designing this mic. I still dont know how to use that damn enhancer on the VC1Q, but oh well, I am getting good results with the compressor and the EQ. I would like to try the Tube mic sometime.

Rich Bischoff

A couple of weeks ago I recieved my first C1. I say first because after the first week I had to order another, Which I recieved last week. They are essentially identical sonicaly and physically. I don't know how you do it but I'm glad you did. I've been thirsting after microphones since I was 15 ( now in my 50's) This is an amazing mic and I love the absence of off axis coloration. Now I've got my eye on the T3. Thanks again.

Tom Hagen Tom Hagen Studios

I want to thank you for the C1 mic. I recently purchased it from Mac MIDI music (over the Internet) without even hearing it. I read several reviews on the C1 over the net, and I was curious. I have a moderate studio budget, so I can't afford to buy junk. Every purchase dollar counts. So, after reading several great reviews from educated opinions that I trust, I bought the C1. This inexpensive mic has singlehandedly raised the level of vocals that I do at home to a level comparable with any studio vocals that I have recorded elsewhere.

I usually rent or borrow high-end mics to do critical vocals at home, or I simply go to a commercial studio. I have always longed for the ability to do vocals that I actually love at home. I have used many of the usual suspects, with moderate success. Finally, I am competitive with the vocal sound that I usually get in commercial studios ... all right at home.

Thank you for making such a wonderful and useful mic available to "the common man". From all of us who are "in" on this secret.... Thank You!.....

Esmond Lewis

A friend of mine who is a recording engineer and a very picky guy over the gear he uses tried out my C-1 sample over the weekend. He will not give it back. He said it sounds spectacular. He has recorded with every mic imaginable.

Ken is one of the top engineers in Chicago who records world renown rap and house music artist. He said that most of his clients will get a chance to hear this mic perform.

List of artists Ken works with:
Bad Boy Bill...International Dance and House Star
DJ Sneak- International House Star (Defiant Records) ...
John Ovnik-Deaf Dog Music (Commercial Music Production)
Jim Fitch- Townhouse Studio ...
Chu-Dark Side Productions ...
Tom Griffin- Real Deal Productions (Jingle Voice Talent/Chicago)
DJ Attack - UC/SHR (RIP) ....
Joe Stopka (talking about Ken Paul)

Last night I had the opportunity to compare the following mics; AKG414 B-TL, AKG C1000, AKG C3000, Studio Projects C1 and a Neumann U-87. For the record we set the 5 mics up in a close cluster, ran each one through my Soundcraft Studio console, (EQ was flat on all channels) and through to seperate tracks on my Fostex D160 H/d recorder. Faders were at 0. The first run was done with gains set to maximise the signal from each mic, then 2 more recordings with all gains set the same to compare the signal strength of each mic. We decided to record acoustic guitar, (newly strung) in preference to voice, and the outcome...

AKG414 B-TL...... (Yes I know it is supposedly baised to vocals) Second lowest signal strength, very "muddy" lacking top-end definition. Imagine having cotton wool stuck in your ears. The guy that owns it was shattered. AKGC1000...... (not a large diaphragm condenser) Lowest signal strength, clear defined sound but lacking body compared to the following 3 mics.AKGC3000......Third highest or lowest (OK it was in the middle) signal strength, clear defined sound across the tonal range, somewhat transparent or glassy quality. Definitely not unpleasant.Studio Projects C1......Signal strength was almost identical to the U-87, clear defined sound across the tonal range, definitely true to the original acoustic sound.Neumann U-87......Signal strength, "as above". Again a clear defined sound, but with more bottom end or "body" not heard naturally from the guitar. Unpleasant?.....NO. Unnatural?......YES.Am I surprised at the results?........definitely, even though I had read the glowing reviews if the C1 and the comparisons made by some people of high repute to the U-87, and considering I bought the C1 on the basis of these reviews, I really expected the U-87 to stand head and shoulders above the rest. Maybe in other circumstances with certain instruments or vocalists it may, but tonight, with an acoustic guitar, this U-87 was eclipsed by the C1. And the guy that owns the AKGs and the U-87 will be buying 2 C1s as soon as he can get the money together. Enough said! For now the skeptic in me has been quieted. Peace...

ChrisO

I bought the C1 at Coast Recording from Ike and by the looks of it, I fell in love with it. Furthermore, me and Drew Daniels (www.drewdaniels.com : check his credentials and website) tested the mic against his favorite mic, AKG C426 (a 414 capsule) and both of us think that they're pretty darn close sounding, the only diff. is the C1 is QUIETER. we recorded vocals, guitars, egg shakes, triangular percussion, and tambourines, we found them to have the same characteristic.

We also modified the mic (Drew is a genious, 25-30 years as audio engineer at tascam, jbl) by inserting a cone shape foam donut around it so as to avoid reflections close to the diagphram.

Tomorrow, we're testing the mic on a vocalist/guitarist Jimmy Smith (www.thatsa.cooledit.com) Drew recorded him for free and won an award with it. I told him that i'd be interested to test the T3 against his flat laboratory mic, bruel kjaer ( pardon the spelling) and his C426. We recorded the sounds on wav and i plan to do a review on it soon and post it on the web. It's SO identical!

At the end of the test, Drew was just fascinated on how a $200 mic could stand against AKG... and he told me that it's so amazing for the price and I really got a damn good deal out of it. I told him, I'm BUYING MORE! ;)
Just to let you know,

MOKO

I bought the C1 a while back and simply could not be happier with the decision. I am not a high powered, world renown engineer or high roller. I produce a simple bluegrass radio show for our public radio station here in Southern Indiana (WBRO Marengo,Indiana).

I use the C1 as main vocal and lead instrument micing. I cant believe what I hear in my headphones as the live shows are aired. I'm used to hearing the Shure 58s, but when I turned on the phantom power to my C1 the world of Live music lit up and all became crystal clear again for our listeners.I have just place another order for more C1s for my use. By the way the mics and gear belong to me, so the choice of mics used on my StarLight BlueGrass show is mine. I mix the show with my Tascam 788 portable using ART Tube MPs for pre-amping.The show has taken on a whole different sound quality since I have upgraded the equipment. The listeners have also noticed the quality, too. Thanks for reading my note and for the great sound gear.

Carson Jockell Producer StarLight BlueGrass
WBRO 89.9 fm - Marengo, Indiana

I got my C1 yesterday. Good God man, how can you sell these for so little? I had recently set up several pre's and mics to do a shoot out for my own voice. When I sang through the C1 it sounded great but I didn't realize how amazing it sounded till I started A/B'ing the C1 takes with my other mics.

All of them sounded like I'd been singing through a solid cardboard pop filter compared to the C1. I'm absolutely floored, I'm flabbergasted! I finally know where that beautiful high end sheen you hear on loads of voices on the radio comes from, it's the mic!

A good friend had brought over his Blueberry and let me try it and it really suited my voice. These takes were much closer, quality wise, but my partner; Selena listened to them and just said all matter of factly; "The C1 sounds better than the Blueberry." It does! I usually hate the sound of bass and low mids in my voice, but on the C1, my voice sounds great to my own ear.

I have to give you a couple of suggestions. I wish it had a low cut filter at say 150 Hz. I also think it needs a mic stand screw in adapter next to the XLR jack because if the suspension mount were ever missplaced or damaged, you'd have a hand held only mic. Other than that, the C1 is perfect!

I now believe every word of all those reviews I've read on the net and know it's not hype. Great case and suspension mount too! You guys are going to definitely change the microphone market. ANYONE who hears one of these is going to have to have it. Thanks again, your product is superb.

David Keplinger

I emailed you once as a response in one of the many threads about the C1 and you were kind enough to respond. I finally got my hands on a C1 about a week ago and did some real serious test over the weekend to see if it lived up to its hype.

I don't expect you will remember but I am the person who has purchased several (5) mics from 797 audio. By the way - I already felt that my 2 CR100 797 mics sounded better than the U47. What I did for a test is very unscientific. I just set up the C1, U87, U47 and a TLM103 in a vocal booth and had several singers I work with on commercials come in and do generic readings then actual singing on some basic cover tunes. The results were as follows.

6 people (4 male and 2 female) all chose the C1 as the best mic for both stright voice over and singing applications. I used on one test (for each individual) Neve 1272 preamps. I then switched to the Sytek preamp, then went stright into the board (Mackie D8B). Their opinions never changed. Very unscientific I know but the only truth is in the ears and that is what counts.

The only reason I will keep the other mics is because customers ask if you have these mics. Heck I have slowly been converting folks that use the 797 CR100's and CR998 mics, but I have a session this week with a new band in town so I'm going to give their vocalist the same test since he specifically asked for a U47. Should be interesting to "hear" the results.

Bottom line - if anyone where to compare the 2 (C1 and U47) before purchase I think Neuman will have to change their pricing structure. Keep up the good work. Thanks for a great product.

David Artis

While using a C1 as an overhead to record a group acoustic practice, one of the members knocked over the mic stand. It fell hard on a ceramic tile floor with the C1 taking the full impact. The mic still works fine. It didn't even bend the casing. The mics are built like tanks.

I A/B'd the mic with my other C1 and they sound identical. In any event, as a newbie in the recording field, after spending several thousand dollars in equipment in the past year and a half, this is by far the best bang for my Canadian Loonie (dollar)so far.

The lead singer in our band was blown away after we traked a few takes last week. He looked at me and said "I bet these mics cost a fortune". I just grinned and nodded that they do cost money. I have a few mics in my limited arsenal that cost several times as much as a C1. However, in my opinion, that is, based on my ears, none of them come close to the sound quality of the SP-C1s.

Danny

A Couple of months ago I wrote asking about using the C1's as distant orchestra mics. I finally had a chance to use mine in that situation and on both choir and band the the results were what I've been searching for many years.So yes, this versatile mic succeeds in this situation too.Congratulations to both of us!

Tom

I just wanted to take a moment and tell you how pleased I am with the C1. I have never...never purchased a mic without first running it through its paces...until the C1. I did as much research as I could, reading everything I could get my hands on regarding the C1. The reviews were great and the price was incredible. I figured "what the heck, even if it doesn't sound good I'm not out a whole lot of money". Our creative service director was even convinced just on the reviews, so we both bought one. Can I just tell you that this is the mic I have been dreaming about! An inexpensive mic with an unbelievable sound! Both myself and our creative service director were floored! I am telling everyone I know that this is the mic to have. Thanks again for such an amazing mic!

Kelly Hammer Program Director / KBER 101
Salt Lake City, UTAH