M-Audio Sputnik | Multi-Pattern Large-Diaphragm Vacuum Tube Condenser Microphone with Flight Case, Shock Mount & Power Supply

Love this mic! I help host an outdoor summer concert series for about 200+ people, and this mic is perfect for the 4 to 6 piece folk bands that play. Can't use a monitor with it, but monitors don't really work with our setup anyway. Highly recommend this mic!

I have worked with Neumann u87, AKG414, AKG c12, Brauner VM1, Neumann TLM 103, TLM 93.The SPUTNIK sounds like 10 times its price.For less than 1.5k nothing better.

Absolutely wonderful. It is perfect in box. Arrived in time. Thank you. I'm crazy to hear its sound.

I had this microphone since it came out . It broke (my fault) and my recording life hurts so bad without it. Don't let the fact that mine broke dissuade you. I left it on ALL the time. I NEVER turned it off and I dropped the power supply in a rather ugly fashion. I actually beat up on this mic quite a bit, now that i think about it. I dropped it no fewer than six times. It's extremely durable. I used it primarily on vocals and acoustic guitar, but it was also a great room/overhead for drums, especially if you dig on a more garage-y kinda sound. Oftentimes, this was the ONLY mic I'd use on drums. It's great for horns- trumpet, trombone, etc. Sweet overload and color, full bodied and nice, even response; no part of the frequency spectrum seemed particularly accentuated. It's got a -10db pad, low frequency roll off, omni, figure eight, and cardioid. Everything you need, really. I HIGHLY recommend this mic to any and everyone. I've heard it compared to telefunkens and neumanns - mics priced thousands of dollars higher. I know this mic is becoming increasingly harder to find; thankfully, it also seems to be somewhat cheaper than it originally sold for ($699.99). It sucks M-audio stopped making these. They are soooo good. A great value. If you are thinking about buying this, stop thinking and buy it. If this is your budget, you sincerely CAN'T DO BETTER THAN THIS.

Great sounding mic for vocals and acoustic guitar. Bright without sounding over-hyped. No Chinese sizzle! I also compared this to the Avantone CV-12 (which does have a little Chinese sizzle). I owned a U87 for years; it is a very over priced and boring microphone. The only thing I did not like about the Sputnik is that you can't "eat" this mic - the proximity effect is not good. That is not true about all condensers - you can get up close on the Avantone and the Blue Blueberry (which sounded like a AKG 414 to me - also boring).Would not recommend this for a noisy home studio. But if you have a quiet space this is my favorite mic. And an incredible value.

This Mic Is Great! I've Had Many Mics By M-Audio & I Still Own This One & The Solaris. The Sputnik Has Nice Values For Vocals & Guitar, But I Record Whatever I Want. Uses 7 Pin Xlr With Transfer Box To Regular 3 Pin. The Tube Sounds Great. I Got This For A Great Deal Off Of Craigslist, But Its Only A Bit Cheaper Here On Amazon. I Recommend This Condenser Microphone.