After this microphone fell into my hands, i was really content using it for acoustic guitar and tried to find out more about t.bone. Well, T.Bone is not a manufacturer, they just put their lables on china-stuff, which is ... truly good quality for the price. China improved a lot in the last years - you won't get anything better for a few bucks.

But then still, i like more, if the true manufacturers and model names would be used. This originally is a Takstar PCM 5000 Condenser Microphone. After i found out, i purchased the takstar flagship products cm 60/61, which were not so much more expensive, but turned out to be way better in self noise and frequency response, so i don't use the 1000/5000 very often any more.

I still rate it a 8-9 because of its price - note that there are better microphones out there, but those often cost at least double or triple, so if you are on a short budget, this could be your deal.

SAMSON C01 STUDIO CONDENSER

I have a pair of these that I have had since about the year 2000. I bought them as vocal Mics for my home studio and actually used them as such for several years, albums and demos.

The Mics are pretty decent sounding. They are large diaphragms and give a decent enough sound for the price but they tend to distort fairly easily under load. So I would not recommend using them in a Kick drum or on a powerful male or female voice. You will get some distortion even with a pad on your pre-amp.

They require 48-volt phantom power as do all studio condensers and you will find, as I did, that they sound a little thinner than your average large diaphragm condenser Mic.

All that being said, these can be gotten at almost any music store for around fifty dollars US and when you look at them in that context. They are a great Mic.

If you have an average voice without a bunch of power and use some distance between you and the Pop Filter, you will get good useable results.

I have a low baritone voice and I need to stand about 3 feet away to not distort it. My wife, on the other hand with her higher female voice, uses this Mic and sounds great on it. So if you look over the response curve and try it on some real world situation tests, you should get a lot of good out of these.

The unit comes in a cheap plastic case; one of mine is still in great shape the other has pulverized. Invest in the shock mount, you will need it to save you from stand, floor noise.

I have since moved to a better Mic but keep the Samson C01s for drum overheads and they really ROCK there.

SHURE BETA 87C CONDENSOR

I went for years perfectly satisfied with my old Shure SM-58 Mic. It went where I went and it fairy faithfully reproduced my vocals, such as they are. That’s all you really need a Mic to do right?

Enter the Shure Beta 87C.

I ran across one of these at a local music store and was looking for a condenser Mic for acoustic guitar and so I picked it up.

I was quite happy with the job it did on the acoustics and that was as far as I was planning on it going. Then one day I got a call to come and help a band out on an emergency situation where the bass player was deathly sick and they needed a fill in on bass and backing vocals. The problem here was my trusty old 58 was in the band trailer about a hundred miles away. So I winged it and grabbed the Beta 87 and headed to the gig.

I was absolutely floored by the difference it made in even my vocals. There was plenty of air and headroom and my vocals cut right through the cruddy mix at the dank little club.

I have been using the Beat ever since that day in all my live shows on my vocals. Let me also add here I have a LOW voice and I can usually distort the heck out of a Mic. As of yet, I have not had that problem with this Mic.

The only issues I have are that the shaft is smaller than a regular Mic and so you need the special stand holder for it and the casing is partially made of some form of plastic and has developed some cracks which are going to necessitate my sending it back to Shure to have the case re-done.

But given the sound and service it has given me, I think it is worth the added cost of that and maybe even adding a second one as a back-up.

Because this mic boasts multuple patterns it is a versatile powerhouse of ambient recording options.
What I found was a brilliance of sound reflection, and an excellent transient response that is smooth throughout the whole range. It has a fairly detailed top end and warmth in the bass frequencies, but is rather neutral when I began comparing it with some other budget mics in my arsenal, so apparently this mic does not overtly "color" the sound of your signal. Impressive in this range.
I found this mic to be incredibly crisp and clean on acoustic stringed instruments such as guitar and mandolin, and retain an articulate bass response from an electric bass cab when paired with a dynamic mic off center by utilyzing the bass cut.
I found it to be more transparent and ultimately not as "warm" as my mxl v67, but it was more accurate by far. Again, this mic does not color the signal to a noticeable degree in my opinion.
This mic might not be my "go-to" for recording guitars, but it could certainly provide just the right frequncy response for tracking an accurate uncolored vocal, or piano. I would reccomend this to anyone who needs an affordable large diaphram condensor for live purposes, like a bluegrass band who needs a crisp figure-8 mic for jamming out.

So basically, don't let the 100 dollar price tag fool you, this mic is quite capable, accurate, and responsive while being incredibly versatile with its multi-pattern capability. This is a perfect choice for guys just starting out buying their first condensor, or for those who need quality go-to microphones and are on a budget.

- For how long have you been using it?
I had this for a year or two and sold it.
I had an SM58 too for a while, can't remember if it was after or before, though.

- What thing do you like most/least about it?
It looks & sounds better than an SM58, plus it has an on-off switch...plus it's not an SM58, and i don't like having the same stuff as other people, ha!

BUT one day i was doing the sound for a singer-pianist on a boat and when we swapped his SM58 for this, it was feedback heaven. So we quickly switched back to the 58.

- Did you try many other models before getting this one?
I own or (have) use(d): AKG C3000, XML 90, Rode NT3, M-Audio Sputnik, AKG D5, Shure SM58, Shure SM57, ATM33.

- What is your opinion about the value for the price?
The sound was fine for the price, but i didn't have good experience live (too much feedback...maybe i was doing something wrong, who knows...try it & see) and the sound was no good for studio work. In parallel i used a C3000 for that, so i wasn't going to find much satisfaction in this...

- Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice?...
Well, i sold it...so, no.
Would i go for an SM58? Nope.
So what then? I bought an AKG D5 the other day. The feedback killer they call it...will try it out in a few days...we'll see.

- For how long have you been using it?
I've been lent two or three of these for several years.

- What thing do you like most/least about it?
I use this on acoustic guitar and cello.
This works WONDERS on strings! Stick 2 high up and you'll be amazed.

- Did you try many other models before getting this one?
I own or (have) use(d): AKG C3000, XML 90, Rode NT3, M-Audio Sputnik, AKG D5, Shure SM58, Shure SM57, Sennheiser BF812.

- What is your opinion about the value for the price?
I think this was around £100-150...and it was excellent value already. Find one second hand that has been treated right (no smoke) and you're laughing. You need a good room, though...

I bought this in 2000 or so and never once regretted it.
It's a transparent mic, flat across the whole range you can hear...20hz to 20.000hz.
It's very sensitive and detailed, sometimes can seem a bit harsh so if you have a warm preamp you might want to use it in conjunction with the C3000.

You can use this on acoustic instruments, it works just as well as with vocals. I've recorded a cello, violin, wooden ladder (yes, a wooden ladder!), toy keyboard, guitars, flute, clarinet, etc. It's good. On strings you might want to prefer an Audio-Technica ATM-33 though, that works wonders on violins & cello...but the C3000 is good for pretty much everything.
It's unforgiving and don't expect that flattering high-end from this mic, but if you're looking for a real good all-rounder and you have a sound-proofed room then this is definitely worth considering.

I use it for three year, when I havn't enough money, it returned services!!
Of course high-pitched are missing but you can use a multi-band compressor (or de-esser) to correct it...
This was my first microphone, for 100$ only its a very good choice! Now, I'm going to buy a Neumann U87 because I've got a good job but When I was a student, this product saved my life!