When I was sent Studio Projects’ new CS5, I was eager to get to know her, to find out if she had a unique personality. Would she be sultry like a C 12, prissy like a U89, or kind of haggard and raspy-sounding, like the older gal a few barstools over? Time to find out.
OVERVIEW
Sporting serious curves (such as a 27mm wide capsule), the Studio Projects CS5 is at home at just about any party (she switches between five polar patterns: cardioid, wide cardioid, hypercardioid, omni, and figure 8, and has rolloff pads that can attenuate the signal by –5, –10, –15, or –20dB, allowing the mic to handle up to 156dB SPL). In her time, she’s heard it all (her frequency response is between 20Hz and 20kHz), and she can cut through the BS with a lowpass filter that can be engaged at 3, 5, 7, or 15kHz and a high pass filter that can be applied at 50, 75, and 300Hz—both at 6dB/octave. And while she has a bit of baggage—a pretty sturdy flight case and a shock mount—it’s the good type. Want to learn more? Check out her personal ad at www.studioprojects.com.
IN USE
On our first date, I thought that the CS5 would hit it off well with a singer I was scheduled to track—a female contemporary artist seeking a pure, clean sound. She has a natural warmth to her voice and wasn’t looking for any additional coloration, so I set her up with the CS5, in cardioid pattern, with no filters or pads engaged.
The vocalist wanted to track with the rest of her band, so I put her and the CS5 in the live room, surrounded by gobos, and sent the signal into a Focusrite VoiceMaster Pro, patched into a Teletronix LA-2 (set to –2dB), recording into Pro Tools. In this rather straightforward application, the CS5 imparted a pretty honest sound, though the high end did seem a tad boosted. However, in this instance, this was a good thing as we didn’t have to EQ the track at all when mixing.
Before I commit to a relationship with a mic, it’s important that it gets along with my close friends, so I invited a male vocalist over that I had worked with for years. He can be tough on mics, as his voice is really boomy and a little shrill in the high end. It was clear that the CS5 was going to have to make the first move if the session was going to work, so I engaged the low and high pass filters at 300Hz and 7kHz respectively—bingo.
Just to see how worldly she was, I invited a guitarist over who plays this terrible guitar that I swear was purchased out of a Sears catalog. I consider this guitar the instrumental equivalent to the drunken, obnoxious friend that your wife can’t stand, but since you’ve known him since high school you still invite him over for the Super Bowl. Expecting disaster, I placed the CS5 about 2" off of the sound hole, using the wide cardioid pattern, and brought a Shure SM81 along (set up over the bridge), because that’s the only mic that’s ever liked this guitar. I used a No Toasters Nice Pair preamp to power the CS5, and sent the signal straight to Pro Tools. With the first strum, it became obvious that the CS5 was not going to get along with the source, despite our best efforts. Lesson learned: What goes in comes out . . . including with the CS5.
CONCLUSIONS
While the CS5, due to her range of features, is very versatile and can hold her own on nearly every session, she’s also brutally honest. I appreciate that quality in a mic. As long as you have a good source, you’ll get a good sound with the CS5, which is preferable to spending tons of time trying to “alter” a track so that it sounds like the player intended it to sound. In short, she gives what she gets; so if you or your instrument suck, you’re probably not going to get along with the CS5. But if you have a good sound, you might just find her to be the perfect date.
PRODUCT TYPE: Multi-pattern condenser mic.
TARGET MARKET: Project recording studios looking for a single condenser that works well in multiple applications.
STRENGTHS: Exceptionally versatile due to tons of options. Accurate sound. Inviting price point. Good accessorizing.
LIMITATIONS: Nothing significant.
LIST PRICE: $1,149.99
CONTACT: www.studioprojects.com