I have been searching high and low for a good pair of small diaphragm condensers for overhead drum recording and acoustic guitar tracks. I'm mainly a Rock genre guy and these are my main concerns. A good friend recently bought a pair of Studio Projects C4 mics, which are Chinese small condenser mics. I finally got the chance to check them out myself (on his dime... even better!).
The C4s come shipped in a flight case that holds everything securely. The mics come with the typical matte finish found on other models in Studio Projects lineup. The mics are 4.9 inches long and are .787 inches (20 mm) in diameter. They feel solid and the capsules screw on nicely. The shockmounts shipped with this pair are among the first batch, which don't hold the mics very well under some circumstances. Studio Projects says it is aware of the problem and that future shipments will be with an improved shock mount.
The C4s are small, lightweight, can handle 150db SPL with 10db pad engaged, require phantom power, and reproduce 40Hz-20kHz. The pad cannot be engaged at the same time as the bass roll off switch. You can use one or the other.
The first test was on my Arbiter maple drums and a mix of mainly Zildjian A Series cymbals.
Cardioid pattern: Typical X/Y was used above the kit. The sound is absolutely stunning on cymbals, high end is open but not exaggerated. Snare cuts well, and overtones are actually picked up through all my cymbal bashing. The cardioid mics show nice detail, especially in the higher end. Tom-toms are punchy enough, but the fullness and low end aren't coming across as strong as I'm hearing live. The kick sound is there but not enough to forego a kick mic, but keep in mind I'm mic'ing from the top of the kit and the kick is the farthest thing away at this point. Imaging is top notch, upon playback my toms are right where I just heard 'em.
Omni Pattern: Spaced omni placement was used above the kit. These capsules are very different on drums! The high end is toned down a touch, cymbals are slightly less bright then what I'm hearing live. These capsules could not be called "dark," but there's a slight roll off going on up there from what I can hear. The omni mics are much more detailed in the mid to low end. Snare is more "gut" punch with more shell sound shining through. Tom-toms are just smokin' all around, good punch and resonant low end. Even after striking the floor tom and immediately smacking a crash cymbal, I can hear the floor tom growling in full detail. The kick is more present and more accurately reproduced with the omni capsules. Imaging is not as tight for obvious reasons, the omni pattern is just picking up more of the room which may or may not be desirable for different recording situations.
Summary of overhead drum use:
Cardioid: Reach for these when close mic'ing drums and primarily looking for cymbal sound.
Omni: Reach for these when going for a full "gut" punch sound all around the kit with or without close mic'ing.
Now, onto the acoustic guitar. We used a two mic setup to test each capsule set, one mic pointed around the 14th fret from about six to eight inches out, and the other about shoulder height pointing down at the sound hole.
Cardioid capsules: High end is open with a slightly reduced midrange response, but proximity effect is boomy with stronger playing. In this situation the high end isn't overly hyped, but that low end can be.
Omni capsules: High end is smoother sounding, and the midrange frequencies sound more balanced and up front. The low end comes across in this application. The omni capsules give a sound that is smooth from top to bottom.
I would sum up the acoustic test by saying "omni wins." Even so, on acoustic guitar, the sound is not impressive in a subjective musical sense the way it was on drums. On guitar, I'd say the sound is never stellar but it is acceptable. I should note that I've heard some varied musical results by other recordists with the C4s on acoustic guitar.
For $319 street, you get two C4s, shockmounts, flight case, windscreens, and a pair of omni and a pair of cardioid capsules.
The Bottom Line: These mics perform best as drum overheads. Drummers will like them in this application. Recommended.
Link relating to this review: Studio Projects
