Crown Cm700 Views

General Goods

People like the idea of honest microphones, but in listening tests, they still tend to pick the ones that sound the most pleasing rather than the ones that sound the most accurate. What's more, in live situations, mics tend to need a little help in the 3-5kHz presence region to aid projection. Pragmatically, Crown have introduced a gentle presence rise, which is just enough to add that all-important 'air' to the top, and to improve diction in difficult environments. To put this in perspective, some mics provide between 5 and 10dB of boost at around 3kHz; the CM700 has only around 2.5dB of lift above 4kHz.

Low sensitivity can sometimes be a problem, but tested with a small Mackie mixer and an acoustic guitar around 12 inches away from the mic as the subject, the CM700 provided adequate level with no obvious background noise. To some extent, I think the CM700 may sound full-bodied in comparison to other mics of the same type because many other manufacturers introduce a deliberate, and quite severe, low-frequency roll-off to counteract the bass rise caused by the proximity effect (of cardioid mics), when the mic is used very close up. By fitting two different roll-off filter settings, and perhaps by keeping the sensitivity down to prevent breath noises from overloading the electronics, Crown have been able to extend the useful low-end response rather further.

As to subjective sound, the CM700 gives the impression of honesty, delivering a smooth, articulate sound with just the right sense of openness at the high end. Vocals sound clear without being thin, and if I hadn't seen the mic first, I wouldn't have been able to guess at its size from listening to the results it produces. Crown are a very reputable microphone company and this little mic will do nothing to damage their reputation. In short, if you don't need to impress clients with a 'grenade on a stick' mic, the CM700 will meet the majority of recording needs.

Crown CM700 Crown CM700 Description: Cardioid condenser mic for use in professional recording and stage applications. Handles up to 151dB SPL before overload and is an excellent choice for overhead miking of drums and for acoustic instruments. Also features a 3-position roll-off switch. Crown CM700 Features: Electret condenser microphone 30Hz to 20kHz frequency response Cardioid polar pattern 190ohms impedance 2.5mV/Pa sensitivity Great for drums Crown CM700 Specifications: Type: Cardioid condenser.