...haven't used this mic, although I've had a few different models of the Chinese (Nady, Apex, etc.) ribbon mics...they are actually quite good for the price, but this Cascade model has been getting consistantly good reviews in some of the diehard audio publications...looks like an excellent opportunity to give a ribbon mic a try...they do require ample preamp gain to get the most out of them (60-65 dB), although Cascade does offer the Rode D-Power Plug adaptor which boosts gain inline (never used that so I can't comment on it's effectiveness)...at this price point, I'd give the "Fathead" a try...