ADK Vienna Edition vs Studio Projects C1

  • Thread starter Thread starter smekke
  • Start date Start date

Wich on is the best vocal/all-arounder

  • ADK Vienna Edition

    Votes: 20 80.0%

  • Studio Projects C1

    Votes: 5 20.0%
  • Total voters
    25
S

smekke

New member
There is no reason to vote if you don't have experience with them...
 
I've never tried either, but I've tried other mics in the family. Both the B3 and the Hamburg are too brittle sounding on vocals for my taste. I did like the ADK Generis (tube), though. I guess I'm just not a fan of FET-based LDCs.
 
I liked the Hamburg on some voices, especially deeper males...not so much amymore, kinda doing RE27, SM7 and Ribbons.
 
http://gearslutz.com/board/showthread.php?t=73105&highlight=vienna+c1

I was one of the early people recommending the C1 loud, hard and often. I also think the C1 performed better with the AD converters that weren't as detailed a few years ago. AD converters have greatly improved in the last few years.

In fact, I was talking to a well-known producer not too long ago who was all hot on the C1 when it first came out. But he said he stopped using it when he upgraded his converters.

The C1 had its day in the sun. Probably the single most sold mic for people getting started in project studios. It's still definitely one of the better mics in that price range. And it's damn bright. If you have a cheap DAW system with cheap AD converters it can actually work well and cut through all the muck.

I think something that I don't see brought up is the manufacturing tolerances and consistency in construction from mic to mic. The original C1 I had really did sound a lot like a U87. Other C1's I later tried after the pad and roll-off were added did not. And I think the later C1's became even more harsh. So, in order for us all to get on the same page - we have to make sure we're all talking about the same C1. And we're not. The different B1's I've used have actually sounded more consistent from mic to mic. And I still think the B1 is the top workhorse mic in its price range.

We used a C1 on snare and B's on toms for a jazz CD I recorded. And we got excellent results. We could have used just about any mics on the market we wanted - and we still chose the Studio Projects. 320 MP3's at http://www.thelisteningsessions.com/jazzooo.htm

In that price category - and doing the same sorta thing the C1 does but better and smoother - I now recommend the ADK Vienna and Hamburg. I reviewed them - and also included comments on the C1 at...
http://www.studioreviews.com/vienna-hamburg.htm
Click to expand...
 
smekke said:
There is no reason to vote if you don't have experience with them...
Click to expand...

The newly redesigned C1 might be more of a contender now, but honestly I haven't had time to listen to one. Just be careful taking opinions on old vs "new" C1's...most people still have versions of the old one.

Depending on the sources you plan on recording, my answer might be "neither". :D

War
 
The ADK's are made by my good friends at 797. The Hamburg I believe has a smaller capsule size and the Vienna is the same mic as the 797 CR-998 which is no longer available but if you go to their site, in the download drop down menu they used to have the information on the CR-998. They reciently re vamped their site so I am not sure whats there and whats not anymore.
 
chance said:
The ADK's are made by my good friends at 797. The Hamburg I believe has a smaller capsule size and the Vienna is the same mic as the 797 CR-998 which is no longer available but if you go to their site, in the download drop down menu they used to have the information on the CR-998. They reciently re vamped their site so I am not sure whats there and whats not anymore.
Click to expand...

Chance, your information on the 797 Audio CR998 is incorrect. I own a CR998 and it is a multi-pattern tube mic, not a single pattern FET. I suspect that it is instead the ADK TT that is a very close cousin to the CR998.
 
I stand corrected, you are right. Years ago I did a group buy and got some 998's, and Cr-100's. I finally got to meet eyeball to eyeball Ma Juilong at this past NAMM show and he showed me the ADK mics (branded with 797)
 
Dot said:
In that price category - and doing the same sorta thing the C1 does but better and smoother - I now recommend the ADK Vienna and Hamburg. I reviewed them - and also included comments on the C1 at...
Click to expand...


As a matter of interest DOT, do you think the ADKs are the best budget U87 out there??? are there other U87 contenders that you like.

Also do you think the earlier B1s were better or have they improved with the more recent model???
Also I believe the ADKs have been updated are they better than the first series?
 
Last edited:
chance said:
I stand corrected, you are right. Years ago I did a group buy and got some 998's, and Cr-100's. I finally got to meet eyeball to eyeball Ma Juilong at this past NAMM show and he showed me the ADK mics (branded with 797)
Click to expand...

That is interesting. I probably bought my CR998 from a guy involved in that group buy--probably in 1999 or 2000. I cant remember his name, though.
 
That could have very well been me. At that time Rode was having 797 make their mics too. I think we got around 100 CR-998's and 50 CR-100's I still use them a lot. We were hoping to get those 414 clones, but they never made production even tho they were in the catalog. It's funny at first glance how their logo, with the cardioids, resembles the AKG logo. I am thinking of cloning the 414 as we speak. I sent the info to my manufacturer in China. We'll see what happens
 
I prefer the cad m179 to the SP C1. Same capsule (well actually m177 is same capsule I think), better electronics, nicer build quality IMHO. adk have slightly different tones, and the vienna uses a different (larger?) capsule than the hamburg, which uses the same cap as the c1 and 177.

Don
 
Here is the catalog picture of the 414 clone that 797 never followed thru with, and I am going to give it a shot soon
 

Attachments

  • Copy of Mail0001.webp
    Copy of Mail0001.webp
    44.7 KB · Views: 190
Viennas are pretty much the same things as Hamburgs. I used 2 Hamburgs to record my whole album. They are amazing. Although I did notice I had to boost some hi freqs on most things when eq'ing
 
The Hamburg is voiced a bit 'darker' than the Vienna. As for a comparison to the C1, I dont really think theres much of one. I like the C1 as a room mic and on some acoustic guitars but little else. I like my B3 much much more on everything from a room mic to particular vocals, and frequently use it as a kik drum mic in conjunction with a close mic inside the drum. I use the Hamburg on a variety of things especially drum overheads. The Vienna is more of an acoustic instrument mic (to me) and works wonderfully on mandolin, fiddle, acoustic guitar and most other sources of this sort. They have a 'sheen' to them not found in many Chinese capsuled mics. They both really shine through higher end preamps. I dont think of either of them as real vocal mics, though they are fine for some vocals....just not a go-to. I have an older Russian-made Octava 319 and an 80's vintage U87 for these things. I had a C1 for a while and sold it. While I generally do NOT sell mics, this one never let me get comfortable with its sound. Maybe it was just that one mic...........Again....YMMV
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top