CAD GXL3000 vs. Studio Projects B3

  • Thread starter Thread starter SMX_Dizzy
  • Start date Start date

Which 3-pattern vocal/amp mic?

  • CAD GXL3000

    Votes: 8 53.3%

  • Studio Projects B3

    Votes: 7 46.7%
  • Total voters
    15
S

SMX_Dizzy

New member
Just like the title, which do you think is better or more worth it? They're both around the same price new, but the CAD GXL3000 comes in a package w/ two CAD GXL1200's and a pop filter for only $225, which I why I want to know if it's just as good or almost as good as a Studio Projects B3. I have a feeling the B3 is better quality wise, but the GXL3000 comes with a shock mount and a popl filter, both of which I'd have to buy seperately if I bought the B3.

So what's your opinion. Would a Cad GXL3000 be worth getting, or should I just stick with my plan of the Studio Projects B3?
 
If you're going to vote, please take the time to explain why you voted for what you did. Thanks.
 
I love my SP B3. I use it with one of my two B1's through the MS inputs of my M-Audio Octane for drum overheads, and I'm not lookin' back... big, detailed, clean, stereo drum kit from an overhead respective. I voted for the SP B3, and damn proud of it. :D
 
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I'll be using the mic for vocals and amp micing, if anyone was wondering.

...and Kid, thanks for replying.
 
Hmmm, that's a great price. Now I just need to find an inexpensive pair of MXL 604's and I'd be set.
 
Wow - this is an older thread (last June).

As I side note, I picked up a GXL3000 pretty cheap from MF, and I'm impressed. It has all the patterns of my SP B3, appears to be well made, sounds good, has it's own personality, and is a sleeper IHMO.
 
I have the Studio Projects B1 and have to say this is an excellent mic! It is very versatile and I've used it on vocals, acoustic guitar and upright bass. It really excelled at all of these and provided a very natural detailed sound. Many people regard this mic as the leader in this price bracket! The B3 does come with a shockmount.
 
I have a GXL3000 it is an interesting mic. But I would forget both of the mics you mentioned and go with the CAD M177 it is a very useful transparent mic.
Going for $90 to $100 at the moment at MF.
While I have no SP mics I do have 5 CADs and they are great for the price.
 
i like omni for a lot of stuff, and Ldc omni is very different from sdc omni, so i like it a lot and will get the gxl3000 soon also, maybe then i can compare.
 
Nice old thread brought to the surface by a recent poll vote. Anyway, the OP asked a good question that raises some points that are valid today. Plus, I don't believe the original question has been answered the following way...

The CAD GXL3000 is a K67-type capsule mic driving a flat response FET / transformer-coupled circuit. The Studio Projects B3 is a K67-type capsule mic driving a flat response FET / transformerless circuit. Both mic produce a brighter sound than what was intended to be heard from the original Neumann K67 capsule which was followed by a high frequency de-emphasis circuit. So they're both "wrong" in the same way - neither mic uses the correct HF de-emphasis cirucit that was intended to follow the K67-type capsule.

However, the GXL3000 does have a transformer-coupled output that can sound good if some gain-staging issues are cleared up.

The GXL3000 uses a bipolar transistor to follow the first stage FET. This bipolar transistor is not biased correctly and is the source of aysmetrical, hard clipping. So the advantage of having a nice soft clipping FET / transformer circuit is never realized because the bipolar transistor hard clips first - rather than the FET and transformer going into soft clipping and saturation before the bipolar transistor.

So which mic is better? Neither - they're both too bright. But the GXL3000, with some TLC, has the potential to be as good as a current U 87 for a whole lot less money.
 
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