First Mic - Cad M9 or AT4040?

[Billy Hell]

This will mainly be vocals and guitar. I can get the 4040 for $150 locally and the M9 around $180.
Thoughts?

 

[davidguevara80]

I have the AT4050 And i am very ,very happy with it, i was recording Nylon String Guitar with it with very nice results.I'll go for the 4040 $150 is a great price!

 

[darrin_h2000]

I have to disagree....





























the AT4040 is the best choice because it is that much better of a mic..I smell a less filling/tastes great fight coming

 

[dgatwood]

If you mean acoustic guitar, it's a no brainer. The 4040 would be much better on acoustic guitar, and would be usable for vocals. The M9 might be good on your vocals depending on your voice, but would probably suck on acoustic guitar.

Don't get me wrong, I love my M9---it's a good mic for my voice---but if you're trying to use one mic for two purposes, you need a much more general mic.

 

[homestudioguy]

This will mainly be vocals and guitar. I can get the 4040 for $150 locally and the M9 around $180.
Thoughts?

Without a doubt, get the M9.
It does wonders on acoustic guitar and is well known for its sound that is not too tubey, a tad bright and airy but not over the top harsh.

This is from a 2002 Sound on Sound Magazine Review: Overall, I am pleased to say that the M9 package worked very well indeed and I have been extremely impressed by it. Despite its sub-£500 UK price, it seems to perform equally as well as the more expensive VSM1, which I also liked a lot. The fact that the M9 compares quite well against 'big name' mics costing twice as much also makes it an absolute steal at the asking price. I'm not saying this new CAD is better than some of the established greats — you still get what you pay for, by and large — but the sonic differential is substantially less than the money would suggest. A classic sign of technological progress!

The M9 also comfortably undercuts its nearest competitors — the Rode NTK and NTV, and the AKG Solidtube, for example. I believe it is fractionally quieter and cleaner than the AKG, while sharing a sound quality similar to the two Rode mics. So, if you happen to be thinking about a general purpose, large-diaphragm condenser mic, and you want a subtly warm and characterful valve sound too, the M9 has to be high on your shortlist.

Here is complete review:http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Mar02/articles/cadm9.asp

 

[darrin_h2000]

Weird...in that review he says that while the M9 isnt as good as any of the other mics mentioned...and some of the mics compared were overpriced mics that arent that good...like that AKG solid tube never seemed to live up to its hype...so was that a good review or was it a way of stepping arround the subject of if he would actually use it or not.

I still like the AT4040 better as a choice here...if you can try the M9 and you like it better you should choose it...but the AT40 series is found in lots of top studios where the CADs are only found in home studios mostly.

 

[dgatwood]

The M9 is a very dark mic. It works great for tenors that need the top end tamed. If you have a cheap guitar that's exceptionally bright, it would probably be great. I can't imagine using it on an acoustic guitar, though. Really. If you get an M9, consider getting a pair of Naiant condensers for the guitar. Heck, even if you get the 4040, consider getting a pair of Naiant condensers for the guitar....

 

[antichef]

can you get them both and sell the one you don't like? I've never used a M9. I have a 4040 that I love - I paid more than you mentioned, and *I* got a great deal on it -- I'm sure you could sell the 4040 for more.

 

[darrin_h2000]

Good point too...when you start out you dont want to make the mistake of buying off brands because you are allways going to want to upgrade and second hand offbrand stuff is worthless when you go to sell it...stick with AT...AKG...and Shure and sometimes you make a profit.

 

[homestudioguy]

I just perused the CAD (Conneaut Audio Devices) website and there were no "Big Stars" recommending the M9. Almost everyone was "all over" their Trion 8000 and then some liking the E100 and E300.
So much for the "right" recommendations.

 

[Marcadiablo]

For that price, get the 4040.

 

[Big Kenny]

had a cad
still got my 4040

 

[lollygagger8]

AT > Cad

You will be pleased with a 4040. I agree, a 4050 is a EXCELLENT all around mic, and you might try one of those as well.