ADK S51 MK5.

2 Condenser Microphone Review

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ADK S51 MK5.2 Condenser Microphone Review

This is an article on ADK S51 MK5.2 Condenser Microphone Review part of the Home Recording Forum community: Looking for a butt kicking $200 large condenser microphone for audio recording? The ADK S51 MK5.2 is my highest recommendation. .

ADK S51 MK5.2 Condenser Microphone Review

by brandondrury Published on 10-10-2011 11:22 PM Number of Views: 3559 Rate this article 8 Comments

Looking for a butt kicking $200 large condenser microphone for audio recording? The ADK S51 MK5.2 is my highest recommendation.

I'm not going to write an article. I'm just going to toss down some random thoughts to save both you and I time. $199 @

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ADK S51 MK5.2 Condenser Microphone Review

http://forum.recordingreview.com/content/adk-s51-mk5-2-condenser-mi...

Zzounds.com The ADK S51 is the 3rd prize in this months ADK Metal Mayhem contest. I hate writing microphone reviews because there aren't too Best Microphone many times that a microphone REALLY stands out as being superior. There is no clear consensus whether a Sounds like a Shure SM57 or a Royer R121 is better on guitar cabinets priceless classic but only costs $149 (or maybe 1,000 other options). The choice is purely www.Gauge-usa.com personal and, frankly, I can make due with either them 99% of the time. The only time a mic warrants a review Il miglior fono from me is when it replaces some mic in my collection as a go-to mic on a given source or it ties a more expensive isolante microphone. With the ADK S51 MK5.2 I feel obligated to Tecno Rubber efficace let in soli 3 cm. Stop ai you know about this awesome sounding microphone. rumori con il tuo I'm buying four of these ADK S51 MK5.2s microphones. vicino They will officially be my tom microphones, bass cabinet www.acusticaisolcentro.com microphones, and serve general purposes where I need a little Master Restoration extra top end. I prefer my Gefell M930 or Neumann KM184 slightly on acoustic guitar depending on what I'm Suite Professional noise going for. reduction and Yes, I'm comparing this budget mic to German mics that restoration plug-ins www.WaveArts.com cost 5x as much. The top end boost on this mic is VERY reasonable. The old timers that use ribbons on everything won't be into this mic. Cabina Insonorizzata More modern guys who can't fit vocals with a huge bottom disponibile in 24/48 h. into modern dance song will appreciate the slight Approfitta on line boost up top.

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I got confused and thought this was a $500 mic. (Too many mic reviews going on.) After I had concluded that I Music Production wanted four of them I saw the price. When I realized this Diploma mic goes for $199 at Zzounds and Musiciansfriend I sound engineering, production, music laughed. business, mixing, At $199, this thing provides a mostly neutral sound with a mastering www.londonschoolofsound.c bit of top end added. For a song that was more of an little R&B-type thing I chose it over my Peluso 2247 short body, Peluso 251, and even the ADK TC-47AU even though all of those mics are badass. On a screamo vocal that needed more edge that most pop stuff I've been doing lately, I couldn't find a more ideal mic

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ADK S51 MK5.2 Condenser Microphone Review

http://forum.recordingreview.com/content/adk-s51-mk5-2-condenser-mi...

in my closet. (My Soundelux U99 is dead and needs to go to the shop. It probably would have won on that vocal.) The ADK S51 MK5.2 condenser microphone is priced in that ballpark of the Audio Technica AT4040, Rode NT1a, and many others. While I am surprised how good a Rode NT1a was for the money, I'm finding with Rode that you need to move up to the $300 NT1000 to get to a mic I can use on a daily basis without flaws that I consider closer to the objective. If you are absolutely stuck at $200, you can't beat the ADK S51 MK5.2 from what I've heard so far. There may be a Studio Projects mic that compares.. Not sure. The Audio Technica mics require a poorly made shockmount that is not going to last you five years. To replace/fix it costs half the price of the mic and that rules them out of my recommendations for anyone in the market for such a mic. I don't hear any objective flaws with the ADK S51 MK5.2. What does that mean? It means that when I put this up against my Peluso 2247, Peluso 251, and Gefell M930s all of the mics were usable. I didn't hear anything cheap that would have ruled out the S51. That's why it can work on lead vocals even when I have mics laying around that cost 13x as much. It has its character and on the right source it just sounds right just like any other high end microphone. I have no problem saying that this is my #1 recommendation to beginners looking for a good starter microphone because you CAN NOT outgrow it. Brandon
Share jpierre and chacka like this. Categories: Microphone Reviews Tags: adk s51, beginner microphone

8 Comments
bayouland - 10-11-2011, 09:36 AM Reply We're in total agreement on this one. I have several ADK S51s in my arsenal along with several of their other models, including A6s, Hamburgs, and Viennas. Like you, I also have quite a few other mics costing umpteen times more, but more often than not I reach for an ADK. Look, I've been in this recording game for over 28 years, and having used just about every mic out there, my experience tells me that you just can't beat ADK when it comes to performance/value. Just my 2 cents.David MattMe - 10-11-2011, 10:57 AM
Reply

Brandon,Just wondered if you've ever used any of the Red5 Audio range of mics? A couple years ago when I was just

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ADK S51 MK5.2 Condenser Microphone Review

http://forum.recordingreview.com/content/adk-s51-mk5-2-condenser-mi...

geting started and buying my first bits of hardware I came across a review for their Condensor mic, the RV6 at 60 (around $90?).I'm by no means a recording pro (or even that experienced an amateur) and I've not really sued many other mics, but I am a bit of an audiophile. I'm really happy with the mic so far and I've used it for vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion and general other 'ambient' sounds for tracks I've worked on and always got what I'd consider good enough results.I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on these mics as someone with a whole lot more experience than I. Be good to know if you thought it worthwhile an upgrade, or how it stacks up against other 'budget' mics.Good egg.Matt.
Reply BlackCatBonz - 10-11-2011, 11:44 AM

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This will be going on my list of gear.

Reply MikeGSaxman - 10-11-2011, 04:10 PM

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About the Rode NT-1A: "flaws that I consider closer to the objective." Could you please elucidate? na118 - 10-11-2011, 05:36 PM
Originally Posted by MikeGSaxman
Reply

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About the Rode NT-1A: "flaws that I consider closer to the objective." Could you please elucidate?

I think Brandon once said that the high end bump on the NT1-A emphasizes sibilance and makes it a real pain to fix. At least that's what I remember him saying about the "Monsters" contest (tracked with the Rode). jpierre - 10-11-2011, 07:17 PM
Reply

Brandon whats your take on the ADK TC Mk 9 versus the S51? or anyone who has experience with these mics... cathomas - 10-11-2011, 09:14 PM Reply Any reason this looks identical to a Carillon Axis 5/?if it was painted black and the switches were on the front instead of the back, of courseIs ADK just a rename of Legacy/Carillon/Medeli etc?
Reply brandondrury - 10-17-2011, 03:09 PM

my experience tells me that you just can't beat ADK when it comes to performance/value.

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ADK S51 MK5.2 Condenser Microphone Review

http://forum.recordingreview.com/content/adk-s51-mk5-2-condenser-mi...

That's been my experience thus far, as well.

I'm really happy with the mic so far and I've used it for vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion and general other 'ambient' sounds for tracks I've worked on and always got what I'd consider good enough results.I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on these mics as someone with a whole lot more experience than I.
I've never used the Red5 mics. That (along with Gauge) is a microphone company that I'd love to try. If you are getting the results you are after, there's no reason at all to even question your tools. Now crank out a song!

About the Rode NT-1A: "flaws that I consider closer to the objective." Could you please elucidate?
I was highly surprised by the NT-1A in the performance / $$ category and I did get some very good results with it. Everything in my review still stands. However, it was taken with price as a consideration. I did have some issues with sibilance with it. The Monsters contest was one example of that mic being a little tough to work with, however, I want to point out that I overworked my LA-3A compressor on the vocals for that particular session as I was just learning how to use it. So, for that one particular audio file, it wasn't the NT-1A's fault. The NT-1A is very usable, but it had a tendency to get a little peaky here and there. I'm not hearing that with the NT1000, which I'm testing now.The ADK S51 was reviewed without $$ being an issue. It's a great freakin' mic no matter what the damn thing costs. If it cost $1,000 I wouldn't judge it any differently. It just happens to only cost $200. For you hobbyists out there, 95% of you are never going to need anything else.

Brandon whats your take on the ADK TC Mk 9 versus the S51? or anyone who has experience with these mics...
I can't say anything about the mk9. I've not touched it. So far ADK is my go-to company. Everything I've used from them I've liked....a lot.

Any reason this looks identical to a Carillon Axis 5/?i

Yes. The reason is about 500 microphone

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ADK S51 MK5.2 Condenser Microphone Review

http://forum.recordingreview.com/content/adk-s51-mk5-2-condenser-mi...

companies all stole the look of the Neumann U67 / U87. I assume this is more profitable than designing a new mic body. Brandon

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