Avantone CV 12 and Rode K2 weigh roughly the same, around 1.8 lbs. The three included tubes were all of Russian origin: 6072A, ECC81 & ECC83. I am also curious on Ted’s question. Until early 2009, Avant included two spare tubes with the microphone, enabling users to swap tubes to achieve different sounds. Omnidirectional .. Avantone CV-12-BLA Multi-pattern Large Capsule Tube Condenser Microphone. My 195 is a master of clean air and the CV12 BLA is a nice contrast wiith good mids and lows. Cons: Long warm-up period for tube mics as compared to solid-state. The amplifier circuit is built with high-quality through-hole components. (17.8 mV/Pa; 25 - 20,000 Hz), 6072A Tube : Smoothest of the lot, balanced warm character, very revealing on vocals, EEC81 Tube : Brighter response, accentuates the sizzle and the sheen, EEC83 Tube: Almost “gritty” character, veers into classic tube distortion territory. “We just A/B’d our Avantone CV-12 mic against my vintage Neumann U-47, AKG C-12 & AKG C12A tube mics and found the CV-12 to have a much better presence and better bottom end with a “friendly body” to its sound without too much coloration. This midrange proximity effect is typical of tube mics and is generally considered to be a desirable characteristic because it warms up the tone of the recording, so you should try to see how it works for you. What are the best reasonably priced pre-amps you would suggest using with the Avantone Audio CV-12? Naturally, I wanted to see what a difference the CM-12 mod had made through a direct comparison. CV-12. Experienced engineers and recording geeks will of course know that the C 12 is one of the most sought after tube microphones, and microphones in general out there. In short, I recommend the Avantone CV-12 as a microphone. Microphones are a subjective issue with engineers and musicians. In stock on October 17, 2020. The CK-6 and AKG 420 were close in price, but 2 out of 3 chose the Avantone. The CV-12 is a multipattern large-diaphragm tube mic in the physical style of the AKG C-12. Other than being a tiny bit bright — better than the opposite, eh? So now I use my CV12 on all my vocal and most guitar tracks turning down my tascam mic pres and using the other high end pres to have a better quality recording for my CV12. AKG C214 Vs AT4040 Conclusion Both mics are excellent products, for sure. Mic Database | Mic Reviews | Microphone Sale. The CV-12 comes packed in a sturdy aluminum briefcase so you can easily transport it from session to session and have a safe place to store the mic and its accoutrements. It had warm mids, a well-rounded low end and smooth highs: basically everything I look for in a good guitar mic. But then I backed up a bit, and the sound became much more open and natural. When she really opened up and started belting it out, the CV-12 responded with a smooth character, nice and balanced low-mids and no hint of breaking up at peak transients, which I have sometimes experienced with her on other microphones. A singer may sound different on one mic than another, and if you try out a variety of them, eventually you’ll find something that really brings out the tone and character you want. The design, character and performance are comparable to some of the finest vintage tube mics of the 1950' & 1960', but at a fraction of the cost.The rugged CV-12 microphone body and capsule assembly are precision machined of brass. I also tried singing through the CV-12 to give myself an idea of how it sounded on male vocals. Again, the CV-12 lived up to my expectations and responded with a nice, even performance that sounded great in the mix. Making a great-sounding mic even better. Avantone MP1 Black Mixphones Multi-mode Reference Headphones with Vari-Voice. No brainer. — I love this mic. I didn’t have the opportunity to demo the CV-12 on much percussion because I was doing mostly vocal and guitar sessions during the review, but I did happen to have an egg shaker handy, so I gave that a try. She has a dynamic voice that is soft and angelic at times but can also be very loud and powerful, so any mic I use on her must be able to handle her entire range. I also wanted to compare the CM-12 to an AKG C 12. 5.0 out of 5 stars The Avantone CV-12 is a Class Act. Audio-Technica AT4040 is the way for a more versatile mic that can be used for both vocals and instruments. Avantone Pro Avantone CV-12; Sort by. The Avant website contained detailed tube-swap instructions, which stated: Avant Electronics feels that the 6072a tube that is installed in the microphone is the best balanced tube by far for the majority of work with the CV-12, but we have provided two additional tubes, the ECC81 and ECC83 for different tube “voicings”. Connect the mic to the power supply with the 7-pin XLR cable, and then use a standard 3-pin XLR cable to link the power supply to your preamp, console or interface. I've also had great results using it as a mono drum overhead with the pad engaged (after all this is modeled after the AKG C12). Setting up the CV-12 was typical: Screw the shockmount onto the top of a mic stand (or screw the stand into the shockmount, so to speak, so you’re less likely to dislodge the cables that isolate the two aluminum frames) and then slip the mic into the shockmount and tighten it down. Similar to the AKG C12, the CV-12 uses twin gold-sputtered Mylar capsules that offer a total of nine different polar patterns, including omni, cardioid and figure-8, as well as six other in-between settings. The Avant Electronics Avantone CV-12 is a large diaphragm tube microphone modeled after the famous AKG C12. Despite the obvious design and feature comparisons, the CV-12 really needs to be judged on its performance in real-world applications, and it proves to be a worthy competitor indeed. I switched to a clean setting, and the results were equally as pleasant. The Avantone Pro CV12 BLA is one of the best-sounding tube condenser microphones you'll find in this price range. Page 1 Congratulations on your purchase of the AVANTONE CV-12 Microphone! 4 offers from $634.02. It was clean, present and airy on the softer passages, with a nice top end that captured her naturally strong sibilance without sounding harsh or brittle. Despite the obvious design and feature comparisons, the CV-12 really needs to be judged on its performance in real-world applications, and it proves to be a worthy competitor indeed. They will meet or surpass the performance and specifications of much higher priced mics. Avantone MP1 Creme Mixphones Multi-mode Reference Headphones with Vari-Voice. It is an excellent complement to a modern C12-style tube microphone mod, such as for the Apex 460 or Alctron T-11A, and is a superior choice for any vocal or voiceover microphone. Examples are the Warm Audio WA-87 and the Avantone Pro CV-12. For studio users on a budget, it is important to have a mic that can be used in different applications, and that’s where the CV-12 really shines. Our padded, wooden mic box housed inside its aluminum travel case is designed to protect the mic during shipping and storage. AKG Pro Audio P220 Vocal Condenser Microphone, Black 4.6 out of 5 stars 245. At first glance, I thought those tubes might have been replacement tubes (which still would have been a bonus), but after closer inspection, they turned out to be two different tubes. 04/26/2010. Avantone Jetsun Microphone Shockmount. Five-year warranty. by AKG … 2 offers from $634.02. The RK-12 is an edge-terminated, large-diaphragm microphone capsule made to reproduce the sound of the AKG CK-12. $139.99. QR Code Link to This Post. Including the one that ships inside the mic, you have three tube options that offer different gain characteristics so you can experiment and find the tonal combination that works best for your application. It also has a mor closer and true tone with all vocals on the 710 twin finity especially on full solid state. Utilizing lower labor costs from overseas production and the economy of scale, these very useful mics come close to the originals in terms of functionality and tone. Many of you might never require these tubes but if you require an unconditionally aggressive, distorted vocal track or have an exceptionally mellow female vocalist; then you might find them useful. Did we get anything wrong on this page? The mic carries a 5-year warranty. Compared the Avantone cv12 to a real AKG c12. The CV-12 did not disappoint. Super clean and hardly used. This real-world application was a convincing demonstration of the CV-12’s unhyped tone on vocals. However, this may be misleading because Avantone tells us that the CV12 is actually based on the Sony C800G, and the CV28’s onboard electronics are based around a 6J1B pentode valve rather than a 12AY7 triode or nuvistor. I use it through a golden age 73 with nice results. Recording shakers can be kind of finicky; I really like to capture the dynamics and the crispness of the top end so that it cuts through a mix well. The mic has three polar pick up patterns to choose from - either cardioid, omnidirectional, or figure eight. If you’re looking for a cheap alternative for your Avantone CV-12 or similar Chinese clone of the C12 and don’t want to drop the $160 on a new one this is half the price plus ship. Avantone CV 12 has a diameter of 4.5 cm whereas Rode K2 has a diameter of 5.5 cm. The cv-12 should be a little warmer since it's a tube mic, it's essentially a Chinese clone of an Akg C-12. The Avantone is quite detailed and has a nice height range. For most applications, I like to use microphones in the cardioid setting because it offers good off-axis rejection, meaning that it will pick up less ambient sounds from the room. The AKG C 12 VR is the latest version of the classic C 12 large diaphragm condenser microphone. One of my favorite tests for mics is electric guitars. The Avantone CV-12 large-capsule tube condenser mic is one of its flagship models and resembles the legendary AKG C12. Amazing warmth and an airy top end, with very good control of sibilance, are this mic's main features. I just purchased the Avantone CV-12 and I have only tried it with the Focusrite 18i20. it's a vintage sound for sure; however, detail in the top end is very clean, and the noise floor is … Everything is in great condition with one slight objection. Their customer service is a nightmare. Although the CV-12 is billed as having a "warm, pleasing sonic character," neither the mic's peaky K67 capsule nor the artifically boosted top end due to a mistake in the circuit are delivering such a sound.. We have several upgrade options for this microphone, including a full capsule/circuit replacement that will allow the CV-12 to rival $2000+ microphones. 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