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Exclusive Mic Month Special18 Months Interest Free Financing from Avantone!May is Microphone Month at Sweetwater, and we've partnered with Avantone to make it easy to add that coveted Avantone mic to your collection. From April 30 through May 31, 2012, use your Sweetwater Musician's All Access Platinum Card to purchase Avantone microphones, and you'll pay NO INTEREST for 18 months! Minimum payments are required, and some restrictions apply. Click Here for full details.Avantone Audio CK-1Item ID: CK1Small-diaphragm FET Pencil Condenser Microphone with Included Shockmount, Wooden Box, and Cardioid, Omnidirectional, and Hypercardioid Capsules 
Yes, It's In Stock!This item is available for immediate delivery. Our centrally-located warehouse ensures you the fastest delivery time in the industry. Order now by adding to your cart or call your Sales Engineer.Get more value at Sweetwater
From Our Research Team:What a Steal!Who knew you could get such a high-performing pencil condenser microphone for under $150? Avantone worked their magic with the CK-1, creating a fine FET microphone that offers the design, character, and performance of much more expensive microphones — priced to fit into any project or personal studio's budget. And once you hear the CK-1, you'll absolutely want it in your mic locker, regardless of what you paid for it. It's an unbelievable performer as a drum overhead microphone and percussion in general. Get a stereo pair and you'll be miking everything in sight. You've never heard your acoustic sound so good, for so little. Plus you get cardioid, hypercardioid, and omnidirectional capsules included for extreme versatility for whatever mono or stereo miking method you want to pursue in the future.What's the secret behind the CK-1's high performance? Avantone gave this microphone high-grade Polysystrene and Metalized Polypropylene capacitors in the audio path. This is the sort of "upgrade" the microphone modding and hot rodding world is all about. But Avantone went ahead and decided to bring these favorite hot rods to an off-the-shelf microphone, saving you time and effort — and delivering the performance you want right off the bat. And while it's definitely performance you want out of your small-diaphragm CK-1, we can't help but comment on its looks. As a part of Avantone's Cabernet series, the CK-1 features a Cabernet Wine-Red finish that's accented with polished nickel trim. Sharp! Avantone CK-1 Small-diaphragm FET Pencil Condenser Microphone Features at a Glance:
Get extraordinary performance without spending a fortune, with the Avantone CK-1 small-diaphragm FET condenser microphone! CK-1 Image Gallery
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Reviewsbased on 5 reviewsAmazing!
by Rick Catanese from ransomville NY
You have got to be kidding me. Try these mics out for drum over heads, or put when up for hi hats. They sound amazing! At this cost I am going back for more.
May 21, 2012 Music Background: Pro Musician/Recording Engineer Outstanding value!
by Peter Cutler from Tehachapi, Ca.
This mic package is nothing short of amazing at this price point! I've used a lot of mics over the past 35 years or so and I know what a good mic sounds like, believe me. The Avantone Ck-1 sounds wond... read more [+]erful on everything I've used it on. Although it is bit on the bright side, it never sounds harsh or edgy like so many inexpensive SDC mics do. It has a silky smooth top end balanced with a nice meaty midrange and solid bottom end. It compares favorably to my Shure SM 81's (a bit brighter) and, while it isn't a Neumann KM 184 or (my favorite) the vintage KM 84, it is not far! Plus, it comes with three capsules, omni, cardioid and hypercardioid. Haven't had a change to use the omni for anything yet but the other two sound great on acoustic guitars, mandolins and other acoustic stringed instruments. Even used it with the hyper capsule for some VO recording and it did quite well, considering it is really an instrument mic. The main thing about this mic is how clean and quiet it is. It's built with very high quality capacitors and it really is evident in the sound of the mic. And the overall build quality is excellent...built like a tank! Comes with a very nice shockmount and in a wooden case too. Highly recommended. close [-]
November 14, 2011 Music Background: Recording engineer Best Indoor location microphone in the world, for the money...
by Michael T. from California
I've done a lot of indoor location recording the past 7 years. That said, I retired both of my high end shotguns from indoor recording and ordered a matched set of these puppies, after trying my frien... read more [+]ds set one tday "on a dare". June 9, 2011 Music Background: 20 years studio experience, 12 years field recording Simply the cleanest top end, and the best on-mic filtering I've ever seen indoors. Clear, crisp, great definition, good body and dynamics, along with a very controllable field [with 3 very different heads] and a bass pad that all but eliminates any low end dirt. I have another friend with a set of similar Russian made mics [you know which ones] and they sounded like mud next to these. For the money, the best mic you can buy in my opinion, bar none. close [-] Awesome Pencil Condenser
by David from Oklahoma City, OK
I have been able to A/B the CK1 with other pencils 10x's the price range on Drums, Guitar, and Choirs. All I could say was WOW. 3 capsules, 10db pad, and HPF, all for $150. This mic packs a lot of pun... read more [+]ch into an affordable platform that meets, if not exceeds, the abilities of the more expensive pencils out there. close [-]
December 14, 2010 Music Background: Studio Owner, Recording Engineer, Producer, Musician Avantone CK-1 pencil condenser, my honest evaluation.
by from Central Illinois
OK, so this is not a huge amount of money to pay for a small diaphragm condenser. I have other pencils, but I was really curious if the comments that I've read elsewhere on the web really matched wha... read more [+]t this mic is all about. The other selling point for me was an omni capsule, which I was lacking in my mic cab.April 26, 2012 Music Background: Semi-pro musician that enjoys recording, also. I first tried it in cardioid mode and was really pleasantly surprised by the definition and clarity of this mic. It does everything a small diaphram condenser is supposed to do and really causes you to take notice of how well it performs. This is going to be my go-to mic for about anything that I can throw at it, especially instruments with high top end potential like fiddle or mandolin. It actually seems to add a bit more presence in the upper mids that has the effect of smoothing out any tendancy toward edginess on these instruments. My next experiment was changing to the omni capsule, wrapping the body in foam and tucking between the bridge feet of my upright bass facing upward toward the fingerboard. The resulting recording has sold me totally on this method and justifies the purchase of this mic for this use alone. This trumps my medium or large diaphram miking methods hands-down. Three capsules to choose from certainly gives this mic a competitive edge over the competition. Visually it is a stunning piece of kit and demands that you pay attention to it. If I were a budget-priced condenser and I didn't sound this good I certainly wouldn't draw attention to myself. The CK-1 has no problems living up t o it's racey appearance. If the mic wasn't enough, the shock mount is a perfect match. It works great, and it's so beautiful you'll want to leave it out on the coffee table. Nothing's perfect in this world, so I have to find SOMETHING to complain about. Two things; The tiny switches on the mic body do not instill confidence in their use, and the small plastic holder for the mic caps is a little too snug to allow one of them to slide in and out easily. I can live with that, the switches don't get used that often and I tend to keep the cardiod capsule on most of the time. Although I purchased not really expecting this mic to meet the hype, its all true. I'm going to get another to use as a stereo pair. They won't be a matched set, but who's going to notice when these sound so lovely by themselves! close [-] Also popular
Avantone Audio CK-1
Buy Today, MakeSweetwater's Flexible Payment Plan is a convenient, interest-free way to buy gear now and stretch your purchase across three budget-friendly payments. Simply choose the "3 Easy Payments" option in your cart, and we'll divide your purchase amount into three convenient payments, billed to your current MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express card. There is a $10 processing fee for using this service, and your billing address must be in the United States to be eligible. It's just another way we make shopping at Sweetwater easy and convenient!Get your Avantone Audio CK-1 now and spread out the payments! |
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