I upgraded from a franken-modified MXL R80. The Avantone is a solid piece of kit and sounds much fuller than my old mic. BUT ... I typically use it on guitar cabs, and the shockmount is so big that it prevents the ribbon from getting closer than about 2" from the grille cloth. The mic can't be held by anything but its custom-shaped shockmount (I admit: I haven't looked too hard for an alternative solution). Not a huge deal, but it does mean that when I want an on-the-cloth ribbon mic along with a dynamic mic, I reach for the old franken-R80. Bummer, because my room sound sucks and that 2" makes a surprising difference; this CR-14 isn't terribly flexible for that situation.

On the other hand, I've used it with stellar results on several projects as a side mic in M/S configuration for acoustic guitar and backing vox. Clearly, it's a step up from my DIY-modded jobbie.

Given the 145dB SPL capability Avantone boasts about in the specs, I just wish they'd thought an extra minute or two about the use case of a modest 100dB amp in a crappy room where you might want to place the mic closer than 2" from the cloth. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I don't have a lot of knowledge when to comes to microphones, but I know what I like, and this mic delivers! It has a soft and even representation on my recordings which make the mix easier to translate. I love this mic, and its my choice for any occasion!

I'm impressed with this microphone for its sound quality, build quality, and packaging. Very low self noise, almost none. None of the Youtube videos do this mic justice. Side by side with the SE Voodoo Vr1 I'd pick the avantone cr-14 based on its sound alone. It works wonders on my voice for deep James Earl Jones style voiceover.

I got this mic because it was a low cost ribbon mic and I wanted to try a ribbon on vocals. Turns out it's not great on vocals without tweaking EQ a bunch. It can get to be good, but too much work for me. So I tried it on acoustic guitar and Wallah! This is where it shines. Mic into a Shure in-line 100hz HPF, into a Klark Teknik CM-1 dynamic 25db mic booster, Point it at the 12th fret, 18 inches away, No EQ, light compression through a KT76, and leave it alone. This is my new favorite method of recording acoustic guitar. Also sounds good in front of a guitar amp with a SM57 partner.

I purchased this mic on a whim, because I had read some positive reviews from other engineers and for the price point, I thought it was worth a shot. If I was disappointed, the loss would be minimal, right?

The construction was solid, with a nice weight to it, not flimsy at all. The included accessories were of a quality that would be associated with higher priced mics.

The first application with this mic was mic'ing a clean-channel fender twin about 6 inches away. It handled the high SPL's like a champ, and it did a great job capturing the fullness of the amp. The end result was a faithful rendering of a classic fender amp. I was immediately impressed, and my studio partner was very intrigued with this mic.

Next, on a dare, we decided to give the CR-14, fronted with a cloud lifter, a shot at a vocal track for a baritone male voice. This is when we knew we struck gold. The mic captured a richness and clarity of the performer's voice that was a highlight of the track. I was flabbergasted this mic sounded as good as it did on a performer that we would normally use an AKG-414 or Neumann TLM-193 on. We then tried the mic on a different vocalist (also male) and the result was equally impressive. The CR-14 certainly won't be your go-to vocal mic, but if you want to capture a rich or breathy vocal track, try this mic. For close-mic vocalists, the proximity effect is minimal if not absent.

We were so intrigued with this mic, we even tried it on an upright bass. Blown away. It can make a great companion to another condeser mix, or possibly on its own.

Look, the CR-14 is obviously not an end-all mic. It has its limitations for sure, but this ribbon mic is a workhorse, capable of being used in many applications. So impressed with this mic, I purchased a second one.

Avantone hit this one out of the park. For the price point, you will find it to be a valuable workhorse in your mic closet, and is arguably Avantone's sleeper of a mic.

I own 4 of these that have gathering dust since purchase many years ago w/ first release. Too dark and lacking articulation and clear capture at low volumes. Not anymore....

Easy mod with change of cheap Chinese transformer. Case is metal clam shell easily opened with some prying w/ guitar pick on metal case edges while pulling out.

Discard old transformer with metal case, but preserve old transformer mount bracket. Buy online Edcor RMX1 Ribbon mic transformer w/ easy wiring diagram ~$55.b Superglue Edcor onto old transformer bracket and solder up with low watt iron, connecting wires to dual ribbon element and XLR mic pins.

Now you have a ribbon mic with higher output; articulation and smooth, musical tone. Yowza, yowza! Night and day. Good luck.
cheers, Mike

I dig this mic! It's my fourth ribbon (counting the Royer Blumlein stereo as just one ;) so you know I love me a good ribbon mic. This one definitely is _not_ the same calibre as the the Royer! In fact, this one had a bit of a rattle to it, which turned out to be the internal transformer having got loose! Fortunately, taking this mic apart for service is super easy (don't try this at home, kids!) and gave me a chance to do some mods 'cause why not. Anyway, this mic can be a little finicky to get the impedance matched up just right (welcome to ribbon mics!) but you won't be displeased with the sweet ribbon tone that even this one delivers. And, since it's easy enough to service on the spot, I'm comfortable keeping this on hand for the live rig, as well.

This Mic did so well I bought a second so I can mic a room in stereo for video production. I mic individual instruments and vocals for overall mix control but honestly these babies pick up everything. So when you think of the sounds a room can produce the natural reverb the warmth of an old wooden saloon, or space of an old church these mics due the justice. Also great for upright bass about 6 feet away 8-15 inches off the ground with a pencil cardiod small diaphragm wrapped in foam and shoved under the the fingerboard. Anything with complex vibrations drum over/under, horns, harmonica, piano it's a beast doesn't really need much lift

If you have a guitar cab that is overly bright/harsh in the upper midrange, this will save you a lot of EQ tweaking. This is now my go to for live guitar cab mic.

I bought two of these mics and I honestly am impressed. I have a vintage Oxtava with some mods and a couple other mid/budget level ribbons and these have by far the best top end. Very responsive too. I am not any kind of expert, but to my ears and definitely for my wallet these guys are a great deal. Obviously it is a minor plus that they look great, but who really cares about that? They are easy to place and sound good. Only reason they get 4 stars is that BOTH of mine have bodies that easily unsnap and kind of fall apart. They are ribbons so I handle them with care anyway so I can easily gingerly snap the body back together... but not ideal to have to electrical tape the bodies on the first day.

This mic came with a recommendation of a highly sought after upright session player here in Nashville (credits Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, etc). Got it for a trio session with a bass player with the credit of winning Nashville best instrumental jazz Musician award. He loved it and immediately went to buy his own. No reviews seem to talk about this as a go to for upright bass. Nashville top upright session players are moving to this mic as their go to.

This mic way over inflates the low end, is extremely muddy, and noisy. Even with the cloud lifter I'm not sure I can use this for much... mandolin maybe? Still think I have better options than that.

Hi
I must admit I have no experience with Ribbon Microphones.Was looking for a mic
to do an audio book w/male voice. This was a REAL find.Such a rich ,warm, fat sound!
The trick is in finding the sweet spot.Not too far away, not too close.Very Pleased!

I use this for a daily radio show. I have gotten a lot of compliments about how warm it sounds. For the live radio show, I run it directly into a Comrex modem unit. But for recording, I use a pre-amp that I got from Sweetwater. The mic delivers well in both applications.

I bought the CR-14 unsure what to expect with so many mics starting at $1000 and well above. I chose wisely. I use as an overhead drum mic and to mic my guitar cab at high volumes and it excels at both. The mic is more sensitive than most ribbon mics I’ve used, which is great as it captures the full range of cymbal frequencies/nuances with precision and pulls in a deep tone for the chords and riffs from the amp.

I couldn’t ask for more from this mic, or any ribbon mic. My drummer agrees. It's surprising some ribbon mics cost so much more when this does everything I need - and does it extremely well - for a quarter the cost.

On top of its quality, it includes a slick metal carrying case and additional wooden case to store and protect the mic plus a nice shock-mount clip; impressive inclusions for a product at this cost.

If I need more ribbon mics for any purpose, I wouldn’t hesitate to add more CR-14s.

I bought this with the idea that I could use it on my gypsy jazz guitar. It ended up being a bit muddy. I think a good ribbon preamp would help this out though. Luckily I have an SE 4400a that is great great for the guitar. I decided to experiment with the CR-14 on violin and the results were great! Rich, warm, and tons of character. I was very happy with how this worked.
Next I decided to try it on a female jazz vocalist. She is powerful and sings in the mezzo soprano and contralto ranges. I was even more impressed with this mic on the female vocals! We recorded a few slow ballads and the mic added the warmth and character that was ideal for this sound. Couldn't have chosen a better mic!

Was pleasantly surprised by this little thing. For the money, I honestly don't think you can get better. I would even venture to say it would stand up to mics in a higher-end range. In the spirit of full disclosure, I haven't pushed this thing yet, but vocals are fantastic and it works great for an additional drum overhead as well. I was also very pleased with the case. Sturdy metal case fits everything in it, and the mic itself comes in a nice wooden box. Would definitely recommend.

I run this with a Cloudlifter CL1 for an extra DB boost and phantom power protection. (Straight into a pre without the cloudlifter, it's pretty soft.) It works great as your side mic for a MS config. I use a Lauten LA-120 for Mid. The Avantone is pretty dark, which is fine because I don't like a lot of high end in the stereo image. (The Lauten covers the highs very well.) There's potential for mud. Watch proximity and/or prepare for some DB reduction around 250-300 kz. The quality for the price is fantastic. This is a specialty mic - If you understand the qualities and limitations of a ribbon mic and are on a budget, this is it.

My overall first impression is not that great. It sort of reminds me of trying to use a kick drum mic on everything, or like an SM 57 wrapped up in a few gym socks. That has been my impression on electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and vocals. It did, however, make a banjo sound fairly decent, so I guess I will keep it. 2.5 out of 5 stars. And this was the second one that I received. The first one had loose rattling parts inside, so it had to be shipped back.

I bought this mic for some sessions I was doing, immediately used it on flugelhorn, wood flute and duduk and it sounds great on all of them. Great ribbon for the money!

I never give five stars because nothing is perfect. For the price, though, you can't beat one of these. I have been using it as one of two room mics in a very tough room. The other room mic is a LDC, which has a very different sound. Using them next to each other to get two different sounds and record different aspects of the music is working very well to tame a rattly, harsh room. The whole setup is very low tech and old style, with minimal direct micing, which makes it even more challenging and more fun to figure out. The CR-14 has been an integral part of that process, and I have used it for other purposes over the last couple of years as well. It darkens up the voice of a specific female vocalist who didn't sound good through the LDC. The LDC is a beautiful sounding mic, but her voice needed the ribbon to tame some nasal qualities. It has also been used to record double bass, electric guitar, clarinet, and probably some other things I'm forgetting. It isn't a vintage RCA, but so what. I couldn't use one of those to its full effect anyway, and if we are honest, most of us who are not professional sound engineers and musicians would be hard pressed to take full advantage of this microphone.

The only reason I wouldn't buy another one is to experiment with different sounds and capabilities. If anything happened to it, I would replace it. You don't see them come up used very often. There's probably a good reason for that - they have the somewhat dark sound you would expect from a ribbon, their response is good, they are quiet, and they seem to be indestructible. I don't recommend this, but I accidentally turned on phantom power and sent 48 volts into my CR-14. I turned it back off immediately and expected the worst. There was no apparent harm to the mic. It still sounds the same as it did before my mistake. Add in the box and durable shock mount, and you have a workhorse that's affordable enough to use for all kinds of things.

I've been using on acoustic guitar going into ua710-d pre-amp,
Couldn't be more happier.

I have been eyeballing this mic for quite a few months and finally pulled the trigger on it. After having limited experience with ribbons (of lesser value/quality) I didn't know what to expect. Put it on an overdriven combo amp (tube) with an i5 dynamic to back it up and, I gotta say, this puppy shines. Have the i5 track muted and the CR-14 track is all I need. The amp isn't cranked to the max but it's loud enough (at 7 o'clock) to rattle the windows a little bit - doesn't seem to phase this mic one bit. It handles the crunch perfectly and deals with the cleans equally as well. Can't wait to try it out on some vocal tracks to see what it does.

Does exactly what it's supposed to do! Smooth sounding ribbon. So far I've used it mostly on auxiliary instrumentation - a harmonica, tambos, shakers - and it's been great. At $260 I couldn't be happier.

It's a very solid Ribbon microphone. I was extremely surprised on how much low end this mic emphasized. This microphone has it's purposes like on the body of an acoustic GTR, room mics for drums, some vocals, and even GTR amps, sometimes. But I did find this mic kind of restricting. because of the lack of High End. But if you wanna beefen up your tracks, put it through a nice preamp, and then this mic will blow your mind, for the price that it is!

I used 2 of these as overheads last weekend on my drum kit, and got an amazing sound. The room was very "soft", and they performed better than the Rode condensers I had been using.

To be fair, I had a condenser on the hat, SM57's on the toms/snare, and a Telefunken M82 on the bass, but what these mic's picked up and how well they did it astounded me. Good buy.

The physical presentation of this mic makes quite an impression. In addition to the armored carry case, the mic itself is packed in a beautiful wood box. You almost feel like you are unpacking a work of art.

Now to business . . . For testing, I ran the mic directly into a DR-40. It took a while to find the correct working distance, but when I did, the mic sounds . . . good but lacking the crispness I've come to accept as my standard. Without yelling into the mic, the record levels were good, but not as high as some other mics I've used.

I was recording spoken word and the the recordings were clean. I mean absolutely minimal base level noise and everything came through, but it was flavored silky smooth and di not have the highs to give the voice much flavor. The mic was then paired with a Robbie mic pre-amp and the results were stunning, but still lacking that crispness I like.

Overall, for the right application this will be one stellar mic, As an all-around-workhorse, you could do a lot worse. The ability to deliver such silky smooth sound with a minimalist recording setup makes the CR-14 a very worth while addition to anyone's microphone collection, and for a ribbon mic, it is very reasonably priced.

Great ribbon mic for the price if your looking to get a ribbon mic to try out and add it to your studio collection you can't go wrong for the price , worked well on vocals and does have that ribbon sound defiantly will be nice addition to any project studio ..

I was always curious about ribbon mics. This one had great reviews and the lowest price of any ribbon i had seen. The reviews are all true, this thing is a beast! I recommend it for instruments that are very loud, and typically get muddy with other mics. I have been using the Cr-14 to record Banjo and mandolin in my bluegrass band and it really does an amazing job. I had been having a really tough time getting the banjo to sound right on recordings, this plus a small cigar condenser is the perfect solution.

For a $260 mic, this is ridiculous good. Especially if you match it up with an appropriate pre that has a good variable impedance range. You'll need to crank it pretty high to get the "hose pressure" just right. This is an unusually high-impedance mic at 600© (a lot of them are 300©), so you should (in theory) have a mic preamp that can reach up to 3000© or beyond. I say in theory, because this mic still sounds pretty good even at theoretically inappropriate preamp impedances. Most pres without variable impedance top out at 1600-1800©. My best combo was on a Focusrite ISA One set at 2400©. No Cloudlifter needed!

Also, I got this for my voice, but since I have more body than breath and high end sparkle, I sound pretty dull through this. But my wife sounds wonderful! Same with my tin whistle! Guitar, not so much, but as others who have reviewed this have said, it does respond well to EQ. I also have a Royer R-121, and that is probably an all around better mic, but this has a slightly higher output and works better on edgy sources, at least to my ears. Hope this is helpful!

This is an excellent mic and, yes, it has the characteristic 'smooth/dark' sound of a ribbon mic and, as such, very adequately adds that tonal/textural quality to you mic'ing repertoire. Very solidly and beautifully designed and constructed: the retro thing is pretty hip. The shockmount is maybe a bit 'clunky'(heavy), but it does the job well enough--only wish it had an attachment for a pop screen. The mic sounds very good on vocals though I'm leaning away from it on percussion. It shines on acoustic guitar too. That is all I've used it for so far. It's preformance exceeds it's price range, but I dont particularly think it competes with the $700 large diaphram tube mic I own, in terms of depth/soundstage/frequency response. I personally wouldnt but this ribbon mic over an good LDC, but it serves very well as an alternative texture that a ribbon mic is meant for.

I have been very surprised with Avantone products. People tend to take them less seriously because they're not all that expensive; but the proof is in the mix. I had been wanting to experiment with ribbon mics for a while, thinking they pretty much had special applications involving guitar cabinets and drums. But I have been blown away by how GOOD these babies sound on just about everything. Trumpet, cornet, trombone, saxes... the whole gamut of horns, have a very natural sound you can't get with a condenser. Vocals (especially male) have great warmth and character. Mic'ing a piano with a pair of CR-14s was a total surprise as well. And of course, the same old boring applications for guitar cabinets and drum overheads yield stellar results. This is my new favorite mic.

This mic has a rich warm tone as you would expect from a ribbon. It has a pretty low noise floor for a ribbon too. You won't find a better sounding ribbon in this price range.

Great mic for percussion! A good friend who has been a percussionist and studio engineer for many years recommended ribbon technology as I was not happy with my sound. I could not afford the pricier models so got two of these and I am shocked how good the sound is for congas and djembes !

This was my first ribbon mic. l am using a VMP _2 peavey preamp. The has a smooth natural sound.

I have recorded a number of demos and clips with this mic, and it sounds extremely good. The tone is warm and, to my ears, natural sounding. It sounds particularly good when paired with a mic that has a sharper top end. This is a no-lose purchase.

Don't let the low price point fool you. The gear heads at Avantone knocked it out of the park with this Ribbon. In the 2 months I've owned it, it has shined on guitars, kick drums, vocals, and a hand saw. (yes a hand saw.) Anyone wanting a ribbon on a budget...or just a ribbon period....should not hesitate to own this mic!