What a fantastic vocal mic !!!

I'm changing my 1 star to a 5 star, as the nice folks at Avantone were able to repair my damaged mic at no cost other than shipping. I'll mention that it was also out of warranty so they really did not have to do that but they did, and I appreciate that. The repaired mic sounds great the way it did before it was damaged. I like the tube warmth in the mic which helps to make your recording high fidelity. With the tube warmth and natural compression in the mic itself, added to a nice pre-amp, really does add an analogue quality to your recordings. Overall, this is the mic I choose to work on my Gospel album and I'm looking forward to hearing the results.

This mic is genuinely a fantastic addition to your studio if you want a clean tube mic sound that won't hurt your bank. I have even heard rumors that Taylor Swift used this mic to track her vocals for a time.
Either way, it does what you need it to do. The only downside is it's sensitivity. I have run into issues when throwing a compressor on a vocal track after recording with this mic. The sensitivity was boosted way too much even with limited compressing. May have just been the particular compressor, but it was a bit frustrating.
Overall, worth the price and sounds really good.

I own one of these and I am accumulating the mod improvements noted here.

My rating is for how it is as it comes from Avantone. This mic has such huge potential but you have to be willing to do some things to reach it. It won't get there unless you do some things. I suggest the order shown here.

1) Replace the 7-pin cable. The factory cable is horrendously poor quality. The wire gauge for the tube filament power, which is hugh-current and low voltage, is woefully inadequate. The shielding for the audio is woefully inadequate. One reviewer heard a nearby AM radio station in his. I'm not surprised. The mic uses a standard 7-pin pinout for this cable, so a much higher quality replacement is not a problem. A Gotham cable would be ideal. However, an MXL-V69-1 cable is made by Mogami for MXL, costs less than the Gotham cable, and just as good for this mic. Replacing the cable will make an audible difference and big improvement.

2) Replace the power supply. The factory power supply is bottom of the barrel quality. Microphone Parts sells a very high quality power supply that is a drop-in replacement. Their VPS1. The VPS1 power supply is available as a kit or a complete supply. You can replace the internals of the Avantone supply if you want and re-use just the Avantone case or just replace the whole thing. This will make an audible improvement and a huge reliability improvement. $ or so for a kit. $ or so for a complete built supply.

3) Replace the capsule. A capsule replacement is not for the faint of heart. It is major delicate surgery for a microphone. You will want a high-quality CK-12 capsule. They are not the Chinese $ capsules. Something marginally better is already in the CV12. I don't advise replacing the capsule before doing 1 & 2 above. A really good CK-12 capsule will make an audible improvement in the frequency response curve and smoothness and silkiness of the microphone. It can also change the character of the sound to brighter or darker depending on the character of the capsule. Microphone Parts is one source, their RK-12 capsule made by them (Roswell Audio, but there are others. Only the RK-12 capsule from Microphone Parts is a real Roswell Audio capsule. Any other source is a counterfeit. Expect about $ or so for a good one.

Avantone makes a really great base starting point, the internal mic circuitry for one, but cuts huge corners with the cable and power supply to get to this price point. The capsule could be better too, but that also would not allow this price point.

The fact that Sweetwater has a few of these as B stock items for only $ is a steal for a multi polar pattern tube condenser mic. You can't beat this mic for this price! There are even several tutorials online where people mod them and a/b them with $ tube mics and it basically sounds identical. Don't get me wrong stock this is still a beast of a microphone. But change out the tube to a better quality one and you have a muc mic that should cost at least ten times more!

For the price of this microphone I was very surprised, It sounds amazing, I am running it through a LA 610 MKll, and it sounds amazing as I said, worth the purchase

I've now had some time to record some stuff with this mic and I must say I am pleasantly surprised at how good it is. I own a TLM103, which isn't cheap, and I would put this one up against it anytime. Good stuff!

The mic works as intended but the build quality is sub par. I'm also getting some electrical noises when I crank the gain nob on my apollo twin x.

I found out about this particular microphone over 10 years ago and I've wanted to own it ever since - I just never had the money! When I checked back in on this mic a few weeks ago, I discovered that the price has gone down significantly over the years. If you've wanted a tube mic - nows your chance to get a great one at a good price!

Thanks to Sweetwater having a B-stock model and an easy payments plan, I was able to purchase it without a whole lot of anxiety. The carrying case is more robust than I imagined - I know my investment will be protected for a long time.

I'm currently using the mic to track vocals for the debut album of a band I play with and am producing and engineering.

In the studio, I was able to track scratch vocals with an amazing sounding Lawson L47 tube mic. On a second studio date when we tracked some vocals, that tube mic was unavailable, so I used a U87. What I've learned is that the U87 was great for the more "in your face" vocals, but the Lawson tube mic was perfect for the ballads. Now, I'm recording those ballad lead vocals that sounded great with the Lawson and all the backing vocals for the album with this Avantone CV12 as a substitute, and I'm getting amazing results!

This is a really good entry tube microphone and can very easily be the workhorse of a home studio with it's great sound and 9 polar patterns. Some cons about this mic:

- The 7 pin xlr port on the power supply is wobbly and feels like subpar quality.
- The screws on the shockmount are annoying.
- I had to purchase a Gotham 7 pin XLR from Mic Parts to improve the quality. The stock 7 pin cable is way too long for small rooms imo, and it was very susceptible to EMI and RFI. The Gotham cable is a little shorter and reduced the noise issues.

Not an endgame mic but definitely a good budget mic.

Nice accurate sonic representation of the source material.
Been using it for vocal tracking.
Very robust, quality build.
Love the rotary switch for choosing mic patterns.
Highly recommend this mic for the performance and price!

I love the sound of this microphone. It has that expensive sound of high end tube microphones. I'm very happy and I'll definitely be keeping this one. I'm only using for vocals but I'm sure it would be great on acoustic guitar and piano. I don't think you can beat it at this price point.

As the title suggests, I bought this mic as my first tube condenser, my step up from the Blue Spark condenser I've been using for the past 5 years. I can't speak from a place of having used extremely high end microphones, but this was definitely a good choice as my first "expensive budget mic". Compared to the EQ I was having to put on my vocal before, I feel like I can switch on the low cut switch and barely have to do anything to the EQ for this mic to sound great on my voice. The mic is quite heavy and comes with a super high quality shock mount (which does have a mildly annoying thumb screw system lol). The only downside and reason i didn't put a full 5 starts is that the 7 pin XLR input on the power supply is very wobbly and flimsy feeling, which is something I've seen in other reviews. The 3pin XLR output feels great, but I do feel I have to be quite delicate when plugging in/ unplugging the 7 pin. If you, like me, are looking for a mic that's an upgrade from your $100 range vocal microphone, the Avantone CV-12 is a great choice which adds color to your recording with the tube, and gives you a significantly better overall sound than a "super budget friendly" condenser! Highly recommended!

this was perfect for my small home studio.
it is very clean sounding, perfect for higher range singers

Great microphone as many have said. The shock mount is sturdy but the elastic bands can come off the top posts when handling it. Happened to me and it almost crashed to the floor.

I was looking for a tube microphone with a professional sound at a relatively inexpensive cost until I found it, this mic has the quality of much more value microphones, I spent several months evaluating microphones until I decided on the avantone cv12, the sound quality it's awesome I'm delighted with it!

I took my time with this mic, as I had read a ton of great things but wasn't sure about it at first. After countless hours now, I can safely say this mic will deliver professional results at a very attractive price.

I first used this on an alto voice and it was smooth, detailed with just a little midrange fluff that I ended up bring down 1-3 db in post. I had read this was a "bright" mic, but honestly it wasn't as bright as people were claiming. It definitely had a "tube" sound, which was clean and just subtle compression with a bit of a high end roll-off, especially compared to bright mics like a WK V17 or TLM 103.

Next, my own vocals. It sounded very smooth again, with a little more of my mids being forward. Running through a more low mid preamp, it struck a balance I found very easy to mix.

Then I tried with another vocalist in a baritone/tenor range. We tried his vocals on a bunch of mics and ultimately settled on this mic, as it was clear without the brittle high or muddy lows we found with other mics.

After about 2 years of use, it's great, it hangs with the big boys, and for some voices it will definitely get great results.

Man! My music sounds WAY better! What an upgrade! I had the Rode NT1-A which don't get me wrong it's pretty good. But this mic? From the unboxing to the sound quality of this is just CRAZY! Very well made, sturdy, heavy and that red color OMG. I'm very happy with this mic, the only downside that I can say is that it can be a little hissy with the S's but there's always DeEssers so it's not a big problem. Overall, great mic! Definitely recommend it!

This Microphone punches way above its weight. I Sang through this and then a WA47, This Mic Won! It doesn't mean it's a better mic BUT for my voice it was better. If you are looking for a Crisp MIc that's versatile, can give you a clean sound on multiple instruments, this is the mic!

As Always IsRael Foster is the man! BEST REP EVER!

This mic was even better than I thought. Every time I use it I am amazed by it's warmth and presence on vocals. You feel like you are right with the person. I've now used it in music and an audiobook and I don't feel a need to swap it out for another. So good.

I have been using this mic for all kinds of purposes, and find it does well for a number of uses. It is too accurate for some uses which need a little taming. I use old Shure 330 mics for those sources. I also use condensers, including this one, in conjunction with the Shure ribbons for different kinds of vocals and that works great. The warmth and softness of the ribbon is great, but when combined with the crisp accuracy of a condenser, it's a rounded out sound that's straight forward to blend to what you want it to sound like. My CV-12 has a top end the ribbon doesn't have. It's a great combination. I haven't it on instruments, since there are other mics or going direct that work as well or better. For me it's a bit of a one-trick pony, but that's my limitation, not the microphone's. The fiddly original shockmount still works, so I cannot complain about it. The finish is holding up well, too. I guess it won't look vintage even when it is vintage.

This ruby beauty was a crispy dream to record with last year.
I"m a singer songwriter and have only used this for vocals, acoustic guitar and a plethora of percussive instruments.
This microphone was able to suffice every one of this with great measure. Has a sweet warm mid and low range and this baby is excellent on the high ends aswell without sounding harsh. I have nothing bad to say about this microphone avantone managed to create an affordable microphone that sounds like something from the ages only high end recording studios could get there hands on until now. Sweetwater made sure to take excellent care of me!

I picked this up on recommendation from my sales engineer and within hours of receiving it I knew this mic was going to change the sound of my recordings forever. My acoustic has never sounded so warm and the clarity and depth in my voice is making me want to buy another just to have it. Thanks for this!

I used it to record some vocals and I have to say, the detail that was captured, is quite impressive. The sound is very bright and open. The vocals truly sound natural. For a budget microphone, it is a great deal. It is perfect for any home or professional recording studio.

Great response with this mic and vocals are great but I couldn't use it with my PA for live events since it feeds back too much.

The CV-12 is highly rated and justly deserves it. While no mic is perfect for everything all the time, there are a handful that get close. AKG's 414, the Nuemann U87, even the Shure SM58, (plus a couple others) have proven to be essential standard operating procedure mics in most studios across the globe due to quality,consistent performance. Just my opinion, but after using two different CV-12's, I now place the Avantone right up there in that group. I just purchased one from Sweetwater for personal use, I couldn't be happier. It's quiet and warm, reproduces exactly what is being recorded with just a bit of tube compression...a perfect mic at the going price. If you can afford one, get it yesterday. I will get another one first chance, and due to the build quality, I will be looking at Avantone Pro's complete mic line-up the next time the studio does any mic upgrades. Excellent deal from Sweetwater, talk to your sales rep about available B-stock, sell all your other mics, do whatever it takes to get one.

The Avantone Pro CV-12 tube mic has been on my personal wish list for years and due to a B-stock from Sweetwater at considerable savings I was able to get mine. It had visible wear /scratches on outer case, also the inner wooden case, and the dial/switch for setting pickup patterns was noticeably glitchy. Reminded me of an almost new rental. Still, B-stock due to aesthetic's equals 1/3 savings off regular price is fine with me, making the CV-12 purchase one of my best ever. There is a reason for the buzz on this mic-it's reputation is well deserved, because it easily performs like a $2,500 mic. An amazing mic, a bit bright at times... depending on the vocalist,but I have tamed that with slight, judicial use of compressor's that tend to knock off that bright edge. Actually, this mic is really great for tracking w/o use of a hardware compressor, allowing me to use DAW plugin compressors instead. I use it with a Fredenstein V.A.S MicPre, also purchased through Sweetwater, and I am blown away by the mic AND the preamp. A great pair, the two costing well under a grand, with stand and studio-grade cables included. There are some great mics available in the under $500 range but the CV-12 is without a doubt one of the best under $1,ooo. Get this one first! I was able to buy the CV-12, add an AKG 214, plus a Sennheiser 421, AND get free candy, all for under a grand! Check with Sweetwater for quality B-stock items, with their awesome warranty the risk is zero.

I recently tracked a female vocal that contained spoken word elements, and after auditioning it against a Manley Ref C, we opted for the CV-12. It sounded open, sweet, and polished right out the gate with very little eq needed to make it really shine. This thing LOVES female vocals and it"s an absurd value for the money.

...The critical midrange is not present. And it has a unpleasant harshness in the midrange. Yeah, it sounds fantastic if you never have heard a high end mic. My Lawson L47 smoked this mic.
...I would say good for project studio.

5 stars means you are blown away so I never ever give any product 5 stars. However I simply can't say enough about this amazing FET condenser. I have made a little side hustle out of modifying these for my clients here in NYC and around the world from online advertising. I replace the capsule (which is amazing stock, but can be better) and switch out the glass and remove a couple resistors that falsely boost the high frequencies (which can be a good thing, I have one I use that I don't remove them). I want to scream from the mountain tops how good this mic is. I am the OP of the largest and longest CV-12 GearSlutz thread all about how amazing this mic is. I worked on a Bjork session in 2009 at Electric Lady Studios in which we A-B'd the CV-12 with an actual $10k C-12 and it was so incredibly close the engineer sold his C-12 because of the side by side comparison. If that's not bang for your buck I don't know what is.

My first disclaimer is this: I know there are better mic's if you are willing to spend six or seven times the price of this mic. So my 5-star rating is qualified to any mic I have tried in the under $2k bracket. This is simply a great mic with a ton of flexibility built into it. I have used it in the studio for vocals, acoustic guitar, violin, and I even put it 18 inches from my Fender Deluxe Reverb to great results. Before this mic I had an MXL 960, which was a great beginning mic for sure, but once I got this one I have never used it again. The flexibility comes from the fact that you can adjust the polar patterns to fit your need, with nine preset patterns. The sound on vocals is warm and transparent, with not to much coloration, especially for a tube mic. It is my go to mic for all vocals, but for recording acoustic instruments I usually go for a close mic with a rode NT5, and then place this one a couple of feet away, and I blend the two for great results. Honestly, at this price, you really can't go wrong, so go for it, I am sure you will not regret it. As a final note, this may be the only mic with more than 20 reviews for which all have been 4-stars or above, so it is well endorsed!

Great mic with a true vintage sound. It's a tube mic so it generates more noise then other mic's.
Sounds great on vocals, acoustic guitar, brass, drum room mic, and so on...
I've using this mic for a year now, and there are some small improvements needed:
-Make the mic cable a lot shorter (for less noise) Now it's extremely long, generating more noise
-Put the on/of swith in front!! This one is a bit of burden, you can't see in front if the mic&preamp are on or of. Because of this I keep forgetting to put of the mic when leavinfg the studio. With result of it heating up extremely!

Overal a great mic. Some time ago I had a recording project and the artist choose this mic over a Neuman U87 because it sounded more appealing ;)

Love this MIC did a cover using this MIC was so impressed by how good this MIC is totally worth it!

-April V

This mic has a warm natural sound with a crisp high end. Although my Neumann U-87 is still my go-to, this Avantone is a mic that I am using on a regular basis.

Avantone products are absolutely incredible and the company gets very personal with you which I absolutely love I had this microphone for 2 years and it sounds fantastic I gave it a 4.5 because I'm not crazy about the shock mount but that's just a small gripe. You really get a lot for your money with this one

Amazing product, especially for the price point. Great if your looking to get a cheap tube condenser. Haven't had a chance/need to change the polar patterns, but really cool feature. For the short time I've had it I've been absolutely impressed with the richness and clarity of the mic. Highly recommend it. Especially sounds great in conjunction with the LA-610 channel strip I just purchased. 10/10 would mic again.

Not quite a C12 or 251 Style mic, the sound falls kind of in between and not as three dimensional. That said, the price point is amazing. There is no real low end to this mic, so it's more about the style of music you're going for. On pop style tracks I used this mic on many different types of vocals. On more that one instance it beat out my U87. I found it favored female voices and tended to thin out male voices, but in a polished way. This is an amazing starter mic, but I would try it before you pick it up. Make sure it works with your voice.

I used this mic to record vocals in my home studio a and the tone was super warm and it gave me EXACTLY what I was looking for in a mic!!!

great mic.works great on vocal.even better on guitar. recommend this mic.

This mic is quite an incredible value--tube, multi-pattern, incredibly nice-looking. I've used it for a string section, female vocals, solo flute, solo cello, solo violin, and trumpet. It has a very open sound with excellent very smooth top end--no harshness.

I have a dark sounding voice and I purchase this mic specifically for my vocals because it is bright (did lots of listening to sound samples). I just received this and have had one session with it, but my vocal now sits very nicely in the mix. I rolled the lows off using the Hi-pass filter, sang about 10" from the mic, and spent some extra care with mic placement to avoid sibilance issues, but now I hardly have to use EQ. This mic definitely has a character to it, and it is the brightest mic I own, but that is exactly what I needed and why I purchased it (I have several good all-purpose mics already). Because it has the character it has, it is probably important to understand what purpose you indent this mic to serve for you before buying. That said, this is awesome for what I need it for.

At first I was skeptical about the CV-12 but I had heard good things about it from friends in the business.
And after all Taylor Swift uses this mic so there must be something special about it.
Right out of the box and straight into a session on Male vocals. AMAZING, UNBELIEVABLE !
With the low cut on, the sound was flat, clean, clear with every accent of every word.
This has to be the best value for the dollar I have ever purchased. Complete with pre-amp, mic cable to pre-amp, shock mount and protective case in a protective case. Sweetwater has many great mic possibilities and the CV-12 is one I'd recommend too all.

I share the sonic sentiments of most of the other reviewers; my one concern is RF interference. My studio is a few blocks away from an AM radio station, and I had to carefully shield all my in-house wiring to compensate. Unfortunately, the CV12 picks up the station loud and clear. There is a shielding issue somewhere in its signal path. It could be in the mic itself, in the 30-foot proprietary 9 pin cable, or in the power supply. It works great in other locations, and it's the only one of my 60+ mics with this problem. Just a heads-up for anyone who may have "broadcast proximity" issues like me.

I record mostly vocals and first time i heard this mic i was blown away great warmth with cristal clear pristine clarity

I shied away from condenser mics because the cheaper ones I've used in the past didn't sound any better than my dynamic. Then I decided to try investing in this beauty and I wasn't disappointed in the least. This mic is warm & wonderful. Love the polar pattern settings on the power supply. The appearance of the mic itself is beautiful. Pretty red color makes a stunning addition to my small studio, but the sound out of it is just as pretty. They say that this is the only vocal mic that Taylor Swift uses. I can see why. Professional performance for a more than reasonable price.

A tube mic for this price!! Really impressed so far. Recording artist Tim Ash recommended this to me. I would recommend it others with a limited budget.

So far I've tracked vocals, drums, and percussion. Everything sounds superb. The various patterns have been extremely useful. Awesome mic! Does everything I need it to and holds its own against mics against quadruple the price. Highly recommended!

This Mic is everything!! I run it through a Focusrite ISA one into an Apogee Symphony. I must say this is one of the cleanest Mic I've ever heard. I have a rebuilt U47 and it keeps up with that Mic!! If you're looking for a great Mic at a great price look no further that the CV-12

This is your new mic. I've used everything and I'm not saying there's not a better nice, but I am saying there's not a better mic that doesn't cost at least a 2000 Honda Civic. Buy it, own music and the world. The end

Truly a great microphone that I know will last me many years. It's beautiful, it's extremely versatile with 9 polar patterns, and it simply sounds great. The noise floor is very low on this thing, and with the right recording space I have heard it sound just as good as a Bock 251 ($6,000). It comes in a beautiful wood box, including a long 7-pin cable and a hard metal case that's not too heavy and perfect for travel.

Basically, I love it, and I think you will too! Shoutout to Norb Berninger for being a great Sweetwater representative and a huge help in general. Sweetwater rules!!

This mic works really well for recording all kinds of acoustic instruments. One singer wasn't too happy with it because she finally heard her voice like the rest of us do. I hate to tell her, but the mic flatters everything it records. That's the truth, though. I suppose you can get better mics that sound better, but you can't get them for the price of this one. I'm completely satisfied with the mic, cable and power supply. The isolator works, but it is fiddly and seems like it could be short lived. I say seems, because I have had the mic and used it on a fairly regular basis for a year or so now, and everything still works fine. Buy it for the sound quality and never mind anything else. The other stuff doesn't matter anyway.

Thanks to the other reviews on this mic I was sold on it. And right they were. I wanted a great sounding tube mic that didn't sound too tubey or colored. So far I've only used it on vocal and acoustic guitar at home which is what I bought it for. This mic does not sound like a mic in this price range. Thanks to Avantone for offering a great mic for those of us who can't or don't want to spend thousands yet need great quality.
It's flat without having a high proximity effect. I know it depends on the vocal but if you're looking for a real warm vocal mic I'm not sure this is the one. It doesn't seem to color or warm up thin sources very much. I think it sounds great. As far as a break in period I did notice it sounding like I was pushing it at first and then it started sounding better after a few uses, but it could have been that I was just getting used to working it. It has some power and I aways have to use the 20db pad on my pre plus the -10db pad on the mic. I bought a high quality wind screen and haven't had any problem with plosives. I wish the power switch was on the front where I could see it. That's the only complaint.

I Own many microphones including the shure ksm-32 ksm-44 and a few rode mics as well and I'll have to say that I like the Avantone cv - 12 better.this microphone is absolutely amazing! give it a shot I guarantee you'll love it!

Got this mic a Few weeks back. Did a little comparison between it and my current Rode NT-2000. To My Surprise, It sounded less colored than the Rode mic. Which wasn't a bad thing for me at all. It sort of gave me a better opportunity to "shape" the vocal sound to want i wanted it to alot easier . The rode mic is a Good mic as well, but alot more colored. So having this mic works well for me.... So far so good. Have alot more testing to do but these are my initial impressions..... Thanks to Jon for the hookup. You The Man Jon!!!!!!!!!

Can't beat this mic for the price. I read about this mic in a top producer gear blog. They said the mic was excellent, and if you change out the tube with a GE 6072A it'll rival 3-4,000.00 mics. So I bought it sounded great before I changed the tube, after I changed the tube it reminds me of a U87. Supper nice top end, very detailed and a warm fullness. Does a great job on male vocals, acoustic guitars, clean, and distorted guitar amps.

After a lot of research, i settled on the Avantone CV-12 and it definitely lives up to the hype. Running it through a Golden Age Pre 73 Mk II, and the combo is amazing. It gives me a lot of confidence when recording my own vocals, and others that i've recorded love it too.

Many thanks to my sales engineer, Brian Loney, for recommending this microphone to me. I'm still only 4 years into my home project studio and realized the budget-minded condenser microphone I had sounded... ... well cheap, thin, and harsh... especially on female vocals.

So, I began my search for a more expensive (but still budget-minded) microphone to get better results. I had narrowed the list down to just a couple of contenders and figured I'd reach out to Brian for his advice. After discussing my needs, he mentioned this microphone first. I got off the phone and then began to do some additional research. I didn't find any negative reviews, in fact, they were all very positive. So, I called him back and made the purchase.

A few days later, the package arrives, I open up the box and begin to unpack... the thing looks great, feels solid, and certainly looks like it should cost more than it does. I plug in and record a couple of test tracks. I noticed the difference immediately. It really opens up the sound of vocals and the tube tames the harsh tones, especially on female vocals, without losing the air and crispness.

Make sure you have a better-than-average pop filter because this mic is sensitive. I did some web searches on "tube burn in" and decided to leave it plugged in and powered on for 24 hours berfore doing anymore tracking. I don't know if it helped or not, but seemed like a good thing to do based on informed opinions of others.

I've now tracked my 3rd song using this mic and it just keeps getting better. I' m now experimenting with the different polar patterns and mic placement to get great tracks from this mic.

I can't give you a comparison between this mic and the more expensive tube mic's, but I can tell you it blows away my budget condenser. Absolutelyl a regret-free purchse for certain!

Would be 5 stars, but the accessories are a gamble. But, I bought 2 on a whim and I'm glad I did. If it's good enough for Taylor Swift and the Jonas Bros; personally I'm more into more adventurous music, but I figured it's probably good enough for me since they have their pick of gear and talented producers/engineers. I had to send back one of the two mics I received because the pickup pattern selection pot on the power supply was glued (yes glued) in the wrong position, which Sweetwater quickly replaced, then a handle fell off one of the cases while in transport across NYC, so you would think I hate them right? Wrong. These mics are incredibly warm, three dimensional, lush, airy, and expensive sounding (not hyped or harsh). Added a whole new color to my palette of microphones which previously consisted of high-end ribbons, dynamics, small diaphragm condensers, and a large diaphragm KSM44 (which is much brighter/more along the lines of what you would expect from a typical good large-diaphragm condenser).

So I was looking for a good tube mic for under a grand that didn't sound like a budget mic. The CV-12 has exceeded every expectation. It is warm and natural. A fine addition to my collection.

I was looking for a solid condenser that was versatile, affordable, and high quality. This is totally a pro mic that every engineer/musician should experience. You won't believe your ears, or the price. I've used it mostly on vocals, but track the grand piano exclusively with this and nothing else. Currently, i run all analog inputs into a 003 Digidesign interface using the existing pre's. It sounds AMAZING as is. I can only imagine what it would sound like with an outboard Pre amp. All the musicians I record with LOVE this mic. And..... its sexy. This is truly a gift.

Compared the Avantone cv12 to a real AKG c12. It was a ferocious battle. The cv12 was slightly warmer, but still had much of that silky upper-midrange response of the c12 when used on a dynamic female vocal!

If you're not convinced, try one out.

The only two things I would change: 1) Beef up the connection pins between the mic and the power supply, and 2) use a clamp-style shock-mount vs. the thumb-screws used here.

This mic sounds great so far. The only complaint I have is that it's difficult to pack everything back in the flight case.

This kind kind of sound, only in mics over $1000.00, excelent, the highs silky!

I received my Avantone CV-12 yesterday. I've already used it on ukulele, vocals, and percussion. It's gorgeous. The highs are shiny without any harshness, and there are no inherent midrange issues that need EQ. The proximity effect on this mic is quite pronounced, with dramatic tone shifts available by moving the microphone only a few inches closer to or farther from the sound source.

I now feel like I have that one great mic my studio has been missing.

I was skeptical at first, but after using it, I was extremely impressed. The warm tones and bright highs were perfect. no distortion or that harshness like I get with the TM103 or AKG214... the thing is nice. I got the 2 other tubes for it too but didn't test them out yet

having an assortment of mics from a rode NT1 to a Neumann U87 I was amazed of the sound that this beautiful mic puts out.. warm , clear, quiet
think I read a review for past years and had been wanting it for female vocals mainly and did it ever pay off.. LOVE IT.. just get it .. you will not be disappointed..

I can not even describe in words how awesome this mic is/sound.. I was using my Rode NT1-A to record my daughter vocals & then decided to just switch & use the Avantone, oh boy was I in for a real rude awakening..! I was shock & surprise at the sound, the sweet warm sound that was coming from this mic.. This is an amazing mic & wih the right pre-amps 7 converters you will really hear how sweet the sound is coming from it...

This Mic should cost more than what they are selling it for, I mean this is an all around winner. If you dont have the $1,000 & above for a big name brand mic than you'll be crazy not to get this for just $500 & it siunds better than some of the top $1,000 mics.. trust me you'll be very happy in making this choice.

Thanks Tom, once again bro you hooked me up...

Be careful, this thing is WARM!
very nice and easy on vocals, extremely rich on acoustics and used it once in omni to capture some drums... again, very nice results...
the more I use it...the more I like it and understand it
simple as that!

I got to use this for a few weeks on a female singer for a very Paramour-like band. I'll admit, I thought this mic was a lot of hype and just a prettier Apex 460 like many other gear heads. But this is a wonderful sounding mic for $500. I don't know exactly what Avantone does behind the scenes to make this mic magical, but it's working. I know they use very intense quality control measures to make sure all the components meet their expectations. I've used actual C12's and several other clones from Peluso, Miktek, and Telefunken. This one held up well with them all, although the Miktek is my favorite, but less clone-ish than the rest of them. But this mic has every positive character you want from a C12 design. Very smooth high end (much more so than a u47 design), presence/forwardness that's impossible to eq into a vocal, and what I believe is its biggest attribute, that sibilance comes out smooth, unhyped, and fits in really well in a mix without a lot of de-essing. I think the build quality could be better, but maybe not for the money. Long story short, there's a reason there's a lot of buzz around this mic. An affordable C12 that actually sounds like a C12? Sign me up.

Amazing product for the price. I am using it with a Universal Audio LA-610 and it sounds great on everything. The multi pattern function gives me a lot of room for experimenting. a must have

I own an AKG C12VR that I paid around $3K for new over 10 years ago. I had heard a lot of positive comments about this Avantone CV-12 and it's similarities to the AKG, so I tried one out. Side by side in blind listening tests I had a hard time determining which mic was which. I'd like to say the AKG is the better mic but that's probably because I paid considerably more for it. For what the AKG C12VR goes for "street" or "auction" price, you could get 3 of these NEW with a few bucks left over. If you want a C12VR, but are on a budget, or are trying to stretch your microphone dollar here you go! There are some very good lower cost mics out there these days and this mic is definately one of them!

I was skeptical of the reviews with a mic of this price. I had read the reviews and frankly can afford any mic I want. However I am thrifty by nature so I wanted to see this mic. I REALLY like this mic. My acoustic guitar sounds like I wanted it to since 1989 when we threw a Schoeps on it. This mic sounds expensive but isn't.

I had my eye on this microphone for quite some time. After recording some acoustic tracks and not being happy with the sound I decided to give this a try. I needed a solid vocal mic and from the reviews I read this one seemed to fit what I was looking for.
Well, I can say that vocals sound great through this mic and I can finally say that I have my acoustic guitar mic. The CV-12 picked up the room and the sound of the acoustic nicely. Having multiple polar patterns between the standard 3 patterns is also nice for sound shaping, it really helps you get the sound you want going in.
I am very pleased with this mic. I have the Avantone CK-40 that I use as a stereo drum overhead mic, if I didn't have that I would consider picking up another one of these for drum overheads or possibly even just using them as room mics.

After reading many reviews for this mic I purchased it and gave it a spin. The nine polar patterns really make this mic shine. The frequency response changes slightly with the different patterns and you can tune in on a tailored made sound for the application. This mic is very sensitive and should be used in a quiet room, but can be used in a homestudio with a little preparation: (Turn off all appliances that produce noise,TV, Air Conditioner etc.) and make sure the neighbors dog isn't barking and the traffic flow is slow on your street when you try to record. A noise gate set around -60db can help knock down many background noises. The sound of this mic is fantastic, but if you sing off key you will know it as it tracks what you put into it. A lot of pro studios use this mic for female vocals, but it works equally well on male vocals with the right singer. It makes an acoustic guitar shimmer with pristine sound. As with all tube devices I would recommend a little tube burn in time. Mics are subjective and not one mic is right for everyone but this is a quality sounding mic for very little cash to speak of and hey it has recorded some Grammy winning records....

I was using an Octiva MK-319 and my recordings were OK but then I started using this mic and my recordings went to almost pro quality. I could not believe my ears. I also wanted to say that the sales staff was so helpful I must have called about 5 or 6 times getting information about different mics.

Jeffery recommended the Avantone to me as an upgrade from my AKG Perception. I told Jeffery that I mainly do 60ish recreations as a hobby and am starting to write some simple songs for fun. I give the Avantone a 4 only because I really have not worked with it enough to fully appreciate it. What I will say is that it has a warmer, full and natural sound compared to the Perception on my vocals and acoustic guitar. I can see where I will grow to love this mic with more usage; and the pricepoint was workable for me!

I bought this mike about a year ago and liked it so much, I bought another one. I have used it on accoustic guitarts, male rock and metal vocals, drums, and as a room mic. In all applications, it won hands down against all my other mics regardless of which pre-amp I chose. But for me, the real magic happened when I used it on a male rock vocal running into my 6176 pre. WOW!!! You can't go wrong with this mic.

This microphone is an incredible buy at this price range and has been my go to microphone in my 25+ microphone arsenal (until I bought the Avantone BV-1, but still put them both in front of the artist). The quality of this mic is outstanding. Smooth vocals, brings out that intimate acoustic guitar sound that i love, and basically sweetens up anything you put in front of it. I recorded half of Sho Baraka's Lions and Liars Album with this mic and the other half was through a U87 into an Avalon. Both sound amazing. I now own my second CV-12 and will probably continue to buy a few more. You cannot go wrong with this mic regardless if you have a project studio or a multi-million dollar recording facility. You will always find a use for your Avant CV-12 in any and every session!!!

I am newly a gear junkie...I define that as a person who reads everything on a piece of equipment before buying. I ask friends, and go to all kinds of web-sites to find objective points of view on equipment.

I had my eye on the Neumann TLM-103, TLM 102, Blue Baby Bottle, and BlueBird, Rode NT-2000, and AKG C214. What was I looking for? I want a professional sounding microphone. One that will sound crisp and clean on vocals before I even hit a processor. I never heard of the CV-12 before researching different companies. I assumed everyone already knows what the Neumann's, Blue's, and others offer. Let me look at these other companies and see what they have to offer.

Within two hours of reading up on the CV-12, I bought it! There was no way I couldn't buy it. Everywhere I read (including here at Sweetwater), there was not a bad thing people could say about it. I'm still a person that likes hearing equipment before I buy, and I only found one youtube video of someone singing into this mic. They were German or something, but I could tell they loved it.

I was sold when I saw Taylor Swift used this microphone to record her last album "Fearless", probably the biggest selling album of 2009. I don't sing country, but that is saying something when on of the world's biggest artist chooses a mic that sells for $500!! Just goes to show, it's about the sound, not the price.

With all that said, the mic arrived in two days, and I am estatic over the results! I'm going directly into my Mbox2Mini onboard preamp, so I don't have an outboard pre (which is my next purchase), but it still sounds amazing! It sounds real! It represents who I am as a singer. Some mics have a certain tone that doesn't capture real. For instance, my other mic was the AKG Perception 420. The AKG sounds muffled compared to the CV-12. The CV-12 opened up my sound.

The best thing I can say is for $500, you would be crazy not to get this tube microphone. One of my producers says my voice sounds great on a Blue mic, and there will come a time when I do get one of those too (remember, it's about preference and the sound that you want to hear and put out). But the CV-12 is like a gift to music. It's the truth. I can't wait to hear what it sounds like when I actually run it through a pre!!

I've been recording for quite a while now, and I've had the opportunity to use some wonderful equipment (your standard gamut of Neumanns, fantastic Neve preamps, etc.)

Unfortunately, none of that equipment is actually mine, it is the property of various studios. After hearing so many good things about this mic, I finally sucked it up and bought one (I don't like to spend a lot of money on gear, because I'm mostly using a rented studios gear and not my own). All I can say is...wow. I took it in to my next session at a fantastic studio east of Los Angeles, and we put it up against a Neumann U87 and a TLM49. Holy cow, this thing is gorgeous. The top end is a bit smoother than the U87; the TLM 49 was just too heavy in the mids and felt like it lost those smooth, dreamy highs (something I hadn't really noticed until it was compared to this mic). As stated in previous reviews, this mic excels when put in front of female vocalists.

I take this one with me to all my sessions now, and it's my vocal mic of choice. In addition, it's got nine different polar patterns (Omni thru cardioid thru Figure-8, 3 "mixed" patterns between each one) to play with for applications other than vocals. I'm really considering grabbing another one and tossing them up in front of acoustic guitar or as drum overheads to see how they fare there.

My only gripe about this mic is the fragility of changing tubes if you decide to try a NOS tube mod. I did it once with a NOS Russian tube and was scared I was going to break some wires on the tube socket, which is lightly held in place by a rubber disc in between the frame. But for sound quality, I don't think you could beat this mic for at least twice or even three times the price. It outshined two of my previous favorite vocal mics.

I did a lot of research on this mic before buying it. The results say it's worth the money- by far. I gave it only four stars because of the switches (pad and roll-off) are pretty cheap looking- and acting. That aside, ...this thing is awesome sounding. My first two sessions confirmed that it's 'higher-end' sounding than the Neumann TLM-103 and AKG 414 that I've been using for vocals and acoustic guitar (and I aint slighting those great mics!). It's new and I can't say anything about the build quality regarding how long it will perform like it does now. But ya just can't go wrong with this thing.

I was recommended this by a guy I knew and pretty much just purchased it blind on his referral since the price point was so good. This mic definitely has that 'wow' factor. Got a really warm sound but with tons of air in the highs. Super detailed sound. I've used this on lead vox, background vox, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, percussion and everything sounds great through it. If you're on a budget and need one mic you can use on everything I think this is your best choice.

I also have a Neumann TLM 49 I record with, but this wins in most applications unless you're going for lots of mid-presence. If I had to choose one to have it would be the CV-12 hands-down.

This is not me hyping a product...I've tracked records through some of the best mic's in the world and this one hangs next to them.

I had heard some great things about this mic so I pick up one a few weeks ago and tested it on just about everything. It sounds really good especially with the price that it is at. It has a very warm sound but still keeps the presence that lot of tube mics lack. For a thin female vocal it is amazing when u put them right up on it and get the proximity effect into play it really thickens it up nicely. All in all for the features and sound quality it is a great mic for the price.

This mic won me over in a blind test. It has an "open presence" that is missing in other mics in our cabinet. The top end on this mic is very smooth making it a go to for vocals. The nine patters make it versatile. It also shines on stringed instruments.
We're not surprised to see that it was used for the vocals on the most recent Taylor Swift CD.
The Avant CV-12 has been a great addition to our studio and a wise purchase. This is the mic that goes up first and is used in many applications.
It also responds well to NOS tube mods.