As a rule, I love large diaphragm condensers because condensers tend to be very accurate and the large diaphragm gives their sound a really desirable smoothness.  But cheaper mics can sound harsh or they can lack that true-to-life accuracy.  So you pay for quality, right?  Yes, but you don’t always have to pay too much for quality.  Studio Projects has developed a well-deserved reputation for delivering serious quality at seriously affordable prices.  And the flagship of their CS mic line, the CS5 is no exception with a great tone, a host of cool features and a price tag of only $350. First off, I plugged the CS5 in and was struck by how full and rich the tone was just when I spoke into it.  Tonally, it definitely did not fall in line with the slew of cheap, harsh-sounding condensers on the market.  It does, however, have a pleasing high-frequency openness that can help a vocal pop or give drums a nice cut in the mix.  It’s the kind of airiness that you look for from condensers. I ended up shooting it out on drums, acoustic guitar and vocals with my older CAD Equitek E-200 (a similar large diaphragm FET […]... Click on the title for more