GA PROJECT FC2-ST

Have been at it for a good 30 + years Live, and a little less in the studio , recording equipment included BRENELL Tapedecks(FRENCH)...REVOX (SWISS)...SONY (Japanese) and others,now-adays recording onto a KORG D3200 (stand-alone Digital 32-track wih built-in "Session Drummer" mixer-recorder ) ,Play-Back is over a Variety of Quality Hi-Fi systems ,including Class "A" Amps. , Planar/Ribbon Speakers ,and even a good P A System..

But this is about the FC2-ST Condensor Mic. Cardioid ( Uni-Polar) Pattern , I bought it NEW as a " Matched Pair" ( which simply means that the factory found Two samples that are more or less Identical)comes in Plastic case ,including Shock-Mount in Matching Colour for each mic.(Satin Silver colour Clamp/Jam type) ,It has a Gold-plated Large Diaphragm Condensor of 26 mm (1") in diameter ,Equipped with "low noise" FET (Field Effect Transistors) operating in Class "A" ,and has a switchable Bass roll-off at about 100 Hz. ,and a 10 db pad switch , these switches are located "side by side" under the "grill" at the front ( which also displays the Logo and mod.nr.,has XLR Connector and Requires 48 volt Phantom Power ( normal for a Condensor Mic.) frequency range is not specified , but is probably around 20Hz.-20Khz. .Warm-up time should be around 5-8 minutes (1/2 hour is better) ,Silver-Grey in colour,they resemble the Neumann U-87 ,in looks that is ,I have not been able to compare them "side by side",allthough I have used them for half a year,..
First of All,for Vocals, Using a Pop-Filter is Highly recommended, mounted,say ,4"-6" ( 10 cm.-15cm.) away from the Singer to avoid " breathing wind and saliva" , being susceptible to "wind-gusts" I recommend to use it for Indoor use only,so no chasing elephants to "capture those trumpeting sounds" :-)..
When recording Vocalists, the Bass roll-off comes in handy,even then the bass on the equalizer might have to be turned down,there is a bit of "presence" in the upper-mids , yet,it has a "warm" yet "neutral" sound ,that is pleasant to work with ,all in all ,it gives a nice "character" to the overall sound,Definition is quite good,all this with using a "pop-filter" though...So quite Good for Male and Female Vocalists,selfnoise is Low ,Sibilance is Pleasing!Easy to trim (equalize)It is also rather good on Acoustic Guitar,when Using One (1) Mic.aimed in an Angle at the Beginning of the Neck ( strumming/picking hand ) to capture a "full" sound,or, Aimed at an Angle at the Bridge for a more "sober" sound,When Using Both mics.( 1 placed at Neck,other placed at Bridge ) Facing guitar and inwards ( slightly aiming towards each other) would produce results that can be Very Satisfying indeed ,for Grand piano,with it`s TOP (Soundboard)halfly open ( most grandpiano`s have a soundboard in Two parts,of which the one at the "Players side" can be completely flipped up,I would suggest to flip up that part,and have the other part set to "half opened" ) One Mic.placed about 1/3 from the Lowest(longest) Bass string,and Facing strings in a Downward Angle,and the Second one placed about 1/3 to the Highest (shortest) treble string and Facing in a Downward angle,in a Stereo reproduction this would place the piano in between the speakers,which often is desirable,(piano is often used as a Solo/Leading instrument)
...For Woodwinds ,recorder,Fagot,etc. ,Placing a Mic,at the side ,about say,10"-15" (25cm-40cm)and Facing the Side of the Instrument, could give a "warm" yet accurate ,pleasant sound...some experimentation (allways) will be required,but results can be very rewarding indeed. Now,I Purchased these Mic`s. ,because I wanted (Needed) Two mics. that were very much "alike" therefore I took a "Matched Pair",with bass roll-off ,and capable to deal with low and higher sound levels,and ,that were inexpensive ( I am a poor man :)..,but they also had to be "Versatile"...which means,..I intended to Use them for some StageWork also ,as a PA mic. they can be used for "Light" set-ups,imagine the typical Folk/Blues/Romance/CoolJazz setting ,well Away from the PA Speakers,for being Large Capsule Condensors,they are prone to FeedBack,so care has to be taken ( as allways )So, No RockBands !! :-)But why go through all that trouble ??...why not throw in a good Dynamic,and be done with it.!!..Ah ,well now,these babies can capture small details that would elude most Dynamics ,So for the Price..Highly Recommended !!