the t.bone SC 400 + Popkiller

I ordered the t.bone SC 400 + Popkiller package so I could record demos at home before going to the studio. This package was a great price and suited my needs at the time.

After using it for a few years now, I'm really impressed with the sound of the microphone. I thought I would only use it to get ideas/demos recorded, but a lot of the vocals I recorded with this mic ended up on my studio album! It's very versatile and it is a great microphone for a home studio if you're on a budget. It's also a good introduction to large diaphragm condenser microphones. I have used it for vocals, acoustic guitar, voice-overs, percussion and I'm pleased with the results.

I have only used this mic at home, so I'm not sure how well this would hold up in a touring situation. The build quality is good so it should survive the normal wear and tear.

A good mic overall. I would definitely recommend.

This microphone is essential to anyone recording vocals with a tight budget!

I have been recently been using this microphone to record vocals for youtube video and up until this point i can not find a single thing wrong with it. The T.Bone SC 400 is very simple to use, you simple attach it to your mixer, turn on the phantom power and start to record! The sound quality of the microphone is excellent for a microphone of its price although it can sound slightly distant compared to an expensive Shure or AKG vocal microphone.

I would recommend this microphone to anyone that is looking to get a cheap studio set up under a budget.

This was my first condenser mic and I was astounded at the difference it made to my recordings.
It has great warmth and clarity (particularly matched with a tube pre-amp I got on a bundle).
Given that you get a shockmount in the asking price this is a great value investment.
I've used it on vocals, percussion and acoustic guitar. Of course, on percussion and acoustic guitar I have since had better results since with a small diaphragm condenser, but if you can only budget for one mic, then this will suit you perfectly.
In terms of durability, I dropped it on the floor repeatedly for 5 years until it finally gave up the ghost. For the price I reckon that's pretty good! (My new mic lives in a case in a drawer!)

This microphone is a cheap condensator and you can really tell just by holding it.

My copy is so loose at the output jack that you have to force and wiggle the cable to get a sound. I might just be doing the whole connecting-cable-to-hole thing wrong but I'm quite sure that's not normal. The chassis is also prone to loosening when transported in a bag.

Disregarding the fact that it feels loose and cheap, the sound is very distinctly... lacking. It's hard to put my finger on it but the sound is really boring from this mic and even with heavy processing it's hard to compensate for the enormous dynamic variation that disappears when recording vocals. This however could be(and probably is) more a matter of recording technique rather than a poor mic. It does pick up a room quite fairly but I usually process it with some eq just to get the sound a bit more vivid. But for it to capture anything that moves in close perimeters properly for me would take nothing short of a miracle... well, that might be a bit harsh but you get the idea.

Is quite balanced and clear overall but lacking low end, so it's not for the bass amp I'd say.

If you take the low price in regard then it's definitely worth the money!