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Post by mcirish on Aug 18, 2023 13:08:51 GMT -6
I picked one up a few weeks ago. So far I have not found what it works best on. It didn't win any vocal shootouts so far. I tried it as an over the shoulder mic on acoustic. I really didn't like it there. In that specific case, it didn't have any real body to the sound.
I'm curious where everyone is using this. I was kind of hoping it would fill the CK12 kind of thing, but it doesn't sound like the 251 I had used in the past.
What am I missing? Just trying to find a reason to hang on to it. There were so many glowing reviews on it that I figured I would take a chance.
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Post by ragan on Aug 18, 2023 13:12:28 GMT -6
I have loved it on OH and liked it a lot on acoustic guitar and vocals. Tastes are subjective, maybe we just don’t like the same sonics and this mic just isn’t for you?
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Post by hadaja on Aug 18, 2023 22:07:43 GMT -6
I had an adk z mod 251. Sounds a bit like your scenario.
I think the capsule is not actually a ck12 capsule. Its a 67 style capsule tuned in conjunction with the circuit to be 251 sounding like.
Someone correct me if i am wrong as i am going from memory form a few years ago.
ADK make nice sounding mics but not really accurate clones of the orignal models.
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Post by Ward on Aug 21, 2023 12:31:26 GMT -6
I had an adk z mod 251. Sounds a bit like your scenario. I think the capsule is not actually a ck12 capsule. Its a 67 style capsule tuned in conjunction with the circuit to be 251 sounding like. Someone correct me if i am wrong as i am going from memory form a few years ago. ADK make nice sounding mics but not really accurate clones of the orignal models. So it's a hyped up circuit to make a K67 style cap sound more like a C12? The shortcomings with that approach never appeal to me. but YMMV |
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Post by Vincent R. on Aug 22, 2023 8:15:33 GMT -6
I had an adk z mod 251. Sounds a bit like your scenario. I think the capsule is not actually a ck12 capsule. Its a 67 style capsule tuned in conjunction with the circuit to be 251 sounding like. Someone correct me if i am wrong as i am going from memory form a few years ago. ADK make nice sounding mics but not really accurate clones of the orignal models. So it's a hyped up circuit to make a K67 style cap sound more like a C12? The shortcomings with that approach never appeal to me. but YMMV The whole T-FET series is the same microphone, with the same transformer and circuitry. The only difference being the capsules. So the Cremona 251 and Vienna 12 both have (2) different variants of the same capsule with different tunings. The Cremona is much more tame on top from what I've heard. I do believe it is a CEK12 variant, which as you point out is just a side terminated K67 variant. What I will say is of all the CEK12 microphones I've had (AA CM12 and AA CM251) this one sounds much better and not as thin. When you consider the mic is $400-$500 during sales, it's a pretty good deal. They do the same thing with their 40 & 47. Each used a k47 style capsule, but are both tuned a little different, with the 49 having more air on the top.
It's when you look at their more expensive tube variants, which may not hit as hard a Heiserman or FleA 251, are still not cheap. That's where I start to question the decision to not use a real CK12. But, they do the same thing with their tube microphones. They are the same circuitry, but they allow you to chose between a few different transformers.
The T-FETs I have, which include the Cremona 251 and Hamburg 49 definitively compete in the $500 - $1500 mic category and do much better than others I've owned.
As for where I use them, I'm still figuring it out. I like the Hamburg 49. It's fuller than my TLM49, but the TLM49 does better on background vocals, which is what I use it for. The Cremona I have to try on some stuff, but I'm in between studios. Hopefully I'll get to that sooner, rather than later.
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Post by Ward on Aug 22, 2023 8:38:01 GMT -6
So it's a hyped up circuit to make a K67 style cap sound more like a C12? The shortcomings with that approach never appeal to me. but YMMV The whole T-FET series is the same microphone, with the same transformer and circuitry. The only difference being the capsules. So the Cremona 251 and Vienna 12 both have (2) different variants of the same capsule with different tunings. The Cremona is much more tame on top from what I've heard. I do believe it is a CEK12 variant, which as you point out is just a side terminated K67 variant. What I will say is of all the CEK12 microphones I've had (AA CM12 and AA CM251) this one sounds much better and not as thin. When you consider the mic is $400-$500 during sales, it's a pretty good deal. They do the same thing with their 40 & 47. Each used a k47 style capsule, but are both tuned a little different, with the 49 having more air on the top.
It's when you look at their more expensive tube variants, which may not hit as hard a Heiserman or FleA 251, are still not cheap. That's where I start to question the decision to not use a real CK12. But, they do the same thing with their tube microphones. They are the same circuitry, but they allow you to chose between a few different transformers.
The T-FETs I have, which include the Cremona 251 and Hamburg 49 definitively compete in the $500 - $1500 mic category and do much better than others I've owned.
As for where I use them, I'm still figuring it out. I like the Hamburg 49. It's fuller than my TLM49, but the TLM49 does better on background vocals, which is what I use it for. The Cremona I have to try on some stuff, but I'm in between studios. Hopefully I'll get to that sooner, rather than later.
I do trust Larry Villeja to do great work, and a helluva great guy. But again, I'm sorta put off by circuit mods to compensate for or mutant a capsule's capture when the capsule is supposed to be the sound of the mic. I wish we could hold all revivalists to the same standard with regards to capsule, transformer and head basket authenticity. Those are necessary! |
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Post by ragan on Aug 22, 2023 9:26:31 GMT -6
I think that’s true if you’re going for a clone, and you market it as such. For the TFET series at least, I think ADK (haven’t read the ad copy lately so could be totally remembering wrong) is pretty clear that it’s an “inspired by” kind of thing.
But either way, the pair of Cremona I bought at ~$500/ea has really impressed me. I don’t (personally) care about the branding, though I get that some do. I pretty much exclusively care about what they do for me in my studio and how I feel about the value proposition I entered into when I bought ‘em. Cremonas, for me in my room, are a winner.
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Post by mcirish on Aug 23, 2023 9:46:28 GMT -6
I guess I was just hoping it might end up as a vocal mic for some of the people I'm working with, but so far it hasn't worked that well on vocals. At first, with no processing, it kind of sounds nice and upfront. But, once I start compressing it, it just becomes a bit too sibilant and a tad harsh, when compared to my usual go-to K47/M7 based mics.
Maybe I will give it another shot as a close mic on a guitar. I really didn't like it as an over the shoulder guitar mic. The top end is so present that I think it needs to be used up close to get the proximity effect to balance it out.
The price is great on the T-Fet series. I just wish I liked the sound of this one more. I will keep trying it. Maybe it will win out on dobro or banjo on some tune? Thanks for the responses.
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