solid flat responsive and controllable

the cage and the suspension xtra rubber mounting came in handy after 2 1/2 years of constant use

this mike is so much more flexible than most tube mikes it will bring back the meaning of 'hi fidelity'

nice finish , reliable so far no let down

if it were available when i started out Neuman would not have gotten a cent from me

m-audio has always been hard but not impossible to get a hold of and always deals swiftly with issues

looks sharp

chief engineer at PMT Studio

Rock, "Alternative", "Country", "Jazz",etc,

Incredible sounding mic - smoothest sounding mic I've ever used.

Everything I'll ever need is in the box, including spare shockmount bands.

The manual is a bit wacky, but it's got everything you need to know in there.

Very solidly built. It shows no signs of 'cheap' or 'fragile'.

The price is truly unbelievable for what you're getting. I couldn't be happier.

Haven't had to use it yet.

Big, fat, heavy piece of chrome. What's not to like about that?

Studio Owner

various

sounds like the luna but with a touch of tube... i'm sold all the way

everything i could expect from a mic (rolloff, patterns and pad)

works straigt out of the box

looks really solid, sounds very solid and the body shines a lot

For the money, it beats my old Rode NTK all the way. I sold my rodes and i only use this one now.

I HAD PROBLEMS WITH BX8a's and I have exchanged them 3 times with m-audio directly. Very very nice support there.

So desirable!!

Composer and recording (home studio)

Hiphop

This mic sounds fantastic. The vacuum tube design gives it a very smooth vintage voicing that really shines on vocal tracks (male or female). The switchable polar patterns allow for a lot of experimentation with the overall sound and feel of the mic so its easy to find "that sound" your looking for. That being said the mic sounds great on everything I use it for. My personal favorites being vocals and acoustic guitar.

Its awesome of M-audio to include such a well constructed case. This is such a nice mic its good to have a safe place to store it and all of its other accessories. The shockmount has held up over time and they threw in the extra bands in case I ever need them. Power supply and 7 pin cable are also included.

Pretty straight forward but the manual is clear about setup if your not familiar with using mics that require their own dedicated power supply. All switches are clearly labeled and accessible.

The mic feels like its built to last. Very solid construction.

Amazing! Nothing in this price range even comes close to this type of quality tone.

I received mine with a loose connection in the 7 pin cable (these things happen). M-audio sent me out a replacement cable immediately no questions asked. Excellent support.

OOH!!!!SHINY!!!!!!! Mic just looks cool. No arguments there. They even did their best to make the power supply cool by putting a neat picture of a tube on it.

The sound out of this microphone is so smooth and so soft and with the open back design, it really does gives the most clearest transparent sound possible.

M-Audio have done their very best in fine tuning the diaphragm and controls and switches on this monster. The 200ft power cable is very efficient with absolutely no power loss or loss in signal strength. Come with its own power supply which is also another neat thing about this mic. Everything you can ever want is in its dedicated flight case.

Just simply hook it up to a quality interface or mixer board and you're ready to be off (beware the warning of using phantom power, for it has its own power up method). M-Audio have supplied a 200ft power cable which helped me a great deal in the proper placement of this microphone. But just to be safe, read the manual before you try to set this one up, it isn't difficult however, there is valuable information in the manual in order for lift off.

Excellent, from the chrome off of its backing plate to the sound off of it's diaphragm. This will be the closest to mics like Telefuken, Neumanns, Brauner, Lauten Audio, etc, for its price. Get rid of those $300 microphones, you have nothing until you have this to complete your studio. Not even RODE's best mics can top this baby.

I'm a 17 year old pursuing artist and I have tried many different microphones in the past to record. And everyone of them have had their pros and cons, but this work of art is simply stunning. This mic is worth more than $800 with all it's features and benefits.

None needed whatsoever, manual is right there, just read and set the date for lift off and you are sure to be the first one amongst your friends to go above and beyond (hence the name Sputnik).

If you have about a grand to spare, get this right here.

Recording Engineer, Active Musician, Producer and Artist.

Soul, R&B, Hip Hop and Reggae

All I can say is WOW. This mic sounds amazing. I've never used a C-12 or U-47, so I can't say that it measures up to the classics, but it IS the nicest mic I've ever used. Right out of the box I did a quick acoustic guitar track and vocal to see how it performed and I was blown away. With no EQ or effects, it sounded ready for mastering. The pickup patterns are great. The proximity effect on cardioid and figure 8 was less pronounced than a lot of the other condensers I have which leaves the sound more open and true, but it's still there when you need it for close sounding vocals. Rear rejection on cardioid was perfect, allowing you to record in a less than perfect environment if necessary. Loud volumes don't even phase this mic. It's a workhorse, with finesse. Detailed but forgiving, like your own ears.

3 pickup patterns, (Cardioid, Figure 8 and Omni) and a LF rolloff. Comes with Shockmount (AND a spare elastic I might add), power supply, 7 pin cable, microphone cover, and a sexy carrying case. I can't believe all that is included at this price.

It's a tube mic, so there's a little more setup required with the power supply, but that pretty much just impresses musicians in the studio.

Solid. Heavy. Shockmount is well made.

For the price, I don't think you'll find a better mic. M-Audio makes some audacious claims about this mic, but it really DOES actually deliver.

The ladies love it. This thing is a sexy head-turning beast, shiny and space age looking. It's my favorite piece of gear to bring out to impress the clients. People love singing into it (especially when they hear how good they sound).

Active Musician/Engineer/Studio Owner

Rock, Electronic, Ambient