CAROL
CAROL CLM-101
CAROL CLM-101 Retro Wired Vocal Microphone, Dynamic Supercardioid - Black
H.X
Looking for a vintage looking microphone as a gift. Decided to give Carol a try, The delivery was fast. Open the box and noticed that there are 2 cracks inside the mounting hole all the way through. and scratch on the logo. The quality doesn't feel to last long. Didn't try the sound yet. only option available is to return for refund. So disappointed!!
rootshell
I'm using this mic for recording vocals into Reaper. The mic has a nice overall smoothness to it, sounding more retro/vintage. In comparison to the Shure PGA48, the Carol is not as "hot", I would say, and you don't get that crispy high-end, but a much more smoother frequency response throughout. I'm very pleased with the sound quality and build, and will definitely be using it a lot more in my recordings.
green_earth
Okay folks, please have a look at my video review. This is a very nice mic - opinion from a guy who collects more microphones than shoes. I'm partial to condenser microphones (that need phantom power) because of how sensitive they are and easy to "tweak" the resulting audio - but this is amazing compared to other dynamic mics I have. The big advantage of dynamic microphones is the lack of "impact" from highs and lows you get with condenser mics - the audio is cleaner and more even. This is why these are mostly used in live performances where other mics would blow the lid off the range expected. I really like the way this Carol mic replicates my voice - it's obviously been tuned to the voice application. I'm looking forward to using this for years to come!
customer
At this price point this has great sound and definitely hits above its weight class. The classic design stands out well, and in the right setup can look amazing. As with any dynamic mic, this needs a bit more gain to get good audio out of it but it has proven fairly easy to drive with every interface I've tried.
An issue that might be more of a problem to some than others is the positioning of the XLR interface. Depending on your mounting solution and your cable, it has potential to cause clearance issues with your mount. As seen in the picture, since the mic mounts in a way that it must be in this orientation, it limits the range of motion because the XLR cable hits the arm. This won't be a problem with all arms/mounts, but it is something to keep in mind.
Aside from potential mounting issues, using this has been a great experience.
R. Williams
I have used many mics over the years…from the cheapest Radio Shack had to offer (yes I’m that old, lol) to the popular mics of the day. I’ve stepped away from audio production for years, but I’ve been doing a bit of audio work lately and wanted a better mic.
I tested this with an usb audio interface that has phantom power. The sound is full. I’m impressed with the result.
Good mic for the money.
Gear Report
I'll be honest... I've got a couple of mics that work well enough for my weekly live streamed show. I didn't really "need" this mic. But dang, it looks cool! So, I had to try it.
Initial testing via an XLR cable through a USA Audio Interface, into my Windows 11 PC via the Audacity audio editing software proved pretty successful. The mic performs well. I've also got the Carol P-1 handheld dynamic mic, which I like. To me, this mic has better lower frequency response than the P-1, delivering a richer voice recording.
The look of this mic is what I call vintage-esque. The black metal grill on the speaking side and the Carol logo on the back diminish the true vintage vibe.
It is pretty heavy. So, think about where you'll use it before you order one. I mounted mine on a retractable arm mounted on my desk. The weght was too much for the arm and I had to get a new arm that could hold this metal bodied mic.
The Happy Lad
This is a beautiful piece of tech. Got this because I am currently using it to record voiceovers, and it is crispy clear. Running it on my M1 MacBook Air through a Focusrite Scarlett Solo audio interface, and it's been amazing! It is on the heavier side, but the quality and finish are absolute premium! Whether it is Adobe Audition, OBS, Garageband, etc., this is definitely a nice condenser microphone that can walk the walk and talk the talk!
PhotoGraphics
HISTORY
This is supposed to be a clone microphone designed to copy the iconic 1951 Shure Unidyne 55S which has been photographed with more celebrities than any other in history. In the industry performers don’t even use the model number, and many carry their own personal one because they know exactly how they will sound using it. My very first day as an AM radio disc jockey I sat in front of a 55S and as a video producer I have used it in more studio sessions than any other. Make no mistake, this is a look-alike, it’s not the real thing.
REAL LIFE
I don’t want to be unfair. I have bought several of these clones as props and have actually used them for sound reinforcement or recording. Most are toys, usually made of plastic. To their credit this zinc alloy product is surprisingly well made and unusually heavy, they did a great job on quality of construction with two minor details - the mounting hole and XLR jack are both made of the same alloy, they would not be up to 70+ years of use like the original, but is that a realistic expectation?
This one tries very hard to be worthwhile to use in real life for stage and recording use, and from the various tasks I have used it for I think it would be perfectly fine if you are on a budget or aren’t using it for broadcasting or performers who demand the real deal. There’s not a lot to say about it, they post a lot of specs, but specs aren’t a direct correlation to the quality of sound a microphone produces and I wouldn’t buy it or not based on someone’s opinion of sound quality and certainly not specs on paper. Be aware that, like the original, this is a vocalist’s mic not one intended for instrumentals. There is a very rapid drop off in frequency above 100KHz which keeps in well within the spectrum of the human voice. It has a cardioid pattern which works well for live stage use and yes it does okay when cradled in the hand as some crooners have been seen using it.
This one seems to have a degree of internal processing to alter what the transducer is actually “hearing”. They are adjusting it for a certain pop sound. It might sound impressive until you unplug it and plug in the authentic original. Most people will hear the difference immediately.
VALUE
My instinct told me this should go for about eighty-bucks and for that I would say don’t hesitate, it’s a decent deal. But when it get so close to what you can buy the must popular microphone in history for, I have to ask the question why buy a clone?
OOPS
They misuse the word potentiometer when they mean an switch to turn it on and off. A potentiometer is a manually adjustable, variable resistor with three terminals., in other words a volume control. The original mic uses a simple slide switch which used to produce a noisy pop when turned on. Shure fixed that in more recent versions of their mic. The Carol clone uses a very cheap plastic switch which is very loose, it is not up to the quality of the rest of their product.
WHY
Which brings up the question why, for only about eighty bucks more you can buy an actual real Shure 55S, which is built like a brick to last forever and has a sound quality you will never get by reading some specs from a copy cat version. Used ones are rare but available sometimes for what you would pay for this.
YES OR NO
I ordered this as a stage prop, something to give the look of the 1950’s and 1960’s for live plays and movies I work on. But being an actual microphone I wanted to actually evaluate it and compare it to the real microphone they are tying to copy. By now I hope you have the answer to your questions. It’s up to you. I did not find any compelling reasons (other than price) to say stay away. You can try it and keep it if you like it, if not send it back. Because of the price and the faulty slide switch I can’t call it perfect and my choice would be to buy the real deal at only a few bucks more. But this mic sounds good and it is the perfect prop to be able to leave on the stage without being concerned that some collector would try to rip-off a real classic 55S.
Robert Strecker
The old school style box shaped microphones have always been my favorite, with the super thin mics being by second. This has been that way since I was super young, where the real mic was substituted for household things laying around, to mimic the mics for my imaginary concerts. In my adult years, I have grown to appreciate the radio performers from my grandparents era, such as Bob Hope. They always used the box shaped microphones that were a symbol of that medium.
It was natural then for me to become excited when seeing this nice microphone from the Carol brand. I have searched for this style of mic before and could only find very expensive variations. I know there is microphone technology available where, a nice mic can be designed to b price friendly and also work like a top notch high end kind. This has been evident in certain drum mic kits out there, that provide like a dozen mics for under two hundred dollars. With that kind of competition out there, I was confident that this box shaped retro style variation looked special. I am a musician and have an eye for instruments, or equipment that is special and this microphone is one of those gems.
I love how this is very heavy for a mic which is what I wanted to add to that retro experience. I always thought these kind of things were heavy by the way they looked. I recommend using the kind of mic stand that has a solid round base, rather than the tripod style. You can use the tripod kind but keeping it balanced and upright will be a challenge, with the boom arm having to be flush with the vertical main rod part.
I like how there is an on/off switch on the front part of the unit with it being the slide style. This mic screws onto a stand via the universal connector. Tis kind of mic is usually not used in a mobile way although I do know crooners of the forties would do that like Bing Crosby. I also remember that iconic scene in Blue Velvet with the late Dean Stockwell. I will be using this for vocal based thing sin my home studio and love having this out and displayed with all of my equipment. I am happy that I can enjoy this as a visual thing, as well as actually using it to capture great vocals.
I recorded some test tracks where this mic was used to capture some samples. I then listened to the samples repetitiously and was able to concentrate on the details. I am happy to say the results were a crisp and clear vocal recording.
To summarize, i am very satisfied with this and recommend it for musicians or podcasting.
barbara
I am really impressed with this CAROL dynamic vocal microphone.
Beautifully made, finely finished and without flaws on arrival this retro-styled large mic is not only beautiful but preforms wonderfully. This mic is designed to enhance vocal performance and to resist instrument bleed over and feedback by focusing its pickup capability directly forward to the singer. I have been using the same "ball" mics for, I am embarrassed to say, more than 20 years and the difference between this Carol mic and them is astounding and feedback has actually been reduced. This mic is going to require a bit of a learning curve for me. This is a heavy mic so make sure your stand functions properly and is stable both vertically and horizontally.
I am so, so, so happy with this item---thank you!
