the t.bone EM 700

I've used this microphone on a number of different instruments and found it to be capable and versatile. I've mainly used it on electric guitar and as a drum overhead, and it performs well in both environments.

For a cheap microphone, I don't notice excessive levels of noise and don't need to run my pre-amp too hot. The sound is full and well balanced, but I wouldn't describe it as exceptional. However, for the price the sound quality is really excellent. Construction quality is really good, and the supplied holder is good at isolating the microphone from vibration.

For me, this microphone forms part of a demo kit for making recordings of my band, and it does a great job for this. I think for a proper studio recording I would recommend a more refined microphone, but for most live applications it does a good job. If you're looking to kit out a basic studio for not much money, I'd recommend it. There's not much to choose from at this price point, but I think that this microphone won't disappoint, and will allow you to conserve some money to invest properly at a later date.

I bought one of these for a simple home recording of my drums.

I used it as a overhead and another mic for the bass drum.

This mic worked good, the features were good, but the settings on the mic didn't change the sound or level so much. You don't really have to change the settings.

The recorded sound were good and clear, it did not clip and the level of the raw recording was good. I think it works best in a smaller room.

The mic is light and came in a nice box, that's why i put five stars. It is good to have a box, since condensor mics are more sensitive.

Nothing has been wrong with my mic, no damage at all.

For the price it's a very good microphone.

I use the EM700 in the studio and for live applications.
In the studio they are mostly mounted on all my toms. They make a very detailed sound with a lot of attack. The small powered membrane is simply faster in motion than a dynamic membrane and a big studio mic. Also for stereo acoustic guitar (near and far) i can recommend these mics. Mounted on the stereo holder they are perfect for XY stereophonic miking. Sound is very nice but depends a lot on how you place it to the guitar.
Live do i use them mostly for Piano, acoustic guitar and stereo recording of a whole room or concert hall. When recording you just leave the EQ flat and get e very nice and natural sound in XY stereo. Feedback is an issue with these kind of mics, but not as much as you would think (regarding the price) as long you don't crank up the channels.
I think the best features of these mics are the fast membrane which create nice transients and the natural sound you get when you don't use EQ much.

There are also PAD (10db and 15db) and Lo-Cut switches which makes the mic suitable for quite every application.

Recomendation! :-)

For the price, I really can't have any complaints on first impressions. It's sensitive and clear, quite crisp and would work in a pinch on a wide range of uses. Like others have noted, the background noise/hiss is quite apparent when it's increased beyond a certain point, and this may be an issue when I try it out on spoken word applications where I would want it to be a certain distance from my voice. I also intend to try it on acoustic guitar and guitar cabs - I suspect that it will probably cope with them both fine though.

Overall, a good budget pencil condenser, and one which would work as a decent allrounder.