Overview
If you can only own one serious studio condenser, the Clarion is a brilliant place to land. It makes vocals sound present and natural, and it has the low end to do a great job on kick drum, bass amp and acoustic guitar too.
Three polar patterns let one mic cover a solo singer, a duet around the mic or a whole room, and the three position gain switch means it copes with a whisper or a pounding kick drum without overloading your preamp. It arrives in a wooden case with its own shock mount, ready to record.
Highlights
- One mic that covers vocals, kick, bass and acoustic guitar
- Cardioid, omni and figure-8 for solo, duet or room sound
- Gain switch (+10 / 0 / -10 dB) for quiet or loud sources
- Natural, present vocal sound with deep, detailed lows
- Wooden case and shock mount included
Specifications
| Type | Large diaphragm FET condenser |
| Polar patterns | Cardioid, omni, figure-8 |
| Frequency response | 25 Hz to 20 kHz |
| Max SPL | 130 dB |
| Gain switch | +10 / 0 / -10 dB |
| Power | 48 V phantom |
| Connector | 3-pin XLR |
| In the box | Clarion FC-357, wooden case, shock mount |
Forefront Tip
If you're building a home or church studio and can only buy one serious condenser, this is a great pick. Use cardioid for vocals, swap to figure-8 for a duet, and drop the gain switch to -10 dB on kick so your preamp isn't working against you.
