the t.bone SCT 800

In fact, I bought this microphone after reading a lot of reviews on the web. I have since before some "normal" transistor-powered studio microphones, but was interested in experimenting with a tube driven mic. I also read that some users felt that they would put in a better tube and therefore I also bought a spare tube, Sovtek 12 AX7EH.

You become quite impressed when the microphone and accessories come in a very lavish small bag. SCT 800 looks incredibly luxurious out with his royal blue color on the body and golden top, heavy and solid. I rigged up SCT 800 with suspension and Popkiller (as Thomann sent with the purchase), and joined the special cable that is 7-pin and is powered by an adapter. Tube mics should ideally be on for a while before using them. Some think they should be on one hour before!

What strikes one immediately is that SCT 800 is not as sensitive as a transistor-powered mic. You can scream and you can whisper and the meter stays within the same level. Another thing is that the S-sounds not so intrusive and the sound is really airy and warm. The microphone is also quite warm of the tube, but not getting burned or such.

I must say that the sound is very good and is particularly suitable for vocal that will be prominent. You get a little tune with EQ because the character is a little different. After a few hours I shut down and let the microphone to cool down before I started to unscrew the microphone to test the second Sovtek tube. The same procedure and waited for about 30 minutes to warm up before I started testing.

Clearly the STC 800 sounds better, if possible with a Sovtek tube. Sound is crunchy and the bass will not be as pronounced. Of course, the difference is not huge, but there are clear shades indeed. In other words, I let the Sovtek tube remain in place and the Chinese tube may be spare tubes. Thomann has a lot of tubes to choose from and some are very expensive. It is possible that STC 800 would be even better with more expensive tubes, but myself I would not spend a lot of money on testing. I'm very happy with the sound I have in my STC 800.

Overall, I can say that I worked a lot of different studios and even with different tube microphones. I would say that STC 800 with its human price well match the expensive tube from well known manufacturers, and perhaps in many cases sounds much better.

Has been using this microphone in my studio for some time now, and so far every customer reaction is like "whats?" 170 euros? For that sound? For THAT TUBE sound? No way!

It just sounds amazing on soft and heavy vocals and also it's most times spot-on during acoustic guitar sessions. Vocals suddenly don't need any de-esser, it just sounds smooth and warm - as you expect from any GOOD tube mic. It can work on guitar amp too with some fiddling around, but personally I would not use it on heavy guitars. Maybe on some clean, bluesy stuff at longer distance from the speaker. It can also handle some great drum sessions - as mono room mic pretty well.

I have not experienced any excessive hum or noise coming from mic itself.

Overall build quality is good, microphone feels pretty chunky (it's good thing) and included case will protect it during transportation, for sure. It's like ... bulletproof.
My only complaint is included shockmount - it's hard to get that holding screw hold whole thing together in place. But it can be solved by adding another washer in screw assembly. That's what I did and it works great and stable right now.

Another great think is people love look of it - so they can record cool looking videos in my studio :)))))

For that price - get it now!

I'm not kidding, this mic is the best I've ever used. I discovered this mic at a new TV studio I was summoned to in Bratislava back in 2014 and it blew me away! The guy there told me to check out thomann.de and I ordered it and I've been super happy with it ever since!
I use it mostly for VO at my home studio.

Like any tube mic, you'll have to deal with an external power supply and cable for it but this all comes with the mic in a really nice case.
I really don't have negatives for it, just replace the tube each year if you use it daily.

I really don't think you can find a high-quality tube mic for such a great cost. It is an INSANE VALUE for the money. I PREFER the t.bone SCT-800 more than even Nuemann tube mics and the AKG C12 or the APEX460 and as I say, it's much more affordable.

For me, it's the perfect mic. I have a deeper voice and it brings out the best for me and sounds smooth and unprocessed. I haven't needed to mod it or anything, I think it's the best!

I needed a cheap tube mic, and this has now lasted me 4 years. Infrequent use, but I have used it to record hand pans, guitar and interviews. It sounds really good, just as good as some other mics 3 times the cost.

My only gripe is the combination locks on the case. They are horrible quality. One lock got stuck and wouldn't open 30 minutes before I was due to start recording a promotional video for a company. I had to rip the case open, completely destroying it. Luckily the mic survived.

Great studio microphone with great sound quality. It is good for only studio recordings because it picks up all the sounds that are near this microphone. (So it is very good for studio that has vocal booth, because great way to record with this is only one sound or voice at the time and that way it gets great results)

Received it today and was immediately put to use for some guitar and backup vocals for a session. I find it to be quite usable for vocals and guitars. The mic is not too bright and the bottom end is quite comfortably tight. I got a feeling that I will be using this mic quite often. Love the design!
here is a review that I did for the mic
https://youtu.be/rryglQZ_tPU

Absolutely love this microphone and so do everyone else that have used it. I even ended up taking it with us into a professional studio because our vocalist liked it so much.
The gold is a bit of a tacky look, but who cares when you're only recording audio.
Quality of manufacture is good and it comes with a nice box to keep it in and power supply.
Really happy with this purchase.

Excellent sound quality and sensitivity. The design is also beautifull.

I've had a great experience with the SCT800. If you're buying a condenser mic on a budget I would fully endorse choosing this.

Solid response across the entire range, crisp highs and nice full mids. If I was to have one complaint about the sound performance of this mic, it would be that the low end of things can get a bit erratic/boomy/uneven. This is easily controlled in the production process though, and doesn't take away from the the overall value of the mic.

The hardcase is of a solid, high-quality build. The mic mount itself is less so, the screw where the mount meet your stand can be quite rigid and blocky, meaning the mic is either rock-solid in place, or quite loose.

For this price range, this is about as good as you're going to get in a condenser mic.

Horrible sound for my ears. the grille was tilted and tested and even the printed ''condenser microphone'' text on the grille was tilted. Looks like some kid made it on art class.

I absolutely love this mic to pieces and for the price is an incredible buy however the only downside I have with it is that it only has a cardioid polar pattern.
Sometimes it sounds a tiny bit flat but with a little bit of EQing you can make it sound gorgeous.
This is a very good investment and can give you incredible sounding vocals and acoustic guitar.
A must buy

I've had this mic for over two years now, and it's still as good as it was out of the box.
Crisp, clear response when recording, gives me honest vocals.