CAD Microphones Trion 8000 Condenser Microphone

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This is a barely used, perfect condition, CAD TUBE Condenser Recording Microphone Trion 8000. Used in non smoking home, never transported or gigged. Everything included except paperwork, available online. Best mic I have ever owned! I'm no longer recording. CAD is a company associated with many brand names (Conneaut Audio Devices, Omnitronics, Astatic), with a microphone-building legacy going back to the 1930s. The company has primarily been associated with microphones for communication and installed sound applications, but has actively been providing studio mics for the past 20 years or so, the Trion series being their latest endeavor. Features The Trion 8000 ($599) and 6000 ($499) are both three-pattern, dual-diaphragm condenser mics with bottle-style bodies - a long cylinder with the capsule on a stalk. The 8000 has tube electronics and an external power supply; the 6000 is solid state, phantom powered. The Trion 7000 ($479) is a ribbon microphone with a short, squatty body and a large ball-shaped grille. All three are supplied with a “cat's cradle” suspension-type shockmount and each comes in a foam-fitted metal case with a carrying handle. The 8000 case - which holds the mic, power supply, and a 25-foot six-conductor cable - looks quite businesslike, and the other cases are functional. Those cases hold the mics very snugly; it takes both hands to remove one. Ballpark street prices are $400 for the 8000, $300 for the 6000, and $270 for the 7000, putting them in line with similar mics such as the Rode NTK tube mic, Studio Projects C3 solid state mic, and a couple of the higher-end Nady ribbon mics. These are large and heavy mics. With shockmounts, the 8000 tips my kitchen scale at 2 pounds, 13.5 ounces, the 6000 is 2 pounds, 7 ounces, and the 7000 is a trim 1.5 pounds. For each, you'll need a sturdy stand, and particularly for the tube mic. The two condenser mics have different capsules - a 1.2-inch in the 8000 and a 1-inch in the 6000 - both using a traditional center-point connection - and are shockmounted in the head with three rubber blocks. Both mics have a three position mini toggle switch for pattern selection, with the 6000 adding switches for a 10 dB pad and a 100 Hz low-cut filter. The 6000 is specified for 48V phantom power at 4.7 mA. This was of little concern in the past when phantom power meant 48 volts, but - with several contemporary devices touting phantom power that supply lower voltage - it's good to know. I connected the Trion 6000 to a Mackie Satellite FireWire interface with an open circuit phantom voltage of 38V. The mic didn't seem to be unhappy, but I didn't have anything loud enough to check the maximum SPL level, which is usually the first spec to go when running on reduced voltage. The power supply for the 8000 is straightforward: solid state diodes and a single regulator IC. The tube filaments are fed with DC - a nice touch. The plate supply for the tube is 120V. The line voltage selector switch is a bit confusing; the notch in the switch slider lines up with the 230V marking on the chassis when it's actually in the 115V position - believe what it says on the switch. CAD agrees, and - beginning with the next production run - the legend will be removed from the case. A ground lift switch on the power supply disconnects Pin 1 of the output XLR connector from the power supply chassis. The 7000 dual-ribbon assembly consists of two pleated aluminum 1.5-inch long and 0.15-inch wide ribbons, mounted parallel in a frame about 5/8-inch apart. Unlike Beyer's use of dual ribbons to extend the frequency response in their M-160, the goal of CAD's dual ribbon design is to provide higher output level than a single ribbon.There's a fine mesh screen over the ribbon assembly, but no other blast filtering other than the rather coarse grille. These mics should be used with care. It might also be a good idea to store the mic in its case with the hinge at the bottom to keep the ribbons vertical. Fit and finish are gen... read more

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