CAROL AC-900S XLR Wired Vocal Microphone – Dynamic Supercardioid Mic with AHNC Dual-Engine Noise Cancelling Tech for Singing, Karaoke, Stage & Studio, Includes Mic Clip, 14.8ft Cable & Switch - Gray

No. I like this mic a lot

Though sold as a vocal mic, I found this mic from Carol to be a better fit for recording instruments and for speaking rather than singing. It's got good clarity and is relatively noise-free, though it's got a bit of punch that is well-suited to recording drums and bass. I like the fullness you get when using it as a room mic.For singing performances, it picked up plosives a little too readily compared with a couple of others I've used from this brand. Speaking, on the other hand, I got great audio. This would be an excellent mic for podcasting.It IS good for singing in one instance: for live performances. It's very good at minimizing the noise generated when you handle the mic while recording. I was quite impressed with it in that regard.Overall, I think this is a good performer at the price range.

The mechanical noise canceling and humbucking coil design in a handheld mic is a good idea. Unfortunately, I've noticed no difference in handling noise reduction or EMI reduction compared to any other mic in this price range. The handling noise is actually quite high, which is typical of mics in this price range. The sound is also what you'd expect. It's a little grainy, etc. It's not terrible, but there are industry standards that are far more usable.I believe that every mic has a use for something, and one interesting feature it does have is the sliding potentiometer for the on/off switch. It does slightly tailor the tone a little, but that's mostly useful if the mic is mounted on a stand, as it would be easy to shift on accident when handheld. I've tested this mic on vocals. It might be better for instruments and amps, depending on the sound you want.

I had already owned a CAROL P-1 microphone and was curious how the PS-1 would stack up against it, along with a few others.Initial observations:- Impressive materials and build.- Good weight, yet manages to feel balanced and comfortable in the hand.- Well-constructed coil capsule assembly neatly soldered in, with a built-in pop filter.- CAROL “AHNC Technology” anti-vibration design.Save the body color, all of these points are identical to the P-1. However, there is a significant addition in the form of a “slide potentiometer” switch, while the P-1 has no switch at all.I measured resistance using an ohmmeter at its two extremes, and found it runs roughly 450-600Ω. That said, despite the claim in the description don’t expect it to accommodate any sort of impedance matching. For all intents and purposes, it’s simply a 600Ω microphone with an on/off switch. However, it smoothly introduces a live signal without any popping or other noise when moved in either direction.Recording into the REAPER DAW via a Behringer ADA8200 A/D interface, there’s essentially no difference in signal strength or sound at either extreme. Frequency response is pretty much flat across the board, with the exception of a drastic drop-off at around 200Hz. That is mind, I wouldn’t recommend it for tasks such as miking bass guitar amps or kick drums, whose frequencies normally fall far below that.Accessories:- 15’ XLR cable.I expected this to be cheaply made, but it’s actually of great quality. I really like the huge stress reliefs on the plugs, something often missing from many types of instrument cables. I couldn’t detect a hint of line noise, which tells me both the microphone as well as the cable have a very low noise floor.- Run-of-the mill clip.While it’s nice one is included, it’s cheaply made with plastic threads versus a brass insert, and has no adapter. That’s not a biggie to me, as I’ve already got enough clips to sink a battleship around here. I’m sure most folks will find it to be satisfactory for the purpose.How does it compare to some of the industry-standard microphones I routinely use in the studio?- R0DE NT1-A (vocals): Not even close in clarity, seems to capture only mid-range frequencies for the most part.- Sennheiser e609 (amp miking): It really holds its own here, surprisingly comparable.- SHURE SM57 (snare miking): While sound is not quite as crisp, the tight polar pattern does a decent job of shunning off-axis sound from other drums.Summary:Granted, comparing the PS-1 to the other professional microphones I’ve listed is a bit unfair, yet was necessary in order to get a rough idea of its overall characteristics.In the end, considering build, sound quality, versatility and low price, it certainly surpassed my expectations. In my opinion, it’s the perfect choice for those looking for a decent multi-purpose mike without shelling out big bucks in the process.

Review of CAROL Dynamic Microphone Live Stage Performance Vocal Microphone Super-Cardiod PS-1.I tired this in a comparison between three other mics including another Carol mic (AC910), an EV 367s, and a Nady SP-5. This mic was a bit smoother than the others, due to the noise reduction circuit. The other Carol and this one did well for noise. The EV is a very hot dynamic mic and was a bit noisier than the Carol mics. the Nady lacked the clarity of the other three including this one.This mic, the Carol PS-1, sounded clean, clear and strong. I ran it through a computer recording setup and through an acoustic amp. it performed very well through the acoustic amp.The mic seems durable, made of metal, feels great has nice weight to it, this one has a switch to turn it off and on. The package came with a mic stand clip and a 16 foot XLR cable.Very pleased, great mic!

Carol is making consistently good vocal microphones for a fraction of what the competitors charge. This particular microphone has built-in circuitry to sort out noise. Although the microphone is the same high-quality as most Carol microphones, you have to be a little careful with this microphone. If you set the settings for the bass and middle too high and the treble too low, you end up with a kind of a muddy sound. Most microphones you don’t want to bring those up anyway. This microphone is good for lower voices, like mine. But again you’re going to need to watch the settings, everything at 12 o’clock is probably the best. For the money you cannot beat this microphone. It’s well-made, durable, and the sound is comparable to my more expensive microphones. The package comes with a cable which is OK. But also includes an excellent clip to hold the mic to a stand.