I began using this microphone in my home studio on guitar and bass amps as well as acoustic guitars and was very happy with the detail. I found that it is particularly nice on female voices.

I decided to take it out to a gig at a club to see if it could work for me. The sound was great and I had tons of compliments on it. The only problem I had was some additional bleed. Sound wise it definitely knocks the socks off the usual SM58 or Senn 835 or 935. I have been using it since.

I bought this mic because I needed a few more condensers to experiment with. I'm a recording engineer and I'm currently building my home studio, while working in a professional studio to pay the bills. I like many of you am obsessed with unusual mics. I bought this mainly for its looks. But the results have been pretty shocking considering its price. I've used this for vocals, banjo, harmonica, trumpets, trombones, and even hi hats with pretty good results. This mic WILL color your sound, but I'm not a purist, I like a little color here and there, so long as you know how to use it. Its a bit on the high end, but not shrill, a little more mellow. I would say it sounds like its trying to be a ribbon. THIS IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR A RIBBON! Because this mic is so limited in function, I usually try to place it a good distance away from the source and get a nice room sound. If you buy this simply for a room mic, you wouldnt be wasting your money. Micing technique is a pain with this mic, make no mistake, you'll be kicking yourself when the mic suddenly turns around on you during a performance. Invest in some tape to hold it in place. I have not tried using this in a live situation, again, mostly I'm stuck in a studio. I can't imagine this thing doing well with feedback as its not very directional like a handheld or pencil would be. But hey, this mic is so cheap I'd say atleast try it out! I tried in on a kick drum, not the greatest, but it might serve live use just fine. I hate the term "vocal mic", all that means is a pressence boost in higher frequencies. In fact this thing has done better on instruments then vocals in my opinion. I opened it up to see whats inside, and sure enough, simple electronics. Thats the reason, along with capsule design and diaphragm grade that this mic performs decently well. So its not the greatest mic in the world, but its a good addition to any mic locker.

This is a great microphone for people that don't want to 'eat' the mic (as with sm58's ect.) 3" - 8" is perfect for the Cardinal, any closer and it's too boomy and un-natural. Even in a live situation, it has amazing feedback rejection. I think a lot of Female vocalists will love this mic for it's sensitivity, warmth and clarity...and the fact that it looks beautiful. I say this because most microphones are tailored for male vocals, and therefore end up sounding harsh and thin with female vocals. The EV Cardinal is very comparable to a Sure Beta 87 in terms of sound and clarity but much warmer. Kinda of like a vintage RCA Ribbon Mic that you can use live!

As a National Voice Talent, I've always used the tried and true EV RE20. It's good for male vocals with a represetation of your BALZ... Match it up with a Valley 400 (On a budget) or a Focusrite (If you're making money) and and your voice over is going to be flawless... or so I thought.

I met a Nashville producer who we began talking over microphones and the ones I've liked for Voice Over and then he mentioned the EV Blue Cardinal Condenser Mic... No way! I've tried condenser Mics and none has sounded better than my "Rusty Trusty RE20".

So a few months passed and I was doing a narration for televison and after completing the read a couple of times I just wasn't getting the warmth and clarity I was really wanting... then my producer buddies voice ran in the head... "EV Blue Cardinal"... So I went to favorite dream site and I saw the price wasn't that much.... I ordered it and thought I can always send it back. As soon as I put the sony cans on and hit the phantonm 48v power, the warmth filled the air and the first paragraph I read without even setting the mic up was "UNBELIEVABLE" it had the sweet spot every male talent is looking for, but it's a condenser mic and I thought it would suck in even the smallest noise

I use the mic for voice production on our radio station and am totally happy!