Austrian Audio

I
f you want to record in stereo
you can either use a stereo mic
or a matched pair of individual
mics. It’s the latter
confi guration I have up for
review in the form of the CC8
Stereo Set from Austrian Audio.
The Stereo Set includes two small
capsule cardioid condenser mics, two
clips, two windshields and a stereo
bar, all bundled together in a
compact fl ight case. It’s basically
twice the price of the individual mic,
but with the added bonus of the case
and stereo bar. Austrian Audio
calibrates all CC8s to 15mV/Pa
output, with a maximum tolerance of
+/- 0.5dB at 1kHz. So although
you’re getting a stereo pair, you could
equally buy two single mics and
expect the same performance.
The CC8 is handbuilt in Austria
and includes their stylish grey/red
colour scheme. The capsule is a true
condenser (therefore not pre-
polarised) design, that uses a gold
coated 3-micron polyethylene
naphthalate (PEN) diaphragm.
Austrian Audio say this is more
robust than Mylar. Combined with
the weighty metal body and fi ne grille
that protects the capsule slots, the
design defi nitely feels ready for
professional everyday use. The mic
incorporates transformerless
electronics, and the healthy 15mV/Pa
output is matched with 16dBA self
noise, which is very respectable for a
small capsule condenser. It’s also
great to see on-body controls for
attenuation (-10dB and -20dB), and
12dB/octave high-pass fi lter (60Hz
and 120Hz).
protection you’ll need something
more fl uffy. I can’t emphasise how
useful a stereo bar is, particularly for
cardioid techniques such as ORTF
and XY. The included CC8 bar is solid
and works well, although it lacks
space and angle markings, and riser
fi ttings, all of which can be useful.
Aside from these aspects I have no
other gripes.
In terms of price, the CC8 sits
well above the budget category
without being silly money. What you
get for that is a pair of very refi ned
mics with a spec to match, and I’d
be more than happy using these in a
professional setting.
Austrian Audio say the CC8’s
capsule sound is inspired by the
classic CK1 cardioid capsule found
in AKG’s original C-451. I was unable
to directly A/B the CC8 with a C-451.
However, the C-451 tends to sound
quite bright, imparting a particularly
splashy sound to hi-hats, for
example. To my ears, the CC8 offers
a much fl atter delivery. Indeed if you
look at the frequency plots, the
C-451 has a broad high frequency lift
up to 4dB. The CC8 meanwhile has
two modest lifts at 6kHz and about
16kHz. Comparisons aside, on
acoustic guitar, for example, the CC8
delivers a lovely sound, full in the low
mids and with plenty of articulation,
but not overly bright. This theme
follows through into percussion and
drum kit overheads, both of which
sound very natural and not
unpleasantly harsh. Testing an
individual mic, the cardioid polar
pattern is reasonably broad, and the
transition to off-axis quite smooth.
And with that healthy output level,
you don’t need too much gain.
Unsurprisingly for pencil-style
cardioids, the CC8s are sensitive to
wind noise and plosives. The
included foam windshields do help a
bit but if you want true outdoor
THE PROS & CONS
+
Has a s mooth,
natural, un-hyped
frequency response
Solid construction
using robust
components
Decent output level
Low self noise
Stereo package
comes in a handy
fl ight case
-
Windshields could
be better
FM VERDICT
8.7
Another great Austrian Audio
package that gives you a
marked uplift on budget
options, but still without the
need to sell a kidney
The design defi nitely feels
ready for professional
everyday use
Austrian Audio CC8 stereo set | Reviews
81
FMU382.rev_austrian.indd 81FMU382.rev_austrian.indd 81 18/03/2022 19:1618/03/2022 19:16