SAD Entertainment’s SONY C800G: The Gold Standard of Microphones

At SAD Entertainment, we pride ourselves on providing Calgary with the highest quality equipment the industry has to offer. One of our client favourites is the SONY C800G, which is both one of the most legendary and high fidelity microphones our industry has to offer. In this blog, we seek to answer one of our most frequently asked questions - “what makes the Sony C800G worthwhile?”

The Legacy of the C800G

The SONY C800G is one of the most popular mic’s in the music industry, to the point that many professionals seek to have their music recorded exclusively through the microphone. Kanye West, Drake, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Mariah Carey, David Gilmore, Usher - one thing these artists have in common is their love for the Sony C800G. You can hear the crispness of the microphone on Travis Scott’s platinum hit “Butterfly Effect”. Often, you’ll hear engineers and studio insiders gushing about the hand-built nature of the C800G (we’ll touch on that later) and how the microphone assists mixing professionals in fitting the vocals into the mix in a clear and noise-free manner.

What Makes the Sony C800G Worthwhile?

Thermo-Electric Cooling:

Providing the microphone with its iconic visual heatsink, the cooling system is arguably what makes the C800G so legendary. This legendary microphone sports a 6AU6 tube, which contributes to its pleasing harmonic character; however, with tubes, come heat. The thermo-electric cooling system built into the SONY C800G utilizes the Peltier effect to keep the tube at a stable temperature, which is a phenomena where heat is absorbed or emitted when electronic current flows through a junction of two different conductors.

Dual-Diaphragm Capsule:

Contributing to its transparent, natural recordings, the C800G rocks a high quality dual-diaphragm capsule. This design decision allows for the selection of multiple polar patterns, which enables control over the selection of cardioid and omnidirectional signal pickup. Cardioid is excellent for solo singers/instrumentalists, where omnidirectional is a wonderful option for large room ambient recordings, foley, and more.

Phenomenal Frequency Response:

The Sony C800G has a frequency response which ranges from 20Hz-18kHz. This ensures a crystal capture of any source the engineer or artist seeks to record spanning across the entire frequency spectrum. Be it a bass guitar or Ariana Grande, this microphone does not discriminate, and captures the sources essence with unwavering respect.

Hand-Crafted Microphone:

The Sony C800G is known for its meticulous attention to detail and quality, which is likely due in large to the fact that it is handcrafted in Japan by skilled technicians. Each unit is independently tested to ensure the precise craftsmanship meets the public’s demand for what is often considered the greatest microphone in the world.

Why We Chose The C800G

At SAD Entertainment Inc., we not only believe that it’s a recording studio’s duty to provide artists with a broad selection of microphones, but our personal duty to provide Calgary and it’s artists with the best equipment and environment possible we can in hopes of finalizing their projects with utmost respect to their vision. Dr. Dre is on record stating that the C800G is the only microphone he provides his artists with due to it’s “crystal sound”, which, incidentally, greatly assists engineers in the mixing process (this may or may not have been the reason we initially splurged).

The unmatched clarity of this microphone is almost demanded by commercial mixes and radio hits, and ensures that our clients have a consistent sound booking to booking. Whether you’re a producer booking your artists in for a easy-to-mix crystal clear recording, or an artist looking for the best possible way to immortalize your recording, our recording studio has you in safe hands.