For Sale: Avantone Pro CK-40 - $390 + shippping

[Fran Guidry]

Avantone Pro CK-40 - $390 + shippping

The CK-40 is a very interesting and flexible single point stereo mic, essentially two dual diaphragm mics in one body, with the upper mic able to rotate in relation to the lower one. The dual diaphragm construction allows each mic to be switched between cardioid, omni, or bidirectional figure 8. These features allow the mic to be used for cardioid XY, Blumlein XY, or Mid-Side with various mid mic selections.

The mic and accessories are contained in a hard case:



In addition to the mic the case contains a mic bag, shock mount, cable, and the splitter box that takes the 5 pin connection and converts it to a pair of 3 pin XLR jacks:



Here's a closeup of the mic in all its ruby red glory:



And here are the additional parts including a screwdriver I added to the kit. It's needed to manage the screws on the shock mount:



There are a few caveats I should mention. The zipper on the mic bag failed so I use a rubber band to keep it closed. The bands on the shock mount tend to jump out of their notches so I'm using masking tape to keep them in place. As mentioned above the screws on the shock mount need a screwdriver to operate, so I'm including one in the deal. In addition, the mic has a slight rattle when shaken which is totally normal and related to the internal shock mounting system according to Avantone support. And there is a bit of a grinding noise when the upper mic is rotated, once again Avantone says this is normal and expected because a metal to metal connection is required.

I have done a number of video recordings with this mic. Here's one featuring Hawaiian 12 string specialist Mike Kaawa and I doing a slack key medley:



and here's a bit of solo slack key with the big red mic adding some visual drama:



Fran