S502 : Excellent stereo set

I got some excellent results from this stereo microphone. I used it both as drum overheads, and also as a room mike to capture more of the distant and ambient sound. It performed exceedingly well in both roles, giving a great and very appealing ORTF stereo image. The sound was well balanced, capturing a lot of the detail of the drum kit. There was a slight emphasis in the treble range, which worked well on my cymbals and highlighted their articulation. I was really impressed with the results.

Having a preset ORTF setup is very convenient. It makes it really easy to capture a good quality stereo image. I enjoyed experimenting with the placement, varying the distance and height from the source I was recording to capture various sound stages.

It is well constructed and comes complete with a case, XLR cable adapter and two windshield. I got a small amount of noise from one the channels when I first unboxed it, but that disappeared after a day of use or so. I haven't experienced any problems since.

A great small stereo mike that exceeded my expectations. It provides great ORTF results at a very affordable price.