Shure Centraverse CVG Gooseneck Microphone with Integrated Desktop Base - Black, Cardioid Condenser Mic with 18-inch Neck and Inline Preamplifier, Includes Windscreen & Mounting Flange (CVG18D-B/C)

I installed these for a small church that was having sound issues on the front of the stage. Installed two of them, one for the lectern, and one for the lay reader. The improvement on quality is exponential compared to where it was! The quality of these mics is exceptional. Highly recommend for anybody who wants to get rid of batteries and hardwire their system, while improving their sound clarity and quality.

This is a top performance mic, its sounds are prety clear. I would really likes to have the one with the mute button and red ring, but was not offered. Still is very awesome.

We had an older version of this mic, and the quality is the same, but the stand is no longer detachable. This is good or bad depending on your use case. Previously, we were able to detach the mic when not in use, but this also contributed to the mic being a bit loose in the stand. Now this mic and stand will only stay in place if you glue it down, so it better be the dedicated mic in your use case.

Excellent sound quality! Great price.

Original April 9, 2013 review: The photos for this item are extremely misleading; CVG12-B/C and CVG18-B/C do NOT include a mute button or red light-ring mute indicator. This is the only reason I gave it three stars. Otherwise, the quality is outstanding, as you'd expect from Shure microphones. CVG12S / CVG18S = With Mute switch/LED, Inline Preamp CVG12RS / CVG18RS = With Light-ring, Mute Switch, Inline Preamp Apparently none of these models are available in the USA market. (Why???) As for the CVG12-B/C and CVG18-B/C, B means it's black, and C means it's cardioid... which is the currently case for all model variations. Also, just in case you aren't aware: If you want your mic setup to look like the one in the photo, you need to also buy the ~US$60 CVD desktop base, lest you're OK with using the supplied flange mount, drilling holes into your desk, and keeping your mic mounted at fixed position. Finally, the 18" (or 12") is literally the length of the gooseneck only, both the stiff and flexible portions. It does not include the base nor the microphone length. [i.e., it is measured from the bottom of the microphone (not the tip), to the top of the base (not the bottom, and I'm not talking about the CVD base either).] Hope that makes sense. ----- Amended September 3, 2014 review: It seems Shure (or someone) has taken notice and has corrected the photos on both Shure's site and Amazon's site, so I've changed my review from three stars to four. Thank you, whoever did that. Now the only reason I didn't increase it to five stars is that the aforementioned mics still aren't sold in the USA, which is disappointing, and was one of the reasons I purchased this in the first place. After reading some of the other reviews, yes, this thing needs phantom power. If you're connecting it to a computer, the Shure X2u XLR-to-USB Signal Adapter is a great option, and is what I use. This mic won't work on its own. If you haven't noticed already, everything Shure carries a steep price premium. That's the biggest downside to this mic. It's really only worth the money if you have a (professional) reason for buying such a mic, or you just like having nice high quality things with money to blow. (This guy. *points thumb at chest*) If the latter, your life isn't going to get stupendously better or anything, no matter how much you like the sound of your own voice. Enjoy the mic!

Works great. We use it on a basic podium and it isn’t too long. I do wish that it was only bendable at the top but that’s a personal preference. Now if I could only get people to talk into it. Side note: when I take it off the podium, I feel like I could host a game show in the 70s.

Very pleased with the entire transaction.

Just received ours for a new podium microphone and it’s a bit bigger than anticipated. Total length from the tip of the mic to the back of the base is 2’. The gooseneck itself is 18”, but 12” of it is rigid, leaving the top and bottom 3” flexible. Each flexible part can bend to approximately 75 degrees, so any way to flex into an s-shape would be impossible. The fixed base does have a non-skid pad underneath and can be mounted on the mic side by two small holes where your screw-heads could slide in to. Base is approximately 6 1/2” by 4 1/2” at the widest part. The microphone itself has exceptional quality and clarity, and it has a 12’ XLR (3-pin) cable. This does require phantom power, although most modern mixing boards and/or amps come with some sort of phantom on board. You should know before you buy whether or not your setup has phantom power available. Although it may be ideal for many situations, we found this mic to be too big and not flexible enough to fit our needs. Hope this review helps you determine whether or not it fits yours.