When the Room Is the Studio: Peter Chaikin Captures Acoustic Gold with Sanken MicsPeter Chaikin is the kind of guy whose resumé might need its own mixing console. A GRAMMY-nominated recording engineer and video producer, he’s spent his career helping top-tier audio companies bring award-winning music gear to market. He’s not someone who grabs a microphone on a whim. So when Chaikin picked Sanken Chromatic’s CU-44X MK II and CU-51 mics for his latest acoustic session, it wasn’t just a product endorsement—it was a professional decision made with finely tuned ears.The project? A down-to-earth collaboration with filmmaker and singer-songwriter Ian McCrudden and East Coast vocalist/guitarist Wendy Joyner. Together, they tackled a cover of John Prine’s “In Spite of Ourselves”—a song known for its offbeat humor and understated emotional bite. Not exactly the type of track you smother in post-production glitter.A statement from the company discloses that Chaikin’s “objective was to capture a recording that was authentic, and the key to that is compelling vocals, present, honest and clear without embellishment.” So, naturally, he skipped the studio and headed into a cottage living room with hardwood floors and lots of natural light. It was the kind of DIY setup that could easily go sideways—if it weren’t for the gear.To capture vocals, he used a pair of Sanken CU-51s. For the guitars, two CU-44X MK IIs. A statement from the company explains why: “They are cardioid mics with very neutral off-axis response and virtually no proximity-effect.” In human terms: these mics don’t color the sound or get boomy when things get close. They just... listen.McCrudden and Joyner brought very different textures to the table. “While Ian's vocal is gruff with lots of character, Wendy's is pure and clear,” Chaikin noted. A classic case of opposites attracting—sonically, at least. But blending contrasting voices and instruments can be tricky. A lesser mic might turn things muddy or boxy when the tracks are mixed. Not these.A statement from the company discloses that “listening in the control room, [Chaikin] was taken by surprise.” The vocals sounded natural. The guitars were crisp but not overpowering. The stereo image had space. Nothing got lost in the shuffle. “The vocal sound didn’t change when summed with the guitar mic,” he said. “I was really impressed by the neutrality, realism, and lack of coloration overall.”McCrudden, who’s no stranger to high-stakes music production (his Rickie Lee Jones – Live in Stockholm concert doc wasn’t exactly shot on a camcorder), heard it too. “To my ears,” he said, “the result was a sound that was faithful to the playing and singing in the room, giving us a spirited and unique duet.”These weren’t fresh-out-of-the-box mics, either. They were loaned by longtime Chaikin friend Jim Pace, principal at plus24 and Sanken’s U.S. distributor. The CU-44X MK II features dual titanium-matched capsules for wide dynamic range and headroom. The CU-51, meanwhile, is known for its ability to deliver the warmth of a vintage tube mic without sounding like it's trying too hard.In the end, Chaikin found himself in unfamiliar territory—and loving it. “I really enjoyed these mics,” he said. “It was a new experience for me. Rather than turning to my familiar go-to mics, the Sanken mics delivered neutrality and a sense of presence I hadn't experienced before.”Now available on Spotify, the track is more than just a duet—it’s a case study in how good gear, good ears, and a good room can still make magic. No plugins required.The post When the Room Is the Studio: Peter Chaikin Captures Acoustic Gold with Sanken Mics first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.