The Pearl ELM-C is the cardioid version of the ELM-series, built around Pearl’s spectacular extended rectangular capsule.
 
The 7:1 length/width ratio of the capsule means that the polar pattern is that of a cardioid in the horizontal plane while it vastly reduces high frequencies in the vertical axis, a property that can be extremely useful for reducing unwanted reflections from the floor and ceiling, providing the audio engineer with a valuable tool with which to handle poor room acoustics and other challenging recording situations.
 
Just like the Pearl 2800 rectangular capsule, the longer ELM capsule combines the best characteristics from large and small diaphragms, i.e. low noise, detailed transient reproduction and an extremely smooth off-axis response, making the ELM-C excellent as part of a stereo pair.In combination, the unique characteristics of the ELM series microphones make them outstanding for orchestral and choral recordings and, as a result, they can be found with symphonies and opera houses all over the world.
 
The ELM-C is finished in piano black ED lacquer with a yellow logo, ring and engraved model number.

“The sound from top to bottom and the stereo picture were stunning. One of my favorite aspects of this mic was that thanks to the capsule’s natural directivity, I could use placement to de-accentuate unflattering parts of the room, such as floor and ceiling reflections.”–Mix Magazine

“I truly believe that they are phenomenal microphones. […] They have unique directional and sonic characteristics that certainly place them in a league of their own, particularly when considering large diaphragm condensers as central orchestral pairs.”–Recording Hacks

“The result was pretty staggering, yielding a kit sound that had great focus and space, but with none of the room “honk” that you generally need to dial out with EQ and then supplement with individual microphones. […] I think I’ve found a new favourite for drum overheads…”–Resolution Magazine