The AKG C12A is a unique condenser microphone that uses the capsule from a regular AKG C 12 microphone, but hooks up to a nuvistor impedance converter. A nuvistor is a kind of vacuum tube. The microphone portion of the C12A actually looks more like an AKG 414 than it does a C12, but sounds better. The mic is only for use in the recording studio as they're older and definitely a bit more fragile than your average microphone. I don't know all the details about how the C12A works as I've only had the chance to use it on one occasion. OVERALL OPINION The AKG C12A is definitely one of the most unique mics I've used in a while. It has the sound of a C12, which as you probably know is one of the best microphones ever made. It's not a dead match for the original C12 though, although I haven't had an opportunity to try them out side by side. I've used the C12A for recording some acoustic guitar parts in a large studio and it sounded incredible. Super clear and rich sounding. I think it's probably going to work well for most applications, at least when it comes to acoustic instruments, but to date this is the only thing I've used it for. The C12A is not nearly as ubiquitous as the C12 has been, and I can see why as it's kind of a strange microphone to set up and what not. It will still probably cost you a good chunk of change as it's still a type of C12 and sounds amazing. Plus since it's pretty rare that probably drives the price up a little bit, although I honestly do not know what these normally go for on the open used market. If you want a C12, I'd probably recommend going with a traditional one however unless you find one of these on the cheap.
These studio mics are tube condenser mics that work really well. They need a power supply to operate. They are great for picking up a wide range of frequencies, which makes them pretty useful in many contexts. Every studio I've been in that impressed me had at least a pair of these mics. I've never heard of anyone using them live, which makes sense because they are very delicate mics that probably wouldn't be very effective live. OVERALL OPINION I've been using these mics for over six months. I work in a studio that mostly records jazz and world music artists, so we have many people coming in to use our Steinway B piano. I've used them mostly on this acoustic piano with great results. I tend to use the in pairs because of this. They really pick up all the frequencies of the piano with great detail, and get all the dynamics without having to be cranked (thus preventing clipping pretty well.) The tone is also very rich and detailed without being shrill. It makes the piano arguably sound better than it does acoustically. In other instances, I've used it on vocals, which usually works well enough for me. It's especially good for singers who have a large range because it sounds good on almost anything. I used it to record a harp once and thought it was the best mic we had at the studio to do this. It's really pricey, so only studio owners who want to get the best sounds should use it. Home studio users would be advised to avoid it unless they have a large amount of money to throw around, although even then you'd probably pick up too much noise at home anyway. It's certainly a great mic, but because it's so expensive I can't say it's got a great value for the price. I haven't purchased one of my own, but if i was a studio owner and looking to buy good mics, I would certainly pick these guys up.
The AKG C 12 VR is the latest version of the classic C 12 large diaphragm condenser microphone. Experienced engineers and recording geeks will of course know that the C 12 is one of the most sought after tube microphones, and microphones in general out there. The C 12 VR is pretty much the same as the original if I'm not mistaken, although there are a few modifications to make it less noisy, although it is green unlike the original. The mic has a frequency response of 30 Hz to 20 kHz and has a variety of different pick up patterns to choose from including those for cardioid, figure eight, omni, and six positions in between each of them. The mic is be to used strictly in the recording studio, as it is fragile and expensive and isn't meant for any other sort of use. OVERALL OPINION Having used both an original C 12 and the AKG C 12 VR, I think I can safely say that this newer version is definitely accurate. While I haven't had a chance to shoot the two of them out at the same time, judging from memory, the mics sound very similar if not the same. I've only used the C 12 VR for lead vocals, but this is definitely as good of an application as any of this mic, as it allows it to go to work on picking up all the subtle details in the human voice while still offering up a great deal of warmth and fullness. I've never met an engineer who didn't revere the C 12 in general, and I doubt I'd find too many who didn't think that this version was as legitimate as the original. Of course there is something awesome about having an original C 12, but they will also cost a considerable amount of more money. The C 12 VR is definitely the type of microphone that will be seen mostly in home studio as it is just too expensive for most home studio owners, or at least it is for myself. However, if you are a professional studio owner and/or can afford a microphone like this, I would absolutely fault no one for going with this as their go to, all in one microphone. It's really as good as any tube microphone on the market, so if you're looking for a top tier tube mic, you absolutely need to consider the AKG C 12 VR.
