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AKG C 414 B-ULS
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All user reviews of 5/5 for the AKG C 414 B-ULS

Large diaphragm condenser microphone from AKG belonging to the C414 series

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Audience: Advanced users Value For Money : Excellent
Users reviews
  • Robert CoatesRobert Coates

    Theres' a reason this mic is considered a classic!

    AKG C 414 B-ULSPublished on 11/05/15 at 12:19
    Bought a mini condition B-ULS for my male vocals and acoustic guitars. Fantastic sounding mic. No EQ needed for my voice. Simply perfect. Small mic with a big sound. I've had so many large diaphragm condenser mics, some cheap, some expensive, that I've owned/tried in the past 20 years that I lost track of how many. The 414 B-ULS beats all of them IMHO
  • robdelaprobdelap

    A must have.

    AKG C 414 B-ULSPublished on 07/29/14 at 13:09
    A Large Diaphragm Condenser (LDC) microphone, this mic has passed the test of time and even evolved into his C 414 XLS cousin. This one should be in any serious engineer's mic locker.

    It features 4 polar patterns: Omni, figure 8, cardioid and hyper cardioid. On the back you'll find an attenuation switch (0, 10 and 20dB) and a HPF (0,75 and 150).

    I've seen this mic in several packaging versions. Mine came with a sturdy and practical shockmount that holds the mic with a twist on the base and a slide-on pop filter, all of this in a lunch box plastic case with the foam cutout for holding everything in place.

    OVERALL OPINION

    I use this mic on everything, mostly voices and overhead…
    Read more
    A Large Diaphragm Condenser (LDC) microphone, this mic has passed the test of time and even evolved into his C 414 XLS cousin. This one should be in any serious engineer's mic locker.

    It features 4 polar patterns: Omni, figure 8, cardioid and hyper cardioid. On the back you'll find an attenuation switch (0, 10 and 20dB) and a HPF (0,75 and 150).

    I've seen this mic in several packaging versions. Mine came with a sturdy and practical shockmount that holds the mic with a twist on the base and a slide-on pop filter, all of this in a lunch box plastic case with the foam cutout for holding everything in place.

    OVERALL OPINION

    I use this mic on everything, mostly voices and overheads, but also on metals and guitars and as a room mic. It has never failed me in achieving the sound I wanted, but is wise to remember that mic position goes a long way in achieving the correct tonal balance. It's pretty flat without being 'boring', a quality that somehow similar counterparts such as Shure's KSM 32 has given me on past recordings.

    I've paired it with it's modern counterpart and there's no clear distinction when using it on cymbals. I'm not too fond of overly-crispy overheads, so this one does that just right. On metals like trumpets using it a bit far and on omni on a decent room you get all the throaty-ness that makes them sound real and expressive and the highs that let them cut through a mix. On guitars i'd rather use a dynamic like the trusty 57, but perhaps some styles could benefit from the higher detail.

    Voices vary and so does the mic to record them. I own an AKG Solidtube and sometimes, specially for dull male voices, that one fits perfectly because it's higher high end, but most of the time I use this one because of it's higher fidelity in the upper mid range, and using it on cardioid and close miking I can get that proximity effect to show on deeper voices.

    This mic is expensive, BUT you can often find deals for it at really, really lower prices. I've seen it in the $1,500 USD range, specially one the modern version, but this one I found for $650!

    Bottom line: Get it if you find a good deal for it, you won't regret it and it'll make a frequent weapon of choice un your arsenal.

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  • sasaintetesasaintete

    AKG C 414 B-ULSPublished on 12/18/06 at 07:32
    (This content has been automatically translated from French)
    C414 I used to save the "Messiah" by Handel.
    Philharmonic Orchestra + 80 singers and five soloists.
    rsultats impeccable violins and all that is excellent string and voices too.
    After I recorded a Harmony also excellent for brass. With respect to a Neuman Neuman on just a little more fishing for the bass drum is the only diffrence in against the price of Neuman's twice and I really do not see why because has the boom of the bass drum more raliste but for the violins AKG is closer to the Ralite.
    has recommended ..... eyes closed and ears wide open.
    David Bastin

    OVERALL OPINION

    C414 I used to save the "Messiah" by Handel.
    Philharmonic Orchestra + 80 singers and five solo…
    Read more
    C414 I used to save the "Messiah" by Handel.
    Philharmonic Orchestra + 80 singers and five soloists.
    rsultats impeccable violins and all that is excellent string and voices too.
    After I recorded a Harmony also excellent for brass. With respect to a Neuman Neuman on just a little more fishing for the bass drum is the only diffrence in against the price of Neuman's twice and I really do not see why because has the boom of the bass drum more raliste but for the violins AKG is closer to the Ralite.
    has recommended ..... eyes closed and ears wide open.
    David Bastin

    OVERALL OPINION

    C414 I used to save the "Messiah" by Handel.
    Philharmonic Orchestra + 80 singers and five soloists.
    rsultats impeccable violins and all that is excellent string and voices too.
    After I recorded a Harmony also excellent for brass. With respect to a Neuman Neuman on just a little more fishing for the bass drum is the only diffrence in against the price of Neuman's twice and I really do not see why because has the boom of the bass drum more raliste but for the violins AKG is closer to the Ralite.
    has recommended ..... eyes closed and ears wide open.
    David Bastin
    See less
  • FP UserFP User

    AKG C 414 B-ULSPublished on 10/31/08 at 16:00
    Great piece, multi mic settings sweet sound, great mic.

    uses phantom pwr

    sound quality: very full

    Price paid: $800 USD

    OVERALL OPINION

    Love their service

    10, 10,10

    Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
    Posted by: Unknown (January 2-, 2003)
  • peepsaudiopeepsaudio

    AKG C 414 B-ULSPublished on 09/08/08 at 09:07
    This mic is a fantastic condenser with top of the line sound quality and clarity. You could use it live if you wanted, but since it's pricey most people tend to keep it in the studio. It has a standard XLR output. The polar pattern on this mic is switchable - from omni to cardioid to figure 8. Since it's a condenser you will need a preamp with phantom power to use it.

    OVERALL OPINION

    I have had one of these for about 5 years. These mics have been around for a long time and most legitimate studios will have at least one. They have super clean and clear high frequency response, so they are used frequently for sources that have a lot of highs and detail. I personally like to us…
    Read more
    This mic is a fantastic condenser with top of the line sound quality and clarity. You could use it live if you wanted, but since it's pricey most people tend to keep it in the studio. It has a standard XLR output. The polar pattern on this mic is switchable - from omni to cardioid to figure 8. Since it's a condenser you will need a preamp with phantom power to use it.

    OVERALL OPINION

    I have had one of these for about 5 years. These mics have been around for a long time and most legitimate studios will have at least one. They have super clean and clear high frequency response, so they are used frequently for sources that have a lot of highs and detail. I personally like to use mine for hi-hats, I have yet to find a mic that outperforms a 414 on the hat. Many people also swear by a pair of these as drum overheads, and sometimes this mic is a dream on vocals with the right voice matching. The other great thing about this mic is the versatility that is offered by the pattern switching. My second favorite use of a 414 is for a room mic when recording drums. You can set the pattern to omni to pick up the whole room, and set it back from the drums. The mic is very sensitive, so you get a nice detailed room recording that you can then mix in with your close drum mics for a nice full sound. At around $1,000, these are not cheap, but they sound really great. The switchable pattern also makes this mic like 3 for the price of one, which greatly increases its value. If you can afford one you won't regret your purchase. I would get one again.
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