AKG C 414 B-XL II

The AKG C 414 XL II is a condenser microphone that gives you the choice of 9 different pickup patterns. You will have a pickup pattern choice for each application you may need it for. This microphone is great for over head drum miking and instruments as well as lead vocals. The frequency range is 20 to 20,000 Hz. This microphone does a great job of picking up your instrument or vocals cleanly. You can use this mic for live or studio use because of the polar patterns. The polar patterns are great, the ones that I end up using the most are omnidirectional, hypercardioid, figure eight, and wide cardioids.
This microphone has a standard 3 pin connector making it compatible with basically everything. Using this microphone on an acoustic guitar has really opened my eyes to how much quality I was losing using one of my Shure microphones to record the acoustic guitar with.


OVERALL OPINION

The AKG C414 XL II was a great decision for us, it does cost more than we wanted to spend but after we purchased it we knew that it was going to be a keeper. When you buy this microphone you will get a really nice hard case with it to carry it in, it also comes with a windscreen and mic clip. With it being so versatile, I know understand why so many people love this microphone. I didn’t want to believe that it could be worth this much money but after using it I fully understand why it cost this much. You will not have any feedback problems with this mic and you will not pick up any unwanted noises during a recording or show as long as you use the correct polar pattern. Choosing your pick up pattern will determine everything with this microphone, I do suggest doing some research on pick up patterns so you can have a full understanding on how to use them before you invest in this microphone so you can know if it is something you want to invest in.

AKG C 414 B-XL II is a recording mic that can be used as well for live performances.
It uses a condenser technology that gives a wide dynamic range and a rich sound.

OVERALL OPINION

The thing that I like most about it is how well it captures the recording, it can be used to record various type of musical instruments and still capture all the overtones, which I find very importantly in terms of mixing and arranging.

Another great features of this product is that it adds some warmth and bite to the vocals that can make a huge difference in some more rocky songs or ballads.
AKG C 414 B-XL II is a pretty expensive mic , it costs around 1000 $ however it can be as well as well by some Pro's or just some amateurs because the manual and the connection with your working soft is pretty easy and fast to manage.

A really unique features that this product has is the multiple patterns which is practically having several different mic's .

Precision and quality of the sound is very high,it has an ncredible Dynamic Range, with a low 6 dB-A self-noise, and a dynamic range of 152 dB.

It has nine switchable pickup patterns, three bass-cut filters and three pad levels to suit any type of sound input.
Peak Hold LEDs illuminate to display overload peaks that is really helpful when you're recording with an vocalist.

It comes with AKG's PF 80 pop filter, foam windscreen, spider-suspension shock mount, and foam-lined aluminum flight case, having said that, with a good preamp you can get a very deep yet pro sound quality.

Knowing what I know, I'm not quite sure if I would buy the mic again because it's quite expensive, however it money isn't a problem, you should check this mic and buy some high quality preamp, that way you can get those great sounds that you've searching for.

This mic provides a top-notch frequency response curve and great sensitivity. It really captures your original source and makes it come alive. This mic is best used for quieter ‘acoustic’ sources, e.g. acoustic guitar, voice, strings and wind instruments. It will capture all the details and nuances of these sources. The user manual contains some good guidelines for using the mic with a lot of different sources. This mic also features some sophisticated electronics. You can choose from nine different pick-up patterns, four different attenuation settings, and four different bass-cut settings.


OVERALL OPINION

The carrying case, pop filter, and shock-mount are all excellent quality. It’s so nice to buy a piece of equipment and get some really high quality useful accessories. If you’re doing voice recording, definitely use the pop filter. They also test every mic and provide you with the actual frequency response of YOUR individual mic! If you are doing stereo recording and you want the best results, you can even buy a ‘matched pair’. They compare the frequency responses and put two mics in the same case that have nearly identical frequency response. If you are looking to mic a guitar amp, you may want to look elsewhere. In fact, I’ve read that you could even damage this mic if it is too close to a loud amp. The sound pressure from a loud amp could make the diaphragm less sensitive. An SM-57 or other dynamic mic would be a better choice for mic’ing an amp. This mic is not cheap, but you get what you pay for. This is a top-quality mic used by professionals all over the world. It is the current evolution of a design going back decades. If you need your sound to be as accurate as possible, this mic is for you. Buy it , its worth every penny.

The AKG C 414 B-XL II is a condenser microphone used primarily in the recording studio. I'm sure it can be used on stage as well but since it is rather fragile I have never tried to use it in such a setting. It is definitley designed for the studio and works great on all sorts of instruments and applications. It has a five settings in its switchable polar pattern section including omni, figure 8, and cardioid. This variable polar pattern setting makes it a versatile mic that can be used in a number of different situations. It's small size also makes it easy to place and to angle it exactly the way you want to put it.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using AKG 414s for about three or four years. This is the model of the AKG 414 that I have used extensively, but I have used a few different versions of the 414. This mic is one of my favorite all around microphones as it sounds great on everything from violin to acoustic guitars and vocals. Its variable polar pattern also makes it a great all around microphone because of its ability to capture sound from a number of different perspectives. The sound quality of this microphone is true to source and the mid range and high end come in very well. It has an overall full sounding tone to it. While I use it mostly on acoustic guitar, violin, mandolin and hi hat, I also like the sound of it on certain types of vocals. The price is very reasonable for such a great sounding mic that can be used in so many different situations. The AKG is one of my favorite overall mics and it comes with a price tag that is minimal in comparison to some mics that just don't sound as good.