All user reviews of 4/5 for the AKG C 414 B-XL II

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.

See below!
Everyone seems to agree that this sounds quite XL SERIES diffrent old or ULS TL SERIES
These ULS and TL sries taient dj rputes trs diffrentse of sries Previous.
Therefore try this mic before you buy, and not to rely on reputable acquired by the legendary 414 70s.

OVERALL OPINION

Micro trs powerful, capable of good and bad depending on the nature of the source and context of the socket.

Trs unsuited for use in amateur home studio, it is hyper sensitive the acoustics of the space: if the pice rsons do not Manir music, the quality of recorded sound normment will suffer. And if the pice is not isolated, the 414 will capture the remarkable precision of focus with a tap in the bath the gote upstairs neighbor (j'exagre only ))
The 414 does not "repisse" not: it pntre in the acoustic space that he proposes! It is insightful particulirement catch o background he is able to reproduce a soundscape with lots of dtails and spades.

It requires a microphone with musical instruments: a folk guitar a bit "basic" risk of sounding trs trs "basic". It takes care of all fawn placement: we can very easy dnaturer the original sound by putting the emphasis is not o dsirable. But with a little patience (or mtier) we get a rsultat that magnifies the best instruments.

It is a micro particulirement dlicat use of the song: a password or a snack!
It goes better on a voice fminine who will benefit from this bump in the bass, the low mids, and treble relatively mild. Although .... It has complicated the t trs-making voice of a singer, yet with a good vocal technique trs (and broken the song into a microphone). The effect of proximity is difficult particulirement grate by using the same combination of multiple low-cut: the right distance between the mouth and the microphone is almost the RULES centimtre prs. SETTING THE Ditto for the height and angle of the capsule from mouth: the singer must be extremely disciplined in its investment.
There even when a psycho-rigid characters lgrement this micro

It also requires TRS with the rest of the string sound: it has made it much too hard, too smooth preamps with basic audio interfaces. The 414 gives a lot of grain to grind prampli that follows.
Coupled the Universal Audio Solo610 (see https://preampli-lampes.universal-audio.audiofanzine.com/produits/avis/index, ProductID, 72839.html ( https://preampli-lampes.universal-audio.audiofanzine.com/produits/avis/index,idproduit,72839.html ) ) will be reached "to crmer" the very texture s dense, this relaxed Contents sound extremely rigid base. This will be perfect for a big sound "in your face" with the grain, harmonics, warmth, life ....
Transparency, lgret it's really not his thing on decision-proximity is when a microphone that same lack of air in the polarity farms. It manages some 8 mode, Omni or condition to put a little distance and a bnficier rsonance that is bright and musical.

Obviously, the price is for a micro allchant of references (or mythical), but investment in quality of a preamp is required.

If the 414 is a natural part of the arsenal of the professional, it's not - I think the microphone first-choice homestudio amateur ... unless you know exactly what can be learned, and our answer to these requirements.
For the recording of voice (mine anyway), I prfre clearly the Tbone SCT2000 which is much more Tolra and well suited for use in home studio.