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AKG Perception 220
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« Trustworthy, Roadworthy, Cheap and Versatile! Great Budget Mic! »

Published on 09/10/14 at 12:11
The Perception 220 is a fixed cardioid, large diaphragm FET condenser mic. It's frequency response ranges from 20-20,000Hz and is fairly flat. In theory, it could be a perfect vox microphone in a studio setting because of how flat the response is.

Here is a picture of the graphed response:

https://en.audiofanzine.com/condenser-microphone/akg/Perception-220/medias/pictures/a.play,m.923034.html

It is also a nice overhead.
I've only used it as a single overhead, but a matching pair would sound delicious because of where the peak sits on the high frequencies(somewhere between 10 and 11k).
It's got a high pass filter or bass rolloff switch that will bring down the lows starting at about 300Hz.
It also has a pad switch that brings it down -20dB which has lead to me experiment with it in live situations. It works great as a live overhead, room mic, and Bass Cab mic.

It comes with a shock mount and a decent plastic carrying case. It is on sale for 150$ new. When I purchased it a few years back, I think it was closer to 200$. 150$ for this microphone is a steal.



OVERALL OPINION

My favorite thing about this mic is that I've yet to get tired of it. As a 150$ microphone, that is actually astounding!
I also love that it gives so much freedom to E.Q. in post! Equally captured frequencies are incredibly helpful when doing a large mix!
Where the highs are smoothly accented in the response, it is also able to capture very natural sounds. I love using it to record live acoustic sessions. Great for catching the dynamic of the room.
This mic was recommended to me by a friend and fellow sound engineer years ago. I bought it as my first condenser. It still finds it's way into most of my studio projects somehow or another.

I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new mic to add to their collection but especially to those who are new to the world of pro audio and in need of a first decent and decently priced condenser mic. It is all around trust worthy.

Pros:
- Price Point; It will pay for itself in one session.
- Flat Frequency Response makes it very versatile.
- Very smooth sound.
- Great overhead.
- Great Vocal mic(in a studio setting).
- Great room mic.

Cons:
- DO NOT BOTHER trying to mic guitar cabs.
- A little sensitive. Even for a condenser.
- The High Pass filter cuts too much out and starts to affect the warmth of the sound.
- Figuring out the proper time to use the pad versus volume or gain cuts can be tricky. It could just be me, though.