AKG Microphones

- What type of microphone? (live, recording, mixed...) Live, but i guess you could use it for recording too...i mean people use SM58's for recording, and this is much better than that... - What technology? (electret, condenser...) It's a standard dynamic mic with an on-off switch. Feels very sturdy...quite heavy...looks nice & pro. OVERALL OPINION - For how long have you been using it? I've had it a few months, used it for a rehearsal and a live gig. - What thing do you like most/least about it? It's cheaper than an SM58, looks better, feels better and sounds MUCH better. What more could you ask for? Oh: it's better at feedback rejection. - Did you try many other models before getting this one? I've owned a Shure SM58 (sold cos it was rubbish) and a Sennheiser BF812 (wasn't much good either so i sold that too). I've tried others too and this was the best. - What is your opinion about the value for the price? I paid 90 €, ie less than for an inferior Shure SM58. - Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice?... Of course i would. This is probably the best dynamic hand-held mic in this lower end of the market. I think you'd have to spend a loooooot more to get better. Who said KMS 105 ? ;-)

I own a pair of AKG C1000s and I have used them extensively in the studio. They're a great set (I would recommend getting a pair) of small-diaphragm condensers. It has an on/off switch, which always comes in handy and the design of the mic makes it easy to set up and to place. The sound these things reproduce are great for all types of applications but mostly for acoustic instruments. OVERALL OPINION I've had these for about a year now but I had used them in studios in the past. I ended up buying a pair because they are cheap and are a great option to have for overheads, or miking individual cymbals. They have a great high end to them and are a great value for the price. Many times you can find them cheaper as a pair. I also have a pair of Rode NT5s that I use as another option for overheads. Compared to those I feel the C1000s are a little better suited for hi-hats or ride cymbals rather than general overheads like the NT5s or the Neumann KM184s. They are also great on vocals, especially on choirs or a group of singers. While these may not be my go to mics, I'm happy to have them in my arsenal as an option for things where the high end of it is important.

The AKG solid tube is a condenser microphone that will provide you will top notch quality for your vocal recordings. I found that the best use of this microphone comes in a treated room and not a big open space. You can afford this mic for your home studio so just be careful about where it is being used and the space around it. It can really be a deciding factor when using it. Your space that you recording should be taking just as serious as buying a mic. OVERALL OPINION The AKG Solid Tube mic has a very classic and modern look to it at the same time. It has a brass look that is polished and well made. It looks like a very expensive mic but the truth of the story is that its not that expensive. So if you are pressed for a mic that looks great this could be one of the best ones. Not to mention that it will give you a warm rich sound and make your vocals sound really big. Also, if you have a good engineer behind you he can turn your recordings with this mic into excellent quality. You just need to eq a little bit especially on the low end cut some of those low frequencies out and I let the high’s go with it because they weren’t to bad the AKG solid tube. I was actually surprised by the quality of the Solid Tube. I didn’t expect to get that sound of a mic that was this price. Plus it’s a great thing that it looks good too. This mic has shined in all aspects for me and I would purchase it again with out a questions. I recommend this mic to several people if they are on a budget. You wont be disappointed let your vocals shine.

The AKG C 414 EB is an older model in the classic line of 414 microphones. This is designed for use in the recording studio and probably shouldn't be brought outside of the studio since it is an older microphone and in general is fragile. The mic is a condenser microphone and it has a variety of polar pick up patterns to choose from including cardioid, figure eight, omnidirectional, and hyper cardioid. It also has a switchable pad and a high pass filter. OVERALL OPINION I have only used the AKG C 414 EB a small number of times as they are hard to find and aren't often found in studios. I have used other models of the C 414 many times and find that there are only a small number of differences between the newer models of the C 414 and this one. While it would be hard for me to choose which one I like better as all of the models of the C 414 are great sounding microphones, the C 414 EB has the most unique sound of the bunch. Like all of the 414s, this is an incredibly versatile microphone that can be used for a high number of different instruments because of all the features that this has to offer. I have only this particular model for recording a few different things including acoustic guitar and violin and have found that it is great in all of the applications that I have used it in. It generally has a grittier tone than the modern C 414s but still maintains a high quality and a lot of detail. If you had a pair of these they would definitely sound great as drum overheads as well. These are definitely a lot harder to come by than any of the other models in the line of 414s and therefore will cost you a bit more than the other 414s. If you are into vintage microphones this is probably worth it as it does have a slightly different tone than the new ones because of the time period it comes from. All in all, the AKG C 414 EB is an outstanding microphone that should definitely be known to all engineers.

The AKG C 214 is a large diaphragm condenser microphone that is designed for use in the recording studio. I wouldn't recommend bringing it out for live shows or anything like that as this is pretty much strictly a studio microphone. The C 214 has a cardioid pick up pattern and also has a -20 db pad and a bass roll off switch as well. OVERALL OPINION I've only used the AKG C 214 a few times at a friend's home studio, but definitely got a good impression of the microphone in those times that I used it. I did only use it for recording some vocal parts and was generally pretty pleased with what came out as I could hear a good amount of detail and clarity. This definitely isn't one of my favorite microphones out there but is quite good for the price as it won't cost you too much at all. It is definitely a microphone that is catered toward home studio owners and I would suggest that professional look elsewhere as I don't believe it is up to snuff for professionals. However, those home studio owners looking for a very good sounding microphone at a budget price for a mic like this, I would definitely suggest the AKG C 214. It is kind of at a strange in between price but I would say that this is in our favor as consumers because while it isn't all that cheap, you are getting a very well built microphone without having to shell out an exurbanite amount of money on a single microphone. Like I said earlier, this isn't the best microphone out there by a long shot, but it definitely will get the job done for homes studio owners looking for a very good microphone at a reasonable price.

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.

It's your standard large diaphragm condenser with bass roll-off and a db pad. It comes with a shock mount and a hard case, which is cool. OVERALL OPINION I really would like an AKG 414 or something along those lines, but I'm not rich. The dude at the music store told me to try this for recording my vocals (I had been using a plain old SM58) and it made a huge difference. I'd still like a 414, but instead of saving up for one I decided to buy two more of these, to use for drum overheads (where they also excel). The one thing I've been a little disappointed in is their performance recording acoustic guitar, but that may be my fault, as I don't really know how to mic acoustic guitar properly and my guitar itself is pretty bad.

This mic is really nice. It has a ton of features and goodies that come with it to sweeten the deal when this mic is worth the price you pay for it based on the sound quality alone. It is a large diaphragm condenser mic that is definitely meant to live in the studio, but I have seen a bunch of them used at high end live venues where they have nice microphone setups. They are commonly used as either drum over heads or has a hi-hat mic live, and I actually use them for the same thing in the studio. These can also sound fantastic on the right vocalist for lead vocals. It is a condenser so keep in mind you will need to power this mic with 48V. The mic comes in a rock solid metal case with a bunch of goodies inside. It comes with a velvet sleeve, a nice shock mount, and a windscreen foam cap which is really useful if you are recording something outside with this mic. The mic itself has a lot of great features. One of the most unique things about this mic is how much you can adjust the polar pattern. You have five options for the capsule. You can use a standard cardioid pickup, a hyper cardioid pickup which is a very focused and tight cardioid, and there is also a wide cardioid which includes a lot more of the sides of the mic, but still rejects most of what is behind it. You can also use this mic in figure 8 mode and in omni mode. The mic has a pad filter with three different positions to really hone in on your gain staging. There is also a bass cut filter which does a great job at getting rid of low rumble. OVERALL OPINION It is really hard to come up with ways to criticize this mic. I have used this on a lot of things, from a cello to a lead vocalist to a hi hat and depending on the instrument or singer it can sound fantastic. The highs from this mic really sizzle, making it one of my favorites for overheads and hi hat. The price on this mic is a little high for most people, but this is one of the most versatile and trustworthy mics that you can buy. You'll never want to get rid of it once you have one. It's a really good mic.

This is AKG's version of a kick drum mic. It is a dynamic moving coil mic with an extra large capsule. It is side address, which I feel is kind of a pain considering that you will often want to stick this inside of a kick drum and have the capsule facing the front head. Because of this you will have to do some tricky maneuvering with a mini mic stand. It doesn't need any phantom power and it connects with an XLR cable. It is a cardioid polar pattern, which can't be changed with a switch. There isn't a pad in case you have an extra loud kick drum, but the SPL's you can record with this mic without getting any distortion are very high. This mic also happens to look very cool. OVERALL OPINION I have been using this inside of a kick drum for years. I usually go between this mic and Audix's D6, which is a very comparable mic. I find that the D6 will get you more low end on your kick sound, but the AKG will get you a sound that is easier to mix in with your song and have it still cut through. I have used a few kick drum mics and this one along with the Audix D6 are the two best ones out there, which is good news since they are pretty cheap at only $200. One thing I don't like about this mic is that the frequency response after about 5k goes down very quickly, but sometimes you do want a little bit of air on your kick track, especially if you are miking it outside of the drum. So in that case, you would have to use excessive EQ to try to regain some of that. It is a very good mic overall, and I would recommend it.

I have 3 of these AKG 451E each with different capsules with a different polar pattern. The capsule choice makes a big difference to the 'voicing'. Capsules I have are cardioid, omni and hypercardioid. They all represent typical traits for their polar pattern. The mic is a small pencil mic, 15cm by 2cm, with integral xlr. Weighing about 250g without metal screw-on basket, or 100g more with it on. The screw-on basket is an effective pop-shield, but I still use an seperate pop-shield for 'plosifs. Great mid & top, with just enough lo-mid to capture male voice. but no real low-end bass . So recordings sit nicely in the mix without eq'ing. Medium sensitivity, slightly variable on capsule used. 40-45db gain on the pre-amp before clipping. +48v phantom power. Nice studio tools. Very different voicing to standard SM57's .

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.

The AKG Perception 170 Condenser microphone is sleek , stylish and more than affordable. It is a instrument microphone with a small diaphragm to give a clean and accurate sound. It does require phantom power and it has a cardioid polar pattern. I have been using this microphone for the last 3 years and it has always worked great with a number of different instruments tried out on it. At one point it was my first option to go with when someone would come to record an instrument track. OVERALL OPINION This microphone does have a -20 db roll of switch and it is actually great for an overhead drum microphone. That is the reason that I am thinking of purchasing two more of these. The recordings you can get with the Perception are very clean and warmth. The makes the sound much better than I expected to get for a microphone that cost less than 100 dollars online. There is also a Perception 100 and 200 that came out around the same time and they are pretty good too. I have used them and the 170 before and the only difference is the price. Most AKG microphones are very well made and they are very durable. The best part about this microphone is the -20 db roll off because it is a must have for a condenser microphone that records instruments. My least favorite thing about this microphone is that with it being a capsule microphone getting it to sit right in some setups gave me a headache. Working in a tight space trying to get this microphone to fit and still face the right way gave issues with it being so long. But you will not have any complaints with the recording quality of it. I highly recommend it and look forward to buying a few more of these soon for overhead.