questions about about akg c 451 e

[lancebug]

I have a friend that has a c451 e that they dont really use or know about (and neither do I). They have been considering selling it to reallocate their resources and asked me if they should or not. For what its worth they have both a small cardiod capsule and about a 6" or 8" black shotgun capsule. They are doing video production but are very rough on their gear so they tend not to use the akg in the for this reason and instead tend to use cheaper AT shotgun models (55?) that can be easily replaced and also that can connect directly to camera without any adapting/preamping. My questions are: a) What is the difference between the "e" and the other variants such as the "b" and the non-designated models? b) Is this mic worth protecting from heavy rough use or should they just work it into thier rotation until it expires? I have heard that capsules are harder to find than bodies for the 451, that some people really like 'em and that they are generally out of my price range considering the role they would probably play in my own setup. Other than that I cant find much on the specific differences between the individual editions and capsules.

[Recycled_Brains]

i've used both types of 451's, and while i'm not too sure about the differences in capsule design, the one difference i do know between them is that the 451 B model has a pad switchable between -10 and -20 dB , as well as a high-pass filter that's switchable between 75 and 150 Hz.

the 451 E has neither of those.

i like them for overheads and acoustic guitar. they're pretty rugged (metal casings) and heavy, and the capsule has a metal grill on it, so i would wager that they can take some abuse.

[llamaj]

another difference is the switchable capsule with the E not with the B. ive used both and thought the E sounded better on acoustic guitar

[Professor]

I don't know all the details on the different numbers, but the 451 in general is a pretty widely used and sought-after mic. I believe the model numbers go 451, 451a, 451e, and then the current model is the 451-B. I know that's confusing, but the letters had another distinction apart fromm just being consecutive models. Either way, the first three I listed, and any other numbers you might see, are the original ones with the removable capsules. There were lots of capsules made but by far the most common was the cardioid cap that I think was CK-1. You can still find various capsules as well as the right-angle adapter and -10dB pad from time to time on eBay and other places.
The 451B is the reissue that came out a few years ago and is not modular. It uses the same basic design but incorporates the preamp, pad, and most popular cardioid capsule into a fixed mic.
About 5 years ago I passed up an opportunity to buy a pair of the older 451s for about $250 because I wasn't thinking straight or something. About two months later the reissues came out and the used market price for the old ones jumped because everyone was on eBay looking for anything numbered 451.
The guys from Josephson said that when they were working with Albini to create their e22S mic it was meant to be a replacement for the 451 with the right-angle adapter since nobody makes a small diaphragm condenser that is side-address and low-profile like that for sneaking in around snares & toms. Neumann, Schoeps, MBHO, and maybe one other company still make system mics with a right-angle adapter, but they are really expensive and still a little too big for that application.

If I were you, I'd offer the guy $200-250 for the package, or maybe as high as $350 depending on how much it's worth to you and how much he'll hold out. It's a good mic so it would serve them well on film shoots, but they would need a phantom power supply and would want to baby it a bit more since it's more valuable. I'd tell them to swap it out for 2 or 3 new AT shotguns, especially if they're using those model 55 or whatever that pro-sumer cheapo model is. If you don't want it, PM me and I'll see what I might be able to offer.

-Jeremy