AKG mics

[scarr3d]

hello everyone,

i just noticed that a nearby store is advertising all AKG mics 44% off! a friend and i are in the market for a nice condensor mic, as well as a dynamic mic for guitar cabs. i'd like to hear any opinions,advice,models,whatever on AKG mics.

btw, these will be used in a studio environment and we'd like to keep it under $400 for each mic. the C 2000 B looks nice...

thanks for reading.

[soundguy]

funny, I just posted about akg mics in another thread.

There is a wide debate on AKG 414's. some people like them, some people dont. I dont, but its still a valid microphone. The AKG C1000 I really feel to be one of the worst mics ever devised, do the world a favor and dont get one. I didnt care for C3000s either.

I personally wouldnt bother with akg at all if you are on a budget no matter how good the sale is. The new audio technia tube mic sounds pretty cool I think and its only 200 dollars. It has an interesting sound to it for sure. It may not be the most amazing mic made, but its $200 and it positively does not suck and sounds better than all the under $400 mics you can buy at a store.

Make sure you listen to those AT's before you go and buy the cheap AKG stuf. In the end you might love the AKG, but there are some pretty decent mics out right now for cheap.

As for dynamics, for under $400, you can usually get the bomb of dynamics if you dont mind buying used, sennheiser 441's are pretty amazing mics. You can still get Sennheiser 421's, I just bought a new one and it sounds awesome on guitar cabs, its the growl microphone. Around $300 new.

dave

[leigh]

i just noticed that a nearby store is advertising all AKG mics 44% off!

Would that be Brownell Sound in Portland, OR?

[black ark]

"The AKG C1000 I really feel to be one of the worst mics ever devised, do the world a favor and dont get one."

mmmmm...

i seem to remember andy hong recommending these for electric guitar where the midrange needed to shine... i've used one on the top and bottom head of a snare, overheads....it's a little different, but it could be useful in conjunction with other things.


(usually: 300 for two or 200 each)

on the other hand, i have an AT 3035 (sister to the 3060, solid state though) which IS far more useful overall because it isn't as "brittle" sounding.

(usually: 200-250)

akg doesn't seem to sell too many dynamic mics through the local chains. (d112 bass mic excluded, of course)

44% IS a lot... a 414 has a lot of versatility for that price.

-paul m.

[tactics]

I dont mind the akg 451 sd condenser.They've even reissued that mic.Sennheiser 421 is a favourite also.Most of the time it's what you put in front of a mic not the mic itself.It's all he said she said anyway,i love it you hate it, that kind of thing.

[Mack Damon]

I don't think AKG has made an interesting mic in over a decade. The AKG's I do use are all old. The original 451's kick butt, even if the capsule crap out fairly easy. The original D12 is a great mic. I count the days until I find the deal of the century on a C12.

[soundguy]

man, I use akg c12a's on literally every session I do, thats totally my go to mic. I just got a BLUE lollipop for a akg c28 and the thing sounds like a holy war. AKG made incredible microphones. They just havent made an incredible one in such a long time. The mics AKG has made in the last 10 years really shouldnt be allowed to share the same name. Even the C12VR, yuck, what a boxy sounding mic.

dave

[markpar]

Good, I thought it was just me. I like the D112 for kick and bass cab, but I have a CK391 that I've used for hi-hat and I can't for the life of me find another use for it. It just sounds lifeless to me.

I'm getting a pair of the Special Edition 414s to try out as drum overheads. They also use the same capsule as the C12VR. We'll see what they can do. I'm not expecting a whole lot, so maybe I'll be surprised.

-mark

[monkeyboy]

I borrowed an AKG c2000b from a friend. I used it extensively on
guitars, voice, and drums.

Without some pretty serious EQ work it sounded like poop on all sources .
On guitars it wasn't bad, but a 421 or a 57 sounded way better.
It was really only useful as a texture in places. I definitely wouldn't
want that mic to be my only option on a source.

In a nut shell...don't do it. There are better mics for your money. I guess if you want a condenser with really harsh mids and boxy sounding highs, the C2000 is your mic.
I personally would avoid all of the C1, 2, 3 line. I've found most other
peoples comments to match mine.

[dubphaser]

I've got a C3000. A bit "crisp", but it's OK. I'll use it as a room mike sometimes. I wouldn't buy another one. I use the D112 as my main "inside" kick mic and love it. I think you can probably get better deals (and better sounds) for less $$$. Try MXL, Studio Projects, Oktava...

- dubphaser

[dubphaser]

...and the Rode mics are GREAT!

[swingdoc]

I am one of those that like the C414, but the older EB model. I liked it much better when compared to BULS or TLII.
I agree, the C1000 C2000 and C3000 mics are pretty useless in my mic vocabulary. Better mics available for the same price. I gotta say though, that I really like the C4000 mic abunch. I think it is a real "sleeper" of a mic, not widely discussed, but nice sounding.
Funny, I've not been too fond of the AT's mics much. They definitetly get a lot of discussion, but I just dont care much for them. Shows how subjective mic preferences are.

[nutone]

i know i should post this in the buy/sell section, but it kind of pertains to this topic. i have a 414 TLII that i am probably going to sell. email me if intrested: willies171@cs.com

[ordinary_monkey]

Agreed with Swingdoc on the 414 EB - really a great sounding mic. In terms of the AKG stuff, used is definately the way to go. The old 451s sound great, and the ability to change capsules on them is definately cool (the reissues aren't modular like the old ones are). Used 451s are generally like $250-300, which is actually a really accessable price for a nice sounding mic. Gotta watch with matching on the older mics though - I have two 451 EBs and they sound pretty different from each other. Hmmmmm.

D.

[TapeOpAndy]

i seem to remember andy hong recommending these for electric guitar where the midrange needed to shine...

I'm a BIG fan of the C1000S. Like most of y'all, I've got $1000's of dollars in mics in my cabinet. But when it comes down to recording electric guitar, the C1000S is my all-time favorite mic. For my style of recording, the C1000S kicks a Royer R-121's ass to the moon, especially on Fender amps.

Speaking o' asses, I finally got off my ass and wrote a review of the C1000S after getting many requests. The review will run in the next issue.

As with any mic, "try before buy" is a good way to go. Different people have different tastes/techniques/expectations. So my word is just as valid OR INVALID as anyone elses.