AKG 414: There's a reason cheap condenser mics are cheap!

[ernstinen]

Yea, sometimes the best gear comes from your Muse! It's kind of a magical process, how things find you that just WORK!

I lived in Kalamazoo, MI, home of Gibson & Pro-Co. But Kalamazoo also had some connection with the British company, Soundcraft LTD. I bought one of the first Soundcraft 16-channel boards, the 1-S, for --- get this --- $4000 in the late 70s!

I still use it. The mic preamps, the EQs, the faders are to die for. Incredible piece of gear. Best purchase I ever made --- EXCEPT!:

My Sennheiser K2-U microphone, w/a shotgun capsule. Fantastic mic for vocals, acoustic guitar, woodwinds, drum overheads, ambient guitar amp miking etc. My favorite vocal mic = to a U-87 (almost! ). What I paid? $5.00 at a garage sale. Value? PRICELESS!

Ern

[gtrmann]

Sennheiser K2U mic body with a ME80 shotgun capsule, great on electric guitar if you want that in your face sound....about 3 feet out from the amp.....

U87, the first time I put on headphones and sing into one of these, I realized the vocal tone I have heard all my life in recordings.....

Electrovoice RE-20. great for a smooth full vocal sound....great for Kick drum, floor tom , and bass guitar....

Don't have a Shure SM7 yet, will get one eventually......

AKGD12E, never leaves the kick in my studio kit..

Neumann KM184, yea thats a great mic for acoustic guitar in a mix...

AKG414UBLS, great for acoustic solo guitar, overheads, I have used it on cello, mandolin, banjo....all around great instrument mic..

AKGC451 with CK1 capsule, 3 of these live on my studio kit for overheads and hat....

Rode NT1A, MXL V67G, rarely come out of the box....thinking about trying the NT1A for remote recordings where I don't want to bring out the good stuff..... Haven't found a good use for the V67G yet....

I am with you on the Soundcraft preamp channels also, I have a old 800B that I use for most of my tracking....nice full sounding preamps...!!!!

Or at least in my humble opinion.....

[gtrmann]

As a update to this post.... My wife insists on vacationing on the beach each year around Memorial Day...... I just spent a week on Indian Rocks Beach in Pinellas county FL....

I took what I call my remote recording rig with me.... a laptop with a Tascam US1641 interface...

I only took one mic, one that I wasn't too afraid about security.... a Rode NT1a

I wrote and recorded several things..... my Guild D-50 and the wife's Yamaha FG700s acoustic guitars, and several vocal takes....

I would highly recommend the NT1a for this scratchpad type use. not too shabby....

[mojobone]

I know a bunch of peeps that use the NT1A as a primary; they don't own any others!

[jdhogg]

gtrmann
you are a man of taste..........I also have a guild d-50.......described by a number of my friends as they best acoustic they have ever heard...........martin d18 are easier to record though but I dont own one of those yet.

[gtrmann]

gtrmann
you are a man of taste..........I also have a guild d-50.......described by a number of my friends as they best acoustic they have ever heard...........martin d18 are easier to record though but I dont own one of those yet.

Thanks JD, everything I have ever seen you post on this site has been straight up .... I traded a Gibson J45-12 for it years ago.... I didn't care much for the 12 string thing........

[jdhogg]

gtrmann
you are a man of taste..........I also have a guild d-50.......described by a number of my friends as they best acoustic they have ever heard...........martin d18 are easier to record though but I dont own one of those yet.

Thanks JD, everything I have ever seen you post on this site has been straight up .... I traded a Gibson J45-12 for it years ago.... I didn't care much for the 12 string thing........

I have also noted your quality posts.

I still have my gibson J-200 Jnr 12 string...............I love that one.

I had a soundcraft desk as well .....a TS12.

[remmet]

Any suggestions for the best mic for recording bowed string instruments (violin, cello, etc.)? I've been looking at some version of the AKG 414, and the Neumann KM184. But I've heard the KM184s are very bright, which might not be so good for solo strings.

Richard

[gtrmann]

Any suggestions for the best mic for recording bowed string instruments (violin, cello, etc.)? I've been looking at some version of the AKG 414, and the Neumann KM184. But I've heard the KM184s are very bright, which might not be so good for solo strings.

Richard

The KM184s have a presence peak in it, sounds great on Acoustic guitar in a mix, but if the acoustic is the main instrument in the mix I am using a C414BULS..... The C414BULS is the flat version of the 414 I am familiar with, mainly good for instruments and overheads and such.. that would be a good starting choice... I have used mine on cello with good results, but never used it on violin... The C414XLS is the current flat model... I purchased a second 414BULS on ebay a few years ago for less than $500.00

Just my 2 cents...

[mPHATic]

Mics can be tough to choose.

I have a Neumann and an AKG both large diaphragm for mostly vox applications.

Without a good pre they are hopeless...

Id be interested in any feedback on Pres and Mics fit for purpose.

Recently I was the buyer for a retail store operation - the latest mics being presented to me for home studio work, are designed to go straight into USB.

I have seen them and touched them but not used them.

They look good - but do they deliver?

Can anyone comment on any they have used?