Richard Monroe
Well-known member
Ok, this is part II in the process of sorting out the mind-numbing number of models of AKG mics. My purpose is to help make sense of this line and find the ones that really are worth the money. In part II, I will be discussing mics that are intended for or used primarily for drums, conga, Djembe, etc. There are many AKG mics which are more general purpose which have lots of uses on drums, such as D770, C414, C451, C2000B, and yes, even C1000S, but I will save general purpose condensers for part III. I covered handheld dynamics in part I.
First thing to note here- there is a huge markup in this line of mics, so you can find cool bargains and huge screwjobs on the same mic from the same dealer.
For instance, 8th street will sell you a C418 or C419 mini condenser for $300 each, and a D112 dynamic kick mic for $200. But- they will also sell you (3) C418's, (1) C419, and (1)D112 for $520! What does this tell you? They are raping you on the price of these mics individually. They'll sell you a D550 kick mic for $170. I bought mine brand new on sale at GC for $50. Look for deals, they're out there. Anyway, here goes-
Kick mics-
D12E (discontinued)- an old time live and studio standard . Many people prefer it to all modern alternatives. Classic kick sound, not real punchy. Whether it's worth it depends on the price, the condition, and the sound you are looking for. I just listed this one because so many people still use it.
D112- This mic was designed for recording double bass, not kick, but it is one of several studio standards for kick. It is brighter than D12, which makes it a pretty good voiceover mic. It rocks on bass cabs, and is an all around pretty good dynamic, capable of handling very high SPL's. And whaddya know? It's good on double bass.
D550- This is a much brighter, punchier mic. It sounds like an Audix D6. Good for people looking for a more modern sound with more click. Would I pay $170 for it? Probably not. On sale for $50, it was a no-brainer. IMO, it sucks on bass cabs, too bright, but is pretty good on floor toms or Djembe.
D11/D110- wicked cheap. Generic AKG cheap dynamics packaged to look like drum mics. Just get an SM57 or a D770, it'll cost about the same and have more uses.
snare and toms-
D440- if you like Audix D3/D4, you'll like this mic. I'm not a big fan of this mic, because I believe the money would be better spent on general purpose handheld dynamics that have more uses. D770 works very well in that role.
C418/C419- These are microcondensers made to clip on to rims, and they are very good drum mics. However- see the huge price variations I noted above. Unless you can talk a seller into huge price reductions, the only way to do these is as part of the kit I mentioned above. The dealers will tell you that they don't need phantom power, which is bullshit. If your mixer doesn't provide phantom power, they will work with battery powered body packs, which will add quite a bit to the cost of the mic. They work very well on sax/brass, and a variety of other instruments in a live setting. I think these are damned useful, but only as a multi-mic pak, mostly live, and only if you have a mixer with phantom power.
D22/D220- see above regarding D11/D110- These are great doorstops and fishing sinkers. There is nothing they do that a D770 won't do better, and the D770 will do lots of other things as well.
I'm mostly skipping over overheads, as I'll cover them in part III under general condensers. Exception- C430. This is intended as a cheaper alternative to C451, mostly for overheads. At $200 each, I am unimpressed. You would do better, in my opinion, to get some Oktava MC012's or Studio Projects C-4's or Rode NT5's or MXL604's. It's not that the C430 is that bad. It's just that there are so many better (and often cheaper) alternatives.
That's it for now- I'll conclude in part III with condensers.-Richie
First thing to note here- there is a huge markup in this line of mics, so you can find cool bargains and huge screwjobs on the same mic from the same dealer.
For instance, 8th street will sell you a C418 or C419 mini condenser for $300 each, and a D112 dynamic kick mic for $200. But- they will also sell you (3) C418's, (1) C419, and (1)D112 for $520! What does this tell you? They are raping you on the price of these mics individually. They'll sell you a D550 kick mic for $170. I bought mine brand new on sale at GC for $50. Look for deals, they're out there. Anyway, here goes-
Kick mics-
D12E (discontinued)- an old time live and studio standard . Many people prefer it to all modern alternatives. Classic kick sound, not real punchy. Whether it's worth it depends on the price, the condition, and the sound you are looking for. I just listed this one because so many people still use it.
D112- This mic was designed for recording double bass, not kick, but it is one of several studio standards for kick. It is brighter than D12, which makes it a pretty good voiceover mic. It rocks on bass cabs, and is an all around pretty good dynamic, capable of handling very high SPL's. And whaddya know? It's good on double bass.
D550- This is a much brighter, punchier mic. It sounds like an Audix D6. Good for people looking for a more modern sound with more click. Would I pay $170 for it? Probably not. On sale for $50, it was a no-brainer. IMO, it sucks on bass cabs, too bright, but is pretty good on floor toms or Djembe.
D11/D110- wicked cheap. Generic AKG cheap dynamics packaged to look like drum mics. Just get an SM57 or a D770, it'll cost about the same and have more uses.
snare and toms-
D440- if you like Audix D3/D4, you'll like this mic. I'm not a big fan of this mic, because I believe the money would be better spent on general purpose handheld dynamics that have more uses. D770 works very well in that role.
C418/C419- These are microcondensers made to clip on to rims, and they are very good drum mics. However- see the huge price variations I noted above. Unless you can talk a seller into huge price reductions, the only way to do these is as part of the kit I mentioned above. The dealers will tell you that they don't need phantom power, which is bullshit. If your mixer doesn't provide phantom power, they will work with battery powered body packs, which will add quite a bit to the cost of the mic. They work very well on sax/brass, and a variety of other instruments in a live setting. I think these are damned useful, but only as a multi-mic pak, mostly live, and only if you have a mixer with phantom power.
D22/D220- see above regarding D11/D110- These are great doorstops and fishing sinkers. There is nothing they do that a D770 won't do better, and the D770 will do lots of other things as well.
I'm mostly skipping over overheads, as I'll cover them in part III under general condensers. Exception- C430. This is intended as a cheaper alternative to C451, mostly for overheads. At $200 each, I am unimpressed. You would do better, in my opinion, to get some Oktava MC012's or Studio Projects C-4's or Rode NT5's or MXL604's. It's not that the C430 is that bad. It's just that there are so many better (and often cheaper) alternatives.
That's it for now- I'll conclude in part III with condensers.-Richie
