AKG has produced a bewildering array of microphones over many years, ranging from dirt cheap dynamics to top shelf condensers. Some of their mics are studio standards, and some really are not that impressive compared to their competitors. To further complicate matters, certain AKG mics have gone through many changes in design over the years, particularly the C414, which *is* one of those studio standards. Pricing is also an issue, because it floats according to supply and demand. The classic example of this is the Solid Tube. It was released as a $1000-or-so main vocal mic, and it didn't sell very well. This is not because it wasn't a good mic. It's because several competitors brought out similar mics around the same time designed in the USA, Australia, and Japan, but often built partially or completely in China, and were simply able to sell them for less. So the price came down, eventually to the point where you could buy a Solid Tube brand new on ebay for about $500. Well, it wasn't really a very good $1000 mic, but it was a very good $500 mic. Then people started to ignore the reviewers who said it wasn't that good, and bought up a bunch of them, and decided it didn't suck at all. Everything has to be considered in terms of real world price and availability, not MSRP.
The C12VR mentioned above by Moresound is a classic example. It is a mic that bears very little resemblence to an old C12. That old C12 *was* one of the greatest mics ever made. The new one is a *very* good mic, but it is overpriced for what it is, when compared to boutique mics by Brauner, Microtech Gefell, B.L.U.E., or Neumann.
All that said, there are AKG mics that I *love*, and which they will pry from my cold, dead, hand. There are AKG mics that I hate, and which I believe make good paperweights or doorstops, and there are AKG mics which are "OK", which means they compete fairly with their competition at a given price point.
Note that because AKG changes their models quite a bit, you can often bypass the latest and greatest, and get older models dirt cheap for a lot less money, which means you win on bang for buck.
Now I will lay it on the line and tell you just a few of the ones I love, the ones I hate, and the ones that are "OK". Note that this represents a tiny handful of the *hundreds* of mic models produced by AKG over the years.
Ones I hate (a fairly short list):
C1000S- makes a great "marital aid" or nightstick
C3000B- why oh why did Roland use this dog for the basis of all their COSM modeling?
D880- neodymium dynamic at it's worst
D660- the same but worse
D440/D550- cheap, bad drum mics
C430- a cheap, nasty. small diaphragm condenser
Note that most of the above represent a period in time when AKG was trying to build mics for the budget-minded home recording market, but they were still trying to build them in Austria. In the end, they couldn't compete with other companies outsourcing construction to China and Mexico.
Mics that are "OK":
C4000B- basically a solid midrange condenser, compares well to B.L.U.E. Baby Bottle and AT4040
Solid Tube: Like I said, for $1000, it can't compete. For $500-600, compares well to Rode NTK or Studio Projects T3
D112- low frequency mic, compares well to Shure Beta52 and Audix D6, and is more versatile than either of the others. A generally good dynamic mic
Perception Series (all of them)- If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. AKG studio mic series outsourced to China. They compare favorably to everybody else's inexpensive Chinese mic- MXL, SE, CAD, Studio Projects, etc., and they are better than the bottom feeders such as Nady.
C451- a perfectly good small diaphragm condenser- compares well to Shure SM81, for example.
OK- mics I love. Note that some of these I love because they are that good, and some because they weren't popular, and you can get them today new or used at a price far lower than similar mics made by their competitors, or even the AKG mics that replaced them:
C414B-ULS- A new C414 will set you back a grand. You can find these for $500 or so. I prefer it to AT4055 or Shure KSM44. An all purpose studio mic. Good on acoustic guitar, and a great overhead.
C535- A discontinued handheld stage condenser. You have to go up to the much pricier Neumann KMS104/105 to find a better stage condenser. A fair studio mic as well.
D770- A good drum mic, an excellent voiceover mic. AKG's best answer to Shure SM57. I prefer it to the 57 in almost all cases.
D690- Essentially the same mic as D770, but doesn't reject feedback quite as well- same capsule.
D3800 tripower- designed to compete with Sennheiser MD421. The difference is- you can find this bad boy for $100 these days, brand new, in the flight case. A great live piano mic, if you have 2.
D12- discontinued predecessor of the D112. Simply the best kick drum mic ever made, IMHO.
C2000B- My geatest AKG unsung hero that gets no respect. New, for $329 or so, it blows away most of its competitors. The cool part is- you can find them used for about $100. A virtual swiss army knife. Good on
acoustic guitar and vocals, excellent as a remote stereo pair or for overheads, great on cabs and any percussion from toms to triangle. Where else can you find a European made, versatile studio condenser that cheap? Bang for buck, it annihalates the mostly Chinese-made competition.
Hope that helps. Note that all of that is just my opinion. YMMV.-Richie
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