elbandito
potential lunch winner
...and hilarity ensues.
...and hilarity ensues.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
I was just making the point that there is no one mic-fits-all....and I didn't mean to imply that the mic *sucks overall*, just that it may not work on everything as well as you need. I almost purchased them on a few occasions...but always ended up going for something else, so I do think they have a good rep.
There is more than one version of the C414, with or without transformer, then there are the newer reissues and the older ones, which folks do think are somewhat different sounding....so it depends on which one it is, and I can't recall which ones I used but I think it was one of the transformerless versions.
I had the opportunity to use them only a couple of times (trying to recall what specific task they were assigned to as it was several years ago....maybe room mics?)...but the overall vibe at the time of auditoning them was that they were somewhat hyped, bright...(might be why they ended up as room mics).
I know I'm not the only person to say that....but it's for a specific situaiton...otherwise they are high-end mics that could work for a lot of folks in various situations.
One man's "too bright" is another man's "more articulate", and they do have the ability to really grab transients well...so like so many things we talk about....perception and preference figures in. Generally, I don't like bright/edgy sounds, even maybe lean toward tones that might be considered darker.
Justsomeguy
Quiet is the new Loud
Pretty much the same story here. We had a pair at uni (no idea on the specific model number) and found they were great on some acoustic guitars and they were ok as drum overheads, but i really didn't like them on everything else i tried them on (vocals, bass amps, room mics, guitar amps, upright piano, cello and violin). Years later i did a some sessions in a small studio where we tried a C414 on vocals and every time, with every artist, the 414 just didn't sound right.
Now, as miroslav said, the C414's now come in sooooo many varieties that i'm sure that some of them are great, and i've mixed tracks where the vocal was marked as a C414 and they sounded great and were really easy to work with. Also, as i said, whatever the model we had at uni was great on the right acoustic guitar and it has got me tempted to pick up a C214 for home acoustic guitar tracking.
Saying that, every year with our first year students we do a terms worth of workshops where we A/B a shed load of mic's on a shed load of sources purely to experiment and see how they sound and every year i find myself disliking all the AKG mics in our cupboard (D112's, C1000's, C2000's, C3000's).
T
Tim Gillett
Banned
Details please. What didnt you like about them? Were they all equally bad, and for what reason(s)? In what areas did they all fall down?
I would happily use a U87 or a C414 (various models) on a vocal or symphony orchestra or an acoustic guitar, or many other sources. And if after careful EQ I couldnt get it to sound good, I would conclude that the problem was with me. Certainly not the U87 or C414.
Tim
Bobbsy
Boring Old Git
I've not really played with the C2000 or C3000, but....
The D112 used to be my usual kick drum mic and it was "okay". However, I think it's simply been superseded by better mics like the Audix D6.
However, the C1000 is my least favourite, most hated mic in the world. It's screechy and harsh at the top end--and I speak as somebody whose taste tends to run to bright mics. I've yet to find ANYTHING that sounds good on a C1000. My definition of hell was a few years back when somebody miked a violin with a C1000 and asked me to mix it!
Having said that, when you get into SDC mics, several of my favourites are AKG. My ancient C451EB mics are STILL my favourites for an awful lot of duties. These have been augmented by C391s which are almost as good. Some of their dynamics are also pretty useful mics.
The D112 used to be my usual kick drum mic and it was "okay". However, I think it's simply been superseded by better mics like the Audix D6.
However, the C1000 is my least favourite, most hated mic in the world. It's screechy and harsh at the top end--and I speak as somebody whose taste tends to run to bright mics. I've yet to find ANYTHING that sounds good on a C1000. My definition of hell was a few years back when somebody miked a violin with a C1000 and asked me to mix it!
Having said that, when you get into SDC mics, several of my favourites are AKG. My ancient C451EB mics are STILL my favourites for an awful lot of duties. These have been augmented by C391s which are almost as good. Some of their dynamics are also pretty useful mics.
Steenamaroo
...
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Yes...so true!
Imagine how someone like me who hates overly bright stuff felt the first time I used one....thank god it wasn't one I owned...and never would.
GuitarLegend
New member
My favourite recordings have been done with AKG D7s which are great for stage work as well. I use one to record acoustic guitar along with an AKG P170. I just don't have the cash to buy something better when nothing is screaming at me to do so. It has happened in the past, many times, and just recently I purchased an AKG P420 for studio vocal work. I really only bought that one to see what difference it made and nothing is really glaring at me.
When the recordings capture the same voice I hear coming from the source, I have no complaint. Possibly with more experience I may hear what is missing from the mics I use now but so far nothing is jumping up in my face and nagging me to spend more. And from what I gather in these posts, that's pretty much anyone else's take as well. I recorded an acoustic guitar for another thread recently with just an SM58 and couldn't really pick a noticeable difference between that and the dual mic recordings I usually do.
Having said that, I have not had to record a symphony orchestra or a huge range of instruments and voices. I am pretty sure that I should take the bands I record to another studio and listen to whatever differences there are. Comparing my recordings of a band to someone else's recording of a different band isn't going to reveal much to me.
I think I would agree that whatever mic works for you is the one you go with. And I also agree that someone who doesn't care about what mic they use is very likely in the hands of someone who does...
When the recordings capture the same voice I hear coming from the source, I have no complaint. Possibly with more experience I may hear what is missing from the mics I use now but so far nothing is jumping up in my face and nagging me to spend more. And from what I gather in these posts, that's pretty much anyone else's take as well. I recorded an acoustic guitar for another thread recently with just an SM58 and couldn't really pick a noticeable difference between that and the dual mic recordings I usually do.
Having said that, I have not had to record a symphony orchestra or a huge range of instruments and voices. I am pretty sure that I should take the bands I record to another studio and listen to whatever differences there are. Comparing my recordings of a band to someone else's recording of a different band isn't going to reveal much to me.
I think I would agree that whatever mic works for you is the one you go with. And I also agree that someone who doesn't care about what mic they use is very likely in the hands of someone who does...
T
Tim Gillett
Banned
The C1000 frequency plot shows a broad, smoothish presence peak above 2khz, of about 3db max, and a smooth bass roll off below 200hz. While it's no C414, if I couldnt make a decent finished product recording a vocal, guitar, choir, or acoustic instrument with a C1000 I would regard myself as incompetent.
OK, someone miced a violin with a C1000 and asked you to mix the recording. You couldnt get a good sound. Was the mic positioned correctly relative to the violin? Was the gear in the recording chain good? Did the recording have good levels but not clip? Did you later try and EQ the mild presence peak out, if it needed to be EQed out?
If those factors were OK and you still couldnt get a good sound from the violin, I'd have thought you were incompetent.
If you hate the mic so much, I and I'm sure many others would happily relieve you of the burden of it, ...and make good recordings with it.
Tim
Bobbsy
Boring Old Git
Tim, I've been playing with this stuff for around 40 years and my opinion of the C1000S is not simply based on that one violin episode (which I tossed in as an anecdote). FYI, I was able to get an acceptable violin sound--but not as good as it could have been had I started with a decent raw sound. We'll have to agree to disagree on your theory that you can EQ any mic to sound good. I prefer to start with a nearly-right sound.
Although I don't own one (and never have) I've heard (and used) them a great many times over the years and have never found them to sound pleasing to my ears. Yeah, the published frequency response doesn't make it look like they should sound that bad--but to my ears they do. By all means use them if you want to, but I know a great many mics for similar money that I'd buy and use in preference.
Although I don't own one (and never have) I've heard (and used) them a great many times over the years and have never found them to sound pleasing to my ears. Yeah, the published frequency response doesn't make it look like they should sound that bad--but to my ears they do. By all means use them if you want to, but I know a great many mics for similar money that I'd buy and use in preference.
T
Tim Gillett
Banned
Once again please stop misrepresenting me by putting words into my mouth. I never said "you can EQ any mic to sound good". They are your words, not mine. Stop it now mate. OK?
Tim
GuitarLegend
New member
Tim, are you saying I'm fat???
T
Tim Gillett
Banned
What?.............
GuitarLegend
New member
Hahahaha... some woman friend of mine says that no matter what I say. I just answer "yep"
TASCAM MAN
New member
TASCAM MAN
New member
Bobbsy
Boring Old Git
Okay fine--though, from your posts you put less emphasis on mic choice and more on fixing things with EQ etc. than I do.
However, tell you what. I'll stop "putting words in your mouth" when you stop making condescending and insulting posts like this about me:
You don't know me or the work I've done so to imply that I'm incompetent simply because I dislike the C1000 is totally unacceptable to me.
Anyway, enough. You have your views and I have mine.
TASCAM MAN
New member
Alright guys and gals....break it up please !?!?!
T
Tim Gillett
Banned
"...simply because I dislike the C1000." Bobbsy
The AKG C1000 is a reputable mic, if not quite a C414, from the same reputable maker, used all over the world. If you had merely said you disliked the C1000 I would have asked you why, and so might many others.
But you voluntarily went much further than that.
Quote:
"... the C1000 is my least favourite, most hated mic in the world. It's screechy and harsh at the top end--and I speak as somebody whose taste tends to run to bright mics. I've yet to find ANYTHING that sounds good on a C1000. My definition of hell was a few years back when somebody miked a violin with a C1000 and asked me to mix it!"
You work in audio? All the more reason to not make wild, irrational public comments about reputable products. How is that going to do your business any good in the long run?
And you take umbrage at me for pulling you up when you made stupid public comments about a reputable product.
Then dont make them.
Tim
The AKG C1000 is a reputable mic, if not quite a C414, from the same reputable maker, used all over the world. If you had merely said you disliked the C1000 I would have asked you why, and so might many others.
But you voluntarily went much further than that.
Quote:
"... the C1000 is my least favourite, most hated mic in the world. It's screechy and harsh at the top end--and I speak as somebody whose taste tends to run to bright mics. I've yet to find ANYTHING that sounds good on a C1000. My definition of hell was a few years back when somebody miked a violin with a C1000 and asked me to mix it!"
You work in audio? All the more reason to not make wild, irrational public comments about reputable products. How is that going to do your business any good in the long run?
And you take umbrage at me for pulling you up when you made stupid public comments about a reputable product.
Then dont make them.
Tim
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