i am going to have to rebut the previous review, simply because there are far too many beginning engineers who just do not have enough experience to know how to use mics properly. having been involved in recording engineering and production since the early 1970s, i have learned that even the most expensive mics can sound horrible with incorrect placement and angling, and even the most humble of mics can do a perfectly good job when used appropriately. i mean no disrespect to the original poster/reviewer here - i originally had a similar reaction to many pieces of gear - i remember my first expensive preamp, and comparing it to preamps in a little mackie mixer and being basically unable to hear why i had just spent $2000 - it can be quite disturbing...
the AKG C1000 is one of those mics that has somehow developed a poor reputation because, due to its relatively low cost combined with the AKG name, is often the first SDC mic purchased by entry level project studio engineers. these generally inexperienced engineers, not understanding the intricacies of careful mic placement and off-axis angling, will try to use the C1000 at very close range, directly on-axis, and conclude that the mic is harsh or distorted.
I have successfully used C1000s on several commercial recordings, and while i do have other, much more expensive mics, i can certainly get acceptable results from the C1000.
here are a couple of excerpts from a review of the C1000 from andy hong of Tape Op for your consideration:
" My all-time favorite guitar amp microphone is the AKG C-1000S electret condenser."
"Alongside my trusty C-1000S, I’ve tried many different mics — cheap to expensive, standard to whacky. Shure, Neumann, Schoeps, Sennheiser, Royer, Earthworks, RØDE, RCA, Radio Shack, even built-ins on portable tape recorders — you name it. In essence, I do a shootout between the C-1000S and a second mic every time I record an amp. The C-1000S almost always wins. Something about the quality of its creamy midrange response makes it really cut through in a mix — without sounding woolly, brittle, or harsh!"
"For example, on very distorted guitars, I found that a Neumann U47fet going through a Great River MP-2NV sounded similar to a C-1000S through a Neve 1272 — enough so that I had a hard time differentiating the tracks."
"Where can you hear examples of the C-1000S on guitar? Check out any of the studio albums released in the last four or five years from Karate, Helms, Victory at Sea, and Rosa Chance Well; Chris Brokaw’s tracks on his split with Viva las Vegas; or Thalia Zedek’s latest EP. All of these recordings feature the C-1000S as the primary guitar amp mic."
Another way to judge this mic against its peers is listening to Lynn Fuston's comprehensive 3D Mic CD, which allows for blind listening comparisons of a large number of mics ranging from the venerable SM57 to vintage U47s and ELA-M251s. I think you will find that the C1000 turns in perfectly fine tracks. in fact, i am confident that you will be unable to discern most $500 mics from $5000 mics, and you may be amazed at how wonderful even the sub-$100 sm57 can sound in the right hands. sure, the mics will all sound just a tad different, but "different" does not necessarily mean "better"...
As always, do not buy gear based on opinions you read on forums - find actual recorded material featuring the gear you are interested in, and use your own ears to make judgements. test the gear yourself if at all possible.
