AKG 414 or Baby Blue Bottle?

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antispatula

antispatula

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I'm stuck between these two......I record vocals, accoustic guitar and piano. Have a limited budget.
 
Baby Bottle is supposedly kind of a one trick pony (vox). I've owned the Bluebird and it seems to be (from my limited experience with it and by reputation) more versatile, and I still own the Blueberry, which I'd definitely say is best as a vocal mic. I've heard great things about the 414 too (there are numerous versions as you probably already know). For that money though, I'd definitely suggest checking out the Oktavamod Premium Electronics MK-219 or MK-319.
 
I suspect the 414 with its multiple patterns and rolloff/pad capabilities would be a better choice if you're looking for one mic to perform multiple tasks. It's one of those time tested studio standard type mics. I doubt you'll get as much mileage out of a baby bottle.
 
AKG 414. I use a 414 B-ULS on a lot of different sources and it always does a good job. It's OK for vocals, but don't expect it to make your vocals sound huge.
 
The Baby Bottle definately is not a one trick pony. Actually I find it to be less suited for vocals than anything else. It's fantastic on piano and acoustic guitar, very good on female vox but not so much for male vox. It's good for clean electric guitars but not so much for dirty. This mic was by far my loudest and most revealing mic. It's the only mic that really showed off how horrible my room was, in fact it was so detailed I sold it. Drywall and this mic do not play well with each other, you need a decently treated room.
 
thanks for all the advice guys. Haha man I'm more confused than ever now though. The 414 is not too great for vox? That's my most important consideration, the most important thing I want this time around is a very big, "in your face" presence for vocals.
 
antispatula said:
thanks for all the advice guys. Haha man I'm more confused than ever now though. The 414 is not too great for vox? That's my most important consideration, the most important thing I want this time around is a very big, "in your face" presence for vocals.
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Blueberry. I had a guy come in to do some vocals and brought in one. Needless to say I want one now, other than that I've been using mostly dynamics these days. Ever thought of a sm7 or re20?
 
"in your face" presence for vocals.
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Then don't buy the AKG 414. You can get the qualities you desire with the 414, but it will take some more work in the mix.

Pearlman TM-1, Peluso P12/251/47LE will get you there immediately for vocals.
 
I'd say that the Blueberry is good for that (and basically only good for that) IMHO. That's what I read about it in reviews and BLUE's propaganda about it and that's what I got it for, but I can see myself using my PE MK-219 for more subtle vocals. I got my Blueberry for under $600 used on GS and have seen them for less.
 
I'd go for the 414. It's extremely versatile. Sounds great on most vocals I've used it on. Great on acoustic guitar. I haven't used it on piano before, but I imagine it'd work pretty good.
 
I own a C414B-ULS and a Baby Bottle, and they are both perfectly good mics. The 414 is more versatile. Think the baby Bottle was revealing in a cruddy room?
The 414 wil reveal the bumps in your wallpaper, or poor technique of a singer.
The 414 is every bit of "in your face" that you could ask for, if the singer is in the minority that really is good. I've been lucky enough to work with a couple of singers that sound outstanding on the 414. Both of them are American Idols finalist material. I would be perfectly comfortable putting the 414 up for Freddy Mercury, or Dolly Parton, Aretha Franklin, Charlotte Church, etc. I don't think it's a main vocal mic for Bob Dylan.
The Baby bottle is more colored, and a good mic for airbrushing things just a little. Hence, it is good, as suggested above, on piano, strings, and some vocals.
Both of these mics are hit and miss on vocals. The shoes either fit or they do not. This is, unfortunately true of pretty much every other main vocal mic in the universe. At the end of the day, the 414 is good for as many vocalists as the Baby Bottle, and is useful in more other roles. It rocks on toms, Djembe, Conga, as an overhead. It can be a very good acoustic guitar mic, and is excellent on mandolin. It is good on lower register strings, like cello and Viola De Gamba. It's not a bad bass cab mic. It makes a good mic as either half of an MS stero pair, and works well in a Decca Tree or a Jecklin Disc.
Unfortunately, no honest person can say whether any given mic will sound good to you, in your room, through your rig, with your material, on your singer. What I can say is that if you don't have a lot of mics, you could do a lot worse than any of the C414's. I consider it, and the Shure KSM44, to be the most versatile all-purpose condensers for under $1000.-Richie
 
If that is your budget, and those are your choices, and that is what you need to be recording, then the 414 is the only answer.

I kept my 414, bought a second one, and kept the ribbons and the RE20, and sold every other (budget) mic I had.
 
antispatula said:
thanks for all the advice guys. Haha man I'm more confused than ever now though. The 414 is not too great for vox? That's my most important consideration, the most important thing I want this time around is a very big, "in your face" presence for vocals.
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AT 4050. I post reluctantly as I am afraid................Very afraid...........


But, you should try one.

Very versatile mic.
 
+1 on the AT-4050. Very useful mic with broad application. I have two of them. Less colored than the Baby Bottle (which I agree is more of a one trick pony) and, to my ears, flatter than the C414. Again, though, as Richard has already noted, no guarantee that it will sound good on your sources in your room, etc. Ideally, you have to try them out to see what works best for your applications. You should also consider a good dynamic like an Shure SM7, EV RE-20, Beyer M88 or a Sennheiser MD441 -- especially if your room isn't the best.
 
pohaku said:
+1 on the AT-4050. Very useful mic with broad application. I have two of them. Less colored than the Baby Bottle (which I agree is more of a one trick pony) and, to my ears, flatter than the C414. Again, though, as Richard has already noted, no guarantee that it will sound good on your sources in your room, etc. Ideally, you have to try them out to see what works best for your applications. You should also consider a good dynamic like an Shure SM7, EV RE-20, Beyer M88 or a Sennheiser MD441 -- especially if your room isn't the best.
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Yup................
 
I agree with Richard Monroe's comments. You are going to have to try a bunch of different mics back to back and decide what works for your voice and style. A lot of people go into a few studios to audition their vocal mics on their voice. You can bring in an instrumental track of a few of your songs and record a few takes with all of their mics...it should be relatively inexpensive compared to the investment of the mic itself...and you will have chosen exactly the right mic without wasting time buying and selling a bunch of them. If you can't do that buy 3 used, pick the best one and sell the oither 2.
 
AKG 414 all the way. It is GREAT. There is nothing "wrong" with the Baby Bottle....it's just not great. And I really dig AT stuff, so the 4050 is a close 2nd the the 414.
 
Well, I've never heard the BLUE mic, so 414 it is!! :)

Seriously though the 414 is a great all around mic that is very versatile. And who can say no to 5 pick-up patterns
 
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