AKG Perception 100/200

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Dwnlow68

New member
Hello all Newbie here first post
I'm putting together a small home studio and now at the point of getting mics (already know a million posts on this) I've seen just about every mic made posted I'm getting the work horse 57's/58's, D-112's (kick drum), C-1/C-3, and Rode's, but I was wondering if anyone has tried the AKG Perception 100/200's? salesperson at local music store was really trying to push them on me... just wanted/looking for opinions

thnx
Dwn
 
I bought the perception 100 about 10 days ago at GC... I passed on the extra cost of the 200 with the pad and high pass. It's the first chinese manufactured mic I've bought and figured with an akg badge "why not"? I do voice work mostly, and have and use an older rode nt1, sony c-48, and senn 421. On my voice the rode has always been forward sounding but "spitty" with a lot of sibilence and doesn't take eq well, the sony is smooth but too laid back, and the senn just doesn't have the clarity and definition, The Perception 100 sounds very smooth. I like the mid range and it works well with my voice (baritone). I use a symetrix 528e as a pre. I'm very pleased with it... moves the quality of my work up a notch. YMMV.

It's a pretty new mic and I haven't heard a lot of feedback on it. Anybody else?

Dave
 
This is always the way it is when a new low priced mic comes out, especially an inexpensive condenser mic. The big boys pretty much ignore it, because mostly, they don't use cheap condenser mics. The newbies ask the big boys what they think about the mic, but the big boys don't know, because they haven't heard it. So the pros recommend mics that have been around longer,with an established track record, because they are more confident that they are not recommending a bad product.

Eventually some newbie who doesn't know any better buys the mic, and posts up- "This thing is cooler than hell. It makes me sound so much better than my old SM58." Some other newbie posts up, "Congrats on your new mic. I've been thinking about buying one. Could you post up a clip?" The clip gets posted up, and it sucks, or not, which has very little to do with whether the mic is any good. It has lots more to so with whether the source, the signal chain, the room and the engineering is any good. And even if it did suck on one singer, it might sound great on another.

If enough newbies like the thing, some semi-pros with $100 they managed to hide from the wife will buy the thing. Then they will post up, " You know, this isn't a Neumann, but it's not bad for a cheap Chinese mic." If they think it sucks, they won't mention it, because they really don't want to admit they bought a Behringer, Nady, etc. By this time, someone will have sent one to Harvey Gerst, who will have it on a shelf, because he's actually too busy recording stuff to evaluate everybody's cheap mic. He'll get around to it, trust me. It will take at least a year. Eventually, he'll tell you what it's good for, and *almost* every mic is good for *something*. If he says it's pretty good, a few more semi-pros will buy it, because Harvey has sent them to useful cheap mics in the past.

The semi-pros will use it for a while, and if they don't like it, they'll sell it on ebay, or in the used equipment forum. If they like it, it will become part of their mic cabinet, and will become accepted as one of those cheap mics that you own because it works. Then another newbie posts up, "I need a killer vocal mic to make me sound like (fill in superstar of any genre), but I only want to spend about $100. Then the guys will tell him that he could consider a Perception 100. It's not a Neumann, but it's pretty good for a cheap Chinese mic. Of course the newbie doesn't get it, and posts back, "But will it make me sound like (fill in superstar)? I use a Behringer mixer. Can you post up some clips?" And the cycle begins again. The whole process takes 3 to 5 years.

With the Perception series, we are now at the point of "Gee, this makes me sound so much better than my SM58". So do us semi-pros a favor. Buy one and post up some clips. If it gets past the second level, in 2 years, Harvey will tell us what it's good for.

Cheap mics that have survived this process- Oktava MC012 and MK319. CAD M179. MXL V67,V69, 603, 990. Behringer ECM8000. Studio Projects B-1. The Shinybox ribbon is an early favorite to make the cut. There are more I don't know as well.
Mic that *should* have survived the process, IMHO- AKG C2000B.-Richie
 
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So nothing cheap flys unless Harvey Gerst says so?

Richard Monroe said:
Mic that *should* have survived the process, IMHO- AKG C2000B.-Richie
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I wrote the C2000B off as soon as it came out right along with the revised C3000B. Bought a RODE NT2 at the time instead.
The 2000 was a lifeless LDC wannabe and the 3000 had no character with way too much hi-end.
So nothing cheap flys unless Harvey Gerst says so? :confused:
Thanks for letting me know how things work around here on this forum.
Guess I'll just discount what everyone else has to say except for Harvey Gerst.
 
Well, the C2000B is a small diaphragm mic (1/2") and isn't lifeless at all. It's a slightly colored studio workhorse more similar to Oktava MC012 than anything else I can think of, but without the annoying popping the Oktava is so prone to. It is a good overhead, a really good cab mic, and a pretty good vocal mic for some voices, and has no similarity whatsoever to a C3000B. It has many of the same qualities and applications as AT4033.

And no, I wouldn't discount what *anybody* here has to say, but there is no question that Harvey's opinion carries a lot of weight here, and so it should. He is a legitimate expert with the credentials to back it up, and has raised the bar on making high quality recordings of big name recording artists using a considerable selection of very affordable mics. His analysis of any given mic's performance and applications is usually rigorous and spot on. There are very few people in the world, let alone on this board, who have the experience in quality control and mics that Harvey has.

And in general, it's not the way it works on this board, it's the way it works everywhere. Professional engineers usually don't have initial impressions of cheap gear, because they rarely buy the latest $100 mic, so those impressions have to work their way up the ladder of respectability. If the mic is made in China, as the Perception mics are, it takes a little longer. Everything I've heard about the Perception mics so far has been good, but I've heard it from people with very limited experience, by their own statements. All I'm saying is that it will take time for the Perception series to become one of the cheap go-to mics, if they ever do, and it's the same for every other new cheap product.

As far as C2000B goes, I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree. By pro standards, my mic cabinet is pretty weak, but I've got about $6000 sunk into mics, and the C2000B gets used a lot here, particularly for cabs and backing vocals. Sorry if I pushed one of your buttons. I didn't intend to piss anybody off.-Richie
 
Richie, I've been chuckling while reading your post. The ring of truth there is hard to deny, and folks new to recording and this forum might want to pay attention.

In the spirit of your post, I wouldn't mind seeing you or others mention some other low-budget products that have passed the test of time and pro reviews. The M-Audio dmp3 mic pre would be one item, and I'm sure there are many others.

Thanks for the wise thoughts as well as the laugh~

J.
 
Thank you for your kind words, Jeffree- Gee- cheap gear that has withstood the test of time- The RNC compressor, TC Electronics M300 multi FX box, Shure SM57,and the MIM Strat all come to mind. None of them is the best at what it does, but you can get by with any of them. And each of us has those favorites that almost nobody respects. The AKG D770 is one of mine.-Richie
 
"Everything I've heard about the Perception mics so far has been good, but I've heard it from people with very limited experience, by their own statements."

Ritchie, from the volume of your posts here It's obvious you are strong in your convictions and probably know more about mics than many who frequent here seeking knowledge and insights into recording. I do not wish to belittle you that. I believe your comment about "very limited experience" to be in error, sir, as I don't recall making that statement. You indicate your age as 51; by my best math, I started speaking professionally into microphones when you turned 17, and have done so quite respectively speaking into a variety of mics daily for 30+ years. OK, so I mainly just "talk" into 'em to make a mic work well with my voice, and maybe that doesn't make me an expert, but I've had opportunites to use various mics to record/produce musicians on jingles as well as the typical garage band wannabees as well. The original poster wanted feedback on a particular mic. I happen to have the mic, like it, and tried to make a comparison to other mics which I'm familiar with, and thats all I tried to say to someone looking for feedback on a particular mic. And thats how it sounds to me, +/- 3db. Of course mic chain is critical, as well as room and talent, but I've got a $1,400 mic that I've tried with several different pre-amps and doesn't sound as good (to me) as this particular $100 chinese akg. Often it seems the more controversy surrounding the quality of a mic, the more purchases made of it. Good. One could, in my opinion, make a worse purchase decision than the Perception 100, and as you know there are many applications for any mic, including "I had it but I sold it". Keep up the good work. This is just my 7th post since I joined the forum back in 2000 so I'm very much a newbie. Now, who has a u87 for cheap?
 
No problem, Frogpond. I would like a cheap U87 also. I don't mean to belittle anyone's experience, or their opinion, and I may have missed your comments or been unaware of your experience. That doesn't change the fact that if a $100 mic was built that was comparable to a U87, it would take time, and an accumulation of testimonial before anyone would take that claim seriously. Also, fair or not, some people's opinions will automatically carry more weight with a lot of people. Harvey is one of those people. I am an advanced amateur who uses mics, and other than 30+ years on stage, I've only been using recording mics for about 5 years. I am no kind of engineer, just an end user. Harvey tested mics and evaluated them for very large audio companies for a living. So if Harvey says a mic rocks, it's going to take a whole lot of people like me saying it sucks to equal that out.
And I am not saying it sucks. I am saying that it hasn't been out long enough for the professional recording community to evaluate it. Often the pros say, "Well, we'll let the prosumer people buy the thing and use it for a while, and if a whole bunch of them like it, it might be good for something."
I don't think George Massengill or Al Schmitt is going to rush out and buy a $100 because one or two prosumers said it was a cool mic. It takes an accumulation of experience. I thank you for your input on the Perception series. The important thing to me is that I have heard no one who has used these mics yet who thought they were just two more hyped Chinese mics. I'm hoping for the best.-Richie
 
Richard Monroe said:
I didn't intend to piss anybody off.-Richie
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FYI, I am not p.o.'d per se. You share wisdoms that I dont have but there appear to be a lot of well respected folks on here other than HG (Let me also clearly state that I am not even close to being such a person)
Thanks for your very clear response. B
 
Yeah, Harvey's experienced opinions have helped me a lot in recent years, but he's certainly not the only one. Dan Richards quickly comes to mind, as does Paul White (SOS mag), and there are many others. For me, it's not just the deeper experience that such folks have; it's also their ability to compare apples with apples (and not oranges) while clearly understanding that users have different needs and budgets. And for the record, I find Richie's opinions to share these very helpful qualities.

J.
 
Harvey, keep the reviews coming. There are a lot of people out here that appreciate you and other studio pro's taking the time to share your knowledge and first hand product experiences with us!
 
your influence

Harvey Gerst said:
It's because of posts like yours that I haven't posted too many "reviews" of mics lately.

And I think Richard was being a little excessive with his description of my "influence" on this forum.
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Don't underestimate your influence around here Harvey. It didn't take me very long to realize (after reading your posts and the posts of others) that your opinions are highly respected. There is a reason for that. Thanks for sharing the "knowledge".

Now I usually just keep quiet during these kind of exchanges but this time I wanted to speak out and say thanks.

Now I better shut up before someone yells at me for posting off the topic of this thread!
 
Harvey Gerst said:
Whoa, that's a little bit strong, isn't it?
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Perhaps strong for a newbie like me. However, when I see things like "THIS is how it is" I know it ain't always so. I have more issue with comments that intimate "all things come through Harvey Gerst" (or ________ paste name) and I know THAT ain't always so because you clearly can't have the time as you are trying to make a living as you have been for 50+ years.
Harvey Gerst said:
But why trash me here for trying to share what I've learned over the last 50+ years in the music business? I've tried to be as helpful as I could on this forum, but geez, I really don't need this kinda shit from you, or anybody.
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If my comments came across in a manner that offended you, please accept my humblest apologies. I really am very sorry it came across as offensive to you. However, if you read my post you will see that the intent of my post really had nothing to do with you at all but had everything to do with "THIS is how it is". In fact, you were quite clear to point it out yourself.
Harvey Gerst said:
I think Richard was being a little excessive with his description of my "influence" on this forum.
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I dont have any issue with Harvey Gerst nor most anyone else for that matter aka, none, zero, zilch. There is a ton of great information on this forum shared by most everyone and I take it in like a sponge. However, I will take issue with "It's my way or the highway commentaries.
That dog just wont hunt.
B
 
Richard Monroe said:
The newbies ask the big boys what they think about the mic, but the big boys don't know, because they haven't heard it. So the pros recommend mics that have been around longer,with an established track record, because they are more confident that they are not recommending a bad product.
Click to expand...

I like your post on this topic. You've obviously put some thought and creativity in to it. :D But I think we need to keep in mind that none of this has to be complex. It's a mic. You plug it in. You either like it or you don't like it. If you're good, then you find a way to make it work. If you're not good, then you won't make good recordings anyway, so what's the point of worrying about mics?

By now, we should all know that what works in one guy's situation isn't necessarily going to work for the next guy in his situation. Even if Nigel Godrich picked all my mics out for me, I'm sure I'd scratch my head over a few of his selections and say: "What the hell was he thinking there?" :D

Which brings me back to your quote about mics with established track records : The reason the more established guys in the field will recommend certain mics with track records is because none of us knows what is going to work for Joe Blow in his situation. We can't be those "Recording SOS" guys in Sound-on-Sound Magazine and work with and hear what the person is using in his/her environment and in his/her situation.

So we play the odds, and revert back to certain "safe" choices that we know will work -- or can work -- in the greatest variety of situations. We play the odds and throw out things that aren't likely to suck. Without the benefit of being there, it's really all we can do.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend an SM-7 or a C414 to some random person I've never met, because either of these tend to work for a variety of different applications and/or situations. On the other hand, if someone asks about the Oktava 319 or the mxl 990 ... or the Blue Dragonfly or any of the cheap Chinese mics out there ... I'll tell them that it may or may not work for them. It's hit or miss, and I don't have a freakin' clue which it's likely to be. Unless I magically transport myself in to your studio or whisk myself inside your brain (like in the movie Being John Malchovich) ... none of us has a clue. We're just dancing about the freakin' architecture at this point.

.
 
Harvey Gerst said:
But it's never been about "my way or the highway".
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Again, Harvey, it aint about you at all. Please recognize that. :confused:
You are not the one that said "This is always the way it is...." nor did you say "it's not the way it works on this board, it's the way it works everywhere..."
In fact there is nothing in this post nor in this forum that you have "said" that pushed my button, made me angry or I've disagreed with. You are certainly not in my crosshairs and never have been. The only thing I'd like to shoot with you is the breeze over a couple of cold beers. OK, well, :o maybe a couple of 6-packs? Killians Red OK? :D
B
PS-I get crap all the time for my positive stand on sE Electronics mics. Red chicklets too. (oh I am so hurt :rolleyes: )
 
OK, all of us children are playing better now. I just have to make this clear. My first post that started this downspin was *tongue in cheek*. Jeffree's the only one that got the joke, apparently. Harvey is not a god, and not the only person around here who knows anything. He has, however, forgotten more about mics than I will ever know. My post was more a commentary on the society of this BBS than an inspired statement of absolute God-given truth. So lighten up, for Chrissakes. The best jokes are ones that are built around the truth. It *does* take time before any piece of cheap gear gets reviwed by anyone who's *really* qualified to do it. So all of us have to listen to everybody's opinion, and decide what pieces of unproven gear we're willing to risk $100 or whatever on. People like Harvey who know how to get the best out of cheap gear are a resource here, not cult leaders.
BTW, Harvey, you should check out C2000B. It's one of the most useful cheap mics I know of. And if you ever get your hands on a Perception, tell us what you think. For the record, it was intended as a JOKE.-Richie
 
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