I noticed in the latest Sweetwater spam that they advertise the AKG 414 B-XL II as having "updated vintage sound". I'm not sure what it is, but something about me finds that amusing.
I think what it's trying to say is that ... well ... it's still vintage. But it's vintage that's been updated. Kind of like it's old, but it's new at the same time. Outdated, but still cutting edge.
You know, I actually sort of know the copywriter over at Sweetwater's FT. Wayne office. I should shoot him an email and get his thoughts on this one.
Well, you know, everything used to sound different. May be related to global warming in recent years causing a change in atmosphere. The "updated" part of it is that the manufacturer has changed the mic's characteristics to compensate for the fact that we can't even hear the "vintage" sound now the way we used to.
The 414 B-XL II uses the newer C12 capsule, so in a sense it uses a "vintage" capsule. This is not a true vintage capsule, but it is a newer version of an old favorite. Also, the 414 has been a classic mic in many mic collections for many years. This is just the newest in the long line of different versions of the 414. Even if it is not "vintage", I bet it still sounds pretty good.