AKG C414 XLII

Microphone Overview

The AKG C414 XLII is a condenser microphone. It offers nine types of polar patterns to ensure perfect sound capture , hence its exceptional versatility. Since the creation of the first AKG C414 microphone, the frequency range of the microphone has not seen a significant change.

The C414 has even become the industrial reference for competing products or recent developments in microphones. Virtually everything about the microphone has been redesigned with the aim of retaining the original sound .

Among other things, AKG has made improvements to the technical performance of the microphone. The manufacturer cites 15 revisited features in total.

The AKG C414 XLII can be used on most musical instruments. One of its specific features is a slight additional boost above 3 kHz. This gives the C414 XLII model a slightly more airy and open top end. A very useful feature when taking vocals. Indeed, it will allow you to capture contemporary and clean sound.

Visually, the AKG C414 XLII model has a gold mesh grille with an engraved legend. It is a fairly robust microphone which has a very classy finish and typical of AKG microphones. Indeed, compared to older models of the C414, the AKG C414 XLII looks much more modern. They also come with a more complete range of accessories.

The AKG C414 XLII from every angle

The AKG C414 XLII is a large diaphragm, multi-pattern microphone. In addition, it uses a gold-sprayed diaphragm only on its front side. The goal therefore is to avoid electrical shorts between the diaphragm and the backplate at very high SPLs. The capsule sits in a newly designed 4-point suspension.

The way the different pattern, pad and filter options are selected is quite different from anything AKG has done before. Rather than using slide mics, the microphones now feature a toggle switch. Very soft to the touch, the switches link directly to digital switching circuits. The goal is to retain the settings when the mic is disconnected from its external power source.

For studio recording, the AKG C414 XLII requires an acoustically treated room. It features five switchable polar patterns: omnidirectional, hypercardioid, cardioid, narrow cardioid, bidirectional, or figure eight.

A small green LED system is located under the switch. It will also allow you to select the chosen option. Once selected, it can be locked by pressing and holding the selector for 3 seconds. To unlock the setting, simply press again for 3 seconds or turn off the phantom power. The same pattern selection LED will also act as a warning for about a third of a second before clipping.

Other operation of the C414 XLII

The AKG C414 XLII also includes a switchable attenuation function at 5 dB, 12 dB and 18 dB like the pattern switch. This is the best rap microphone to choose if you do hip hop. In fact, it works by modifying the bias voltage on the capsule. At very high impedances, the change can be done using switches. It will only take a few seconds to become active. The low cut filter switch has also seen improvements. It has settings of 40 Hz, 80 Hz and 160 Hz and can also be turned off.

The electronic circuits have also undergone improvements. The sound engineers were then able to extend the dynamic range of the microphone up to 134 dBA. And this, while minimizing self-noise by up to 6 dBA. The mic will therefore require a full 48V phantom power source meeting DIN/IEC specifications.

During the C414's makeover, the capsule's circuitry and its ends also became less sensitive to humidity and large temperature variations. For this, the low impedance section of the circuit will house the function switches. The engineers also strengthened the correspondence between the microphones. It is therefore no longer necessary to purchase corresponding pairs for stereo sound recording.

The sound quality of the C414 XLII

The sound of the AKG C414 XLII is very close to previous models. However, it offers a much more open and smooth sound. Its switchable directivities allow its user perfect control of sound sources . When used vocally, the microphone also produces simply perfect sound.

It combines sound with high-end clarity . Applied to an acoustic guitar the sound produced is rich and bright , but lacks a little depth.

It is a very versatile and professional microphone. The AKG C414 XLII is essential recording equipment. It also allows you to increase the quality of your production while adding a touch of originality. Indeed, the microphone reproduces a very natural , clear, clean and faithful sound. The manufacturer, thanks to new technologies, has been able to combine innovation and old technology.

This duo brought out an unstoppable beast: the unique reference for all other condenser microphones like Aston Spirit for example. The AKG C414 XLII has successfully maintained the classic tradition of the C4141 in terms of sound. But its much wider bandwidth, its great sensitivity, and its control over background noise make it a versatile professional microphone. It adapts perfectly to the most demanding music recording tasks.

Technical characteristics of the AKG C414 XLII

If you want to buy a good quality microphone, the AKG C414 XLII is the type of microphone made especially for you.

• Principle: large 25 mm membrane system according to the pressure gradient principle
• Selectable polar patterns: 5 main + 4 intermediate (cardioid, hyper-cardioid, wide cardioid, omnidirectional, figure 8) for a total of 9
• Sensitivity (open circuit voltage): 23 mV/Pa (-33 dBV ± 0.5 dB)
• Frequency response: 20 20,000 Hz (see response curve)
• Electrical impedance: ≤ 200 ohms
• Recommended load impedance: ≥ 2200 ohms
• Bass reduction filter slope: 12 dB/octave 40 Hz and 80 Hz, or 6 dB/octave 160 Hz
• Pre attenuation: switchable -6 dB, -12 dB, -18 dB
• Equivalent noise level according to IEC 60268-4: 20 dB (0 dB pre-attenuation)
• Equivalent noise level according to IEC 60268-4 (A-weighted value): 6 dBA (pre-attenuation 0 dB)
• Signal-to-noise ratio for 1 Pa (A-weighted value): 88 dB
• Sound pressure level for 0.5% harmonic distortion: 200/400/800/1600 Pa 140/146/152/158 dB SPL (0/-6/-12/-18 dB)
• Dynamic: 134 dB min
• Output clipping level: 5 V rms (+14 dBV)
• Tolerated climatic conditions:
  • Temperature: -10°C +60°C
  • Relative humidity: 95% (+20°C), 85% (+60°C)

• Supply voltage: Phantom power, 48 Volts, according to IEC 61938 standard
• Consumption: approximately 4.5 mA
• Connector: XLR-3 type according to IEC standard
• External dimensions: 50 x 38 x 160 mm
• Net weight: 300g
• Patents: Electrostatic transducer (patent number AT 395,225, DE 4,103,784, JP 2,815,488, US 7,356,151)
• Delivered with :
  • AKG C414 XLII
  • SA 60: microphone clip
  • H 85: elastic suspension for the microphone
  • PF 80: pop filter
  • W 414X: foam windscreen
  • Individual frequency curve with serial number and date code
  •  Luxurious carrying case

Areas of application of the AKG C414 XLII

The AKG C414 XLII is a very versatile microphone. We recommend it for the following applications:

• Vocal soloist, speech
• The acoustic guitar
• The electric guitar
• The violin
• The cello
• The upright piano
• The trumpet, the trombone, the horn, the tuba
• The saxophone
• The transverse flute
• The clarinet
• The Toms

In addition, you can also consult our complete test guide and review on the Neumann TLM 102 microphone . This guide introduces you to the advantage and quality of this condenser microphone.

Application of C414 XLII for a vocal soloist or for a Podcast:

As a vocal microphone, we recommend that you dedicate a separate track to it for the singer's or podcaster's headphone monitor. The latter should also be located at a distance of 15 to 30 cm from the microphone. Apart from that, the cardioid polar pattern with bass reduction (40 to 80 Hz) is also recommended. To improve the sound quality, you can use a special windscreen and also a pop filter. The manufacturer recommends the PF 80 pop filter.

For an application of the C414 XLII with an acoustic guitar

You are asked to point the microphone at the sound hole at a distance of 20 to 30 cm. For optimal results, also consider using two microphones. For the second, you can choose a small diaphragm microphone like the C 451 B. You will point it towards the bridge or towards the back of the body. The result obtained will be simply breathtaking.

For application with an electric guitar or bass guitar

In the case of an electric guitar, place the microphone at a distance of 8 to 15 cm from the speaker membrane. It should also be slightly offset from the center of the amp. You also need to select bass reduction and pre-attenuation. For best results with the best mic , you can provide a second mic for ambience capture.

For a bass guitar, you will proceed in the same way as for the electric guitar. But you can add a direct signal to the mix using the bass amplifier's inline output.

For application with the violin

For solo violin, place the microphone at a height of 1.80 m to 2.5 m. It should also be directed towards the gills.

For a viola, the principle remains the same as the previous one. However, the microphone must be placed at a height of 2.2 m to 3 m.

For double bass and cello

You can place the microphone about 40 cm from one of its sound holes. If the double bass is also to be recorded within an instrumental ensemble, we advise you to reduce this distance and select the hyper-cardioid polar pattern to avoid interference with other instruments.

 

For sound recording of an upright piano

We recommend using two AKG C414 XLIIs. Opt for XY, MS or ORTF configurations. You can also open the cover and point the microphones into the instrument.

For recording trumpet, trombone, horn and tuba

You can place the microphone in front of the instrument approximately 30 cm from the axis of the bell. Also select pre-attenuation on the microphone. To reduce hissing noise, you can also apply the windscreen that comes with the microphone.

For application on the saxophone

Remember to point the microphone towards the middle of the saxophone at a distance of 50 cm to 1 m.

To record a transverse flute

For optimal results, we recommend using two microphones. Place one of the microphones above the player's loop. Point microphone 2 sideways toward the instrument. You can also opt for sound recording with a single microphone. Place the microphone at a distance of 2 m to 2.5 m from the floor and above the player's loop.

For recording a clarinet

We advise you to direct the microphone towards the lowest clef. To reduce key noise, place the microphone slightly at an angle to the instrument.

For recording drums

• In overhead

overhead sound recording , you can use two microphones in XY or AB configuration. Place the microphone at a distance of 80 to 120 cm above the drummer's head. This technique also allows for very natural sound recording of the entire drum kit.

• For tom-toms and floor-toms

You can point the microphones at each tom from a distance of 5 to 10 cm. You can also aim a microphone between two toms, towards the edge of the head. To minimize interference from other instruments, it is imperative to lower the treble above 10 kHz on the mixer.

• For bass drums

You must absolutely select preattenuation (-18 dB). Next, remove the resonance head and place the microphone inside the bass drum shell. It is important to note that the sound pressure can also reach up to 160 dB SPL.

Note : our complete guide to the best studio microphones on this link This guide will help you make the right choice of studio microphone to buy.

Our review of the AKG C414 XLII microphone

For your recordings, whether in vocal applications or on various instruments, the AKG C424 XLII remains the ideal equipment. Indeed, it's a real Swiss army knife for capturing sounds. Using the C414 XLII means discovering the world in another dimension with original sound and your own fingerprints. Whether in a recording studio or for your home studio, the C414 XLII will perfectly complement your microphone equipment.

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