AKG P220

The AKG p220, “Perception 220”, is a rather special electrostatic microphone large 25 mm diaphragm .

Is this condenser microphone suitable for recording studios? Is it suitable for all types of uses for processing and audio recording ?

How does it differ from a dynamic moving coil microphone, a ribbon microphone, a capsule microphone and other condenser microphones? Let's test the AKG p220 studio microphone to determine and measure its full potential!

AKG p220 microphone overview

The microphone comes with a fairly sturdy carrying case on which the brand logo is affixed. In the case, we obviously find the AKG p220 microphone as well as a Spider (or shockproof protection) equipped with a stand adapter for condenser microphone. There is also an elastic band with a mini-cable for the Spider.

On the front of the stereo microphone, we find the predominant logo of the brand and the inscription of the microphone model. The AKG p220 benefits from an entirely metal with a very refined design. The front of the mic features a low cut filter adjustment switch as well as a pad switch.

The bottom of the AKG p220 microphone incorporates an XLR port. Once again, we are dealing here with an XLR microphone which differs from a simple microphone equipped with a USB port and which can easily be connected to a computer like a USB microphone or boom mic.

These types of microphones do not require the use of a sound card. To operate them on PC or Mac, you only need a USB cable.

The AKG p220 electrostatic microphone benefits from a fairly robust design and has a large diaphragm totaling 1 inch, or approximately 25 mm. On the front of the microphone we find the predominant logo of the brand under which the name of the model is written: “AKG p220”.

The front panel is also equipped with a Low-cut switch (or low-cut filter) and a -20 dB attenuator pad . This microphone operates using 48 Volt phantom power and offers a cardioid polar pattern.

Its use as a room microphone or omnidirectional microphone is therefore not appropriate given that it does not provide omnidirectional directivity and to the extent that it only perceives the sound wave in one direction.

An omnidirectional mic perceives sound waves from all directions and various sound sources, which is not the case with the AKG p220.

Its diaphragm width as well as its design which integrates a high-performance condenser make it a sophisticated electrostatic microphone whose sensitivity allows it to capture sound coming from the front as clearly as possible.

This greatly improves the audio rendering during recording, in order to achieve optimal sound processing whether on a channel strip like the Manley Voxbox , on a mixing desk or via a DAW ( i.e. dedicated audio processing software ).

The AKG p220 microphone is supplied with a Spider, an essential accessory for any streamer but also for all studio professionals. Due to its compact size, the AKG p220 can be placed on a table, attached to a suitable microphone stand.

The AKG perception 220 studio microphone is also delivered with a carrying case for optimal storage and protection. It is good to know that by purchasing this microphone, you can choose to purchase optional accessories (which we consider essential to acquire) to perfect your studio recordings.

Optional accessories for AKG p220 microphones include:

• The PF 80 studio pop filter,
• The ST 305 stand specific for AKG p220 microphone,
• The W 4000 windscreen custom designed to cover the AKG “perception 220” condenser microphone model.

The particularities of the AKG p220

The AKG p220 has the particularity of:

• Offer only one polar pattern with cardioid directivity :

This type of condenser mic is extremely sensitive to sounds coming from the front . The microphone will reveal all its power to you when it is oriented in such a way as to optimize sound perception in this unidirectional directivity. Moreover, this particularity gives it much more capacity to serve a need for use in a recording studio and on stage .

• Have a gold-plated diaphragm measuring 25 mm wide:

The AKG p220 studio microphone features a diaphragm made of a single-sided gold-plated plastic sheet This ingenious design prevents this microphone from suffering a short circuit on its rear electrode. And this, even when the sound pressure is extremely high. Which constitutes a real guarantee of solidity and durability.

• Benefit from an all-metal construction:

The structure of the AKG p220 electrostatic condenser microphone Which makes it significantly better at rejecting RF interference compared to other types of microphones: Atx, Aston Origin, Fet, Polar, Se electronics XR1. And this, particularly whether they are dynamic moving coil microphones , lavalier microphones or condenser microphones, which are often very sensitive to this interference.

With the AKG p220, you won't have to worry about placing it near any transmitter station and near a wireless microphone or various other wireless equipment. The massive body of the AKG p220 directional microphone is extremely durable.

Its front grille also remains quite solid and provides enough stability to suppress handling noise when holding the microphone by hand.

Aside from its ingenious design, the AKG also provides interesting features to perfect audio capture in various situations:

• A significant margin before saturation with minimal distortion :

The microphone on a stand is capable of reproducing the perceived sound without showing almost any distortion at sound pressure levels which can go up to 155 dB Spl . In our humble opinion, this performance is not given to all types of condenser microphones and condenser microphones.

• A low cut filter setting :

Aside from its great capacity to withstand heavy sound pressures which can go up to 155 dB Spl , the AKG p220 is equipped with a low-cut filter setting. This significantly reduces any sound signal power perceived at its input.

The microphone is already very sensitive, the sound perceived and which emerges from it will only be able to confer a clean, refined and timbre audio rendering. The low-cut filter provides an attenuation of 12 dB per octave at a frequency greater than or equal to 0.3 kHz .

This greatly allows you to control the volume of the microphone at the input of a microphone preamp or a mixing desk or through a channel strip, via appropriate monitoring headphones.

• A switchable sensitivity pre-attenuator :

However, if you want to play with the proximity effect by using this professional microphone, you can use its pre-attenuation switch . We can thus increase this margin by +10 dB before saturation so that the microphone can operate in such a way as to prevent distortions. This also helps eliminate background noise .

When recording an instrumental bass guitar in the studio, this pre-attenuator can also be used to avoid sound saturation at the microphone output level. This will especially prevent the electrical sound signal that will come out from overloading your preamp or your channel strip. All in order to purify the sound as best as possible without making it lose its quality, its warmth, or its roundness.

Other test guide and review : SE Electronics DynaCaster. This is one of the most powerful and perfect dynamic microphones from SE Electronics. Discover in this guide the complete overview of the microphone, its sound quality, as well as its technical characteristics.

AKG p220: quick start tips

Before thinking about using the AKG p220 in a well-established manner, you should always ensure that the sound equipment to which you plan to connect it correctly meets safety standards and requirements.

It is absolutely necessary that your audio recording equipment has a ground connection. As the AKG p220 is equipped with an electrostatic transducer requiring a Phantom Power of 48 Volts, it requires the use of an external power supply.

To guarantee smooth and well-balanced electrical sound signal transmission at the output, the microphone has XLR connectivity on a 3-point male connector:

• Pin 1: Ground.
• Pin 2: hot spot.
• Pin 3: cold point.

To connect the AKG p220 correctly, you will need to use an XLR cable and connect it to the balanced XLR input of this condenser microphone with 48 Volt phantom power. You must then ensure that the phantom power is turned on to operate the AKG p220.

It is also important to note, especially each time you plan to use this microphone to sing, that it will need to be covered with a windscreen. All while taking care not to get too close to the microphone to sing, because the slightest projection of saliva risks causing a short circuit and crackling in the microphone.

The sound that comes out will be very likely to harm hearing. This is why we strongly recommend purchasing the optional PF 80 pop filter for the AKG p220. And the same if you plan to use the microphone outdoors , because you are never safe from the risk of showers, even slight ones.

Zoom on the sound quality of the AKG p220 microphone

The AKG p220 is a cardioid condenser microphone that meets broader usage needs and provides sound quality that is well above average. Offering a response curve between 20 Hz and 20 kHz , this microphone is capable of capturing sounds of all frequencies (low, medium and high).

This allows you to receive a smooth bandwidth at the input of the audio channel of a preamp like the Dbx 286s or a mixing desk. However, care must be taken to place the microphone correctly to avoid the risk of saturation for the audio capture of very high frequency sounds (UHF: Ultra High Frequency).

It can be suitable for studio production as well as for use for stage broadcasts and likewise for podcasting and broadcasting. This type of microphone has its own way of radiating sound depending on the sound source that its transducer is recording.

We can always optimize its use in order to obtain better results by positioning it in different ways in relation to the source. All while always taking care to place the source in front of the AKG p220 microphone.

Whatever the configuration in which you wish to carry out your audio installations, in the studio or on stage with this condenser microphone, you must always ensure that you position yourself and properly align the instrument facing the microphone , i.e. - say facing the part on which the AKG logo appears.

Moreover, this logo has been judiciously placed to serve as a reference and allow the user to quickly identify the side of the microphone which captures the sound to be recorded or broadcast optimally . The microphone being cardioid offers a unidirectional polar pattern , so it picks up sound from the side where the AKG logo appears.

With this condenser microphone, you will also be able to better benefit from the proximity effect with acoustic instruments with high sound intensity such as brass instruments and bass drums. You just need to make sure to activate the pre-attenuator to reduce the sound pressure. Above all, this will prevent the electrical signal that will come out of the AKG p220 from saturating the input of a preamp, an amp, a channel strip or even a mixing desk.

Remember that the AKG p220 is capable of withstanding a sound pressure of 155 dB Spl . For acoustic instruments such as the bass guitar, the double bass, the cello or the tuba, you should activate the low-cut filter to very low frequency sounds avoid distortion .

Technical characteristics of the AKG p220 microphone

• Brand: AKG,
• Model: AKG p220,
• Microphone type: condenser microphone with large diaphragm ( 25 mm ),
• Directivity: cardioid ,
• Open circuit sensitivity: 18 mV/Pa (-35 dBV) ,
• Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz ,
• Impedance: ≤200 Ohms ,
• Recommended load impedance: ≥ 1200 Ohms ,
• Equivalent noise level: 26 dB ; (A-weighted): 16 dB-A ,
• Signal-to-noise ratio: ratio at 1 Pa (A-weighted): 78 Dpa ,
• Maximum sound pressure level: 155 dB SPL ,
• 48V ±4V phantom power required,
• Low-cut filter slope: 12 dB/octave , 300 Hz ,
• Pre-attenuation: -20 dB (switchable),
• Consumption: ≤ 2 mA ,
• Connector: 3-pin XLR (pin 2 hot),
• Dimensions: 53mm x 165mm
• Weight: 525g

Our opinion on the AKG p220 microphone

The AKG p220 produces truly crystal clear sound reproduction. It delivers incredible, rich sound detail across the entire mid-frequency range. Sound clarity is increased by using an anti-pop filter.

We tested the microphone on various instruments ranging from an acoustic guitar to a bass guitar, including the violin, cello and saxophone. All the instrumental audio recordings carried out using the AKG p220 microphone pleasantly surprised us.

The sound comes out clean, refined, and more pronounced, individualizing each of the aforementioned instruments as best as possible. In terms of use, this microphone is rather recommended for instrumental recording. Of course, the microphone can be perfectly used to record speech and singing, but you must always make sure to stand at the right distance to avoid short-circuiting the microphone by an accidental projection of saliva, however small it may be. either.

At the micro level therefore, if we respect the manufacturer's instructions, we will be able to take advantage of the AKG p220 to the best advantage for podcasting as well as for singing and for instrumental recording. In our humble opinion, the purchase of this microphone remains ideal for those who want to optimize the quality of their broadcasting, recording, processing, mixing, recording and audio mastering.

Additionally, the AKG p220 meets outdoor usage needs, making it much more versatile than other types of condenser microphones. This is why we highly recommend purchasing it instead of a simple dynamic microphone to complement your sound equipment or studio equipment.

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