AKG C414 XLS Condenser Microphone

One of the best microphones I have ever owned, the clarity on it is amazing, 9 polar patterns for any kind of recording from any instruments to vocals. The microphone is very durable, good design. Comfortable to use. Comes with shock mount for mic support. And like I said fit for any situation. Definitely recommend this mic if your looking for a quality microphone.

A venerable classic

I got a great deal on a couple of these just before last Christmas. I love 414's. For voice-over, instruments, or vocals, they're a go-to mic as far as I'm concerned. Pair of overheads on drums, great. Room mic when doing guitars, great. Doing a special remote? (interview) Great. It's really a desert island mic. That's why I picked up two when on sale. The XLS doesn't have the upper freq bump like the XL2 which is akin to the TL2 (now discontinued) Choose your flavor, and smart shopping.

Best for ORTF classical recording

I use these in an ORTF stereo setup to record a baroque orchestra and chorus. Medium sized church. Apogee Element interface with Logic Pro. These are extremely quiet. Very natural sounding microphones. No muss, no fuss. You can do worse. You can't do much better. No matter how much money you spend.

C414XLS, the studio workhorse

Sound:The C414XLS has a mostly flat frequency response for most of its polar patterns. Proper mic placement and room treatment will be paramount to getting the most out of it. It’s not over-bright, as I find its golden brother to be, and is endlessly useable for a wide variety of studio work. If you can afford a matched pair these are unrivaled drum overhead/room mics. These handle individual instruments and ensemble recording exceptionally well.It’s not advertised as a vocal mic but I prefer it to the XLII (and a few German mics) for this purpose.Features:It has 9 selectable polar patterns, three pads, and a three stage hpf. A studio Swiss Army knife.Ease of Use:Set your preferred polar pattern, set your desired pad and hpf, be critical about distance to ... MoreSound:The C414XLS has a mostly flat frequency response for most of its polar patterns. Proper mic placement and room treatment will be paramount to getting the most out of it. It’s not over-bright, as I find its golden brother to be, and is endlessly useable for a wide variety of studio work. If you can afford a matched pair these are unrivaled drum overhead/room mics. These handle individual instruments and ensemble recording exceptionally well.It’s not advertised as a vocal mic but I prefer it to the XLII (and a few German mics) for this purpose.Features:It has 9 selectable polar patterns, three pads, and a three stage hpf. A studio Swiss Army knife.Ease of Use:Set your preferred polar pattern, set your desired pad and hpf, be critical about distance to source and spot in the room and hit record. In a properly treated room with precise placement you will get excellent results.Quality:It is a vintage design that has gone through many useful upgrades. I also own previous versions and this design seems to have the flattest character of them all. Feels expensive in the hand.Value:This is irreplaceable in my studio. The nine polar patterns and detailed, flat pickup makes it supremely useful. If I could only have one microphone, it would be this one.Manufacturer Support:I have never had to contact AKG because I’ve never had an issue with any of their products. I think I own six AKG microphones and a few headphones, so 8/8 on qc.The Wow Factor:It’s a legend for a reason. I have many years with these so the feeling I have is that I trust them. I know when I hit record it will give me what I need.Overall:A supremely useful studio legend and all-around recording workhouse.

Excellent Microphone

I just recently purchased this microphone with a Presonus Tube Preamp and a TC Helicon Voiceworks Plus effects system. This microphone preceeds even the more expensive microphones on the market produced by other companies. Sound quality of vocals is something I strive for constantly. Now, that I have hooked this microphone up, I have found the clarity and quality I need. The greatest feature of this microphone is the selectable patterns. Even though the individual patterns are for different applications of recording instruments and vocals, I mainly use them for different singing styles. They even accomodate different singers. I intend to use this as a studio microphone for a recording business. For anyone looking for a quality all-around microphone for everything, ... MoreI just recently purchased this microphone with a Presonus Tube Preamp and a TC Helicon Voiceworks Plus effects system. This microphone preceeds even the more expensive microphones on the market produced by other companies. Sound quality of vocals is something I strive for constantly. Now, that I have hooked this microphone up, I have found the clarity and quality I need. The greatest feature of this microphone is the selectable patterns. Even though the individual patterns are for different applications of recording instruments and vocals, I mainly use them for different singing styles. They even accomodate different singers. I intend to use this as a studio microphone for a recording business. For anyone looking for a quality all-around microphone for everything, this is for you. Keep in mind that even though the AKG 214 (I think thats the name) is highly recommended for vocals, it is not intended for other recording applications such as instrument or drums. If you purchase this microphone you will recieve a computer read-out test of YOUR microphone's frequencies performed by AKG. Also, keep in mind that the equipment behind this microphone will make a difference too. I recommend the Presonus Tube Channel Strip Preamp to power this Microphone and control its levels, along with its built in 3 band equalization. That, in itself, offers great possibilities for straight forward clear clean vocals and mic'ed intruments along with mic'ed amplifiers. Look into voice effects too, great investment.

One of the best all round mics anywhere!

First of all the AKG C414 XLS is a fabulous microphone that doesn't get enough credit for it's workhorse ability. It is one of the most used mics in the recording world for good reason, they sound really good. I love having a stereo pair as it makes certain chores really easy like drum overheads, front of a choir etc. I've used them as individual mics for vocals and on acoustic guitar as well. They just sound great and I would highly recommend them to anyone.

Quite disappointed

I didn’t try both at the same time until yesterday. I bought the pair recently. I have to say that I am quite disappointed. They didn’t match at all. One of them is much darker and with less gain than the other. I don’t understand why. I bought it as a pair for avoiding it. Very desalinated.

Reference microphone earns it's stars

AKG C414 is the reference standard for large format mics. Excellent sound quality, and very versatile with multiple audio pickup patterns. All the switches work well, it is very well built. There are plenty of reviews on the internet to tell you more

You'll pry this mic from my fingers at my wake!

Nah, that's probably a bit of false bravado-- also not alot of Irish traditions in my family, and to say that my admiration for this mic will extend to my dying day, that I will breathe my last breath holding onto it and capturing some musical performance-- a nice picture, but how realistic, really? I guess I just metaphorically, in a Clint Eastwood kinda way, want to impress on you that, if we were all cowboys, this mic would be the six-shooter that everyone longed to have-- lawman, outlaw, everyone in between. There's a reason it's a standard of the industry and you've heard its coolly accurate wondrous alive-sounding exceptional capture on a gabazillion records. It gets and gives you what's really there. The self noise is so low, 6 decibels, that there is no self ... MoreNah, that's probably a bit of false bravado-- also not alot of Irish traditions in my family, and to say that my admiration for this mic will extend to my dying day, that I will breathe my last breath holding onto it and capturing some musical performance-- a nice picture, but how realistic, really? I guess I just metaphorically, in a Clint Eastwood kinda way, want to impress on you that, if we were all cowboys, this mic would be the six-shooter that everyone longed to have-- lawman, outlaw, everyone in between. There's a reason it's a standard of the industry and you've heard its coolly accurate wondrous alive-sounding exceptional capture on a gabazillion records. It gets and gives you what's really there. The self noise is so low, 6 decibels, that there is no self noise. Everything comes through crisply and clearly. I will confess to you-- I've cobbled together a subsistence farming kind of audio life, recording singers and ensembles, and I've always made do with gear that checked in much lower on the food chain than this. So when the house tech at a classical quartet concert had a pair of these and set them up just basically at the front edge of the stage, and offered to feed them into my tape deck, I swooned. Back in the studio mixing that performance, the 414's were smooth and airy and cast a lovely perspective on the players. Okay, that's it, I am getting myself a pair! What did I hear when I set up a pair of these for the first time in front of a guitar player? Within the ringing density of the guitar sound, a whole rainbow of colors, a detailed picture down to the granular level. The dual capsule will give you any and every polar pattern, from omni to hypercardioid, with halfway settings in between each setting! Also, four versions of low-cut roll-off, and also three levels of volume pads. A finely crafted German-engineered shockmount, and double sided (the best kind!) pop filter to affix to a mic stand. And a windsock. There are going with me everywhere from now on. Although-- this overblown elaborate packaging with all this cut-out foam-- no, give me all-put-together-and-ready-to-go in the smallest space, please. (I attach a picture of the pair suited up and ready for the showdown.)

microphone for vocals

Overall:Great microphone!!. I used this to record vocals for my album. In the manual, its recommended to use for back up vocals, however I used it for lead vocals. I just used the recommended settings. Anyway, Its little more linear than 414 XLII version. I was looking for a good mic that was very linear and works great with pre amp/compressors. The AKG 414 XLS is one of the few mics on the market that is close to a linear frequency response for a reasonable price. Comes with a case, pop filter and shock mount. No external power needed as well. Its high quality and works excellent for booth recording. The main characteristic of this mic is that it has a sensitive proximity effect. A vocalist or engineer might have to do a couple of takes to become one with the mic, ... MoreOverall:Great microphone!!. I used this to record vocals for my album. In the manual, its recommended to use for back up vocals, however I used it for lead vocals. I just used the recommended settings. Anyway, Its little more linear than 414 XLII version. I was looking for a good mic that was very linear and works great with pre amp/compressors. The AKG 414 XLS is one of the few mics on the market that is close to a linear frequency response for a reasonable price. Comes with a case, pop filter and shock mount. No external power needed as well. Its high quality and works excellent for booth recording. The main characteristic of this mic is that it has a sensitive proximity effect. A vocalist or engineer might have to do a couple of takes to become one with the mic, especially perfectionist. A vocalist or lyricist would have to know how to control there vocals, wind and pronunciations. Once you get the hang of it, its very controllable and cool to use. I would recommend using a compressor and EQ console with this mic before you send it into your DAW. Comes out smooth and rich. Isolates very well in studio booths. So glad zZounds offers payment options with free overnight shipping. Can't beat that!!