AKG Microphones

AKG Acoustics GmbH
Lemböckgasse 21-25
A-1230 Vienna
Austria
Email [email protected]
Phone +43 1 86654-0
Fax +43 1 86654-8800

AKG as a part of Harman International

In 1994 AKG became a part of Harman International Industries, Inc. The following years brought a time of restructuring and sharpening of the product line and distribution strategy. The wireless microphone line was extended with great products used on tour by Rod Stewart, Peter Gabriel and Simply Red. 1995 brought the introduction of the world's smallest dual-diaphragm system in the world, the CK 77/C 577 - big in sound, smaller than a thumbnail in size, specifically designed for theater, TV and film uses. AKG also developed the new Performer Series - affordable microphones for Karaoke, home-recording and performing musicians.

This successful path continued throughout the nineties: AKG presented product innovations like the WMS 60 Multichannel Wireless Microphone System, the AKG Hearo Series or the C 4000 B the world's first dual large-diaphragm electret microphone. The new millennium started with an even stronger AKG focus on its core products. A new production strategy was implemented at the R&D headquarters in Vienna  to strengthen the leading technology position of AKG in the world of professional audio .

Recording Tips for Electric guitar/bass using AKG Microphones. For Electric Guitar it's best to use a cardiod pattern microphone and aim it at the guitar amps speaker diaphram a little bit off center (to the right or left). Keep it at least 3 to 6 inchs from the speaker cone (not the center dome) and make sure the speaker grill isn't rattling. If you are recording at very loud volumes then it's best to attenuate the mic by turning on the -10dB swith if the mic comes with one. There is also a number of room / microphone combinations you can try. Place a 2nd mic about 6 feet back away from the first mic. This will give you more of a room sound. You'll have to move this mic around until you find a good spot. Use your ears :^)

For Electric Bass I would use a Direct Box along with miking the bass amp. This way you can create a blend of both sounds. Many Bass amps have a direct line out which can also be used (if it doesn't have hum). You made need to pad the line out signal as some of the them are pretty hot. For both guitar and bass recording I would use XLR cables whenever possible. If I bought any equipment, such as a guitar or bass pre-amp or mic pre amp I would try to get one that had a Low Impedance output (XLR).

For the Kick Drum
I would select the AKG D-112 and place it inside the kick drum with the mic element facing the kick drum head. I would place the microphone about 6" from the wall of the kick drum but move it closer or further from the side depending upon the sound you are looking for. The closer to the wall of the kick drum the more mellow and round the drum sound will be and as you move it away from the wall of the drum towards the center you will start to hear more of a click or pop type of sound from the mic.

You can also change the sound of the kick drum by moving the D-112 closer to the kick drum head. The closer you get the more of the drum head sound (plastic) you will hear. Again it sounds more like a click sound as opposed to moving it away from the drum head where you get a more mellow and woofy sound..

For Overheads I would use the X/Y format using a pair of AKG C-1000's and position them in front of the drums (towards the audience) anywhere from 1 to 10 feet and anywhere from 3 to 6 feet off the ground. Rule of thumb: The higher above the ground the more cymbals will be heard - lower, the more the kick drum will be heard. The closer to the drums you get the more direct drum sound (dry) you get. While the further away the more room sound (wet) you get.

For Toms and Floor Toms:
I would use the AKG C-418. These are the most popular tom and floor tom mics. They click on to the rim of the tom (or conga) and have an excellent sound. Because of the hypercardioid mic pattern these mics are very good for having a lot of presence. The C-418 also can handle the transients for sharp attack and killer rim shots. The super grip clip is tough and can stand getting hit by a drum stick or drum maniac. The main thing though is they have a 50Hz-20kHz frequency response.

For Snare Drums:
I would use the AKG D409 which is a clip on mic. I would clip this on the rim of the snare. The D409 has a smooth frequency response which captures the snare drum without coloring the sound. It has a very neutral sound with a slight proximity effect and presence rise between three and seven kHz will make the snare really cut through the loudest stage mixes.

AKG C-1000
The C-1000S is a small diaphragm that is made for recording acoustic instruments such as Piano, Acoustic Guitars, Drum Overheads, and just about any other instrument. The reason for this is that the C1000's high-sensitivity and flat frequency response but more importantly is the sound quality. I've used this mic to record a marshall cabinet and it sounded great. It has a selectable polar pattern that allows you to choose between cardioid and hypercardioid.

The AKG C-2000 is the perfect low cost large diaphragm condenser microphone that can be used for most recording applications. It requires phantom power of 9VDC to 52VDC and can be used on guitars, bass guitars, drums, stringed instruments and vocals.

AKG C-3000
The C-3000 is large diaphragm condenser microphone that is one of the best mics for general recording. It can be used for drum overheads to recording your high schools choir. It's also very affordable. The C-3000B has a cardiod polar pattern with a special 1" large diaphragm that comes very close to sounding like some of the top-class condensers

The C-4000B is a 1" dual diaphragm condenser microphone that has a selectable pickup pattern to match your situation. It has a switch that allows you to select between cardioid, hypercardioid, and omnidirectional polar patterns. This is really helpful when trying to find the best way to record an instrument. The C-4000 is made for recording voice, brass instruments, acoutic and electric guitars as well a kick drum.

AKG C-414

AKG C-451 B
The AKG C-451 has the same acoustical performance as the AKG CK1 microphone. It has an extremely light diaphragm and low self noise. It's all metal case makes it reject RF interfernce as well as makes it highly durable mic that will work for many applications. The C 451 has a fairly frequency independant cardiod polar pattern which makes it an excellent choice when used for stereo recording.

The Perception 400 is a multi-polar pattern large diaphragm condenser mic for vocals, brass, and recording. This is one of the lowest cost mics which has multiple polar patterns: cardioid, omni, and figure-8. It has dual-diaphragms which are phantom powered. These two diaphragms is what allows the mic to have the three different pickup patterns. It has an optional foam windscreen for use outdoors.

AKG Perception 200
The Perception 200 is a low cost large diaphragm condenser mic that is great for acoustic guitar, voice, strings, percussion and in some cases bass guitars. It’s a lower cost condenser that is great for home studios.

The Perception 100 is a low cost large diaphragm condenser mic . This is the same mic, mic element as used in the Perception 200 except it doesn't have the -10dB attenuation pad, or the -12dB per octave rolloff filter, or the shock mount.

The Solid Tube mic has the warm, rich sound of tubes with solid state reliability. It is a large diaphragm cardiod pattern mic that can be used for recording guitar, voice, flute, and other acoustic instruments.

The C-418 is a miniature clip on condenser mic that is designed to be used on percussion and drums, and brass instruments. It has a hypercardioid polar pattern which makes the C 418 a rather directional mic that rejects off axis (other instruments) sounds. The super grippy clamp allows you to place the micrphone right where you need it - near the rim of a snare for instance.

The D-110 is a kick drum microphone made to be a low cost alternative to the D-112. Though it can be used for other things such as bass guitar, and guitar.

The D-220 is a low cost alternative snare and tom microphone. They are made to be mounted near the rims of a snare or tom drum. With their short body length they can fit into smaller areas around the drum kit.

AKG D-112
The D112 is made for Low Frequency Instruments from Bass Drums to Bass Guitars and Tuba. It has a frequency response of 40Hz to above 10khz. This makes the D-112 a perfect choice for Kick drums especially because most of a kick drum frequency response is in that range. Anything that produces from 40 hz up to around 10khz this mic works wonders.