AM Microphones 2013 Digital

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BUYERS GUIDE

THE

A S p e c i a l P r o m o t i o n a l P u b l i c a t i o n F r o m I n t e n t M e d i a

BROADCAST INTERNET AUDIO MULTIMEDIA POST PRODUCTION RECORDING

I N T ERNAT I ONAL ED I T I ON

In association with:

Microphones

Professional Audio in Production

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Guide 2013


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www.audiomedia.com July 2013 3

CONTENTS

> Sales Manager

Graham [email protected]

> Deputy EditorJory [email protected]

> Head of Design & ProductionAdam [email protected]

> Production ExecutiveJason [email protected]

> Designer

Jat [email protected]

>>> CONTENTS

>>> MEET THE TEAM

> 4On Location

> 10One Mans Mic List

> 14AKG

> 16Audio-Technica

> 18Audix

> 20Blue

> 22DPA

> 24Lewitt

>26Microtech Gefell

> 28Rde

> 30Schoeps

> 32Sennheiser

> 34Manufacturers Directory Te contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or in part, whethermechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Great care is taken to ensureaccuracy in the preparation of this publication but neither NewBay Media nor the Editor can be held responsible for its contents orany omissions. Te views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Publishers or Editor.

Te Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or artwork. 2013 NewBay Media. All rights reserved.

Welcome to Microphones Guide 2013 -an International Buyers Guide. Weve scoured

the ever-widening market of professional

microphone products and thrown in a fewinformative and hopefully thought provoking

articles from experts in the field.

Newly updated and refreshed for this year, we are pleased topresent you withMicrophones Guide 2013. Between these pages youllfind promotional material from ten of the worlds leading microphonecompanies plus contact details for more than 90 other specialistmicrophone manufacturers.

here is almost no other category of gear in the pro audio arsenalthat generates as much passion and debate as microphones.Have you kept up to speed with advances in microphone technologyor are you a staunch tradionalist? Do you opt for the latest in digitaltechnology, or are you a champion of analogue? Are you familiar witha handful of high-profile manufacturers, but would like a greaterdepth of awareness when it comes to microphones for morespecialised purposes?

On top of the raw information youll find in this guide, weveenlisted two microphone aficionados to help answer questions aboutchoice, placement and technique.

Once a newsbeat journalist and games audio designer,Jerry Ibbotson has experience capturing clean audio in some of theharshest conditions and will give you tips on finding joy inrecording stuff .

Next, from former BBC producer Alistair McGhee, the nowfreelance broadcast and live sound engineer taps into his vastexperiences to give you a rundown of top microphones for nearlyany application.

Whatever your needs,Microphones Guide 2013 should be able tohelp. It should be a place to begin your search.

Microphones Guide 2013 is a project developed byAudio Media, themagazine that focuses on the business of production and productiontechnology for professional creatives, operators, technicians, andengineers everywhere.

Jory MacKay,Audio Media

BUYERS GUIDE

THE

A S p e c i a l P r o m o t i o n a l P u b l i c a t i o n F r o m I n t e n t M e d i a

BROADCAST INTERNET AUDIO MULTIMEDIA POST PRODUCTION RECORDING

INTERNA TIONAL EDITION

Inassociationwith:

Microphones

Pro fessionalAudio inProduction

ProducedBy:

Guide 2013

July Issue 2013

AUDIO MEDIA (UK)

Audio Media is published by

Intent Media London,

1st Floor, Suncourt House,

18-26 Essex Road,

London N1 8LN, England.

www.audiomedia.com

Telephone: 0207 354 6001

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ON LOCATION

The Joy Of Recording

Its a scary thought but Ive beenmessing around recording stuff invarious forms for twenty-threeyears. No wonder the guy staringback at me as I shave is as grey asa badgers beard. wenty-threeyears of sticking microphones inodd places, or attaching them tothings you might not expect.While others dedicate themselvesto the perfect music recording orcapturing the essence of a voice, Iseem to have developed a fetishfor noises made by things.

Machines. Animals.Environments.

his love of recording out inthe real world can be traced backto a faraway place in the midst oftime. Bristol in 1990. While on aPost Graduate course in radiojournalism I was given the task ofrecording a feature piece aboutanything I wanted, over aweekend. I chose to do a pieceabout motorcycle trials, wherebikes are ridden over improbableobstacles against the clock and the

laws of physics. I used a SonyWalkman Pro (the Daddy ofportable cassette recorders back inthe day) and a couple of clip micsto wire-up a friend who was

competing in a trials event inSurrey. He gave me a runningcommentary as he rode throughtrials stages and this formed thecore of my piece.

I dont remember much aboutthe finished piece other than whenit was played back to the rest ofthe course, one person ended updoodling images of motorbikes allover his notebook. By way ofnothing: that person is now ahighly successful Radio 4Producer. What I learned from

that exercise was the power ofsound; the way it can transportpeople into another place. Notmusic or voice but the stuff thatsome others would consider noise,in the most pejorative way.

Whether its sound on itsown (as in radio) or to-picture,the world around us iscapable of throwing up someincredible audio.

ake rain for example. I knowweather is a British obsession butrain is fascinating stuff. Like the

sound of one hand clapping, itonly really makes a noise when ithits something. Urban rain is hardand wet and all about gurgles andsplashes as the falling water hits

tiled roofs and stone pavements. Itmakes a distinctive sound as itruns down drainpipes and dripsoff windowsills.

his compares to rural rainfall,which makes a hissing sound likefaint white noise. his is thesound of rain falling through thesky and hitting Mother Earth -soft and absorbent.

When recording rain the mainproblem Ive found, apart fromgetting a chill, is getting too closeto the point of impact. If you need

the audio for background atmos,you dont want too much detail inthe splishes and splashes. Andtheres always the danger ofrecording the rain hitting you onits way down, picking up thesounds of water on an umbrella orexpensive Gore-ex jacket.

Sticking with weather, thunderis a curious one. I was luckyenough to be directly under a drythunderstorm a few summers ago;lots of rumbling but no rain. hismeant a clean recording with no

post-processing required. Justlovely clean thunder. But heard inisolation, the claps from theheavens seemed more muted thanyou might expect. It was only

when mixed back in with somerain that they seemed normal.Which is one of the problemswith recording the real world: itdoesnt seem real enough at times.

Over generations weve becomeso used to things sounding acertain way in films and on Vthat we expect the world aroundus to follow our rules. hundermust be explosive but in reality itseldom is, at least in the UK. Iveused some of those dry thundersamples in the mix for an

animation and they really didsound distant and far away, eventhough they were directlyover my head when I recordedthem. In that context theysounded fine but they might notbe right every time.

We have similar expectations ofmachinery. Helicopters make achakka chakka sound. hey justdo. Er, except they dont a lot ofthe time. Most modern choppersare powered by turbines - jetengines to me and you. I once

recorded two Apache gunshipspreparing for a training sortie andthey sounded like the 11.30 flightto Magaluf taxiing for take-off.he sound was all whine and

4 July 2013 The International Guide To Microphones 2013

Have mic, will travel. It's not all about singers and instruments. Jerry Ibbotson spends most of his

time recording stuff and makes a pretty convincing case for making 'miscellaneous' the new 'music'.


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ON LOCATION


whoosh and no chakka. Like a massive gasburner. Only with guns.

Ive also recorded a brace of Chinooks - themassive heavy-lift beasts - taking off and flyingover my head. he sound was amazing and thesensation of being beneath four sets of hugeblades was mildly terrifying. But the recordedmaterial lacked the crucial oomph until Ifiltered out the top-end hiss of the engines andenhanced the chatter of the spinning rotors.

Its often about re-capturing the adrenalinerush you get from actually being there. Imaginestanding next to a soldier firing a machine gun.

Hes pumping out lead-death (my copyright)and the guns expelling spent casings at a fairold rate. If youre recording this then your heartrate is going to be raised and lots of excitinghormones are likely to be pumping round yoursystem. he sheer volume alone will be enoughto trigger a response in your body. It will be oneof the most exciting things youll have everheard. rust me.

Get back into the studio or even just as faras the car park and play back the recordingthough, and it wont seem quite as exhilarating.Youre no longer standing next to the weaponand all that shooty-bang danger. Now its just a

succession of bangs and cracks. Which is whyweapons in movies always sound as massiveand over the top as they do. Its not about thereality, its about the effect that sound producesin us. When recording audio, we do our best tomake sure the levels are right but that has theeffect of neutering some of the power and rawenergy of the real thing.

Conversely, theres a reflex action that canmakes us want to record quiet sound at far toohigh a level. Ive bought library effects ofambient sounds that are pumping out at fullamplitude. And out in the field (not just a looseterm, I mean out in a real field) its too easy to

crank up the gain dial to get a nice healthypeak on the level meter. Its unnecessary andcan be detrimental. Youre unlikely to want toplay the recording back at that volume and youcould find extraneous sound creeping in - stuff

you dont want like the dreaded pre-amp hiss(one of my bugbears with cheaper recorders).Loud sounds are a doddle to record incomparison to the hush of a library or gallery.

Im in no way dissing pocket recorders bythe way. In the same way that some peoplecollect old vacuum cleaners I gather hand held

audio devices to my bosom. heyre great forgrab-it-and-go recording (a steam enginepulling into a railway station while yourewaiting for a train, for example) and forsticking into tight spaces. I once put a Marantzpocket recorder inside a pub pinball machine toget the sound of the bumpers and flippers up-close. heyre great for when you could do witha spare pair of hands: one to make the noiseyou need and one to hold the mic/recorder.Ive plonked one on a pool table while I firedballs around.

When it comes to larger kit, a decentshotgun mic is something to love and cherish.

Id sleep with my Rode under the bed if I couldbut my wife wont have it. Ive used it to recordeverything from swords to a car being crushedin a scrapyard. Its usually married to a RolandR26 recorder which I utterly adore. hose are

just my choices though; its good to findsomething that you like and can rely on tobecome your core kit. I combine this withhiring in other stuff, if and when I need it.

he criteria for a decent microphone, for

use recording stuff out and about, are alsoslightly different, compared to working in therelative safety of a studio. hey need to bedurable and not complain when hauled around.he Rode I mentioned travels around in apadded metal tube, inside my kit bag, inside thehellish depths of my car boot.

I do take care of my kit though. I onceheard a sound designer boast of how heddestroyed four top-grade microphones(belonging to his employers) to record soundX. hats abhorrent to me. Ive managed to doa very similar recording (involving cars andwater) without damaging anything. Lube-freecondoms are very useful in this respect justmake sure you ask for a receipt for yourexpenses (it makes the lady in Bootslook shocked).

he best tools of all though are a keen earfor a nice sound (well, two ears technically) andthe ability to make friends with people whomight let you record their car/dog/vintagearmadillo cleaning machine. I once spent amorning at an RAF base recording ucanoturbo-prop trainer aircraft (a small jet engineturns a conventional propeller). While therecordings out on the runway were great, as the

planes taxied for take-off and then came backin to wind down, some of the best material wasrecorded in a hanger.

Imagine rows of identical military aircraft invarious states of disassembly and reassembly(hopefully with no bits left over). Servosmoving flaps in the wings, motorised ejectorseats sliding up and down on rails, pneumaticundercarriage systems hissing and whoosing. Itwas fabulous. he highlight was when one ofthe engineers offered to let me record one ofthe ucano engines being turned over by itsstarter motor. he jet engine wouldnt actuallyfire but he promised that we would get some

great sounds.He was right. I had to stand behind a white

safety line, to avoid being sucked into thespinning blades and turned into human salsa,but that was still close enough. As the engineerpressed a button, a mammoth electric motorbegan turning the propeller. It started as a lowwhine and built in pitch and speed. And all thetime a gun mic is pointing at it, capturing thebuilding building sense of mechanicalanger. Awesome.

Ive got a friend who owns a cinema andwhen he mentioned he was replacing his last35mm projector with an all-digital bit of kit I

made sure I went round and recorded it in allits whirring, clattering, chattering glory. hesound of those spools and shutters and rushingreels of celluloid was, well I have to admit it,music to my ears.


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MIC LIST

One Mans Mic List

When you consider long-term investments in your audio kit, microphonesare probably the safest investment. Despite digital nibbling away, spendingyour hard-earned on some classic transducers is probably as close to moneyin the bank as pro audio kit gets. Your mixers and outboard, software andcomputers, interfaces and plugins are now subject to the laws of digital andtherell be a newer, faster, better, version for less cash as soon as youveripped open the virgin packaging of your latest purchase.

hats not to say nothing happens in the world of microphones,far from it. In just about every area we consider, established heavyweights are under threat from punchy newcomers, and new technologiesor different takes on old techniques guarantee a constant stream ofinteresting product. Lets start far from home, in the wilds of locationrecording.

ON LOCATIONSimplifying location down to the bare essentials you need two things, amic to put on the end of a stick and some radio personals. Lets startwith the mics on the end of the pole. If there can only be one and youhave a mixed workload then youll probably opt for a shotgun mic; if you

want more flexibility or work mostly indoors and closer-in, hypercardoidwill most likely be your first choice.

Most of the big guns start with S: Sennheiser, Sanken, and Schoeps.he Sennheiser MKH 416 has been the staple of many a sound recordistskits since digital meant moving something with your finger. he 416sounds good on-axis, its RF technology makes it immune to damp

Previously a producer for the BBC, ALISTAIR MCGHEE has a few suggestions for

anyone looking to add a few staple ingredients to their microphone collection.


The Schoeps SuperCMIT


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Sign up for your digital AM at www.audiomedia.com MIC LIST

problems, and it is more reliable than a Honda Jazz. Further up theSennheiser food chain theres the MKH 8060, which you can get bundledwith an AES 42 converter if youre lucky enough to own location kit withAES 42 inputs.

Sanken offers a line array style solution rather than an interference tubeand its CS-3e garners lots of praise. You should hear it. At the expensiveend of the Schoeps range the Super CMI 2U offers stereo, digital output,and on-board DSP. At the other end of the range, the CMI 5 has amassive reputation, and is blue, which I think is definitely a plus.

Up in the higher-priced area you should look at the DPA 4017B (partof the Reference/d:dicate series), but for those of us feeling the crunch itsnot all doom and gloom. Rde has been making in-roads with its NG3,which is also an RF-biased condenser that has received praise from all over.

heres also the less expensive NG2. Check out Youube for millions ofRde vs 416 videos.

Ive used many an Audio-echnica gun mic and theyve alwaysdelivered. he company recently updated its range as well. And as youwould expect, Shure, AKG, and beyerdynamic all have contenders. Sony

does too, but somehow it manages to keep it very, very secret.he key question for people in drama is often the quality of the off-axis

audio and where this is crucial many reach for a hypercardiod rather thangun mic, where the interference tube contributes to comb-filtering effects.For those on a budget an AKG Blueline with a CK-93 will get you goingwhile a Neumann KM185 is great if you swing the boom like Len Huttonand have fairy-soft hands. Sennheiser has the MKH 50 and Schoeps thevery highly regarded MK41 capsule wedded to a CMC 6 amp.

Back down at the more affordable end of the scale I hear good thingsabout the Audix SCX1-HC, though I have never used one. I sometimesperuse the Gefell catalogue, it makes great mics and I bet its M210 is apeach, but Ive never seen one on set.

LOCATION PERSONALIm old enough to remember when saying ECM was equivalent to sayingpersonal mic, such was the grip of the Sony ECM 50 on the market, atleast in the broadcast sector. Sony still has the ECM 77 and 88, butnowadays the competition is much stiffer. Martyn (the man who knows, atSoundkit) says that among the documentary guys, rams are favourites;while the Sanken COS-11 is where the action is in much of the dramamarket. I like the COS-11 because, like the ECM 50, it has a great name,

The Rde NTG-3


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MIC LIST

which I think is important,and it sounds good. Butthen I like the ramsaccessories, especially thewindshield that looks like

a mouse. How do wedecide? Fight? No buyone of each.

As you would expect,Sennheiser has a range ofpersonals to suit everypocket, (well, every biggishpocket) though they dontseem as popular as add-ons to othermanufacturers radio kit.DPA is a big player in thepersonal market. It makesgreat mics and does kitswith extras for when youdont want to see the mic.Mind you, if I spend allthat money on a mic Inormally want everyone to

see it. Give me a huge mouse-shaped windshield with DPA: I bought thebest, so dont ask to borrow it written on it. And while Im on the subject,hair clips dont work for everyone know what Im saying?

Dont tell anyone, but AKG makes some tidy personals, and if you areworking in churches or other houses of worship, my bet is youll see a lot ofAudio-echnica and rantec, though my experience of these is limited.

LIVE

First, buy a Shure Beta SM58, in fact, buy two. You can always stickthe other one on a guitar when you want a lot of rejection (of theacoustic type).

However (whisper it not in the corridors of Shure) but AKG (D7) andAudix (OM5) make some tidy live vocal mics. here are of course otherplayers. Neumann has the KM 104 and 105, and if you fancy bucking thetrend how about a beyerdynamic ribbon mic like the G V90r. It looks cooland has a great name if youre in the business of naming French trains.

Sennheiser is another staple the evolution range has vocal

mics to suit everything, and churches are awash with them, the dynamic835 being very popular. here is a version of this with a switch, which getsotherwise intelligent and capable professional sound engineers every time.

Okay, what about the rest of the stage? Shure SM57s for cabs, or AKG414s, or both. If you cant run to a 414, how about an Audio-echnica

4040? Great name too. Overheads tend to be from the classy end ofpractical, on the basis that the further away the mic is from the thing youwant to record the better it has to be. Again 414s are very popular here or,still from AKG, a C430 if you are on a budget. he Neumann KM184 is agreat mic and useful on all sorts of instruments.

heres a tonne of whole drum kit solutions. Audix has a very reasonablypriced set, Audio-echnica has something priced even lower, and Shure andbeyerdynamic have a range of options.For a much bigger investment, theresthe Earthworks full drum kit set.

According to live sound lore, youwill need an AKG D12 for the kickdrum. I know its vintage andacoustically a little soft, but on theother hand you get to say, Im rigginga D12 on the kick.

Buying a mic for the keyboards isprobably a waste.

STUDIOIf you have a lot of money buyNeumann U87s. If you dont have alot of money, steal some NeumannU87s. If you have lots and lots ofmoney, buy a elefunken (original)U47 but dont tell anyone. hey willkill you, and if they dont, I will.

For the rest of us, the world is youroyster. SE Electronic mics have beenmaking mighty big waves for the lastfew years and its range is incredible.From affordable mics to get you

started, to ribbons at give away prices,and the very capable 4400 (guesswhich AKG its competing with?).he company has tube mics and evena ribbon with Rupert Neve inside.

alking of AKG, its pride of placegoes to the 414XLS, but the ULSseries with interchangeable capsulesare also top performers. At the peak, AKGs C12 VR claims tobe an exact copy of a microphonic legend. Nobody gets fired forusing a C12 on the vocals.

For classical stuff, omnis rule, and in the world of omnis DPA andSchoeps slug it out. Lets face it, they both make stunning mics capable ofgreat results, but dont forget the high end of Sennheisers MKH range or

Earthworks - their omnis are very highly sought after. If its a figure-of-eight youre after, ribbons make a lot of sense. I loved theRoyer 101 recently, but theres loads of choice classics from beyerdynamic and Coles, andaffordable upstarts from sE, Shure, andAudio-echnica.

While back at condensers,Gefell Im sure should be onyour wish list if you havethe cash. And if not,Rde has a greatrange. If yourelooking for anall-in-one

stereo solutionthere are lots tochoose from.

For the higherend of the money scale,

AKG C414

Audix BP7

Pro kit

DPAs ReferenceSeries/ d:dicate

Sennh

eiser

MKH

804

0



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MIC LIST

the Schoeps sphere is there for an all round solution, but unforgiving in badacoustics. Otherwise, Im going British on this: Soundfield or nothing. Itsprice competitive with stereo mics from the big German manufacturers,and theres even a battery powered location version.

REPORTER MICSA reporters mic has to be durable, durable, and a bit more durable. After all,you might have to defend yourself with it. For many years beyerdynamichas been king of the hill with the MCE 58. For sheer durability theElectrovoice RE50 takes some beating, literally. You could beat anarmoured personnel carrier with it and still file the report. he SennheiserMD 46 (cardioid, or the 42 in omni-style) has higher output than the 58and I think a nicer finish. I have found it a touch bright though.

Last year Audio-echnica released the BP 4001 and 4002 reporters mics

in cardioid and omni, and in my book are well worth a listen. AKG has theD230, which I havent used much, and to my shame Shure has a wholerange that Ive never tried either.

RADIO STUDIO PRESENTERS MIChe Electrovoice RE20 is a staple here a seriously big mic. If you buy oneof these, get some spare elastics for the suspension. his microphone willprobably survive a nuclear attack. he Neumann BCM 104 is another though a note to Neumann, please dont have mics for different things withthe same numbers.

How about Neumann LM 102s for guests? Rde has an end addressbroadcast mic that I havent tried. A colleague swears

by a Beta 58 for durability, and the Audio-echnica 4033 or 4040 would be good

choices for environments where noteveryone is a clumsy idiot... If yourpresenter insists on working too closeto the mic you might want to try a gunmic (or maybe just a gun), eventhough its not an ideal application.Note that for some presenters,anywhere under 300 metres is tooclose to a microphone. ry an AKG

Blueline with a CK98, one of theinexpensive Rdes, or maybe a

beyerdynamic 836. alking of beyerdynamic,what about an M201?Simple black classic, but not for desks with noisy

mic amps.

HEADWORNOne of the challenges for headworn mics is thebattle between robustness, discreteness, and audio

quality. Its difficult to get all three. If youare a careful user, Im a big fan of theAudio-echnica A 892 and it wont breakthe bank.

Heading higher up the cost ladder,DPA offers a range of solutions and has achoice of single ear attachment or, for moresecurity, a double ear solution. Sennheiseralso has some high-end solutions and arange of wireless kit to go with them.But lets not get into wireless here.I hear lots of good things about the ShureWH30XLR: it majors on ruggedness andis attractively priced.

THE REST OF THE CUPBOARDFor a lip mic, check out the Coles 4104.Another great name, another great product. Whenyou need one of these, nothing else will do, and itmakes radio people like me very happy to see themic obscuring the presenter on V. As an addedbonus you can get the interns to clean the spit guard every now and then,just to see how committed they are to broadcasting.

As for a PZM or boundary mic: Crown do these. You used to be able toget an unbalanced one at andys for thirty quid. Not now, I suspect. AGefell KEM970 is described on the website as having non-rationalsymmetry. More simply, its a line-array mic that does things nothing elsedoes; but never attempt to read the price while standing up. Gefell also

brought back the M7 capsule in 2012 in the form of a CMV 563. I wantone, you want one, we all want one. You can even buy an M7 watch toimpress your friends (for only 279, a snip). A Coles 4038: I dont want tolisten to it (though it sounds pretty good even after all these years). I justwant to look it, and raise a glass...

BlueMicrophones

Dragonfly

Microte

chGef

ellUM7

5

Lewitt

LCT240


Audio-Technica's AT8464 dual-earmicrophone mount and BP892cW

MicroSet headworn microphone


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AKG LEGENDARY SOUND QUALITY SINCE 1947

C414 technologies and history:

AKG SOUNDS BEER1953 C 12he brand-new C 12 Model AKG sets a newbenchmark. Besides excellent sound quality itwas the first Large Diaphragm Microphone

with a remote control unit for changing thepickup pattern. One of the first customers wasthe BBC. Meanwhile the AKG C 12 hasbecome one of the most sought-aftermicrophones of all time.

1962 C 12 Ahe introduction of the C 12 A, the forerunnerof the now-classic C 414 design. he C 12 Ahad a Nuvistor tube in its preamp section andits miniaturised housing became a trademark ofAKGs large-diaphragm microphones. hismodel was marketed until 1976.

1971 C 414 combhe launch of the first C 414 model, the C 414comb. his model had a special module witha permanently-attached cable, but was asolidstate design that allowed upgrades as

technology improved and also permittedphantom powering instead of requiring anexternal supply.

1976 C 414 EBIn response to the emergence of 3-pin XLR-type connectors as the world standard, AKGintroduces the C 414 EB with this connector

integrated into the microphone. he integralconnector eliminates the need for the cablemodule, so that the microphone can be easilyused with different cables to meet applicationrequirements.


For over 65 years, leading musicians and engineers have used legendary AKG products to capture their

sound so their audience hears every nuance. The C414 family has been one of the worlds mostwidely-used and respected studio and stage microphones in audio history. AKG has continually set new

benchmarks for useful features, improved technical specifications and ease of use in order to be the

professional solution for ever-demanding recording studios, broadcast stations and audio engineers.

C41

4TIMELINE

How a legendaryproduct evolved


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AKG LEGENDARY SOUND QUALITY SINCE 1947

INFORMATION

AKG Acoustics GmbH

Lembckgasse 21-251230 Vienna, Austria

T: +43 1 86654-0W: www.akg.com

1980 C 414 EB-P48he launch of the C 414 EB-P48: the firstmodel with black housing. his model featuredcertain technical improvements that loweredself-noise and improved sensitivity and

headroom made possible by standardising on 48V phantom power, which was becomingstandard, especially in the U.S.

1986 C 414 B-ULSIntroduction of the C 414 B-ULS, a model thatcombined several milestones in the developmentof the C 414:1. ULS technology in its electronic circuitry

that achieved maximum signal linearity.2. he C 414 B-L, the first transformerless

version of the C 414.3. High SPL capability and low noise made

the C 414 B-ULS the most popular,longest-lived C 414 model. It was inproduction for 18 years.

1993 C 414 B-TL IIhe C 414 B-L II, the first sonic alternative tothe C 414 B-ULS, was introduced.his microphone was designed to meetcustomer demands for a microphone with morepresence to its sound.

2004C414B-XLS/C414B-XLIIhe new XLS and XL II models weredeveloped to give professional users the

improved functionality they need, with controlswitches including a status LED for selectingthe polar pattern, pre-attenuation pad and basscut/roll-off. An overload indicator function,status indicators and a positioning aidhave also been integrated into the microphone.

2009C414XLS/C414XLIIhe new C 414 XLS and the C 414 XLII areAKG's answer to customer demand. Ninepickup patterns that enable the engineer tochoose the perfect setting for every application.In addition, gain-before-feedback had beenmaximized and signal-bleeding from

other sources was minimised.

he C214 large-diaphragm condenser microphone has been designed as a cost-effectivealternative to the high-end C414 family. Like the C414, the C214 offers a supreme one-inchcapsule on an integrated suspension to reduce mechanical noise. A switchable 20dB attenuationpad allows recording of loud sources of up to 156dB SPL. A switchable bass-cut filter allowsclose-up recording with almost no proximity effect.

he C214 captures sound by combining one capsule of the legendary C414 dual-capsule systemand the patented AKG Back-Plate echnology, resulting in an outstanding performance close tothe famous C414 XLII.


D12 VRREFERENCE LARGE-DIAPHRAGMDYNAMIC MICROPHONE

he D12 VR is a reference large-diaphragm dynamicmicrophone with cardioid polar pattern. Designed specificallyfor kick-drum recording applications, the microphone has a thindiaphragm to enhance the low frequency performance. Its warm soundis realized by the original C414 transformer, especially impressive at highsignal levels.

he D12 VR features three active filter presets to match its soundshape with the kick drums character. When activated, the output

level is automatically reduced by10 dB. he filter settings can be controlled using a switch on themicrophone body. Without phantom power, the microphoneoperates in passive mode and delivers the instruments pure sound.


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AUDIO-TECHNICA

The Drive For Innovation,

Quality and Consistency

IN THE STUDIOIt was with the introduction of the A4033 in1992 that Audio-echnica established a leadingposition on the studio recording market.

he A4033 was the first ever high-performance large studio condenser microphonespriced at under USD$1000, exploiting the verylatest design, engineering and productiontechniques, the A4033 provided performancefrom a back electret design that rivaled famousstudio condenser models several times moreexpensive.

Special accelerated diaphragm aging methodsensured performance remained consistent over

time, providing a more linear response over awide frequency range, even at high SPLs.

Modern production methods enabled a levelof consistency that ensured the identicalperformance of every microphone with no

necessity to produce the microphones inmatched pairs for stereo recording. Selling inthousands, the success of the A4033 establishedthe companys reputation as a high-end studiomicrophone manufacturer and spawned the 40Series large diaphragm condenser range. Allmodels in the 40 Series adhere to the sameparadigm of high performance and value formoney and as testament to their quality alsocome with the companys Lifetime Warranty.

Building on the reputation of the 40 Series,Audio-echnicas A5040 new for 2013 isthe first model in Audio-echnicas flagship 50Series of elite studio microphones.

he hand-built, side-address condenser offersremarkably musical high-fidelity performance,with profound realism and depth, presence andpurity of sound. Featuring a proprietarybreakthrough element design, the A5040

employs four ultra-thin (2 micron) rectangular

diaphragms that function together to provide acombined surface area unachievable in a standardround diaphragm. By using four diaphragms as asingle capsule, the A5040 achieves remarkablylarge surface area without the increased weight


The AT2020USB+ features improved A/D

conversion and headphone output

he youngest of the worlds big four microphone brands,Audio-echnica has employed design innovation andadvanced manufacturing to consistently break theprice/performance barrier with leading product for studio,broadcast, installation and live production applications.

As a world leader in the design and manufacture ofhigh-performance microphones and wireless microphonesystems, Audio-echnica has developed market-leadingproduct ranges for music recording, broadcast productionand live production. In each of these areas Audio-echnicadelivers products that have raised the performance bar andestablished a reputation for design, engineering and buildmanufacturing excellence that is second to none.

Its an engineering and business philosophy thatoriginates with the companys inception in 1962 whenfounder Hideo Matsushita introduced a moving-magnet-type stereo phonograph cartridge. he company went on todesign and produce phono cartridges and tone arms, bothunder its own brand and for others, including the legendaryNHK broadcast.

he same high-precision design and engineeringtechniques that made the companys various cartridge

designs so successful were also applied to the manufacturingof microphone and headphone products throughout the1970s and 1980s, earning Audio-echnica a prestigiousstatus among audio professionals.

Every AT5040 is hand-built

and inspected for 100% quality

control and is housed in an

elegant case of aluminium

and brass with grey chrome

plating for durability

and low reflectivity.


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and decreased transient response that are theexpected limitations of expansive size.

Another key A5040 design feature isadvanced internal shock mounting thateffectively decouples the capsule from themicrophone body. For additional isolation, eachA5040 is also provided with Audio-echnicas

new A8480 shock mount. Featuring aproprietary design, the A8480 was engineerednot only to isolate the microphone, but to rid theapparatus itself of any unwanted resonances andother audio aberrations that could be transmittedto the microphone. It also features a uniquelocking mechanism that holds the microphonesecurely in place.

Every A5040 is hand-built and inspectedfor 100 per cent quality control and is housed inan elegant case of aluminium and brass with greychrome plating for durability and low reflectivity.Discreet components have been selected foroptimised capsule performance; in fact, every

aspect of the microphone has been carefullyconsidered to minimise any effects on theaudio signal.

Designed as a first-choice vocal microphonewith smooth top end and controlled sibilance,

the A5040s large-diaphragmcharacteristics and fast transientresponse also make it ideal forrecording acoustic instruments suchas piano, guitar, strings, and

saxophone.Also new for 2013, at the other

end of Audio-echnicas microphoneline-up, the A2020USB+ addsimproved analogue-to-digitalconversion performance andheadphone output to the hugelypopular A2020USB.

he A2020USB+offers studio-qualityarticulation andintelligibility perfect forhome studio recording,field recording, podcastingand voiceover use. hemics built-in headphonejack has a volume control thatallows users to directly monitortheir microphone signal in real time,and a built-in high-output internalheadphone amplifier that delivers superiorclarity. he microphone also offers a mixcontrol that can blend its signal with pre-recorded audio (perfect for DJ/karaoke use).he units cardioid pickup pattern deliversexcellent off-axis rejection, while its A/Dconverter with a 16-bit 44.1/48 kHz sampling

rate ensures extremely articulate soundreproduction. he A2020USB+ is compatiblewith Windows 7, Vista, XP and 2000, and MacOS X. It is powered from a USB Bus andincludes a tripod desk stand, stand mount, USBcable and soft protective carrying pouch.

ON STAGEIn recent years Audio-echnica has wondevotees among artists and sound engineersalike for its Artist Elite series stagemicrophones. With users and endorsees asdiverse as Metallica, Gwen Stefani, KatherineJenkins and Alicia Keys, AE Series handheld

models both condenser and dynamic arefamed for their sound quality.

On backline too, Audio-echnica is a de factostandard for many world-class engineersincluding Big Mick Hughes (Metallica,Slipknot), Dave Bracey (Robbie Williams) andBen Hammond (Deaf Havana, Devinownsend Project). For these and many others,models like the AE2500 dual element design,the AE3000, A4050 and AM350 areessential tools of the trade. hese live productionmics are now joined by the re-engineered ArtistSeries, offering unrivalled performance atcompetitive price points. Among the highlights,

the high-performing AM510 cardioid andAM610a hypercardioid dynamic mics arerugged, great-sounding workhorses built forsmooth, natural vocal reproduction and tohandle life on the road.

AM Microphones 2013 Digital

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