In our AKG C414 XLII review, we take a look at what this high-end microphone has to offer. Will it satisfy all your need. This model is one of the best top-quality microphones that you’ll find on the market and that has everything to do with its amazing quality of sound and feature versatility. If you would like to learn more about what this microphone has to offer, you can continue reading this AKG C414 review and find the information you need.
- Amazing sound quality
- Condenser microphone with multiple polar pick up patterns
- Versatile when it comes to its attenuation levels and bass rolloff
- Comes with an overload warning system
- Comes equipped with all the accessories you need
- Because it is a high-end product, it is expensive
Design
The design of the AKG C414 XLII is the standard AKG design. That being said, the AKG C414 XLII looks pretty interesting, and it will slightly remind you of a rhombus, but just slightly since its top and bottom are flat.
The body of the microphone is finished in a dark bluish color. I am saying bluish because it definitely doesn’t look completely blue, but like it has some hints of gray and even black. We also have to mention that the grille on the AKG C414 XLII is made of gold. You can actually sneak peek in the internal design of the microphone through its grille, and that is something that I’ve always found entertaining.
The microphone has three different switches placed on its body: the polar pickup pattern select switch, the pre-attenuation switch, and the bass rolloff switch. The polar pickup pattern select switch is located on the front side of the AKG C414 XLII, and you can find the attenuation and the bass rolloff switch on its back. The switches are easy to reach and they will firmly stay in their selected positions.
You can also see AKG’s logo, the name of the microphone model, and the polar pickup pattern selection written in white on the AKG C414 front side.
Being a high-end microphone, the AKG C414 XLII contains components that are fragile, so you should be careful when using it. This is normal for high-end microphones, as they’re often produced with high-quality, though tender materials – of course, the microphone will be durable enough if not exposed to abnormal conditions. However, note that the AKG C414 XLII can be fragile, and needs appropriate care.
Features
As we already mentioned in this AKG C414 XLII review, this microphone has some amazing features to offer, so let’s talk about them.
The AKG C414 XLII is a condenser microphone designed to be used with vocals, instruments such as acoustic guitar, electric guitars, and percussion. It offers a vast variety of polar pickup patterns. More precisely, C414 XLII comes with nine selectable polar patterns at its disposal, 5 of which are the cardioid, omnidirectional, figure-8, wide-cardioid, and hypercardioid polar patterns. Aside from the patterns being used individually, they can also be combined. This allows for maximum adjustability.
In case you want to prevent any unintended switching of the polar pickup pattern that you’ve selected, the microphone comes with a lock mode feature. You can put your microphone in lock mode by pressing the left or right arrow on the selector switch and holding it for 2 seconds. When you want to disable this feature, just repeat the action of pressing on one of the arrows and holding them for 2 seconds.
More about the AKG C414 XLII’s features
Aside from its polar pickup pattern versatility, the AKG C414 XLII also comes with a great-quality nylon capsule. This capsule is what makes the microphone be as sensitive as it is (23 mV/Pa) and gives it the sound that it has.
When it comes to the attenuation and bass controls on this microphone, they are pretty versatile themselves.
The pre-attenuation pad allows you to make the best of those higher frequencies by choosing one of the 4 pre-attenuation levels available. The 4 pre-attenuation levels are the 0db, -6dB, -12dB, and -18dB (attenuation levels 61218db).
When it comes to the AKG C414 XLII rolloff switch, you can adjust it to 0Hz, 40Hz, 80Hz, and 160Hz and eliminate any unwanted sounds with a lower frequency. However, you can also use this switch to minimize the proximity effect and to get rid of the wind noises.
Another feature that the AKG C414 XLII has is the overload warning system. There is an LED light that will turn red to inform you about any clipping distortion. This light will be green if there is no distortion to the live sound.
Finally, the microphone also comes with all the accessories that you’ll need in order to get the best of it, including a pop filter, a shock mount, a windscreen, and a carrying case.
Performance
All the features that the AKG C414 XLII has make the make this microphone’s performance an outstanding one. That being said, there are a lot of microphones on the market that will sound clear. With the AKG C414 XLII though, sounds are amazingly clear, rich, and detailed, regardless of their source.
The sound that will come out of this microphone will also sound warm and smooth. Of course, the pre-attenuation and the bass rolloff switches won’t fail to amaze you with how much they can improve the overall live sound.
However, you should keep in mind that the AKG C414 XLII is a highly sensitive microphone. This being the case, you will need a specially designed room that will reduce any unwanted noises so that the microphone doesn’t pick any of them. Of course, all the microphone accessories that come with the AKG C414 XLII will also help you get the best out of its sensitivity.
Wrapping up the AKG C414 XLII review
The AKG C414 XLII is one very clear-sound, versatile microphone that will bring the best sounds to you if you use it correctly. It is pricey, that’s for sure, but the features that it has to offer are definitely worth the price. So, if you’re ready to take your vocal, recording guitar amps, or instrumental performance to a whole new level, I recommend you explore this great condenser microphone. You may also want to check out our best condenser microphones under $500 list and best dynamic microphones list.
