It can be tricky finding comprehensive comparison videos of microphones. Luckily, we recently had the pleasure of having soul/urban diva Emily Williams pop into the Noisegate studio to do an exclusive microphone shoot out of a hand-picked selection of AKG microphones.
For a little historical context, AKG started making microphones in Vienna, Austria in the late 1940s, pioneering and patenting many early microphone designs and technologies. Their extensive microphone collection can be heard on countless classic and modern music recordings and live performances.
In the following 3 videos, Emily puts a total of 12 different AKG microphones through their paces, each video highlighting microphones suited for live, project studio and professional studio environments.
These videos contain no additional audio processing. Each performance was measured the equal distance to the microphone for greater consistency. The signal chain for each recording was:
Microphone -> Universal Audio Apollo X8 audio interface -> Ableton Live 10.
Mics featured in this video and their relevant specs, as follows:
Live
| Model: | P5S | D5 | C7 | C636 |
| Type: | Dynamic | Dynamic | Condenser | Condenser |
| Polar Pattern: | Supercardioid | Supercardioid | Supercardioid | Cardioid |
| Frequency Response: | 40Hz – 20kHz | 70Hz – 20kHz | 20Hz – 20kHz | 20Hz – 20kHz |
Mics featured in this video and their relevant specs, as follows:
Project Studio
| Model: | P120 | P220 | P420 | C1000SMKIV |
| Type: | Condenser | Condenser | Condenser | Condenser |
| Polar Pattern: | Cardioid | Cardioid | Cardioid, Omnidirectional, Figure Eight | Cardioid, Hypercardioid |
| Frequency Response: | 20Hz – 20kHz | 20Hz – 20kHz | 20Hz – 20kHz | 50Hz – 20kHz |
Mics featured in this video and their relevant specs, as follows:
Professional Studio
| Model: | C214 | C414XLS | C414XLII | C12VR |
| Type: | Condenser | Condenser | Condenser | Tube Condenser |
| Polar Pattern: | Cardioid | Cardioid, Wide Cardioid, Hypercardioid, Omnidirectional & Figure Eight | Cardioid, Wide Cardioid, Hypercardioid, Omnidirectional & Figure Eight | Cardioid, Omnidirectional & Figure Eight |
| Frequency Response: | 20Hz – 20kHz | 20Hz – 20kHz | 20Hz – 20kHz | 30Hz – 20kHz |
You can check out Emily’s music and upcoming gigs via the links below.
