Topic: AKG 414 XLS

[Teen Age Riot]

Okay, so after waiting for these mics for almost half a year, paying a whole lot of money and recording a handful of shows these last two months, one of the mics appears to be damaged... There's weird background noise when the gain is turned up all the way and the mic seems to be about 5db less hot than the other. I checked all other components of the rig, and unfortunately the mic is definitely the culprit.  In fact something inside the mic seems to be loose which might have something to do with it...

Emailed Sonic Sense right away, and they gave me the phone number of some AKG guy who has not called me back yet.
In any case, it doesn't look like I'll get a new pair anytime soon, since they're still backordered. Anyone have a spare 414xls that I could borrow in the meantime? 

Fortunately, the noise is pretty quiet, and provided it doesn't get worse (the frequency response doesn't seem to be affected at this point), I should still be fine for louder stuff, but it still sucks... QOTSA, Ash and Wilco are coming up... we'll see what happens, but the whole situation is really quite annoying.

[Nick Graham]

i have never found a use for subcards - i used a pair of the DPA 4015s for a while, and found them to have weird imaging, and even a rather dullish sound compared to my DPA 4011s. i tried them in various config's, but just couldnt get to like them. one thing to be sure and try with the 414s, if you find yourself in a nice venue and farily close in, is blumlein pair - excellent! i always wonder how a pair of 414s would compare to a C426, since it uses the same capsules and probably most of the same electronics (but seems to cost quite a bit more...)

so you never found a use for subcards in the studio or you never found a use for subcards in field recording.

hands down my favorite pattern for field recording, my favorite pattern on my u89s

Bumping an older topic I know, but just have to throw my $.02 in...

Since buying the MK21 caps, I've fallen in love with the subcard sound. Huge, open soundstage similar to omnis - but just enough off axis rejection to get rid of some of the unwanted effects of running omnis, i.e. chatter, etc.

[Teen Age Riot]

Quick update here: I sent my 414s to AKG in Nashville today, so they can fix the damaged one. The guy on the phone said they usually have a 3-day turnaround time, so maybe they'll be back for Wilco on the 11th. I used them yesterday for QOTSA and the result seems to be okay, but the mics seemed to be 5-6dB off. Weird.

Also, I gotta say thank you publicly to my taping buddy Vinny (even though I don't think he reads this) for giving me his spare set of Oktavas. That was truly one of the nicest taping related things that have ever happened to me.

[spreadheadtom]

Where did you guys buy these mics and how much are they going for?

thinking about going this route for a little while

 Tommy

[spyder9]

Where did you guys buy these mics and how much are they going for?

thinking about going this route for a little while

 Tommy

I got mine off of eBay.  Brand new, still shrink wrapped.  They go for just under $700 shipped a piece.  Check with these guys.  They are out of the Bingahmton NY area.  I scored one of mine off of them.  I bought it 3 weeks ago and my mic was made in March '05. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=64449&item=7327147140&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

[spreadheadtom]

ordered----should be here in 2 days 


got a hell of a price 

 Tommy

[F.O.Bean]

are they matched

[spreadheadtom]

are they matched

YES SIR 

[F.O.Bean]

damn, you got HOOKED UP man!

enjoy them tom, maybe when theyre not in heavy use i can borrow them to try w/ my v3

[Teen Age Riot]

AKG customer support rules... they received my 414s on Friday and I got them back yesterday! The note says "resoldered broken wire to capsule".

[spyder9]

AKG customer support rules... they received my 414s on Friday and I got them back yesterday! The note says "resoldered broken wire to capsule".

Sweet!  +T!  Glad it all worked out.  Did you have to send them to AKG-usa in Tennesee?  I think they are in Tennessee.

I'll have some feedback on the 414s tomorrow, in regards to the Mountain Jam show and their performance. 

[Teen Age Riot]

Sweet!  +T!  Glad it all worked out.  Did you have to send them to AKG-usa in Tennesee?  I think they are in Tennessee.

I'll have some feedback on the 414s tomorrow, in regards to the Mountain Jam show and their performance. 

Yep, AKG USA is in Nashville. I'm curious what you think about the 414s outside, especially if the windscreens are a problem or not.

[Nick's Picks]

never a problem when I ran them outside w/the screens.

[kindms]

I love mine. have been enjoying the nice smooth warm sound and HUGE bass.

Things I have learned in the short time owning them.

I really like the sound of split omni in a festival enviro.

Bluemin is even better but I need to be closer than 65ft or so the imaging was really cool.

and I really need to get a better bar for running coincident. We rigged it up but to need something that requires less effort

They are the most sensitive mics i have ever run. When I ran the 460's we usually had the UA-5 at like 3 O/Clock and I usually find the 414's at about 12 O'clock

[spyder9]

Well I went through my Mountain Jam recordings.  Wind was not an issue at all. 

However, I had clipping at the mics for Xavier Rudd and Jim Weider Band.  Volume was way up for their sets, I noticed the clipping light on the UA-5 and turn it down to 11 o'clock from 1 o'clock at the beginining of Rudd.  However, I still had clipping throughout the recording of those 2 bands. 

The AKGs have a built-in overload sensor or some shit, and a red llight will blink on them when clipping.  Couldn't see it in the bright sunshine and I couldn't hear it through my Shure E2Cs.  Definitely, got to run the pads for loud shows.  Same rules as shotguns, these things can run hot because of their high sensitivity.  I also need some good, small, noise blocking, field headphones.  Any recommedations on the headphones?

I'm also going to experiment with my Denecke AD20/PS2 combo.  I think the combination of the 414s and the Bumblebees display what a noisy box a Digi-mod UA-5 is.  If the Deneckes sound better, I may put the UA5 on the shelf until I can get it modded.  Its not an Oade.  Or sell it and pickup someone else's Oade and have it modded to a "T-Plus".

MMW, Randolph and Mule came out fine.  My recording almost sounds like a SBD.  And I was in the last row of the taperssection, FOB.  Jeezuz, I do love these mics.