Topic: AKG 414 Preamp alternatives to v2/v3 question

[jazzgtrl4]

Thanks everyone for the replies...To be honest i really havent given it a fair shot with the 414>V3...i have run it pretty much Hyper (DINa) a few times. Sounded muddy to me with the V3..? i dont know.., but when i used my 414's straight into my PMD661 Oade Mod i really liked that sound. I still haven't tried the 414's straight into the MiniMe yet....was seeing what everyone else thought...thanks

[acidjack]

I like mine with the oade 248 or oade mod 44

[F.O.Bean]

Thanks everyone for the replies...To be honest i really havent given it a fair shot with the 414>V3...i have run it pretty much Hyper (DINa) a few times. Sounded muddy to me with the V3..? i dont know.., but when i used my 414's straight into my PMD661 Oade Mod i really liked that sound. I still haven't tried the 414's straight into the MiniMe yet....was seeing what everyone else thought...thanks

So why dont you just get another Oade Mod 661

[NOLAfishwater]

Thanks everyone for the replies...To be honest i really havent given it a fair shot with the 414>V3...i have run it pretty much Hyper (DINa) a few times. Sounded muddy to me with the V3..? i dont know.., but when i used my 414's straight into my PMD661 Oade Mod i really liked that sound. I still haven't tried the 414's straight into the MiniMe yet....was seeing what everyone else thought...thanks

you have km150's, run those hyper. the hyper setting on the 414's was my least favorite setting. V3 sounded great with the 414's imo.

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

EDIT: for far field recording I preferred the XLS

I've found that I have a preference for the XLS and AKxx caps from the lawn or way back and DPA or TLM170 at the board or FOB. There might be a reason for that. Higher frequencies attenuate more than low frequencies over distance.  Mics further back behind the soundboard are going to hear less of the HF than the guy doing the mix. According to this calculator, sound at 10kHz is attenuated 4.8db/100ft, sound at 13kHz is attenuated 7.8db/100ft. I think the HF attenuation running 30ft-50ft behind the board would be compensated by the response bump of the XLS.  Someone running ULS should run up front with me

I am uploading some shows to tapers.org that are 414XLS > Portico+silk in case anyone is interested in hearing samples of various configurations with that chain. They should be visible in the public download area by this evening.

07/20/2007 Kate Gaffney - Blumlein FOB in a tent
04/11/2007 NRPS - hypers XY at the board in a club
05/26/2007 Mule - subs NOS FOB in a fieldhouse
08/14/2007 Ratdog - cards ORTF FOB in a shed

[F.O.Bean]

I think running coincident w/ the 414s is the way to go. I have heard some SMOKIN 414>v3 sources running Hypers/XY

[Fried Chicken Boy]

AKG has been using two very different-sounding capsules in their "414" series for many years now. At any given time they offer two models of "414"--one with the one capsule, and one with the other one. One of the capsules is relatively neutral-sounding and has basically flat overall response; it's an all-around studio "workhorse." The other capsule has a high-frequency emphasis and was designed for close-miking of vocals.

Pertinent info from DSatz.  For the past several years, AKG has been selling the "flat response" 414 as the XLS.  The version with the mid-range bump (better presence for vocals) is marketed as the XLII.  Owning the XLS version myself, I have heard excellent pulls with both versions of the mic.

To answer the OP's question, I've run my 414's straight into an unmodded R-44 and through a Sound Devices MixPre and have gotten great results with both.  While the MixPre doesn't have much of it's own color, it definitely brings out clarity and depth with the 414's.

[jazzgtrl4]

Thanks everyone for the replies...To be honest i really havent given it a fair shot with the 414>V3...i have run it pretty much Hyper (DINa) a few times. Sounded muddy to me with the V3..? i dont know.., but when i used my 414's straight into my PMD661 Oade Mod i really liked that sound. I still haven't tried the 414's straight into the MiniMe yet....was seeing what everyone else thought...thanks

you have km150's, run those hyper. the hyper setting on the 414's was my least favorite setting. V3 sounded great with the 414's imo.

Thanks, ill just have to try some different configs etc...i was just expecting it to sound better with the V3. when i ran it the way i did.

[SmokinJoe]

I had AKG414-XLS's for a while, maybe a couple of years, and I ran them quite a bit, mostly with my V3, occasionally straight into my Busman R4, either Tmod or Vintage Mod.  Personally I preferred the V3.  I don't think the preamp is nearly as big a factor as deciding "is this the right tool for the job here tonight?"  If you are in the right place and you pick the right setup/patterns it can yield great results.  If you choose poorly you will be disappointed.  That's the thing about having lots of options... knowing which ones are bad ones.

[Gutbucket]

That's the thing about having lots of options... knowing which ones are bad ones.

QFT

Instant classic quote right there.

[kindms]

I used to run the AKG414XLS/st in to a V3 and loved the sound.

I currently run the 414's directly in to my Oade T-Mod HDP2. I don't hear much of a difference and the less gear + added battery life are a nice bonus.

IMHO the 414's shine in fig8's blumlien. Of course it is rare when this pattern is ideal but when it is look out.

[F.O.Bean]

I used to run the AKG414XLS/st in to a V3 and loved the sound.

I currently run the 414's directly in to my Oade T-Mod HDP2. I don't hear much of a difference and the less gear + added battery life are a nice bonus.

IMHO the 414's shine in fig8's blumlien. Of course it is rare when this pattern is ideal but when it is look out.

Wonder where my old V3 is now

[Fried Chicken Boy]

IMHO the 414's shine in fig8's blumlien. Of course it is rare when this pattern is ideal but when it is look out.

Right on the money.

[macdaddy]

Aren't the caps in the c422 the 414 caps?

I have have tried a bunch of different preamps with the c422: I like the v2 first, then the psp2, then the aerco...

and. I agree-blumlein is where it is at.