Topic: Conan! (AKG discussion)

[tbrown4]

Are my eyes fooling me, or is that a 414 on Conan's new desk?
 

[Fried Chicken Boy]

Nope, your eyes aren't fooling you: that IS a 414 on his desk.  But I'm wondering why they painted the screen that funky lipstick-red color...?

[achalsey]

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/548577-conans-mic.html

wondering the same thing...seems like a promo??  But doesn't seem like any Late Night hosts use "commercial" mics, so I'm wondering who on staff liked AKG enough to pull to get the mic on stage?

[Belexes]

Wonder what config they have it set to? 

[Neilyboy]

thats it im pulling my 214s apart to paint the screen

neil

[Fried Chicken Boy]

I thought he used a 414 in NYC for Late Night, but I can't really remember.  Anyway, the desk mics are just backups, and some of the hosts like to knock them around as props, so I would go omni for lower handling noise.

I remember the desk mic at Late Night in NYC looking like an AT4050 but I can't tell for sure.  I'll see if I can find a picture.  It's definitely not a 414.


Most often they have the talk show hosts and guests wired with lavs but if the desk mic is live, I'd bet you're correct that they're using the omni config, mshilarious.

[§†∑∫åµÞ≥¥]

Nope, your eyes aren't fooling you: that IS a 414 on his desk.  But I'm wondering why they painted the screen that funky lipstick-red color...?

My thought was that it's painted what is supposed to be orange to go along with all the orange-themed promo's for Conan (and his hair).

[mfrench]

I bet the sound is from the lav' on his tie, and not the desk mic.

[Dkrogh]

I bet the sound is from the lav' on his tie, and not the desk mic.

The mic is just a 'prop'  He's hit it quite a bit in a few shows and no sound came of it.  I wonder if it is even a functional microphone or if it is just a skeleton.

[spyder9]

Genius marketing move by AKG.  Got us all talking about it.  I hope the person who thought of it got a big pay raise.

[DigiGal]

Aside from being a prop it probably serves as a backup mic in case one of the talent lav mics fail.  Many shows employ redundant lav mics mounted side by side on the talent but looking at the picture it looks as if they are each only wearing one lav.

[mmedley.]

If you follow the gearslutz link above you will find out all the info about it. It is a live mic and not a prop. Straight from the sound engineer on the show.

It's a custom AKG 414 with a red grille to match the whole new "Conan" theme and logo. Btw, the only thing custom about it is the red grille.

A friend of mine is the sound mixer and I was just at the studio and got to see it all in person. The mic is live btw.

[audBall]

Is a multi-pattern microphone even necessary for the show?  Why not just use an LD omnidirectional (solely) mic?  Personal choice of Conan, perhaps?

[gkatz]

Is a multi-pattern microphone even necessary for the show?  Why not just use an LD omnidirectional (solely) mic?  Personal choice of Conan, perhaps?

who knows, it could be that Conan sent out a message to neumann, AKG, schoeps..... asking them to make one that fits his theme. and AKG won?

it would be sick to see a blue superCMIT on his desk, although completely impractical hahah

[achalsey]

As others have said, it is live but as a backup to the lavs so functionality (only omni as opposed to multi-pattern) probably doesn't have anything to do with why they chose it.  Pretty much just set design/nostalgic purposes (along with the fact that everyone always has one on their desk) as its not taped live and the lav mics aren't going to screw up. 

But, I'm curious why they got a commercial mic like the 414, as far as I know the other hosts use them much more for nostalgic purposes and don't use any of the well known studio (or taper) LDs.