Topic: AKG C422

[ts]

I don't know much about this mic but I've been watching this one on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1970S-AKG-C422-VINTAGE-STEREO-MICROPHONE-MIC-C426-C424-C414EB-C414-CK12-/110930229117?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d3f4f77d#ht_11651wt_1398.

Not sure if it's a good deal. Looks like some engraving has been scratched off and maybe a screw missing or mounting point on the back of the body. Thanks for any help.

[Hypnocracy]

PM Ted GAK...he runs one...

[DigiGal]

Great mic, wish I had one but not sure if that's a great price today although I'd guess fair for one in better condition.

[vanark]

PM Ted GAK...he runs one...

I don't think Ted runs one - surprisingly.   Check with bhtoque (JAson) and macdaddy.

[DigiGal]

PM Ted GAK...he runs one...

I don't think Ted runs one - surprisingly.   Check with bhtoque (JAson) and macdaddy.

Ted's got one listed, at least it's the first mic in his signature.

[rocksuitcase]

When I helped the Texas boys buy their C422 in 1985 it cost $2500 brand new. I do not think there were that many made (how can we check on this, any AKG freaks know?). I think that BIN price is prolly about 3-500 too much, but I may be wrong I really do not know anything about that market today.
What a GREAT freakin' microphone if you are open taping or doing professional stereo recording. This microphone is NOT for 
edit to say why: the mic itself weighs about half a pound; the cable and pre-amp add another 1.5 elbos and then you need recorder/battery/etc. Also, this puppy CONSUMES power; you will need a high capacity DVD type or an old skool SLA to power the C422.

[vanark]

PM Ted GAK...he runs one...

I don't think Ted runs one - surprisingly.   Check with bhtoque (JAson) and macdaddy.

Ted's got one listed, at least it's the first mic in his signature.

Yep...  But, when I asked him for some measurements a couple months ago, he directed me to JAson...

[bhtoque]

Ted had a 426, then sold it and later got a 422.

That is a fair price. 2k is closer to average, but with $100 for shipping it evens out.

The screw hole in the back is for the mic mount so there is nothing missing.

The pic does not show the ends of the cable, so that is a concern, but if the buyer certifies it works then ebay should cover you.

It is a great mic.

JAson

[Govt Mule]

I have one that got no play in the yard sale.. I still have not gotten around to listing it on eBay, but this price is a couple hundred too high if it was in the US. I paid $1500 and it was in the UK. Note the one listed is in Japan .  The last one that sold was I the US was in mint condition, only used in studio and sold for $2500. (I'll take 1500.00 for mine and refund everything but shipping if you are not happy with it)

 I used it many times, the V3 and Sd722 powered it without problems.

It is big and tend to be very unforgiving. While there is some great flexibility, it tends to either make great recordings or crappy ones. It is very accurate and great if you want to do on stage stuff or m/s. 

The hole in the back is for mounting it on the shock mount. I never had the screw in the shock mount when I purchased it. Never had a problem with it. The cables are pricey. I bought a new one about 4 years ago and it was about $450.00 the price seems to move at will and there is no other source that I am aware of.

Also be awre that this unit is very sensitive to bad weather. No playing in the rain of even high humidity. I know many of the mics we take into the field have this same prohibition, yet seem to do fine.  I have not been willing to push it.

In summary this things are awesome, the ability to remotely change patterns is cool, and I have never seen another one in the field other than mine or the one Kyle referenced from Texas. I know one other member hare has one as well. This model is more about doing what it does than price. If you want this functionality then this is a great tool.

[rocksuitcase]

Buy Gov't Mules. the same microphone for $300 less and guaranteed that he took good care of it.
BTW: I tried to find out how many original units were made (googled it, looked in old paperwork), and can't find it out. When i knew the AKG US rep back in the 80's, I *think* he said they were not going to make more than 100 of them. Of course, that sounds very low, but it is what I RECALL. Does anyone know how/if we can find out?

[macdaddy]

bought one of these mics six or seven years ago and have loved it ever since. teied a bunch of different preamps (psp2, aerco, oade mod p2, and find i like the v2 the best (with an ad2k+ as the adc). i don't use it outdoors that often, and certainly not in rainy weather.

 I would buy govt mule's mic (well known member here). I bought mine in Europe, and it was then checked out, cleaned up and given a clean bill of health from a mic tech in Germany who specializes in these kind of mics. it is heavy, so you need good rigging to hold it in place. I use the screw in the mic mount all the time. I did have to replace the screws that control the swivel of the mic mount, but that was no big deal. my foam windscreen is slowly falling apart, but hopefully I can replace that somehow; I was given a wonderful dead rat for outdoor use (that fits over the original foam windscreen) which is very effective . I, too, have had cables made for it, but I don't remember the price (cables were made by the same mic tech in Germany); also bought a road case for the mic from the same guy (he makes them custom)-the thing would probably survive a plane crash...

go for it-you get a lot of mic for the price, and govt mule is well-known here, so no worries on that front. good luck. would be fun to have another c422 user 'round here.

[newplanet7]

I would definitely pm teddy. He has a 422 presently.
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=86729.msg1977601#msg1977601

[macdaddy]

  Mine did not come with a windscreen so I am on the hunt for one if anyone knows one that will fit.

please let me know what you find out...

[audBall]

  Mine did not come with a windscreen so I am on the hunt for one if anyone knows one that will fit.

please let me know what you find out...

I'm sure you guys have already thought about this stuff but...

Is the 426 still in production? IOW, can you use the windscreen for it on the 422?  What about other stereo LD's on the market (i.e. Cascade, Busman, Peluso etc...)?

[macdaddy]

never tried. I have the windscreen that came with the c422, but I am just thinking ahead. I have a dead rat that fits over it, too, so I would like to get the same windscreen I already have. I wonder if there is a place thatould fabricate one for me if I brought in the original one (surely there must be a place like that in Los Angeles somewhere-I really haven't looked. yet)...

[bhtoque]

I got a new screen for mine direct from AKG parts a few years ago. Can't seem to find a phone number though.

JAson

[SmokinJoe]

On windscreens, I would check the measurements of the 422 against other stereo LD's like the LSD2, Busman, etc.  I haven't seen any of these in person for a long time, but my gut feeling is the headbaskets are pretty similar in size.  Then you buy (for instance) an LSD2 windscreen at moderate cost.

[OOK]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1970S-AKG-C422-VINTAGE-STEREO-MICROPHONE-MIC-C426-C424-C414EB-C414-CK12-/110930229117?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d3f4f77d#ht_11651wt_1398.

Did anyone elese take notice that the serial number is #2  !  Could it be this was the second one ever made?  If that is the case it is a steal at that price.... a piece of history!

OOK

[DSatz]

Condenser microphones (at least high-quality ones) aren't produced serially, like on a Henry Ford assembly line. Rather, capsules are typically built in one part of the factory by one set of people with one set of skills, circuit boards are stuffed in another area by different people with different skills, and exteriors (housings, screened covers for the capsule heads, etc.) in a third.

These subassemblies are prepared, then a batch of complete capsule heads is assembled and tested, as well as a batch of microphone amplifiers (with the two components not necessarily being built in identical quantities, since relatively more capsules are rejected, and relatively more amplifiers can simply be tweaked or have individual parts replaced to bring them into spec).

Then, finally, capsule heads and amplifiers are brought together and tested for the first time as complete microphones. At that point, sure, one of the amplifiers has been marked number 001 and another one has been marked number 002, etc.--but you can hardly say that microphone number 001 was built first and then number 002 second, etc.; it just isn't done that way.

--best regards

[Gutbucket]

On windscreens, I would check the measurements of the 422 against other stereo LD's

If it helps I've a Peluso P-Stereo sitting across the room and the interior dimensions of the foam windscreen are 1-3/4" across by 5-1/2" deep.

[OOK]

Condenser microphones (at least high-quality ones) aren't produced serially, like on a Henry Ford assembly line. Rather, capsules are typically built in one part of the factory by one set of people with one set of skills, circuit boards are stuffed in another area by different people with different skills, and exteriors (housings, screened covers for the capsule heads, etc.) in a third.

These subassemblies are prepared, then a batch of complete capsule heads is assembled and tested, as well as a batch of microphone amplifiers (with the two components not necessarily being built in identical quantities, since relatively more capsules are rejected, and relatively more amplifiers can simply be tweaked or have individual parts replaced to bring them into spec).

Then, finally, capsule heads and amplifiers are brought together and tested for the first time as complete microphones. At that point, sure, one of the amplifiers has been marked number 001 and another one has been marked number 002, etc.--but you can hardly say that microphone number 001 was built first and then number 002 second, etc.; it just isn't done that way.

--best regards

I get that.... would make more sense if the number was much higher, but 2...  Ok so it might have been made in the first batch of 100...  still low.   But I think it is cool, its 2!

[bhtoque]

The c422 screen fits right inside the LSD2 screen. The Peluso is closer, but still bigger.

JAson

[bhtoque]

Hey, try this for the 422 screen

Spare parts
Frank Rodriguez
Phone: +1 818 920 3279

JAson

[macdaddy]

will give a call mañana. thx.

[DSatz]

OOK, I definitely get that; a single-digit serial number, or number 69, or any kind of pattern such as 123 or (especially for some people) 666 would definitely be fun to have, if it's on a good microphone.

--best regards

[Colin Liston]

On windscreens, I would check the measurements of the 422 against other stereo LD's

If it helps I've a Peluso P-Stereo sitting across the room and the interior dimensions of the foam windscreen are 1-3/4" across by 5-1/2" deep.

What?  Since when?!

[spyder9]

Condenser microphones (at least high-quality ones) aren't produced serially, like on a Henry Ford assembly line. Rather, capsules are typically built in one part of the factory by one set of people with one set of skills, circuit boards are stuffed in another area by different people with different skills, and exteriors (housings, screened covers for the capsule heads, etc.) in a third.

These subassemblies are prepared, then a batch of complete capsule heads is assembled and tested, as well as a batch of microphone amplifiers (with the two components not necessarily being built in identical quantities, since relatively more capsules are rejected, and relatively more amplifiers can simply be tweaked or have individual parts replaced to bring them into spec).

Then, finally, capsule heads and amplifiers are brought together and tested for the first time as complete microphones. At that point, sure, one of the amplifiers has been marked number 001 and another one has been marked number 002, etc.--but you can hardly say that microphone number 001 was built first and then number 002 second, etc.; it just isn't done that way.

--best regards

You just described the Ford Motor Company.......  think about it.    

[Gutbucket]

On windscreens, I would check the measurements of the 422 against other stereo LD's

If it helps I've a Peluso P-Stereo sitting across the room and the interior dimensions of the foam windscreen are 1-3/4" across by 5-1/2" deep.

What?  Since when?!

Which when?

It's been sitting across the room since I last used it in June.
It's been with me since I bought it in the YS 4 years ago.
It's had those dimensions longer than that.
 

[grrrayson]

Ha! I've been watching that one too...

...but with hesitance. I had a 426 for a while and found it really uninspiring. I know some people really love them but it had a blustery, plastic-y midrangey sound that I found rather boring and uninspiring. I'm a professional audio engineer rather than a taper so my typical uses may be a little different compared to most of you here but a significant part of what I do is wacky non-studio location recording utilizing natural ambience and I'm quite a connoisseur of tone and I've heard a lot of great microphones so the comparisons are valid.

So, I sold the 426 at a profit. The buyer is still crazy about this model as far as I know.

However, I'm wondering if the difference between the 426 and the 422 is akin to a modern 414 and an old 414EB P48. If this is the case, the sound might not be so uninspiring and the functionality of the 422 might be intriguing, but you can still get a good old 414 pair for as little as $1200 so why pay hundreds extra for a little extra functionality and slightly easier setup balanced by being stuck with a dubious non-standard cable?

Gearslut-ism at it's finest, I suppose. (I confess I still find the 422 to have a certain intrigue.)

[Colin Liston]

On windscreens, I would check the measurements of the 422 against other stereo LD's

If it helps I've a Peluso P-Stereo sitting across the room and the interior dimensions of the foam windscreen are 1-3/4" across by 5-1/2" deep.

What?  Since when?!

Which when?

It's been sitting across the room since I last used it in June.
It's been with me since I bought it in the YS 4 years ago.
It's had those dimensions longer than that.

Not to thread jack, but how come I've never seen this at Mag or Spring fest?

[Gutbucket]

I ran it there one Magfest and one Springfest ('08/'09 I think), you'd probably remember if you saw it since it was rigged upside down on the stand with the shockmount at the top along with my TV antenna spaced 4060s.   I originally bought it to use there in place of the larger, more unwieldy Blumlien-rigged ADK TLs, but found I prefer it up close, like on stage or as a close vocal/acoustic guitar mic.  Since I usually I run multiple of mics at Suwannee I try to keep it all small and light to be more easily managable so it's tough for any LD to make the cut on a practical basis.

I've seen several LSD2's there over the years, but can't remember seeing any other stereo LD mics.

[Gutbucket]

[threadjack follow up..]

I was currious and found a couple blurry section photos from Mag'08 on the computer here.. The P-Stereo is upside-down on the front most stand, looks like your velcro wrap-around-clamp rig right under it, no?  The antenna spaced omnis are one row behind on a seperate stand.
 

[Colin Liston]

That's me.  I guess I didn't realize that was the Peulso.  I'll pay more attention next time!

[Gutbucket]

[as long as I'm screwing around on a Friday posting pictures in the wrong thread, here's a few more for you Colin.  Have a great weekend everyone]

Photo I took of a handful of the usual suspects on Sunday the following year at Mag'09.  I didn't have a rig up that day, but I can tell that was the year David ran his 20' wide split Neumanns to matrix with the SBD based on the stand with the purple mic cable on the right.  That was near the end of the low-power ampitheater FM broadcast and open SBD patch Magfest era.



Springfest '08 with the ADK TLs up front in Blumlien which the Peluso replaced that fall at Mag, someone's LSD2 immediately behind, TV antenna 4060s and the mics feeding the FM broadcast behind that.. probably the most organized year ever in the section there, check out the perfect alignment of micstands one behind the other-



The old free for all patch and power table-



Some of the reasons why- 

[spyder9]

Who snagged this?  $1,700 shipped, w/ no windscreen.  In very good shape.  Nice score.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/261099380604?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

[chinariderstl]

Marking thread.  I want one!