ULS - card, hyper, omni, fig 8
XLS - card, hyper, subcard, omni, fig 8
XLII- card, hyper, subcard, omni, fig 8
FAMILY TREE
Because there are many members of the 414 family (almost all of which are still in use somewhere), I'll provide a brief history here regarding the AKG C 414 lineage. The basic C 414 B evolved from the company's venerated C 12 tube mic as the company adopted a smaller tube with the C 12A (1962), solid-state electronics with the C 414 comb (1971), XLR connectors with the C 414 EB (1976), and phantom-power-optimized circuitry with the C 414 EB-P48 (1980).
The transformer-coupled C 414 B-ULS (1986) came next, and the C 414 B-TL II followed in 1993. The TL II microphone combined the original C 12's high-frequency response with a transformerless output stage that would ensure a flat response at all frequencies below approximately 4 kHz.
The latest C 414 mics offer more flexibility, providing an extra polar pattern and electronic switching for pattern, pad, and rolloff selection. According to AKG, an optional R 414 remote control to switch all parameters will be available by the end of 2004. The company has integrated a capsule shockmount as well. (As with most condensers, in previous C 414s the transducer was fastened directly to the chassis.) Also included are overload and status indicators and a positioning detector that causes the LED indicator to dim as a sound source moves off axis.
The new mics feel identical to the ULS and TL II (subtly rounded corners soften the C 414's angularity a bit). On the cardioid address side, the XL II inherits the TL II's gold mesh screen while the XLS features the silver of the ULS. (Both mics' screens are black on the rear or omni side, where the pad and rolloff switches reside.)