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A well-built, affordable condenser that performs well in most recording applications. Good for vocals, acoustic guitars, amps and drum kits. A definite front-runner in the crowded market at this price range.
AKG markets this large-diaphragm FET condenser mic as a lower-cost alternative to the famous C414 (essentially a 414 without the switchable polar pattern).
Akg C 214 Stereo Set
This is misleading, however, as the C214 is a different mic altogether – a great value microphone in its own right. We test it out below so you can hear the results with your own ears.
The C214 comes with a lovely hardshell carry case, an AKG H85 shockmount (fitting most mics with a shaft diameter between 19 and 26mm), and a sock-style foam pop-filter.
If you’re looking for a quality studio condenser microphone that excels at vocals, acoustic stringed instruments, guitar amps, and drum kit recording, this is without a doubt, a front-runner in the crowded market of mics in this price range.
Akg C214 Condenser Microphone
The C214, first released in 2008, was designed and manufactured by AKG in Vienna, Austria. This places the C214 more in the elite family of AKG as this is where all the higher-end AKG mics are made. In contrast, the P-series mics are all manufactured in China.
The C214 capsule looks like the C414 but is in fact a back-electret design, our first hint that this mic was perhaps not simply a cardioid-only 414. (See ‘what is an electret condenser?’ in the FAQ below)
If I’m a stickler for design, I prefer the super-square hard angles of the original 414 designs in comparison with this new round-corner C214.
Used Akg C214 Condenser Microphone
The self-noise on this mic sits at 13 dBA, which more than doubles that of the C414 (at 6dBA). That said, 13dBA is still not high enough to be noticeable in most recording applications.
With a max SPL of 136 dB (156 with the attenuation pad), it can handle the loud stuff without distortion. (unless you plan on recording explosions or rocket launches)
As you can see in the frequency response chart, the C214 has a totally different sonic signature to the C414. AKG says that the C214 has a “performance close to the famous C414 XLII”. Without even listening to the results, we can see that that is clearly not the case.
Akg C214 Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone 3185x00010
We used a Universal Audio Apollo Solo Interface recorded with Logic Pro X. There is no EQ or compression applied to any of the audio clips here. We adjusted the gain from the audio interface to taste. The guitars were a Martin steel-string acoustic guitar and Fender Strat plugged into 40 Watt Fender Champ.
Full disclosure: We fully acknowledge that there is no one way to use a microphone. Mic placement, how you play or sing, not to mention EQ, compression, Impedance, and preamp settings can all have dramatic effects on the final result.
Comparing the C214’s sound to the sound of the C414 is comparing apples to oranges. I think it is a real mistake on the part of AKG to market this as a ‘low-cost alternative to the C414.’ If you’re expecting a 414 sound, you’ll be disappointed.
Buy Akg C214 Professional Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone Online
The frequency boost in the higher frequencies gives this mic a modern bright sound. It never produced ‘reedy’ or ‘brittle’ results for us, which was the report from some.
Some features of this mics sound that you might want to be aware of are one, its proximity effect is more pronounced than others in its class. And two, the polar pattern has less rear rejection than most cardioid condensers.
As with all vocal recording, you will need to match the voice you’re recording with its ideal microphone. In general, the C214 felt like a very easy mic to sing with. We welcomed its low sibilance relative to some of its competitors.
Akg C214 Professional Large Diaphragm Condenser Mic
Researching this mic, I asked other sound nerds about their thoughts on the C214. Most were satisfied with this mic, and those who were not satisfied were all expecting ‘a low-cost alternative to the C414’.
I’ve been using this mic for everything in my studio. I can pretty much make anything sound reasonably good. It has nice presence on vocals and is equally good as a drum overhead.
I didn’t like this mic when I first got it because I thought it would sound like a C414. But with time, I’ve come to appreciate what this thing can do. Of course, the C214 isn’t all things in all applications, but it excels for acoustic guitar, guitar amp, hand percussion, and around a drum kit.
Akg C214 Large Diaphragm Cardioid Condenser Microphone
It comes with a silver side and a black side. The silver side with the AKG logo under it is the front.
No. The C214 has a fixed-polar pattern of cardioid, meaning the focus of the sound picked up by the mic is in front of the mic only.
For the diaphragm of a condenser mic to be able to sense changes in the sound waves that hit it, it needs a polarised charge.
Akg C214 Stereoset Condenser Microphone: Stereo Pair
One of the methods used to apply this charge is to permanently charge the capsule by applying a substance called electret film to the backplate of the mic’s capsule. Hence, we have the term ‘back-electret’.
There are loads of high-end mics that employ electret condenser technology. So the answer is, no, it doesn’t mean the mic is of lesser quality.
All the audio gear in our reviews is tested with our own hands, ears, and eyes. We compare and test the gear side-by-side to keep our ears honest.
Akg C214 Cardioid Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
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Akg C214 Review
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.When you’re in the studio, picking the right microphone for the job can feel pretty daunting. There are thousands of mics out there, and thousands more ways to use them all.
Choosing the right mic is more art than science, and involves trial and error. Getting to know the “sound” of the mics you own and learning how they perform in different scenarios are the first steps toward making professional-sounding recordings at home.
From versatile, multi-purpose mics like Lyra (above), to mics designed to record drum sets, offers a wide range of microphones for all types of recording applications.
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When choosing microphones, your number one consideration is sound quality. That said, it’s prudent to start by setting a budget and thinking about what you want to record. Will you be recording yourself or a band? Are you into acoustic music or heavy metal? Are you producing podcasts? Video content?
If you have the budget, it makes sense to build a collection of microphones designed for specific purposes. If your budget is limited (and really, whose isn’t?), choose multipurpose microphones designed to perform well in a range of scenarios. We’ll make that process a little easier by walking you through some of the most common microphone types and their uses. (This article focuses on microphones for recording, but many models here do double duty as stage mics.)
Microphones are transducers, which means they convert energy from one form (acoustic) to another (electrical). Microphones fall into two general categories: condenser and dynamic; both rely on a physical diaphragm to convert sound waves into electrical energy, aka your audio signal.
Akg C214st Matched Pair Large Diaphragm Condenser Mic (set)
Dynamic microphones are based around a diaphragm attached to a metal coil suspended inside a magnetic field. When sound waves vibrate the diaphragm, the coil vibrates, generating an electrical signal.
Because dynamic microphones are simple in construction, they’re generally very durable and economical. They’re resistant to heat and humidity, can handle extreme sound pressure levels and are less sensitive than other microphones, which means they pick up direct sound without capturing a bunch of ambient noise. For these reasons they’re commonly used in sound reinforcement and to record loud sources such as drums and guitar amps. They’re great low-cost, all-purpose mics for general voice-recording applications like podcasting, for recording guitar amp cabinets, or for bands who want to get “that live sound” in the studio.
Condenser microphones, like P420 (above), are more sensitive than dynamic mics and pick up finer sonic details (particularly high-frequencies and transient information), making them ideal for studio recording.
Akg C214 Diaphragm Recording Microphone Freeshipping
Condenser microphones work on the principle of “variable capacitance”: Sound waves vibrate a conductive diaphragm mounted
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