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AKG C414 - oh, Vienna here's a special deal

When was the last time you used a C414? For some it's an every day thing, while others pull it out of the microphone cupboard when nothing else has worked - the good old dependable. Perhaps you've never used one.

C414 has been in around in various forms since 1971 (that is indeed 40 years), and the heart of this mic can be traced back even earlier to the legendary C12 studio vocal mic.

What's changed? Did you ever get to try an old C414 'EB' from back in the 1980's? How about the ridiculously popular C414B-TLII from the 90's? That extra sparkle from the top end used to translate very nicely when printing a vocal on tape.

Before we drill down the details a bit harder, here's two facts you may or may not know;
1: AKG C414 (both versions) are still designed, engineered and built in Vienna.
2: In the past 40 years, we have never seen them at this price. Thanks to a ripping $AUD at the moment, and some extra love passed on through Factory Sound's buying power, we are passing these great microphones for under the magic $1000 mark (strictly while stock lasts - we could only buy up so big...)

Our bogan from Logan commits a vocal into AKG C414 XLII
Let's start with the gold one. C414XLII is probably best known as 'the solo mic', often used for lead vox in the studio, spot mics in orchestra performances, or in pairs for drum overheads in a TV broadcast.  Compared with the 'silver' meshed mic below, this XLII version has a little more air up the top, with a lift in the right spots to help solo intruments (and voices) stand out where they need to. Here's a frequency chart (cardioid setting) to show you what's going on up there. If you're looking for something with a slightly less spit and polish around that area, maybe the C414XLS is more your bag - (see below).

Baldy gives it some to the XLS - smooth on every level
The silver meshed C414XLS - she's a little flatter, and a great all around microphone. For some voices, this one will suit much better than the gold C414XLII, and for a variety of instruments the XLS is a perfect choice. With a whopping 152dB dynamic range, we're not surprised to see this one venture out of the studio and sit happily on stage in front of various gentle, edgey or downright brutal guitar amps. As mentioned above, this one is a little 'flatter' than XLII, as evidenced by this frequency chart (again, for cardioid setting).

Both the C414 microphones come in their own transport case, and are supplied with suspension and a pop filter. Head over to the C414 product pages on our website for a closer look, or come in to have a listen. We're not too sure how long these specials will last, so best get in sooner rather than later.