AKG C214 Professional Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone, Single pattern, cardioid, switchable 20dB attenuator and bass-cut filter, integrated suspension, rugged classic design, wide dynamic range

I spent weeks watching YouTube reviews on how to record my grand piano and microphone comparisonsI eventually decided to buy two pairs of rode NT55s and a pair of these AKG C414 xlsBoy oh boy - based on the YouTube videos I wasn't expecting a lot of difference in sound quality as they all sounded quite similar and I thought I must be mad spending this amount of money - especially as I am a home hobbyist just trying to make a decent recording for my piano examsI plugged all 6 microphones into a Focusrite gen4 20i18 which I connected to my laptop running Ableton live 12 standard edition and used a bit of EQ8 - using settings recommended on a YouTube video for recording pianoI had 2 mics in the piano over the bridge - well back from the damper, 2 one meter behind the piano (the other end from where I sat) and 2 more about 4 metres away.All 6 mics were using Omni mode/capsulesThe NT55s are good mics and the sound quality was perfectly reasonableHowever the AKGs were genuinely a next level in clarity and realismI 62 years old with bad tinnitus and having spent my life clubbing my ability to hear high frequency is poorHowever even with my rotten old ears the better sound quality from the AKG mics was really really audibleWhat I'm trying to say is that you don't need to have "sound engineer" ears nor sound engineer talent to get a better quality recording - these mics are just better.I balked at the price and this was definitely a serious luxury but I do feel that these mics offer genuine value for money - you will hear the differenceI hope that is of some help to someone - I found it really difficult to find some genuine objective advice on the internet - and I've tried to relay to others what I really wanted to know - namely if I spend all that money will I even hear the differenceI can honestly say yes I could and it wasn't really a matter of "taste" - the sound is genuinely noticeably clearer and more natural - that was my honest experience

These are simply stunning mics by any class. I am using these primarily as drum overheads, but they are so versatile you could turn them to almost anything. The 20dB pad option is perfect for recording loud sources (such as drums) and in close mic'ing situations. I've not tried recording more distant/quieter sources, or used the bass rolloff filter yet.These are my first foray into professional mics, so I have little else to compare them with (other than a little USB snowball mic!). But these are in a totally different class all together!! On setting up for my first test recording, I was simply blown away with the sensitivity and how accurately these mics will capture detail. On my first listen back to my recording through headphones, I had to double-take - as I actually thought someone was in the room with me physically playing my drums!! I simply was not prepared for what I was about to witness. The accuracy and realism of the recording was incredible! - These mics pic up every minute nuance of your performance, and even pick stuff up I couldn't humanly detect with my own ears. (For instance, they even picked up the sound of the click track playing in my in-ears with huge Peltor Ear Defenders over the top!). They have a lovely smooth top-end (admission: I didn't even know what this meant, until I listened back to my recording, and heard it for myself with my own ears!). The cymbals have a lovely wash to them when played, with no harsh overtones at all. The cardiod pickup pattern also does a great job of rejecting unwanted room noise from the recording, by rejecting everything from the rear of the microphone. With careful microphone placement you can achieve fantastic results. (Note: these mics are fixed at 'cardiod' - so if you are wanting omnidirectional mics, you will have to look at the more expensive C314, or C414 mics that come with different selectable polar patterns).I didn't opt to buy a 'matched stereo pair' (it's a hotly debated topic in audio circles) so I saved a bit by buying individual mics separately. I'm not convinced I have a 'perfectly matched pair of ears', and in any case I dare say the average listener can't audibly detect the difference in a blind listening test - so that's good enough for me!!The build quality is impressive too - they feel reassuringly heavy and rugged. The suppled flight case is well padded, and should hopefully keep these mics in tip top condition for years of useful service.

Best microphone I’ve used at a great price

I do a fair bit of home recording and it is usually just my vocals and an acoustic guitar.I bought two of these which I feed through a pair of Joemeek VC3s and the quality of the sound is quite frankly excellent. I purposely didn't go for the matched stereo pair as I really don't think it matters and having two microphones that are ever so slightly different, to my ears anyway, gives a better and more interesting sound.The C214 comes in a rugged case with a professional shock mount and windshield.The signal delivered by the C214 is up there with the best of them and the only difference I can see between these and the more expensive C414 (which I have also used) is the extra polar patterns available. The sound is crisp and detailed, my guitar and vocals have never sounded better.They are very sensitive mics and I would recommend using them in an acoustically treated environment to cut down on background noise... I hang a duvet on the wall behind me to cut down on room reflections. I employ the low cut filter to reduce the boom of both my bassy voice and the guitar as I like the sound of close miking. A 20db cut is also provided should you need it for louder sources such as drums.For the hobbyist home recording studio the C214 is an excellent choice to make professional sounding recordings economically.If you are an acoustic guitarist/singer then I can highly recommend these microphones. I just wish I had bought them years ago... They are so good that I am re-recording a load of my songs.....