If you want a high-end microphone to record drums with, look no further than the AKG C414. It’s one of the top condenser microphones available on the market, and it’s an incredible piece of equipment.
In this review, we’re going to see what makes it so good, discuss if you need two of them to get a good overhead drum sound, and break down who should be getting a microphone like this. We’re warning you now that this mic is expensive. However, read about everything it has to offer before shying away because of its price tag.
The AKG C414 has an incredible number of features. High-end microphones tend to come with several customization options, and this mic is no different. Apart from achieving amazing sounds, you get to choose between nine different polar patterns, three pad levels, and three low pass frequencies.
When purchasing this mic, you get a high-quality carry case, a pop filter, a windscreen, and a shock mount. We’re huge fans of the shock mount as it tends to feel a lot stabler than most other ones out there.
The features are what make this microphone stand out, but they’re also what boost its price. It’s a top-quality microphone, ready to handle all professional situations that you may put it through.
The AKG C414 is an amazing microphone that works incredibly for a wide array of instruments. When using it for drums, it tends to work best as an overhead microphone. Since the mic has so many polar pattern options, it’s versatile enough to fit well with any kind of drum setup that you may have.
The sound it produces from a drum kit is top-notch. It’s rich and clear and everything in between those two qualities. While you’ll get a more balanced sound by using a matched pair of AKG C141s, the mic is perfectly capable of getting a great sound when only using one as an overhead.
You get to change the sounds with the flick of a few switches, making the mic work well when experimenting. The sounds you get are also a lot easier to work with compared to ones picked up by lower-quality microphones.
The mic is instantly recognizable by its gold coloring. When you see a drum kit equipped with these popular AKG gold mics, you know things are going to sound amazing.
In terms of construction quality, the microphone is very well-built. It’s a large-diaphragm condenser, so there’s more likelihood of stray sticks hitting it above the drums. Thankfully, the shell of the microphone is very durable and able to take a few hits. At this price, you can be sure that this mic will last a very long time.
As stated earlier, we’re big fans of the shock mount that comes with the C414. It just feels a lot sturdier than most, and it does a great job of stopping any unwanted rumbling from getting through to the microphone.
The C414 performs fantastically in any environment you place it in. Although it has nine polar patterns and several other switch options, the base sound you get when you unpack it from the box is excellent as well.
This means that anyone who isn’t too familiar with using microphones will be able to get a great drum sound anyway. You just need to place it on top of the kit, send the signal through to a door, and you’ll have a great tone. We recommend learning how to work the mic, though. That’s the route to getting the most incredible drum recording you’ve ever had.
While we’re recommending this mic for drumming, it works well for any instrument you use it with. That makes it a highly versatile microphone to have at your disposal.
The AKG C414 costs around $1000. If you get a matched pair, it’s going to cost around $2000. That’s not affordable by any means. So, this is a top-quality microphone that requires a large amount of money to be spent.
If you don’t have a big budget, you could find some drum mics for $100 to $400 quite easily. However, none of those are going to sound as good as the AKG C141. This is a luxury microphone, and it gives you luxurious sound quality.
Many drummers admit to using these mics and then not being able to go back to cheaper ones. This makes the value of the mic highly worth the price you pay for it. It’s a solid investment, and we highly recommend spending the money if you can.
This mic is a top-quality option to keep in a studio. Considering it records everything brilliantly, a studio producer will most likely have several of these around to use.
If you’re using C414 mics to record drums in the studio, you won’t be disappointed. Their versatility makes them amazing at capturing exactly what you need for every style of music.
The C414 mic works just as well for live gigs as it does in the studio. However, live gigging environments don’t offer you as much time for tweaking sounds as studio settings do, so you may not be able to use this mic to its full potential. You’ll get a great sound quickly, though!
To wrap things up, the AKG C414 is one of the best microphones that you can get for your drum kit. Getting a matched pair of them to use as overheads would be even better. If you have the money to spend, this is the top option that we recommend.
However, not everyone is able to comfortably spend this much money on a single microphone. If that’s the case in your situation, there are several more affordable options to consider that will still give you a great drum sound. They just won’t have as many features as the AKG C414 does.
Drum Teacher
Brett Clur has a Drum Performance Diploma from Trinity College London has been playing drums for over 20 years. He is passionate about advanced concepts and uses his years of experience to teach his students about them. While he is a full-time drum teacher, he is also working on growing a YouTube channel where shares his insights. You can see him playing there, or on Instagram where he posts daily videos.
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