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.

The objective of every condenser microphone (American) capacitor mic ((British) is that they produce a very accurate copy of reality, following every nuance of sound. When it comes to microphones of this quality, you will quickly realise that they have succeeded in meeting that objective.If you buy a microphone at twice the price, it won't be superior to this when it comes to its ability to record sounds faithfully. I won't waste your time reiterating what other soundmen have written on this site, but suffice to say, it's damn good.Why have I said: 'Be careful what you wish for?' You will quickly learn that it will pick up sounds not heard by your good self when in the throes of making the recording, namely, you wish to produce sounds that are truly realistic ... but your recording may include sounds that you will swear weren't there. Air conditioning, fridges and freezers, a dripping tap ten feet away (3Mtrs), a car door being slammed three streets away ... this mike has 'ears on elastic'. If you have numerous Phantom Voltage settings, you will find solace in selecting a lower Phantom Voltage, as this will reduce the microphone's output amplitude.Worthy of note; Although it may be a pretty tall order, this microphone can be overloaded if the sound source exceeds 100dB's ... along with the human ear!My first experience with this microphone was to discover I had a single note on my piano, which had lost its damping felt, allowing the strings to sustain oscillation for a very long time. It wrecked the recording.If you decide to buy this rather expensive mic, your recordings will step up to the next level ... now all you have to do is buy a speaker system with x-over network to do it justice!