AKG C214 Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone Reviews

This is a fantastic condenser microphone. What stands out to me is the build quality, low noise floor, and the full but crisp character of sound. So far I've done voice over, lead vocal, acoustic guitar, electric guitar cab, and bass guitar cab. My goodness, the lead vocal take sounded wonderful. I retook the lead vocal take for a current project I'm engineering on, and I had to pan the guitars further out because the vocal take sounded so open and natural in the center.

Also, eqing this mic on the way into my Apollo was interesting. Normally, I find myself boosting other mics to sound warmer or have more detail. With this mic, I left it as is in the mid and high frequencies. It captures these frequencies in a pleasing and detailed way that I preferred leaving the eq alone in this regard. I ended up using a little LA2A style compression, high-pass filter 50Hz, small cut at 400 Hz, and Manley Voxbox de-esser, ooooooo yeah there it is. This mic gets my highest recommendation. I'm buying another one for stereo recording.

I've been recording in my home studio for 5~6 years and own six mics, large and small diaphragm. This one gets the most use. Rich, warm and articulate I use it on guitar cabinets and for acoustic guitars. It serves so well that I have no need to look for another mic! Can't say about it's performance on vocals but I can't imagine it wouldn't be great.

Maybe it's just the fact that I've been trying to record my singing and guitar playing for years with sub-par microphones, wondering why it didn't sound right and beginning to doubt my abilities, and then finally tried a pro-level mic.

Maybe they all sound like this. But I couldn't be more excited. It sounds incredible and makes recording a joy again when it was starting to become a dead end for me.

The way this thing handles the dynamics of a voice is so awesome. With a little delay and reverb I feel like I'm singing
to a stadium full of people in my headphones. It also looks great and is easy to use. Some day I'd like to try the c414 but this is all I need for a long while.

I'm using this for everything. Exceptional quality for the price!

I've quite the decent mic locker considering I'm a simple working class man.
With limited funds for equipment, two things are a must. One of those is a sales as in the know, fair and honest as Tim Burgess.
The best quality at a sane and responsible price point. At current, I now have two C414 mics and three C214 mics in my mic locker that most admire.

All to say this. There's literally no recording and or most live application I can't tackle with the AKG C series mics with absolute confidence.While expecting nothing less than top professional end result.
Personally? I'm a huge fan of f all the C series mics.

I'd always wanted a 414, but they were out of my price range. This was an affordable solution. It has a great sound, and worked well with the vocals of all 3 members of my band on our last album. I'd recommend this mic to anyone!

The 414's little brother is doing me good!

I am a voice over professional. I was recording on a cheaper Lewitt LCT 440 condenser mic. I was told the 440 is a copy of an AKG C414. I liked the Lewitt's sound for my smooth style voice, so I figured I would try buying an AKG, though I didn't want to dive into the C414's price. Let me tell you, my wife even noticed the difference with the C214! She said it sounds clearer, crisper and more professional. I'm going to be selling my Lewitt and eventually pick up another AKG!!! I love the carry case, low cut/high pass switch and pad attenuation switch. I was going to buy a Neumann TLM 102 after MONTHS of research but it doesn't have any switches or options so this mic is flexible.

If you record vocals or voiceovers, this mic is for you! Just buy this and you can't go wrong! There is virtually no noise when running this through a 10 ft Mogami gold Xlr cable and Focusrite Scarlett Solo interface. It'll sound even better once I buy a Clarett, which are currently backordered. I no longer have to edit small background noise that appeared in my DAW in between sentences. Trust me, AKG is pro. You'll love this for sure.

Like you, I love researching gear. Watching YouTube mic shootouts like a zombie. And no doubt, like you, after listening to hundreds of mics, I actually start to believe I can tell the difference between a C214 and C414. Look, most mics over $ are great. This C214 is an excellent mic. If you get it hot and dialed in, you could not differentiate between it and a $10k Neuman. Just like my buddy who plays a MIM Fender Tele and tours with major headlining acts says, "If the sound ain't right, 99% of the time it ain't the equipment!"

I have previous experience with the AKG C414's in a studio environment, using them for everything from drum overheads to close miking a guitar cab. What I liked about the C414's is that they have multiple patterns and the quality of recordings I got were top notch. When I first saw the C214's I remember thinking they would be worth checking out. For a fraction of the cost, the C214 does amazingly well with multiple uses - but does not have the multi-pattern of the C414's. However, for my home studio needs, the cardioid pattern works really well. I have tested it out on Vocals, Percussion and miking some guitars (both acoustic and electric). The C214 has captured my tracks with a nice clean frequency response and for the sources I recorded came out really nice in the mix. One day I will get the C414's, but the C214 more than covers my needs for now. If you are looking for a nice clean sounding mic - you won't go wrong with the C214. There are other similarly priced mics out there, but I went with the C214's due to my experiences with the next level up in the C414's. I think AKG really made a great studio quality mic in the C214 and I look forward to put it to work recording many different sources.

5 stars for Sweetwater as well for getting my order sent out and the follow-up contact to make sure I was happy with the purchase.

We have many hip hop clients and they love this mic. We borrowed this mic from a friend and used it in the studio for several sessions. We ended up buying one it was used so much.

Excelente microphone !!!!!!!

With almost zero proximity effect, this beauty is perfect for the mouth-on-mic vocalist with a lot of low-end. It's also great as a hand-held when tracking, very resistant to plosives. Smooth top end with subtle detail rounds out the package. And you can't beat the price. All the vox on my debut album were recorded through it.

This is a great microphone. We pulled this microphone out on the case it comes in, hooked it up to the interface, and right away we could tell the dramatic difference between our previous microphone and the AKG C214.

I bought 1 C214 and 1 P220 to record my piano performance. Finally, I replaced P220 with C214. do not waste time. They differ greatly. C214 is really good.

So many versions of and generations of the 414 are out there and lovers of this mic will have a memory fixed in their head of that perfect example when they heard it capturing their voice in such away that singing was effortless. Their are other elements in the signal chain making up the perfect experience.
Today we have many great copies of this mic at low price points as well as variations made by AKG. They are all different and all similar. If you are looking for a fixed pattern version for a workstation vocal mic, this is the only one other than the original 414 that uses AKG's capsule. Most of the mojo is here for under $500. If you are someone who will only be satisfied with a specific ere brass capsule, you will have to find it and shell out for it. It you are looking for a very solid and less versatile version vocal mic for your workstation and don't need the extra patterns and features for covering all the versatile situations that are required in a commercial studio, this will get you there. It's an homage to the original made by the same company with a single capsule
and slightly different circuitry. It does what it was intended to do, sound very much like the 414 for under $400.

I purchased this mic to lay vocals and it is excellent! Best purchase ever and is worth the investment, if it's your first mic! Worth every penny!

About 3 years ago, I started getting into recording and I wound up getting 2 of these mics. I have to say, out of the 6 different mics I own, these AKG C214s are my most used mics for just about anything! Paired with a great preamp, they are able to capture a great warm sound. I love these mics so much that when I upgrade, I am actually going to keep these for sessions where I need a "B" set of LDCs. Highly recommended as a first stereo pair.

I needed un upgrade from my old Rode NT1 that did a good job for me and I decided to buy this AKG c214 and WOW! what a difference, it sounds as good as any of the expensive mics out there, with no EQ this thing is a beast.

What a great mic! It has that warm, creamy like midrange quality to it that I've always associated with good AKG microphones! Something about it just gels with my voice especially. It makes my voice so easy to fit in a mix somehow! Love it!

Amazing sound, perfect for voice and acoustic recordings in home studios, earlier I used an Audio-Technika AT2020 (quite god as well), but changed to this one. I record only the electric guitar with AT2020 (in front of the amp speakers), anything else is recorded by the AKG
You must buy one for your studio

i loved this mic when i heard it, i use this mic for vocals. and spittin BARS. and the quality changed quite a bit from my last mic, this mic has a lower end feel i guess you could say. it has a punch. a real personality with this mic. not to mention a case and a nice shockmount This is a good setup and i deffinatly recomend purchasing one if you are a male singer or into rap or hiphop style!!!

I Love it!!!!! Definitely a must have

FOR SOME GREAT VOCALS
this mic will do the trick

This baby is marvelous, you will never find a best mic for the price, to voice and instrument is fantastic, believe its !!!

I was really impressed by the quality of this microphone! Vocals sound great, it is the best of its price range, and possibly beyond.

I asked Jay Frederick at 800.222.4700 ext 1288 for a good mic n this is what he recommended. He ALWAYS gives me great advice n steers me in the right direction. I completely trust him for all of my musical equipment needs n will never shop anywhere else. Him and sweetwater have a new customer for life!!

This mic is great. It sounds incredible! Really crisp sounding vocals at a good price point. I am completely happy with it. Thanks Jay!

This mic is amazing!

This Microphone sounds as good as a C414 on my male Vocal. You can really hit it hard a still get a very pleasant sound. A top grade mic at a reasonable price. Well done!!!!!!

I've been wanting to try this with my vocals and finally got it when it went on sale. I don't know how it works for others, but for me it's perfect. Clear, but not harsh, and gets it right with no eq! I've tried tons of mics, including those more expensive, but I'm loving this one!

This thing picks up everything and the signal is so clean and smooth, do yourself a favor and add it to your arsenal.

I have had this mic for a little over a year now and it's pretty amazing. I've been using it for rap vocals and to make Foley.
For male rap vocals, it's stubborn on who it likes. Don't get me wrong, the vocals come out great, but it takes a little more EQing than I like to get them right.
I just tried this mic on a female singer and WOW! The vocal is HUGE! I only had to throw a HPF on her and perfection!
The HPF on this is a good start. It's mainly for low rumble. I have my AC running and unless the gain is crazy high, it doesn't pick it up.
Overall, great mic. I recommend getting a decent preamp to match the quality.

This mic captures my Marshall (Plexi) better than any mic (any price) I have tried.

As a FOH engineer I have struggled with getting perfect and consistent sound when miking guitar amps. I used the old standard SM57 for the longest time and I was constantly moving the mic around the amp looking for the sweet spot. One day I decided to try out the 214 after reading that it was capable of handling high SPLs (up to 156). Now I am getting great sound from every guitar rig I come across and I rarely have to move it once I set it. I even use the old loop-the-XLR-cable-around-the-handle-of-the-amp trick with excellent results being that it is side-address.

I bought this mic as my first large diaphragm condenser, for mainly usage on vocals, and sometimes as hihat/overhead mic on drums.
I've used it only on three preamps: a cheap Art pre, an Alesis MultiMix 4, and now on my Focusrite Saffire Pro 40. All of them made this mic sound great, and for two of those three, that's really saying something.
The frequency response on it is quite bright, somewhat like a less exaggerated C12, but not too bright.
If you're looking at the Blue Bluebird, like I was, I'm glad I went with this, because it definitely has more character. Go look at some frequency response grafts, and see how perfect it is!
The only thing I'd change, is possibly have more patterns, and of course maybe a tube version!
YOU CAN'T GO WRONG!

pretty simple i bought a new 414 and a 214 the same day because i was really curious about how the 214 stood up to the 414. In the channel i used an la2a and an eddie kramer vocal plugin. I recorded the with both and picked the 214. Seem to have a little more air to it. Now I'm gonna buy another one to have.

... and thank goodness! I've performed and recorded using various 414s. Sure, they're great $1000 mics. This little beauty captures every nuance of the saxophones I've mic'd with it - accurate, well-defined and warm. I don't miss the other polar patters at all.

This is definately one amazing mic people!
So impressed with it that i will be looking to invest in the C414 to my mic arsenal also!
These mics C214/C414 are a must have in your studio!
No doubt!!

Buy it.

Just got this thing in a few days ago, and I know I will be using this over and over again. I Normally chose between MA-200, SM7, or Rode NT-2A for vocals, but this will definitely get used just as much if not more. This thing just sounds very natural and THICK THICK THICK.
Do your self a big favor and get it!

mic'd Mesa Temoverb and Dr Z MAZ18. What can I say, this mic will blow away anything in it's price range and modeling want a beeeez. If you want to capture the real deal of your sound you better check this one out!

Receaved my new akg c214 today. Sounds very huge and open on my male voice, with a zing of fizz thats not harsh, but very detailed and natural! Tomorrow I'll mic my Mesa Tremoverb and Dr.Z MAZ 18. and see if it will do what I want it to be.

probably the best mic I ever used its perfect for vocals and you don't need to eq much, this is a perfect mic for any home studio go pick it up you will not be dissapointed.

Wow I used to use my Rode NT-1 all the time and decided to make an upgrade wow I can tell with mg clients they have a much clear and warm tone. Especially when it come to singing and rapping !

After using a audio technical 80 2030
I can see a big difference

Got this mic and has been my main mic ever since. Don't let the price fool you, this can compete with almost any mic out there under $1,000. Sounds great on male rap vocals as it's a little bright (in a good way). I've had people who only use Nuemanns and I convinced them to try the C214 and they are always impressed by the quality! Really helps vocals cut through the mix!

Ordered the C-214 based on my limited experience using a 414. Couldn't pop for the $... 414 but didn't need all the bells and whistles of the 414 either. At first I was a little spooked by what seemed to be the mic overloading. Had a huge voice coming in the day after the mic arrived and I was wanting to use it to capture it. After working with the mic for a while I realized that I just had to get the gain structure right from my Focusrite pre and vintage DBX compressor. Just to be sure, I engaged the pad and the high pass filter. It captured his voice beautifully. Since that time I have learned how to baby the 214 into amazing clarity and tone. Although brighter than my Neumann TLM 102, it is in competition for best vocal mic in my cabinet at half the price of the Neumann. Interestingly, I also noticed that the metal "U" shaped band on the 214 that surrounds the capsule can create a metallic "ding" if it is tapped while in use. That doesn't seem to have an effect on the sound of the mic however in regular use. I am using the 214 on vocals and did a bunch of sibilant percussion instruments last week and it shines on everything so far. Looking forward to trying it on acoustic guitar.

A great sounding all around mic. But there is one application where this mic truly excels...acoustic instruments. On acoustic guitar, for example, this mic just gives you truth. If your guitar sounds warm and woody, you get warm and woody. If you guitar sounds sparkly and bright (I'm lookin' at you Taylor) then you get sparkly and bright. What goes in comes out.

The mic also has a wonderful proximity effect on vocals. It brings out the chest without sounding at all wooly. On kick drum, you get the thud and the boom nicely balanced.

If I were just getting started recording, this would be one of four mics I would start with. A C214. An SM57. A Roswell Mini K47. And a decent ribbon. Instant do it all mic collection.

This mic just finds a way to sit drums into a mix. This is just as true as far as hip-hop/ R&B vocals are concerned. Not too much EQ needed to get the sound you're looking for. Make sure your room is treated though. This mic will easily pick up the room sound around it.

I'd put this mic up against the Neumann TLM 103 ANYDAY!!! They're quite similar in sound but the price difference makes it a no-brainer!

This is my first true analog mic, so I can't say I'm blown away because I haven't used enough different type of mics to be blown away, but I do notice a difference in using this instead of my Blue Snowball Condenser mic

It's a great mic. Sound is wonderful with barely any eq. A quiet room is essential with this and I suspect other large diaphragm mics.

The mic and spider support comes in a case, but it's nothing you'd want to trust say in the baggage hold of an airplane, but it's good protection for in studio use to keep the dust and beer out.

A pop filter comes with it and it's ok but with the great pickup of this mic, it's probably better to order a wind screen and hang it out in front of the mic.

A couple of things to keep in mind.

1. This mic can pick up your neighbor coughing two houses away. It's very sensitive. I think a good quiet space is absolutely necessary to get the most out of this mic.

2. The mic is advertised as a 'cardioid' but it is much more of an 'omni' pickup pattern and it seems fairly consistently omni across the frequency range. As mentioned previously, if you're in a good quiet space with sound treatment, this shouldn't be a problem.

3. For those who don't know, you need phantom power from your mixer or other device to run this mic.

The sound of this mic is DEFINITELY NOT one of shrilly harsh cheapo condensor mics. This mic is the real deal. I spent many years announcing on the radio and I would compare this mic favorably to the sound of the SM7 or RE20 but with much greater sensitivity.

The mic seems well built and made in Austria. For the price, the sound of this mic, the quality, I can't see how anyone could go wrong having one of these in the studio.

For an affordable mic.... it's amazing. Serves it's purpose and exceeded our expectations.

This mic is everything everyone says it is. The rave reviews are accurate. I like it every bit as well as my C414. They compliment each other perfectly for mid side recording. Highly recommended

For the price this mic has definitely delivered. It really lets my voice stand well in the mix even without any EQ. Has a nice crispy sound, a bit bright but Id say very well balanced. It also has done pretty well recording my guitar amp. The shock-mount and case that it comes with are also very nice. I was especially impressed with the shock-mount compared to other mounts cheap mounts I've used. Overall I'd say this mic is the bomb. Definitely money well spent.

This was the first real microphone i purchased back in early 2009. I had done some research on microphones and had a singer who raved about the 414 and its frequency response. I purchased this mich based on my budget (the joys of being a poor musician!) We started recording with it immediately and were incredibly impressed with the overall sound and the consistency of sound. I went on in the year to purchase a C414B XLII and compare the two microphones back and forth. There is something about the C214 that sounds a little bit more natural a little bit more up close and personal. I find the C414 B XLII handles high pressure singing better but how often are we all blasting our lungs out! I plan on purchasing a few more of the C214 microphones for overheads and eventually for a grand piano mic set up. If you are contemplating any microphones below $1000 i encourage you to purchase a C214. You will be pleasantly surprised! Id even say its going to give the 414 a run for its money!

I purchased one of these to have another condenser flavor in my mic locker. I have an AT4060 that is my go to LDC mic but this has been an essential tool for my mic locker. I mostly record Hardcore and Punk music, so this isn't my go to vocal mic, I prefer anything dynamic for vocals, but recently I had a band with a guest vocalist that just sounded so dull on the SM7 so I threw this up and it was perfect and honestly for that session it also really helped separate the guest vocal in the mix since it was the only thing tracked with the C214. I had another session where I needed something different on the hihats and this mic helped save the day, not the normal application but I was out of SDC mics. This mic sounds great on acoustic as stated and great on electric guitars as stated. Does it sound as "good" as my more expensive LDC mics? my answer is that it sounds different, which is priceless and it sounds great. I also believe as previously stated that every source is different so isn't it our job as engineers to find the correct mic for the job? I am so thankful for the versatility this mic offers.

Mic reviews are always personal preference based on musical taste, and what other mics people are used to. So make sure you try out a few, and pick what you like the best! I have most experience using TLM 103 and C414s. I was shocked how similar this sounds to the C414. Having said that, the only knock on this mic is that IMHO it is sharp to the point of sounding brittle at times. I actually love that for rap vocals, when I wants a crisp, harsh sound. But it's not the best when recording smooth, deep RnB vocals. That may mean nothing at all if you don't record those genres, but that's just my take. They sound amazing as drum OHs too. Great value for the price!

I've had the AKG C214 for over a decade and I've never at any point felt the need for a better microphone. It sounds great on many sources. I even carry it along to every studio and sneak it into shootouts for other artists. It always surprises people how good it sounds in comparison to microphones up to three times its price.

The build quality is good, but I'd take extra care with the plastic parts and coating on the main body. They scratch pretty easily. I personally like the worn look on mine, but that may not be for everyone. The shock mount also is a bit delicate.

If your microphone needs fall in the cardioid domain, the C214 should definitely be on your radar. I'd even buy it as a backup to a more expensive microphone.

The Mic is great but is no better than a Bluebird or ST59...
So i would choose on budget on getting a mid price mic...

The bluebird has a lot more brightness

The ST 59 Has a lot more lower end

And this AKGC214 has the Mid's

Some good EQ and Compression and they all sound Great!

There is nothing cheap about this mic. It is a fantastic value especially when it's bundled with incredible gear. It exceeded my expectations from the first time out of the box.

I'm listening to my buddy Jeffrey, he's got it hooked up to a DBX tube pre and a Mackie mixer feeding Google Hangouts on Air.

For this purpose, this mic Rocks!
Spoken Voice is radio quality.
With guitar and vocal, it's very clean and the top is nicely rounded - the 2k cut in the HOA codec is hardly noticeable.

The balance between ac guitar and vox is very very nice, and Jeff's initial test has changed what I thought I would think of this mic. I may even order one myself

I received the AKG C214 at 4:30 pm today! By 7:30 pm I am loving it! I am not a tech guy so the numbers in the specs mean nothing to me but I do know a good sound when I hear it. The 214 has a warmth and clarity that I have not been able to get with my AT 2020's which are decent mic's but are blown away by the AKG C 214. I recently purchased a Tascam 2488neo and was not fully satisfied with the results of the AT's but with the AKG I am liking the 2488 better as well. No eq required to get a full yet clear un-muddied sound! Great mic! Get one!

I wasn't getting the results I wanted from my Rode mic so I decided to give this microphone a try. The result was some of the best vocal takes I've ever
recorded. This is not some cheap Chinese version of the acclaimed C414, this is the real deal...designed
and built in Austria, this microphone has that distinct sound that can only be described as
"professional." It is open sounding and crystal clear with a distinct presence that is lacking in most other lower-cost microphones. The included shock mount and flight case round out this wonderful
package!

This seemed like a good microphone, but I think for me and my vocals it was just a little too brittle for me. I had to use my UA Apollo Unison plugins to turn the EQ down from this mic, but I was able to make it sound much better afterward. Overall not bad, but just a little too expensive for my taste.

I have used it for vocals for many years
with nothing to compare it to it was fine.

Never noticed any thing bad.
Its a good mic ...just not up to industry
standard for vocals. I hear better reviews
as an overhead and acoustic guitar mic.

Im about to buy a Bock187. just slid through
to see the reviews on my old trusty friend
AKGc214 ...I Had a c1000 before this so it
WAS a step up for me. I was happy making music
at home with it. Ive graduated I guess.

Sorry, I was hoping for a dramatic difference between this mic and my dynamic Sennheiser e835S. The Sennheiser sounded better. Sweetwater return policy is great, however. As was the help of my rep Taylor Perry.

I have to question the SPL rating. Can't speak to those who are using it for an instrument or drum mic, because I only used it for vocals. But it was truly like having a kazoo on my vocals before the mic, it was that distorted. I took it right back when I bought one.

I have a few other condensers to compare this to such as a Mojave M201FET and MA200. Overall, I was disappointed in the low end and had to boost some upper mids to get this mic to cut through the mix, and it was a sparse mix at that.

I was misled to think this was a 414 with a cheaper case and no polar patterns, when in reality it is a different capsule all together. It is an OK mic with useful applications, but it is by no means a C 414. I have used both and there is really no comparison.

I thought this was really disappointing for vocals to be honest. It would probably be good for overheads, acoustic guitar or horns and sources that don't require lot's of low end energy. It was just a little brittle and didn't have a lot of meat. While the 414 is not an overly meaty or warm mic, it just has a fulness/smoothness that the 214 doesn't have.

I traded mine straight up for a Rode NTK and was much happier. I know...completely different flavors but for the money, the NTK excels on so many more levels and is an exceptional value. So if you are looking for a C 414, go buy a C 414. If you want a great all around value mic, there are better options out there similarly priced.