@@darrylahill8764 so you don't use it for electric guitar? Why is that? I'm looking for a great all-around mic for vox/acoustic/electric guitar/string instruments, etc.
please do more like this love your reviews and am a musician. Used a lot of expensive mics in school but cant quite remember what they sound like and hearing your reviews which are more than articulate help a lot to decide what to buy next. Thanks for being awesome!
Andrew - i will be doing a lot more of these expensive mics as I've slowly been picking them up on sale over the last year and a half and finally might start putting some of them out.
Excellent review. Very thorough. You're pretty good at this!! Thanks. Only thing missing maybe is a quick explanation of common scenarios where you'd want to use the various pads and High Pass filters that this mic provides.
Have watched a lot of your videos but can I say, I REALLY appreciate you making this one - your choice to compare against mics I own (NT1) and other high end mics I’ve considered - TLM plus comparing it to the XLS. I’ll be coming back to this video quite a few times I think! Keep up the great work bro 👍
The Austrian Audio sounds noticeably more forward without sacrificing smoothness at the upper frequencies. Terrific review as always, Bandrew. Stay safe!
I've been waiting for this review for a long time. This is a great mic. In terms of your comparisons I thought the TLM 103 sounded best (great clarity) and the Rode NT1 held its own.
RUclips compression is unfortunate, but hearing past that, the cardioid pattern test was quite valuable, both in the variable settings, and the rotation of the mic . IT really showed the many tones available on this mic... Thanks for the demo.
If you check the description there's a link to higher quality audio on my site. It's not lossless because I don't have the bandwidth for that, but it doesn't have the same compression as RUclips.
It's like this I've had this microphone for several years a great microphone for the price it's worth it won't get into all the specs and details on it but you won't be disappointed great video you'll like the AKG c414 XL2 microphone⚡
Great review. Over 20 years ago I recorded a whole slew of instruments and vocals with this mics predecessor. It's a workhorse alright. Pewdipie probably picked this because it matches his voice, but it's actually just one of the most flexible packages out there that is well crafted in every detail. If I needed a mic for all occasions and could only buy one, this is a likely candiate. Great balance of options, raw recording tone and features. For budget-minded folks it's already too expensive, but it's way more useful than just one Neumann large condenser could be for example.
In the USA it's not a very good deal. We usually pay a lot more for electronics in Europe, but this mic is 630 euro+VAT in Greece. The instrument version (XLS) is 530+VAT. The difference is just an EQ. It's not important in a world of 24bit digital recordings where preamps have an EIN so low that they are not really adding noise even to this low noise mic.
I love my AKG 414xlii. I also own the 87ai but will always go back to my 414 because I love how it sounds on vocals. Because of the top end, some people will choose the xls over it. However I like to top end sweetness that it delivers. Also, I pair it with an Avalon vt737 so I can smooth it out a bit as well. Thanks for the review!
I have two C414s and I love them to death. Still meticulously crafted in Europe and still individually tested and signed in Vienna. The 9 polar patterns make it a Swiss Army knife in the studio. They are my babies.
When I was learning audio engineering 32 years ago, we had an AKG 414 in the studio and it was the prized possession! That thing did everything and really well! Of course we had Sennheisser 57s and a variety of others but the 414 was the golden egg and likely still is.
Wow! My take away is the XLII is simply amazing. On my list now. Always wondered about that and the XLS, but this confirms it for me. And another take away, the NT1 sounds excellent too. I liked the XLII (and maybe even the NT1) better than both Neumanns on your voice.
I know you’re joking, but for a while that actually wasn’t too far off from the truth. When he first got that microphone, he was disappointed by how muffled and low quality the microphone sounded. Until he was advised to flip the microphone around and actually talk into the right side of the microphone.
@Secret_Armor it's so much worse when they try to give audio advice. Jayz2cents tried to do that with a shure sm7b and had to reupload a new video with all of the stuff he got wrong in the first
I like the sound of this mic. It reminds me of the sound of the MKH 416, I went back to watching that video again. In that video, with the windscreen on, or about 10 inches away while booming from the top, I hear a lot of similarities between both mics.
Loving the reviews, keep up the good work. I do have a request, if you do requests, I'm interested in the LyxPro SDPC2 or the Neewer NW-410 matched pair microphone set, they appear to be the same, and it would be great if you could investigate them for us. They both seem like amazing value for the money options. Thank you.
I am very old. I had not heard of PewDiePie before seeing this video even though a pal of mine (another very old guy) is from Gothenburg. So I looked PewDiePie up. I don't get it. At all... DEVO? I'm that old. At least. Be that as it may, the AKG C414 was the first mic I sang into in a real recording studio sometime in the early 80s. I think models with all the letters after the numbers came later. I made $$$ on the recording. Thanks AKG. I also played trumpet and some flute into it at the same session and the percussionist in the band I was in at the time played bongoes and congas into a pair of C414s used as stereo overheads. The keyboard player played a Fender Rhodes 73 and had a C414 mic on his Roland Jazz Chorus amplifier. Work horse? The only other mics used on that session that I can remember were a Sennheiser 441 and a few Shure 57s and honestly, the Sennheiser was only used because the studio guy (only) had 4 C414s and we used them all at once. Life is simpler now. Still a pro muso, I have some of my hair, a few of my teeth, far less money, a wife who loves me (and has a job!), lowly aspirations and a Rode NT1a microphone that Mister Rode gave me. Life is good and I like the Rode mic a lot but if I was younger and had to get any one microphone to live with forever, it would be the AKG C414. As an old pro with way too much milage behind him, I want to thank Podcastage for all the hard work. You're a pro mate. Constantly taking the piss out of yourself can get tiresome but your dedication to craft is admirable. PewDiePie? WTF??
Thank you. Very comprehensive review. 1 thing that would be nice: Is it possible to get the raw audio from your actual original recordings? When it gets uploaded to YT all the subtle differences between the mics that you are trying to demonstrate are mostly lost when YT re-renders and adds its compression routines to your videos. You go to a lot of trouble, (for which we are all thankful), but we want to hear what you hear.
Very thorough . Sounds great with your voice, more lively than the u87. So I just learned , if u right click anywhere on RUclips videos , the last option that pops up says stats for nerds. It’d be interesting to see a video of what processing RUclips adds to videos (specifically volume/normalized section) Cheers!
Hey @Podcastage, such an informative video it was! Thank you so much for this great and helpful review. In fact I have been following a number of your uploads about the microphones reviews because I’m planning to buy one. I’m a professional singer having little bit high frequency voice. I have an untreated non acoustic room (my home setup). Do you think this microphone will be a good choice for me? If not then which one do you recommend? Thanks again! Looking forward to more videos. Stay happy stay well 👍😊
Great video, very detailed 👌 I've been working with the rode ntk for over a decade, and it's a workhorse aswel. I wonder how it would compare to the xl2.
Note: This is a review of the mic he was using before he upgraded to a lavalier microphone clipped onto his Razer headset microphone. 😒
"upgraded"
I can feel the pain in this comment
That's sarcasm at its best.
Its evolving, just backwards
unique setup
Incredible coverage, as always! This thing is a workhorse for good reason.
For all it's great performance. I draw the line putting in front of guitar amp..)
@@darrylahill8764 so you don't use it for electric guitar? Why is that? I'm looking for a great all-around mic for vox/acoustic/electric guitar/string instruments, etc.
This is amazing and super thorough..I can only imagine the amount of work that went into making it. Thank you so much!!
This might be the single most informative video i've ever watched. Incredible work.
Amazing job comparing so many microphones. Going back and forth helps a lot. Thank you!!
please do more like this love your reviews and am a musician. Used a lot of expensive mics in school but cant quite remember what they sound like and hearing your reviews which are more than articulate help a lot to decide what to buy next. Thanks for being awesome!
Andrew - i will be doing a lot more of these expensive mics as I've slowly been picking them up on sale over the last year and a half and finally might start putting some of them out.
I'm so glad that you tried the mic trough the same Neve pre that I have. Now I know how this mic will sound trough it.
Excellent review. Very thorough. You're pretty good at this!! Thanks. Only thing missing maybe is a quick explanation of common scenarios where you'd want to use the various pads and High Pass filters that this mic provides.
Have watched a lot of your videos but can I say, I REALLY appreciate you making this one - your choice to compare against mics I own (NT1) and other high end mics I’ve considered - TLM plus comparing it to the XLS. I’ll be coming back to this video quite a few times I think! Keep up the great work bro 👍
I've been using this mic with pop vocalists for about 3 months now and I really really love this mic!! sounds great on every vocalist so far
Best video on reviewing AKG C414 I had ever seen!
The AKG C414 has been 1 of my dream mics since mid 90's. Fantastic review 👏, thank you
great review. thanks. I'm going to go buy this now. had one several years ago and this reconfirms what I remember. versatile, clean, and clear!
the reviews on this channel are SO GOOD
Thank you so much for this video. It held my attention throughout - so well thought out, and ultra helpful.
Thorough, objective, informative. A well conducted deep dive on an amazing microphone!
Great review! This is one of my favorite mics for vocals and woodwinds.
Your reviews are incredible, thank you for this deep knowledge
Man you are the best. You deserve all the support, cuz you are helping more people than any one thinks ❤
Excellent!! Thank you. I own a akg c414 xlii, and I learned so much more about it from presentation.
The Austrian Audio sounds noticeably more forward without sacrificing smoothness at the upper frequencies. Terrific review as always, Bandrew. Stay safe!
It really is incredible at the price especially since you can get the cardioid only model for around the same price as the TLM102!
Just found your channel and have been binge watching your reviews. Another great one here keep it up man!
Thanks for amazing comparison. I was suprsised that cheaper XLS has more natural sound.
Hey man, your comparison is stunning. Thanks for this.
What a comprehensive review! Thank you.
Wow the neve preamp really smothed out the topend!
Austrian audio sounds pretty darn good!!
I've been waiting for this review for a long time. This is a great mic. In terms of your comparisons I thought the TLM 103 sounded best (great clarity) and the Rode NT1 held its own.
My exact same thoughts. I was also surprised by the impact of the different interfaces though. I knew that, I guess, but it was still suprising :-)
TLM 103 sounds nasaly to me compared to XLII.
I agree, it did sound nasaly. Of all the mics the XLII sounded the best on his voice. The 818 wasn't too bad either. @@WaitButHow
Your Demo on this Microphone was excellent!! Excellent all the way around! Thank you!!
RUclips compression is unfortunate, but hearing past that, the cardioid pattern test was quite valuable, both in the variable settings, and the rotation of the mic . IT really showed the many tones available on this mic... Thanks for the demo.
If you check the description there's a link to higher quality audio on my site. It's not lossless because I don't have the bandwidth for that, but it doesn't have the same compression as RUclips.
I’m still waiting on that U87 review Bandrew. It will be a legendary microphone review without question.
It's like this I've had this microphone for several years a great microphone for the price it's worth it won't get into all the specs and details on it but you won't be disappointed great video you'll like the AKG c414 XL2 microphone⚡
Thanx for the review! Really liked the AKG sound
Great review. Over 20 years ago I recorded a whole slew of instruments and vocals with this mics predecessor. It's a workhorse alright. Pewdipie probably picked this because it matches his voice, but it's actually just one of the most flexible packages out there that is well crafted in every detail. If I needed a mic for all occasions and could only buy one, this is a likely candiate. Great balance of options, raw recording tone and features. For budget-minded folks it's already too expensive, but it's way more useful than just one Neumann large condenser could be for example.
It’s literally a must have for my mic locker. Probably still the only mic I’d use given a large selection.
@Club Soda Doubt it...
I have this, the Lewitt 440, the NT1 and the Rode Procaster, all lovely mic's but I do love the versatility of this one.
The Portico 5017 is a great little unit. I use mine with a TLM102 at home and it's glorious!
$1,100 - Where's the sticker!!!
In the USA it's not a very good deal. We usually pay a lot more for electronics in Europe, but this mic is 630 euro+VAT in Greece. The instrument version (XLS) is 530+VAT. The difference is just an EQ. It's not important in a world of 24bit digital recordings where preamps have an EIN so low that they are not really adding noise even to this low noise mic.
Oooooh, I wanna try this
Thank you for the review. This mic sounds so good i think.
Btw i love your little song here :D
My takeaway from this video is that I like that Austrian Audio and I want to hear a lot more of it.
Carole killed her husband and that’s a fact !
Check out Lewitt aswell for some more "Austrian Audio" in the literal meaning. I absolutely love their stuff.
I love my AKG 414xlii. I also own the 87ai but will always go back to my 414 because I love how it sounds on vocals. Because of the top end, some people will choose the xls over it. However I like to top end sweetness that it delivers. Also, I pair it with an Avalon vt737 so I can smooth it out a bit as well. Thanks for the review!
But you prefer the Neumann 87ai though correct ? or no ?
@@ItzrealMusic I actually prefer the xlii
@@CLEANMUDVIDEOS I appreciate your response brother
I have two C414s and I love them to death. Still meticulously crafted in Europe and still individually tested and signed in Vienna. The 9 polar patterns make it a Swiss Army knife in the studio. They are my babies.
414's have been made in china since 20 years
This a great review and informative. Thanks.
thank you for the incredibly detailed review
Great and thorough review. Thanks.
When I was learning audio engineering 32 years ago, we had an AKG 414 in the studio and it was the prized possession! That thing did everything and really well! Of course we had Sennheisser 57s and a variety of others but the 414 was the golden egg and likely still is.
I actually heard the beauty of the u87 this time. It was phenomenal smooth and natural and that preamp with that mic would be just right.
Wow! My take away is the XLII is simply amazing. On my list now. Always wondered about that and the XLS, but this confirms it for me. And another take away, the NT1 sounds excellent too. I liked the XLII (and maybe even the NT1) better than both Neumanns on your voice.
I remember using a friends like a decade ago... you can feel and hear the quality...i love akg
It sounds amazing but one thing I don't get is why it sound garbage when Pewdiepie uses it
I'm joking, great review by the way
I know you’re joking, but for a while that actually wasn’t too far off from the truth. When he first got that microphone, he was disappointed by how muffled and low quality the microphone sounded. Until he was advised to flip the microphone around and actually talk into the right side of the microphone.
Noah Waterman which interface did he first run it into?
@Secret_Armor it's so much worse when they try to give audio advice. Jayz2cents tried to do that with a shure sm7b and had to reupload a new video with all of the stuff he got wrong in the first
Nah he’s not joking fuk that bootypie
I like the sound of this mic. It reminds me of the sound of the MKH 416, I went back to watching that video again. In that video, with the windscreen on, or about 10 inches away while booming from the top, I hear a lot of similarities between both mics.
Lol I mean… the 416 kinda sounds like junk in comparison to me - totally different thing
Thanks for the valuable efforts sir
I needed this, thank you
great review man. thanks, it helped a lot.
Smart, comprehensive video. Great job. Please do one for the AT5045.
Great video! I hope you do a review on the Austrian Audo OC818 soon.
wow 16 mins passed.... i didn't know.... love your videos
WTF. I've been wathching your videos for quite some time. Only now I noticed that I hadn't subscribed yet. Keep up with the good work!
incredible review, covered every possible scenario that i could have thought of and more
When you sang the mic song that made the video for me. Harmonies and all. Instant like at that point.
Really fun video. All of them are but this one was special! . I appreciate your videos Thank you. For the wealth of information. And entertainment.
Hey! Same flannel shirt as your profile pic :).
Killin review btw, been watching you for a week now and finally subscribed!
I love your reviews.
Love this review
I like this! :) Funny and good comparisons!
Very thorough! Thanks! Liked your song too.
Thank you for your hard work!! Cheers from Hong Kong!!
Thanks for your review. Sold!
This dude has the greatest audio reviews on RUclips
Very detailed review!!
Would love to see how this stacks up against a Sennheiser MK8, and compare the polar patterns.
I used this microphone in the sound studio at my college. Recorded female vocals and we were VERY happy with the results.
Loving the reviews, keep up the good work.
I do have a request, if you do requests, I'm interested in the LyxPro SDPC2 or the Neewer NW-410 matched pair microphone set, they appear to be the same, and it would be great if you could investigate them for us. They both seem like amazing value for the money options.
Thank you.
A brilliant mic Great review!!
Just watch the tlm 103 review and with this video I got hundreds of videos worth of expertise. One step closer to a million subscribers
Great vid, bro. I have this mic, and I am very pleased. Thanks for an entertaing few minutes, Sir.
Nice job !! Thank you
This mic sounds so smooth.
It also works very well as a drum overhead!
I am very old. I had not heard of PewDiePie before seeing this video even though a pal of mine (another very old guy) is from Gothenburg. So I looked PewDiePie up. I don't get it. At all...
DEVO? I'm that old. At least.
Be that as it may, the AKG C414 was the first mic I sang into in a real recording studio sometime in the early 80s. I think models with all the letters after the numbers came later. I made $$$ on the recording. Thanks AKG. I also played trumpet and some flute into it at the same session and the percussionist in the band I was in at the time played bongoes and congas into a pair of C414s used as stereo overheads. The keyboard player played a Fender Rhodes 73 and had a C414 mic on his Roland Jazz Chorus amplifier. Work horse? The only other mics used on that session that I can remember were a Sennheiser 441 and a few Shure 57s and honestly, the Sennheiser was only used because the studio guy (only) had 4 C414s and we used them all at once.
Life is simpler now. Still a pro muso, I have some of my hair, a few of my teeth, far less money, a wife who loves me (and has a job!), lowly aspirations and a Rode NT1a microphone that Mister Rode gave me. Life is good and I like the Rode mic a lot but if I was younger and had to get any one microphone to live with forever, it would be the AKG C414.
As an old pro with way too much milage behind him, I want to thank Podcastage for all the hard work. You're a pro mate. Constantly taking the piss out of yourself can get tiresome but your dedication to craft is admirable.
PewDiePie? WTF??
Many thanks - informative and entertaining.. Great
Bandrew reviews for life 😍🙌❤
it is also good as a drum overhead. it can pick up a lot of goodness from the ride and bring it up in the mix.
Very nice sounding mic.
Thank you. Very comprehensive review.
1 thing that would be nice: Is it possible to get the raw audio from your actual original recordings? When it gets uploaded to YT all the subtle differences between the mics that you are trying to demonstrate are mostly lost when YT re-renders and adds its compression routines to your videos. You go to a lot of trouble, (for which we are all thankful), but we want to hear what you hear.
It sounds good on you. I'm a fan of the AKG C series. The old C4000b is a good mic, too, for half the 414 price
I realy like your vids you made me consider an XLR Mike
The gold detailing is a nice touch.
Youre so god damn amazing. Much love guy
That preamp was legit 👌
I own and use an AKG B-ULS for ages as main vocal mic and love it still. It's not exactly the same mic, but close enaough :).
Love your videos and just noticed you have that Apollo in the background, I was wondering why you use the 18i20 for these reviews instead.
That Austrian Audio mic is cool. Has a vintage look and sound to it.
2:09, I wonder if you can make an episode explaining all these Mic Specs terms :)
Very thorough . Sounds great with your voice, more lively than the u87.
So I just learned , if u right click anywhere on RUclips videos , the last option that pops up says stats for nerds. It’d be interesting to see a video of what processing RUclips adds to videos (specifically volume/normalized section)
Cheers!
Yeah the stats for nerds is a super interesting tool as you can see what kind of changes youtube has made in terms of loudness.
The audio quality is so good the best for the best PewDiePie knew lol
It's meh
Hey @Podcastage, such an informative video it was! Thank you so much for this great and helpful review. In fact I have been following a number of your uploads about the microphones reviews because I’m planning to buy one. I’m a professional singer having little bit high frequency voice. I have an untreated non acoustic room (my home setup). Do you think this microphone will be a good choice for me? If not then which one do you recommend? Thanks again! Looking forward to more videos. Stay happy stay well 👍😊
Mics all day song is pure genius! Bravo!
Great video, very detailed 👌 I've been working with the rode ntk for over a decade, and it's a workhorse aswel. I wonder how it would compare to the xl2.
You should do a VS series between the AKG C414 XLII, C414 XLS, and C214
The AKG Pro Audio C414 XLII is such a good microphone.