AKG 414 B-ULS Or AKG 414 B-TL MK II

[nozza1]

Have the opportunity to pick up a pair of either mics at the same price. What would the slutz go for? Will get general use as OH's, Ambience, Vocals, Hammond etc. Should I get the classic C12 B-TL's with the 4khz shelf or the flatter B-ULS? Am more used to using the B-ULS but want to hear the B-TL's C12 thing is great. Choices, choices.
Thanx in advance.

[NathanEldred]

The B-ULS is about as icky as it gets in the midrange. Grungy and twisted. The TLII, is a few steps better, but sounds peaky and a bit harsh in the upper mids to my ears.

Is "the TL's C12 thing great"? No. Is it an acceptable utility microphone for the right price? Probably.

[Dot]

The B-ULS is a much better utility mic than the TLII, IMO.

There's some MP3 soundclips here with B-ULS and the TLII on acoustic guitar.

[doorknocker]

In general, I find B-ULS- recorded vocal tracks to be 'unspectacular' on their own.....they always sit perfectly in the mix though..

Andi

[Richie Monroe]

I find the B-ULS fairly useless for vocals, but very good for lots of other things. Most of the acoustic guit on the current project was tracked with one, and the tracks are lovely, thank you very much.
I have found the B-ULS to be damn good on djembe, zarb, piano, wind chimes, and recorder, and not so good on violin/viola. It has been used here with very good effect on mandolin and snare. -Richie

[C.Lambrechts]

the B-ULS is one the most versatile mic I know. Like any other mic, wether cheap or expensive it can work or not work. It's my favourite 'demo' mic. I have allways one mounted on a stand ... ready for use. No hassle and allways sounds acceptable on whatever I want to use it, vocals / guitars / percussion / winds / strings / ..... whatever. I never find it sounding bad. Often I use it to start with and then try another one taking the ULS as a reference. Sometimes it doesn't get better so it stays.

[e-cue]

I'm glad to see someone take notice in the differences between the various 414's over the years. It's frustrating to see people say "414" and not mention which model. The 1st version was a 414 COMB which I used once and thought sucked and have a dull frequency response, but the mic was very old. The 414EB (the silver one) came out next and had and XLR output. I love these on toms. The black one was called the 414 EB-P48, meaning power 48 since the electronics where redesigned to accommodate phantom power. The 414B-ULS is the one I see most commonly. Akg tinkered with the electronics and got it quieter and lessened the distortion. The 414TL-II was transformerless and the capsule was, as I understand it, made to copy the C12 (I've heard people say it's the same, and some say it's a copy of the C12 capsule- I'm not sure, but it DOES sound more like a C12 to me).

Originally posted by nozza1
Am more used to using the B-ULS but want to hear the B-TL's C12 thing is great. Choices, choices.
Thanx in advance.

I'm one of the bigger 414 TL fans hear. It's a bit bright, but those are the applications I use it for. I've had great results in the past using them on vocals, OH's, and room mic. For those applications they sounded much better than the B-ULS (which I think sounds better on close mic'd apps, such as toms, tympani, etc).

[Roland]

Originally posted by C.Lambrechts
the B-ULS is one the most versatile mic I know. Like any other mic, wether cheap or expensive it can work or not work. It's my favourite 'demo' mic. I have allways one mounted on a stand ... ready for use. No hassle and allways sounds acceptable on whatever I want to use it, vocals / guitars / percussion / winds / strings / ..... whatever. I never find it sounding bad. Often I use it to start with and then try another one taking the ULS as a reference. Sometimes it doesn't get better so it stays.

I second that!!!

The 414 is a totally underated mic these days. Being that I have been involved in this business long enough to know that they used to cost almost as much as a U87, look at them now less than a third the price.

As Chris say's there is pretty much nothing that you can't record with them, and IMHO still one of the best percussion/OH mics you can buy at any price!

Some of you guys in here going for Korby convertibles etc should look well at mics like the 414. I'm sure the Korby and alike are great mics, but they are a real rip-off price. Never thought I would see the day when new mics would end up costing more than the overinflated prices of vintage ones!

Regards


Roland

[Sofa King]

Originally posted by Roland
I second that!!!



Some of you guys in here going for Korby convertibles etc should look well at mics like the 414. I'm sure the Korby and alike are great mics, but they are a real rip-off price. Never thought I would see the day when new mics would end up costing more than the overinflated prices of vintage ones!

Im wondering if you could detail the personal experience youve had with the Korby mics to make the statement, "they are a real rip-off price".

Ive had a great deal of experience with them, and the mics that they refer to and found them to be quite a great deal.

I also hope your not trying to compare either 414 with the Korby mics.


For the record, I prefer the TL2 over the ULS myself.
No transformer, and brighter tone.



Best..

[nozza1]

Great to read the differing views expressed in the thread. Helping me make up my own mind. Just like to add that I found a wealth of useful information over at the AKG site on their own forum pages. Very well informed, lively and very educational, even for the passage of time I've been recording for.
Here's the link and keep up the good posting.

http://www.akg.com/akg_structuretree...nguage,EN.html

[Roland]

Originally posted by Sofa King
Im wondering if you could detail the personal experience youve had with the Korby mics to make the statement, "they are a real rip-off price".

Ive had a great deal of experience with them, and the mics that they refer to and found them to be quite a great deal.

I also hope your not trying to compare either 414 with the Korby mics.


For the record, I prefer the TL2 over the ULS myself.
No transformer, and brighter tone.



Best..

Microphones are one of the cheaper components of studio gear to make. Prices for mics have risen extortionaltely over the last few years. I would be the first to suggest that not all mics should sell for nothing more than a few hundred pounds, that would be unrealistic, but to buy a new mic for around £6000 that is crazy. Almost all of this market has been fuelled by the semi-pro bedroom studio engineer who will pay upwards of £6,000 for a poor Telefunken 251, U47 etc. The great sound attributted to a lot of the famous valve mics of yesteryear was due in no small part to the great vocalists that used them, Nat King Cole, Ella, Sinatra etc. Any of these artists would have sounded great pretty much regardless of whatever you recorded them on.

The quality of the Korby as a mic is not what I am raising issue with good luck to its designer and builder in selling it. I suspect the majority will end up being used to record vocals for second rate local rock bands.

My real argument is that of people debating the esoteric quality of various mic pre's for a bloody bass drum. Its crazy! I know of too many situations where specific gear has been used on sessions (particularly for drums) and the sound is eventually replaced with samples! There are a lot of clever programmers, digital wizards and alike out there, sadly I meet fewer and fewer engineers that really know the job any more.

Whether you prefer the 414 ULS or the 414TL II is really not particularly relevant, my only point was that at the price they represent very good value for money.

Regards


Roland

[nozza1]

Don't want to intrude on this sub-thread, but I do agree with you on this Roland and wanted to add my voice. Gear's fun but I ain't gonna pay to watch a microphone on stage! Hope we've all had that occasional experience of a singer who could have sung into the talkback mic and made us look good. For me it's been Chrissie Hynde, Cerys Mathews, Ali Cambell and Matt Johnson. And recording Vinnie Calliuta!?! drumming for THE THE. The artist walked in the room and told me how blown away he was by the drum sound I'd got. I'd just pushed up the hat, kik and one OH mic! It started good and all I had to do was not F**ck it up!

[michael c]

Well I purchased the Korby Convertible and it is a world class mic!! If you are in the market for an incredible mic, I would recommend that you check it out.
Well worth the dough. Haven't tried recording in my bedroom with it, but maybe some day I will give it a shot.........

I have 2 AKG C414 TLII's for sale if anyone would like them. They are in mint shape. E-mail me: mcnevnev@earthlink.net

Thanks.

[littledog]

Well, I have to disagree with Roland.

If the only choices I had for recording vocals were the 414 or the 414TL, I wouldn't be ecstatic. I don't own any $10,000 microphones, but I own a $2000 one, and I can definitely tell you i have gotten repeat business in my studio because vocalists love the way they sound on it.

Whether any piece of gear is worth any particular cost can be directly determined by how much business that particular piece generates for your studio. It's the same old argument with Por Tools TDM prices.

I've got Pro Tools HD and a number of more expensive microphones than the 414's. They have all more than paid for themselves with the clients they attract. By that definition, they were worth the price.

[Sofa King]

Originally posted by Roland

The quality of the Korby as a mic is not what I am raising issue with good luck to its designer and builder in selling it. I suspect the majority will end up being used to record vocals for second rate local rock bands.


Roland

Again Roland,
Ill ask you as I did before, what do you base this assumption on?
Have you EVER heard this mic?
Like what you like, hate what you hate,
Just tell us why.


Best..

[Sofa King]

Originally posted by Roland

Whether you prefer the 414 ULS or the 414TL II is really not particularly relevant, my only point was that at the price they represent very good value for money.

Regards


Roland

You may have forgotten while you bashed away at a mic youve probably never heard, that the thread is in fact,

"414b uls or TL2".

so i do feel that stating may prefernce of the TL2 over the b uls, [mics that i actually own] is quite relevant to this thread and hopefully helpfull to the poster.

best.

[Rubato]

I must chime in that a really good mic is a work of art. The best ones are well worth real $$$. A 414 (whichever version) is not in the same league with, for instance, a good condition Neumann U67/ SM69/ M269/ M50, etc etc.

Discussion of talentless artists who will sound bad on whatever and pros who WILL sound great on anything is, I think, the subject of a different thread.

R

[nozza1]

Sean, your post is relevant and helpful to the poster (Me). Wasn't taking sides with Roland but understand his thrust if not necessarily his Korby assertion.
Just to wrap the discussion up from my perspective; have ordered the TL II's,the deal being too good to pass up. Can get a deal on B-ULS any time, know how they sound and want to work with the TL's for a time. many thanx, everyone

ps. Did anyone visit the AKG forum? Find it informative?

Richard.

[littledog]

Nozza-

I think you did the right thing ordering the TLII if your option was the TLII or the b/ULS at the same price. If for no other reason than you'll be able to get more money for a used TLII if you sell it someday than a used b/ULS.

[nozza1]

Good point, well brought forward. Think they'll arrive tuesday and I'm tracking wednesday so they'll get instant use.
Thanks, nozza.