anyone know the differences between the 414s?

i need to figure out which to pick for this upcoming album, normally i dont use these mics at all unless they are utility use from someone elses mic locker.

The C414EB from the seventies is the best of them all...There's a difference in the capsule...The older models have screws around the perimeter, and the newer 414 use a plastic ring.

IMO the "treble" response from a C414 EB is the most desirable, especially on female voice

I don't know the newest ones, but I compared the B-ULS and the TLII, and found the B-ULS to have a bit more meat and character than the TLII, which seemed cleaner and flatter. The B-ULS has a transformer, and the TLII does not.

strictly new product line...

B-TL II
B-ULS
B/XL II
B/XLS

curiously as well, anyone tried the D550 bass instrument mic? or the D440?

nobody?

in my humble experience, The 414 TLII, though it was ment to be, in vocals was great, but not amazing....it's all subjective. I was impress using it mono, Omni, as a one mic job, 2.5 feet high, middle of the room in front of Drms, three piece ensamble. Incredible Frequency response clear image, thru a RED1.
I just recorded with the BXLS ORTF OH thru a Fearn VT2 and thugh I'm not able to give you a objective opinion at the moment, but...I'm super Happy with their performance Due to positioning, room, and the mic characteristics, the stereo image is amazing, and all cymbals sound "crisp and clear" heh
I'm going to try it soon (BXLS's) with male vocals. Let you know my impressions once it's done...................................Joaquin.

the biggest diffrences you will notices is between the "ls" and the "II" models.
the LS model is a pretty flat up to 10k where it jumps up a few db tell it comes back down around 20k
the II model id flatt up tell about 2k where is steps up a few times tell it comes back down at about 15k, it drops off steeper then the LS.

the newer models, the xl's, are supposed to have the frequency responsed taylored down a little between 1k and 2k. also the newer models have remote controlled switches but the remote has not been released yet.

as for applications in genral i like the LS on accustics sources and the II's on vocals.
so far i prefer the older to the new ones but i have not had much time with the new ones so mabey its just that i used to the older models.

if you are buying this mic i strongly suggest the audio upgrades mod. i really makes the mic come alive. i have samples between modded and unmodded c414buls if you would like to hear them.

no buying here... just using.

i did look at the spec papers on the two and they are dramatically different in their freq response...

Of the 'older' 414's you have the 414EB which either used the brass capsule, or the 2072Z0005 'Teflon' capsule. The 414BULS also uses this 'Teflon' capsule, but a more complicated output circuit. The 414TL uses a 2072Z0011 capsule which is tuned differently.

Note that the brass capsules could be tuned differently as well, thus there are some dogs out there and some nice capsules. Also, older capsules - both the newer style and older style - can have diaphragm tension loss, which changes the sound of the mic significantly.

The 'teflon' capsules (which appear to actually be made of Nylon or Delrin or another plastic of that family) tend to be more consistent but not more interesting.

Barrett, get the C 414 B/XL II, it will work on most stuff, not a bad sounding mic at all. Forget about the previous version (C 414 B-TL II / C 414 B-ULS).

Hub, I would love to hear some samples of Jim Williams vs pre-Jim Williams 414 B-ULS.

I have two, which I tried to get Jim to mod last time I was in the US, but things moved too slow to get them done before I flew back. But next time I'm out there I might have another go...

Thanks

Paul

BTW, while we're on the subject, I also have two EB's. One later (mid eighties?) with black switches, and one earlier (I'm not sure, late seventies perhaps?) with white switches. They both have the same capsule (newer nylon type) and ostensibly the same electronics. Although the board layout is the same, some of the components on the board look a rather different vintage.

As a result, the beat up old white-switch EB sounds very different to the newer one... much warmer, yummy low end, perhaps less accurate but more flattering. None of the much-talked-about "sharp" edge that the 414 is renowned for (not that any of my 414's are sharp... perhaps not amazingly smooth, but they're not harsh at the top. Don't know why they have that reputation. Maybe because they have sharp corners? :-)

414s get a bad rap. I used one as a spot mic to capture a small string section and the producer got very excited about the result. Has worked well in hypercardiod on flugel/trumpet too.

Paul

I have heard that difference, too. I am convinced that it is an aging process in the capsule. Same electronics, two capsules - the sound followed the capsule.

-Dale

thx mw... you know what this is for right?

I think I do. If they are rented, keep 'em out the beer flow

Anybody know the differences with the currently offered C414 XLS and C414 XLII ?

On their website, the former is stated for broadcast and the latter for lead vocals and other studio miking situations.

Thanks.

Strictly speaking only the II is currently offered. The XLS has been discontinued, fairly recently. It's still available in most shops.

I have one of each. In short, the II is a lot brighter. Have a look at the frequency response charts - in this instance it tells you almost everything you need to know.

Take it with a pinch of salt when you hear someone describing them as "harsh" or anything. They are bright, but not harsh, in my experience. In omni pattern, or wide cardioid pattern, both of them are pretty smooth and, while you can hear a difference between the two, they sound more similar than different. You can tell they're almost the same mic.

In other patterns, however, the II is quite unpredictable and you have to try it. That's where they start to really differ. Both mics can sound a bit scooped in the upper mids (not the highs) and the II in other patterns really exaggerates this. It can leave things sounding a little weak. (Then again, you can always, duh, not use it in hypercardioid or fig8 patterns...)

I would say, the XLS is better value for money as a workhorse mic: it will work on most vocalists. In fact, if I had to record a vocal without any idea of what they sounded out, or even what gender they were, it's the mic in my own modest collection that I would use. It's unlikely to go wrong.

What music are you making? If it's aggressively contemporary pop, bright and over-compressed, then buy the II. The II has also helped me out totally unexpectedly when no other mic could get this one violin part to stand out in a mix.

Both mics good to de-mud a muddy source (eg a distorted guitar amp that was a mushy mess)

Ok thanks for the explanation. Combining these with some reviews on the net I can get a clear understanding on how the sound will be like.

I do all kinds of recordings....more of a hobby at the moment.

Thanks again.

We have the C 414 XLS, XL II, the cardioid only C 214 as well as an original B-ULS in our Clipalator reference page all captured side by side on the same sources.

Here's a great link I found that explained the differences between the different 414s. Enjoy!

http://www.saturn-sound.com/Curio's/...akg%20c414.htm

Matt

This is interesting. Where did you get this information?

I am not exactly AKG central over here but...that info does not seem accurate unless he means the older "B" XLS version. I am asking my AKG rep now though...

War

I sent my old 414 BULS to AKG - came back worse - sent it to Jim Williams for his mod - now its flat, clean and very useful.

Mack

Dude, if you can find the akg 414 ltd, get it. It's amazzzing, and doesn't have that mid-range funkiness the others have. So it allows me to use the mid range on the eq to shape the sound rather than fix it.

Found this looking for info on the 4x 414 EBs I found in storage at my church. Hoping to get them restored.

thinking of selling my AKG 414 B-ULS Jim Williams modded mic, any idea what it's worth?