Top 8 Best AKG Microphones | Musician Nerd
Updated on Mar 21, 2022
AKG microphones come from one of my favorite brands, with a wide range of products that can be used for many different things. AKG is one of those microphone companies that excel in both the lower-end and higher-end markets, with their project studio line making excellent budget studio options. While they've got a lot to offer for home studios, that's not where they originally came from.
AKG has been around for a long time. They have such a wide variety of microphones that I've had the chance to work with, and I'm beyond excited to talk about my favorites. While many of their microphones perform well, a big reason for the AKG reputation comes from their vintage microphone, the AKG C12. Don't be surprised when you see that made it to the top of our list, and let me tell you if you ever have the opportunity to try it, jump on it!
For those of you who are here out of curiosity, you'll love the variety of our list and hearing about the history of AKG at the end. If you're here to find your next microphone, we've picked our favorites from various uses. Whether you're building your home studio on a budget or getting ready to stream, you've got solid options.
The Best AKG Microphones
Our Picks
- 1. AKG C12 VR Best Overall
- 2. AKG C414 XLII Best For Professional Studio
- 3. AKG P220 Best For Home Studio
- 4. AKG Lyra Best USB
- 5. AKG C214 Best Cost / Value Ratio
- 6. AKG P170 Best Instrument
- 7. AKG D7 Best Vocal
- 8. AKG D12 VR Best For Drums
1. AKG C12 VR
We're going to start strong here with one of the most legendary microphones. The AKG C12 VR has one heck of a price tag, but honestly, it's earned that right. My team at Musician Nerd has worked with so many different microphones, but the AKG C12 is easily one of the best microphones I've used.
AKG C12-CR Tube Condenser Microphone
The AKG C12 VR is truly phenomenal. The sound quality is beyond anything you may be used to, so it's one of the most famous tube microphones in the world. Originally built in the 1950s, the C12 became one of the best vintage microphones, which led to AKG releasing the enhanced VR version.
With the edge terminated CK12 capsule & original 6072A vacuum tube, we get a sound produced that is of the highest quality a microphone could offer. The inner electronic components are the absolute top of the line, giving us very low noise & very reliable performance.
Tube microphones are less common these days but offer a considerable gain in quality for the right price. I've had the pleasure to record with the AKG C12 VR in several environments and found it works well for many things. It does a fantastic job for vocals & guitar, and thanks to the bass-cut filter & pre-attenuation pad, it can handle loud sound sources like drums. It's costly, for sure, but if you want the best of the best with complete versatility, AKG microphones have you covered.
2. AKG C414 XLII
The AKG C414 is an absolute beast of a microphone, offering the sonic character of the legendary C12, delivering astounding sound quality for lead vocals. The variation we're going to talk about here is the XLII; however, another version, the AKG C414 XLS, can be found on the same Amazon link that is more suited for instruments.
AKG C414 XLII Vocal Microphone
The AKG C414 XLII offers nine different polar patterns, helping you find the perfect sonic capture for your project. There's a peak hold LED display for monitoring even the shortest overload peaks. However, if you're working live, you can disable these controls for trouble-free use.
The capsule is one of the most unique features of this microphone. As we said before, it holds a similar sound from the classic C12, thanks to the slight presence boost and spatial reproduction. The pre-attenuation pad comes in three different options to get the perfect padding, while the bass-cut filter also offers three variations. This level of versatility is why it's one of my favorite mics to use in the studio.
I have both the XLII and XLS versions, and if you're looking to set up a professional studio, they're both worth the money. The XLII will make your vocals sound pristine with that classic vintage sound. The XLS lets you record the piano, strings, brass, woodwinds, and drums. I'm telling you, it's microphones like these that make AKG an evergreen company in the audio space.
3. AKG P220
The AKG P220 large diaphragm condenser microphone is one that we’ve written about numerous times in the past. We love this AKG microphone a lot as it's the perfect beginner studio microphone fit to record both vocals and instruments.
AKG P220 Pro Audio Condenser Microphone
The large diaphragm found in the AKG P220 has a very low mass, giving you a warm & clear sound for your vocals, guitar, or bass. The richness in your audio is pristine for such an affordable microphone, and the switchable bass-cut filter & attenuation pad makes it even better for loud audio sources. The AKG P220 can handle sound pressure levels up to 155dB SPL.
The wide-range frequency response results in a deep, clear recording that captures every little detail from your sound source. So much detail, in fact, that I recently saw a video of someone using this as an ASMR microphone. Thanks to the cardioid polar pattern, this unidirectional condenser microphone will only pick up audio from the front of the capsule.
It's clear why they named this a "project studio" microphone. It's incredible for beginners setting up a studio in their own home. For under $200, you're getting a lot for your money, which is why it's one of my favorite AKG microphones, and one of the best cheap microphones the market could offer.
4. AKG Lyra
The AKG Lyra is another favorite of mine, and one of the best USB microphones on the market. It’s one of AKG’s most popular as it’s as simple to use as “plug and go”, while also being very affordable.
AKG Pro Lyra USB Microphone
I love the integrated desktop stand, which gives the bonus of suspending your microphone in the air. The stand helps absorb shock, and the microphone offers the legendary AKG microphone sound via the 4-capsule adaptive array.
The AKG Lyra is perfect for podcasts & videos, thanks to the added features. These include microphone mute, zero-latency headphone monitoring, and gain control. You can also quickly modify the capture modes with the physical interface on the front of the microphone. This makes the AKG Lyra one of their most versatile microphones, as you can change the polar patterns to fit your every need.
Overall, you’re getting a feature-rich microphone at a reasonable cost. This is my favorite USB-compatible AKG microphone by far.
5. AKG C214
The AKG C214 is one of AKG’s best condenser microphones, offering a great balance between quality and cost. While not the most affordable mic on the market, it's impressive for a studio microphone under $500.
AKG C214 Large Diaphragm Kit
I've had the pleasure of using one of these on several occasions. This XLR microphone uses a Unidirectional polar pattern. This means that it'll only pick up sound coming in through the front while muting out noise from the sides & rear of the capsule.
The wide range frequency response rate offers a high level of detail into everything you record. It’s modeled off of the AKG C414, which is a much more high-end model that is used in professional studios.
If you want something for recording vocals, the AKG C214 is a great choice. For instruments it can work well as it handles an SPL of up to 156dB. It’s extremely versatile and one of the best AKG microphones.
6. AKG P170
The AKG P170 is specifically built for instruments and is recognized by the signature “pencil” shape. This small-diaphragm high-performance microphone is great for recording overheads, percussion, acoustic guitar, and other instruments.
AKG Perception 170 Professional Instrument Microphone
The lightweight diaphragm, measured at ½-inch, gives you incredible clarity thanks to the rapid transient response. Transient response is in charge of recording rapid soundwaves, which is essential to keep up with the fast vibrations your guitar strings or drum cymbals produce.
The AKG P170 is definitely a solid instrument microphone that isn’t given enough credit. I’ve used several over the years and have found them to work great in both studio & live settings.
If your primary focus is recording instruments, give this AKG microphone extra consideration. For maximum quality, I like to pair it with the AKG P220. If you want the best mic for acoustic guitar, then give this AKG microphone a try.
7. AKG D7
The AKG D7 Dynamic is my favorite vocal microphone from AKG, with a vari-motion diaphragm for clean, crisp sound & outstanding performance. What we're talking about here is a more high-end stage mic that doesn't get enough credit.
AKG Pro Audio D7 Vocal Microphone
A lot of vocal mics emphasize the mid-range, but thanks to the dual thickness vari-motion diaphragm on the AKG D7, we get an open sound for all frequency ranges, giving our audio a more complete & deep sound. It's able to give warm lows & crispy highs in the cleanest fashion.
There’s a suppression laminate diaphragm material that damps the critical resonance peaks, preventing high amplitude from our frequencies. There's also a mechano-pneumatic suspension that eliminates unwanted handling noises. The precision metal dust filter can also help protect the capsule from sound-changing pollution.
This is one of my favorite performance microphones and is well worth the money. A lot of vocal mics fall around $100, so this one comes at a premium, but AKG microphones knocked it out of the park!
8. AKG D12 VR
The AKG D12 VR is a large-diaphragm dynamic microphone that is commonly used for kick-drum applications. However, I've used this one for videos in the past, and it does a wonderful job at capturing your voice. That being said, this is more of an "instrument" style AKG microphone.
AKG Pro Audio D12-VR Dynamic Microphone
The reason it does so well with kick drums is that it uses a thin diaphragm to enhance the low frequencies. The low-end control has a warm sound to it, thanks to the C414 transformer, and excels on higher signal levels.
They offer 3 active filter presets so that you can match the microphone's sound shape to the kick drums. The sound pressure limit is an impressive 164dB, and the D12 VR automatically reduces the output level by 10dB.
The AKG D12 VR is a little more niche than the others, but it kills on the drums. While I’m not a drummer, people I’ve played with in the past used this in their home setups for the kick.
History Of AKG Microphones
AKG was founded way back in 1947, in Vienna, Austria. Not so surprisingly, they saw success almost right out the gate, with their microphones being used in Jazz Clubs & radio stations within months. Impressively, unlike today, these microphones were made by hand, by a small team of workers. The first two years of the company were dedicated to microphones, but by 1949, they grew into the headphone market.
Throughout the 50s, they made headlines producing some of the most revolutionary microphones and sold one of their first C12 models to BBC in London. AKG continued to innovate and develop some of the best AKG microphones that we see to this day throughout the 50s and '70s and going public in the '80s.
Throughout the massive expansion of AKG microphones, they worked on fun projects like the "Audimir" space project, where they used AKG products for room simulation in outer space.
I've personally read & written about the history of many musical instrument companies, but AKG microphones have some of the most entertaining history. I encourage you to read more about them as a company.
Conclusion
Hopefully you were able to find the best AKG microphone for you on this list. It should be no surprise that a well-established company like AKG can have such a verasatile product catalog. The ability to mix and match some of these, whether you're recording an entire bands' worth of instruments, or just need something for your vocals or speech, AKG microphones have you covered.
If you went ahead and bought something from this list, let us know in the comments below how it's working out for you! We love to hear your feedback, and even better, love to hear the creations that you make with these mics!
Posted on Dec 23, 2020
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