User manual AKG C 414 B-XL II

[. . . ] Unlike earlier versions of the C 414, the C 414B-XLS / C 414BXL II provides three separate dual pushbuttons for selecting the polar pattern, preattenuation pad, and bass cut filter, each with an LED bar indicating the selected setting. The selectors and indicator LEDs are only active as long as power (48 V phantom power) to the microphone is on. â· To select the desired value or polar pattern, press the desired arrow on the appropriate selector once or several times. a yellow/green LED above the appropriate value or symbol is lit to indicate the selected setting. [. . . ] When adding phantom power to a grounded or transformerless input, be sure to insert either capacitors or a transformer into the audio line to prevent current leakage into the input circuitry. 6: Two ways to add phantom power to an unbalanced input. The standard version C 414B-XLS features a very smooth frequency response and the typical sound of AKG largediaphragm microphones. This sound has hardly changed over the many years the C 414 has been in production, and the C 414 has become an "industry standard" against which most competitive or new products are compared. You can use the C 414B-XLS for most musical instruments (see also sections 3. The switchable bass cut filters at 40 Hz and 80 Hz will effectively cancel out any unwanted noise such as blower noise from air conditioning systems, etc. , or low-frequency noise due to floor vibrations, handling noise, etc. Without affecting the sound of the recorded voice or instrument on tape. the switchable preattenuation pads allow you to increase the microphone's headroom. Remember to check that the equipment connected to the microphone (microphone preamp, mixer input, recorder input) can handle the maximum output level of the microphone without causing distortion. It is identical to the C 414B-XLS with the exception of a slight high-frequency rise at 3 kHz and above. The supplied H 85 shock mount has a standard 3/8" thread insert so you can mount the microphone on almost every commercial stand or suspension with a 3/8" thread. To mount the H 85 on a stand with a 5/8" thread, remove the tread insert and screw the H 85 directly on the stand. To remove the H 85 from the microphone, rotate the bayonet-type lock at the lower end of the H 85 CCW to the point that the H 85 unlocks. We recommend the C 414B-XLS and C 414B-XL II for the following recording studio applications: Sound source Lead/solo vocals Backing vocals/choir Speech Acoustic guitar Electric guitar Electric bass Double bass Violin Cello Zither Grand piano (classical) Upright piano (rock & jazz) Organ Trumpet Trombone French horn Tuba Saxophone Flute Clarinet Harmonica C 414 B-XLS + ++ + ++ + ++ ++ ++ + ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ + ++ + ++ + ++ + ++ ++ ++ ++ C 414 B-XL II ++ ++ ++ + + + ++ 1 Lead Vocals As an introduction to the "secret science of making good recordings", the following sections describe some proven miking techniques. To give the talent better control of their own voice, we recommend adding the talent's track to their headphone monitor signal. To record large mixed choirs, we recommend using one stereo microphone plus one spot microphone each for the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass sections. In rooms with good acoustics, a single stereo microphone or two matched mono microphones will often do the trick. Backing vocals/technique 1: If you have enough tracks available, we recommend overdubbing each voice separately (refer to section 3. Backing vocals/technique 2: If you use a separate microphone for each of several vocalists simultaneously, set each microphone to hypercardioid to preC 414 B-XLS ++ + + + C 414 B-XL II + Backing vocals/ technique 3: If you use a single microphone for the entire group, select the cardioid or omni pattern and place the vocalists in a semicircle in front of the microphone. [. . . ] This technique will pick up the entire kit, delivering a highly natural sound. Hanging and floor toms: Use one microphone for each tom or for every two toms, aligning the microphone with the rim of the top head. To reduce leakage from other instruments, attenuate the HF range above 10 kHz using the channel EQ(s). Bass drum: Remove the resonance head and place the microphone right inside the shell. [. . . ]