AKG - C 414 B-ULS

I hope my B-ULS never dies, I wanted an EB "bras kapsel" but couldn't snag it

414s on toms sound amazing.

It's a decent mic, but it doesn't sound great for every vocalist. Some people now believe that it is a GOATed microphone but it can sound muddy on some voices. It also doesn't have very much proximity effect which can be a downside. The point being that it is a good microphone but not a holy grail microphone. For example, the 414, while twice as expensive, has about 10x as much range and utility imo

We can agree to disagree, but you're misunderstanding my perspective so I would like to set the record straight. It's not at all that I revere the classics. I don't care about that (although, it may be as argued that many classics are classic for a reason.) All the mics I've praised are strictly for good experiences I've personally had recording with them. There are also newer ribbon mics that are excellent. Take the R88. Yes, it's large and it's heavy. Does that make it impractical? Many ribbons are... That doesn't mean it isn't a great mic. As far as the Cohls, they're not all that heavy. Again, many ribbon mics are fairly robust, so I don't think it's fair to ding them for that. Using the adapter doesn't strike me as a huge inconvenience either since it comes with the mic AFAIK. Most importantly, the mic sounds good, which is arguably all that matters... Again, classic has nothing to do with it. I like how they sound 🤷🏻‍♀️ Edited to add: Yes, I'm a fan of the 414 BUL-S. Why? Because I've gotten amazing sounds out of it. The last drum tracking session I did, I used those as well as Josephson e22s on toms. The artist loved the tom sound and mentioned that repeatedly. These experiences reinforce my positive feelings toward those microphones. The E22s while perhaps a modern classic I would argue, would not be revered in the same way as classic Neumanns etc. I slightly take offense to this suggestion that I "revere" certain mics because they've "been used many times." Every opinion I expressed was based solely on my own experience with those microphones.

If you can afford a used AKG C414 I think that is one of the most versatile mics ever.

Rightfully so. Everyone lies about it being Jackson’s mic. The B didn’t come out until years later. Most over rated mic ever. So bad they had to put a pop starts name on it just to sell it. A Beta 58 sounds WAY better on more voices. The SM7b is just so voice specific and not really any voices I work with. It does loud male vocals okay, I still prefer a Beta 58 if we’re going dynamic in the studio (live tracking or loud, loud, vocals that would otherwise distort a condenser) I had one for about 6 months. Sold it as quickly as I could. I use my RE20 and my md421 wayyyy more. Just picked up a Telefunken 251 clone by Advanced Audio for my “warm” condenser and a Warm 414 for my “bright”condenser. I’ve got tons of other stuff too but these seem to be my daily drivers. Between those, I feel like I can track most vocals and give them options that are clearly different from each other.

I’ve got 3 B-ULS and I still can’t believe how often I use them. They’re also much more repairable than any of the newer ones. Still keeping an eye out for a deal on an EB myself as well.

I haven't seen any of the JZ stuff mentioned. I have a pair of Amethysts and the JZ47 and they're both awesome on just about anything. With that said, I second all the 414 B-ULS votes.

I’ve used an AKG C414 B ULS for decades and it is the simplest, best sounding approach I’ve found, after years of unnecessarily overcomplicating the setup. Just point it at the neck/body joint, off horizontal axis. I recently got a Neumann KM184 and will be experimenting by adding that on a second track.

I’ve had a similar problem. I was using a Neumann U87ai and an AKG C414 b-uls, running through either a Neve 1073/2254 or an API 3124/5500/2500 channel. I even tried a UA 610/1176 combo. When I finally broke down and went dynamic/ribbon it felt like I could finally breathe again. I tried my Shure SM7db and Royer 121, even a Sennheiser md 421, but the EV RE20 is sooo smooth and sooo dense, I’m still mad at myself that I let my bias toward pricier mics get in the way for so long. How can a $450 mic sound so good? I don’t know, and I don’t care. Thank you Internet Thom Yorke. Check it out.

IMO the XLS *is* one of the brighter models, the B ULS is a common darker one

There’s a pretty big range in tone on the various 414s. I love a darker 414 B-ULS on just about anything.

wild deal, I have one but would love a second

there are lots of different C414 editions that sound quite different from each other. the C414 B ULS is the good one.

I dislike every version of the 414, and I think it’s vastly overrated. {*ducks to avoid angry mob*}The ULS, EB, XLS, XLII… I dislike them all, on everything. Have owned many and tried many on overheads, toms, guitars, vocals, piano, tried them on everything and I just cannot make them sound right in a mix. They’re somehow muddy and harsh at the same time. Not crisp and clear like a C12A or similar predecessor. Eventually sold them all. Give me a Milab or DPA or Bock/Soundelux or almost anything else, and I’d prefer it 10x over. AKG D112. This one used to be MORE overrated than it is now, but most people now realize there’s at least 5 or 10 better options. D12VR, D6, M82, VKick, etc etc. Second vote for 421 on toms - insanely overrated. Not a great sound. Although, I do like 421s on guitars and pianos with amps (Wurli, Rhodes, clav, etc) Also agree on SM7B… there are just so many better mics for vocals and VO. Literally hundreds of better mics on the market. It just doesn’t sound that great. Can be great with switches set flat on a guitar amp though.

Akg 414 id say is a great work horse condenser. But it is not a budget friendly solution like the sm57.