AKG C3000

Been a musician most of my life, recording experience mainly band demo/home project type stuff. I record to DAW and have no quality way to listen back, just some bookshelf speakers and a pair of headphones.

I bought this mic new back when they first came out, and vas very impressed initially. Of course, back then it was pretty much the only game in town for a "cheap" condenser.

Now that I have access to other cheaper condensers and there is alot of competition, I realize that this mic is not very flattering for my voice. The 2-4k or whatever range is kinda edgy, and I find that it makes my baritone-tenor voice sound too harsh. Overall I think my favorite so far is the Beyerdynamic M500N for my vocals, but I wish the Beyer had better low-frequency response, it sounds smooth but can sound thin.

I may try the mod that was pointed out, but overall I don't think I will keep this microphone, there are just too many other better options out there these days.

I've been making and recording music for over 15 years with everythgin from an old Session 8 PC to an Ensoniq PARIS system (that I still use and love). I own a bunch of mics, and I've sold off a few that I didn't like (like the Studio Projects C1)

This is an absolute gem of a mic if you are willing to make a slight and simple modification to it.

Akg sold this as a stage mic, so it has a rather thick pop filter glued in front of both the small and the large diaphragms behind the grill. If you carefully disassemble the mic, the foam can be removed, making the mic much more open sounding.

******I accept no responsibility for dammage to your mic if you try this****, but I've done it to both of mine without any trouble.

Once this is done, you have an incredible mic! It has a large and a small diaphragm that are summed together in cardioid mode, which gives this mike a unique best-of-both-worlds quality. It has no where near as bright as a Studio Projects C1, so you'll have to boost 12k in the mix, but the solid lows and mids will blow away anything out there for less that $1000. The double diaphragm makes this mic more directional, too, which is a good thing if you are recording in a small room (like most project studios).

I have a Neumann 103, an Audio Technica 4050, and several small diaphragm mikes, and I like my modified pair of these best overall. They are especially good on acoustic guitar.

I've been a musician for 35 years - mostly live playing, but lots of recording too.
I've recorded in super delux pro studios and lots of budget studios.
I just started using the Yamaha AW16 with ART tube preamp.
I use Alesis M1s for playback

The C3000 is a cardiod condensor that gives a large diaphram affect.
I record vocals and acoustic guitar and sometimes use a pair for drum overheads.
I tried several mics at Guitar Center and this is the once that sounded the best to me.
It is a very *live* mic and is very accurate.
Good solid bass and midrange.
Maybe a little sharp in hi-mid area, but this works nice for acoustic guitar.
It's a great mic to have in your bag.

Keyboardist/vocalist with 12 years' professional experience, mostly gigging, some studio. Have been involved recording a new CD project for most of past year. I record to a Mac G4 in Logic Pro, using a variety of headphones and monitors.

It's one of the original cardioid condensors that touched off the mic price wars. As such, it hasn't held up well under competition from R0DE, Studio Projects, etc. Its sound is, mmm, congested in most frequency bands, but particularly harsh and "hashy" at around 3.5-4k (NOT where I'd ideally like the presence peak to reside; I like the 6k boost of the AT4060, though it's admittedly 3x more expensive).

Perhaps the most telling issue has been trying to "dial out" the problem frequencies. On a very good mic, even one not well suited to what you're recording, it takes fairly aggressive EQ-ing with grace and transparency. With the original C3000, even though it is close to neutral in pure frequency-plot terms, no amount of fiddling with the knobs or the Q can ring out its claustrophobic personality, which is less than flattering to my baritone-tenor voice. The "airiness" I crave just isn't there, but the boxiness and upper-treble hashiness can't be dialed out.

This was a darn good mic for the money 10 years ago. Now, however, I'd advise against picking up one, unless it's used at a real yard-sale price. You can do far better with the R0DE NT1-A, for example. More recent AKG mics may also be better, though I haven't used them. I had the C1000 for awhile and found it more useful in a wider range of settings, with a personality generally more forgiving, though as a small condenser not always right for lead vocals.

As always, beg or borrow AT LEAST two mics before committing to any one mic. Knowing what it really sounds like on your instrument of choice is easily worth more than a stack of reviews.

I have been playing guitar for over 19 years, writing music for over 15 years and recording music for over 12 years. I use a Zoom hard disk recorder for final tracking and mixing currently, and do my initial arrangements on an old 4-track recorder as a scratch pad. I do my monitoring either through my home or car stereo, as that is where it will need to sound best.

This is a condensor microphone with cardoid and hypercardoid directional patterns, if I am not mistaken. I use the mic to record my voice, although I intend to use it to record acoustic guitar as well. For vocals I have a pop filter set about 6-7 inches from the address side, and I pretty much stick my face on there to get as much nuance as possible.

I was considering the Shure KSM27 as an alternative, but I could never find one locally to try out. I did try this one out at a local Guitar Center, and was pleasantly surprised given some of the reviews that panned it online. Also, the free set of K-141 headphones that came with it didn't hurt the cause any. I already had a C1000 which works great for acoustic guitar, and a C411 which should be standard equipment for live acoustic recording.

I like the fact that this mic reproduces your voice without much coloration, so you hear the good, the bad and the ugly. It can be a little glassy and sharp on the higher sibliances, but a decent de-esser or turning down the boost in some of your higher EQ should make this more manageable. I haven't had the need to use the 10 dB pad or low frequency roll off switches, so I can't speak to their application. The mids are clear and punchy, and the lows are full bodied. It also handles loud singing without getting overwhelmed or distorting. Overall I would say this microphone is worth every penny spent.

been making music for 25 years.
Worked as audio engineer in LA for 10yrs. Live and Studio.
My home recording set-up consists of the Akai dps16, alesis model 1's, the c3000, gt fet condensor, a couple of sm57's, and a couple of crown pzm's.

the c3000 is a condenser mic requires phantom pwr.
Sound quality is very good, lots of detail, lows are clean, no real mid-peak. I've used it on vocals and acoustic instruments with good results. Good mic for project a studio on a budget.