Product: AKG C391B
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
06/05/2007
at
05:59pm
by
Ton Nieuwdorp
Email: ton<at>dragonder dot demon dot nl
Reviewer Background
:
Guitarist, composer, singer and producer. Recording experience in a semi-professional mobile studio. Main gear is a Roland VS2480 but I also work with ProTools, Logic. I have been recording bands but also classical, folk and theatre music for several years. I also worked as a freelance sound engineer.
Overall Rating
:
9
The AKG C 391 consists of a seperate amplifier and interchangable capsule. The C391 is the standard combination with the cardioid capsule. They also sell hypercardioid, omni etc. (blue line system) It's a small diaphragm condenser, especially fit for instrument miking or overhead.
I bought two of these, mainly for recording acoustic guitar both steelstring and classical. I use A-B placement rather than X-Y.
I also considered buying Oktava MK012, SE Electronics Se2a, Se3A, Shure SM81, Rode NT5 and some others condensors / dynamics.
I have bad room acoustics so I decided to buy flexible and versatile mics with interchangeable capsules. So exit Rode, Shure and Se3A. The Se2A is a good mic for the price but it sounds quite bright. The oktava's are better but I think the AKG's are much better build quality. They are way more expensive though, considering you have to pay extra for hypercardioid capsules while the okatava's sell very cheap including omni, cardioid and hypercardioid.
I like these mics a lot. I also own a AKG C414B XLS, AKG C3000B, Rode NT1000, Rode NT4 and other condensor and dynamic mics. But for acoustic guitar, these mics are very good: realistic, flat, very well balanced. They make a prefect pair. It seems they are underrated and rather unnkown because there is hardly a review of these mics on the net, but I know that many studios own them and use them. Also, in many reviews, they are being used as a reference mic because they are quite neutral.
So far, nothing negative about these mics. They are well build, look good, and sound great. Not the cheapest but it's AKG quality and versatile. I would recommend these for guitar, piano, woodwinds, but also great for drum overhead, choirs.
Con: they come in a cardboard box, with just a simple clamp.
