AKG D880

I am fairly new to recording and such like i use a friends home studio using pro tools ,

We where using a sm58 with a pop shield for my vocals and accoustic guitar and also for live gigs ,But i got side tracked a little while ago to sennhieser i bought two 845s fantastic mics knocked the 58 for six for live and recording ,But they got stolen after a gig desperate for some new mics and not alot of cash in the kitty i went to my local music shop, who happened to have a pair of used akg's from an old recording studio a D880 and a D770 i cannot beleive how good they are we have gigged them with no feed back problems 10 out of 10 considering the 845s cost me nearly ??180 these are equally if not slightly better with clarity and feed back AKG'S ALL THE WAY FOR ME

I was mixing in a live setting when i noticed one guy using a AKG i was impressed about the lack of feedback even though he was right in front of the PA, thats what got me in to this d880.

THe sound is very clear, very condenser sounding. Over a SM58 its very much better. But the sweet spot in a live setting is very small.
ITs a bit like a Senheiser e935 for sound but in the same way, if you move of the axis the sound drops out a lot, its very hard to stay in that area when singing all the time and so you really need to know how to use this mic. A shure is a much easier mic to perform with, and i imagine the beta58 is the same sound as this but with the usability. another problem is if you go to close its gets muddy. Unlike a beta58. And if does not hanndle plossives as well as a SM58.

So this mic is very bright and very clear as long as you stay in the right sweet spot. Sound wise a 9. but with this tight pattern its hard to really use it well. Acoustic Guitar sounds great and it rivals my Rode NT1 a in the studio.
In the recording mix its to clear and need a lot of degrading to make it sit better. In live its very clear as long as you know how work it, which i find hard to do, going to a beta58 next.

So its a good sounding mic live, very hi gain before feedback and overall a nice hard to really use effectively. I think this would make a better instrument mic live as its once you position it on a amp or snare its great.

In a Rock band with drums this isnt the really the perfect mic as you need to pull in close at times and back off.

If you are a solo singer with acoustic then i would say its far better than a standard Sm58 and maybe the same as Senheiser, or though that is a thinner sounding mic where as the d880 is very bass heavy. Like a condenser with warm proximity effect.

I have been playing guitar & keys for about 30 years. I sing as well.
I have recorded in the late 70's, 4 track tapes and stuff.... Recently I bought a Zoom MRS4, it's cheap and compact, and allows me to record on the fly wherever I am. I plan to acquire a 16 or more simultaneous recording track console, since I have been asked to record jazz combos live or live studio. I know I could work on a PC or mac, but I have been in IT for the last 20 years, and enough is enough ;-)
I have a pair of unbranded (read : chinese) studio monitors, they sound OK, and a few headphones, mainly Sennheiser.

Description has been given by my eminent colleagues on this forum.

I use it for voice, but I am currently testing accoustic guitar and amped guitar as well.

Sounds pretty good, proper balance and dynamics.

I do not have sufficient experience with a large number of mikes, so I will not detail (bull ??) about it.

I am a rock and roll vocalist primarily and a hobby guitarist, and have been performing for 10 years. I have toured regionally and nationally. I have spent time recording in multiple recording studios and have my own project studio. At home I am recording digitally into a Lexicon Omega.

The D880 is the mic I take on the road. I have used this microphone for live performances and for recording. For live performances I have used the AKG D880, Shure SM58s, SM48s, and Sennheiser E835s. For recording I have used the above listed, as well as various condensers that the studios had in their inventory. Out of all the live performance mics I listed, the AKG D880 sets itself above for the clarity, response, and ruggedness that I demand. My first D880 had seen well over 100 high intensity shows in a 2 year timespan, and it never failed me. It still hasn't, but I replaced it and now have the first as a keepsake. I use this in my project studio for recording the acoustic guitar and for scratch track vocals. This is not great for studio recording, but it wasn't built to be. It is a strong choice for live sound, and I don't think there is a better mic within the price range. If you are expecting it to perform like a Blue Kiwi condenser...you'll be disappointed. If you want accurate live vocal representation, you can't beat this for the price.

I have been a performing artist for ten years now and a sound engineer for about eight of those years. I am primarily a two-to-tape recordist (mostly classical, and I record "bootlegs" for artists that play at the Rohs Street Cafe while I serve as the FOH engineer) though I also have a home multitrack studio based around a computer DAW. I also multitrack record my own compositions (singer-songwriter mostly).

I record to hard disk and compact flash memory devices. My listening equipment consists of Sony headphones (MDR-7506 & 7505), Beyerdynamic headphones (DT-990), TANNOY Reveal monitors at home, and JBL or Yamaha speakers at work.

The AKG D880 is a supercardiod dynamic microphone designed primarily as a vocalist microphone. I use it mostly for vocals with the occasional guitar amp, snare, and violin mixed in. My primary experience with it is as a live sound reinforcement microphone though I have used it often to record multitrack material.

Before I delve into my impressions of this microphone, remember that there is no one "universal" microphone that sounds good on all things. Keep this in mind when shopping for a microphone and audition whenever possible.

The D880 is one of the best sounding dynamic vocal microphones I have ever used. For sake of comparison, I have lined it up next to a Beyerdynamic M500, Shure SM58 & SM57, and an AKG C900. I auditioned them with a female vocalist (alto-ish sexy jazz voice) and myself (tenor) with a few other engineers present. For my female friend, the D880 was the hands down winner. It brought out the rich, deep, velvety tones of her voice and the built-in presence peak and 20kHz upper resolution added a kind of condenser-ish crispness. In comparison, the SM58 was a bunch of muddy mush that needed serious help from EQ to get a useable sound. The C900 was much more sensitive (way more sensitive!) but also need a distinct bit of EQ help. We didn't need to touch the EQ on the D880 at all. On my own vocals, I prefer the Beyerdynamic M500 but the D880 is a nice second. Certainly, the Beyerdynamic is a much more expensive (and discontinued) microphone with an amazing ribbon-mic sound but the D880 has its wonderful crispness and a fullness to it that the M500 lacks (the Beyerdynamic definitely lacks bottom end). I try to use the M500 only when I absolutely have to and have been seeking a replacement. Initially, I settled on the C900 but shortly into my use of it, there was a problem on stage and I had to swap-in a D880. The D880 was actually the better sounding mic! I was very, very surprised. It cut through the mix more easily and gave such a greater bit of intelligibility that I didn't want to believe (especially after I had spent the money on the C900).

The D880 is not the end-all microphone though. For some reason, perhaps from experience with early AKG wireless microphones, I can't put the reliability of the D880 on the same table as the Shure SM58. There's a certain heft to the 58 that I know it's going to last through whatever I put it through. The D880 feels somewhat more vulnerable. That said, if I realize an artist is going to be a bit more "intense" with his mic, I'll give him a 58. Otherwise, the D880 is always the first mic I put up.

Additional issue I have with the D880: there is, indeed, a bit more sensitivity to plosives as compared to the SM58 and I think this has a bit to do with the philosophy of microphone usage that AKG has (mostly because the C900 suffers from the very same problem). The D880 and C900 manuals clearly suggest slightly off-axis singing as being the best way to work these microphones. In fact, this is "technically" correct coming from studio microphone technique. One should not be right-up on the grill and should work slightly off axis to help tame the voice. Singing off-axis helps to smooth the dynamic level and frequency peaks of the voice giving an overall consistent and better sound. Following these guidelines, there isn't much issue with plosives. The only problem with such technique is that a lot of artists (especially those new to the scene) just don't get it. They've either watched their favorite artists eat the mic & so they copy that or they're just lacking the experience to ask for more monitor to better hear themselves and they compensate by closing the distance (I know that EV has a mic designed specifically for such situations, too. It's weird looking!). I wish that AKG would do better in the grill design to close the gap in this area.

Overall, the D880 is the best vocal microphone in the circa $100 category I have used. It's defini

I do home recording and small venue live performing. i record into a Korg D12.

A Dynamic handheld vocal and instrument mic. I am using it for live vocals at local coffee houses and at church. I bought this new from an online seller who had a large shipment.

For the applications I use it with it works fine. It cuts through for vocals very well and blends well with my guitar playing. I tried the SM57 and this was a much better sounding mic. I've tried for some recording and for vocals it works well. Good volume, very low noise. An areas where it may fall short may be in the area of clarity. With a windscreen there is a slight noticable clarity difference, but without the windscreen It sounds too crisp and sharpe. It may very well be a matter of preference.

In a live setting, sometimes I feel that I have to "eat" the mice to cut through. This may very well be my own singing and mic skill (or lack thereof).Overall I like the D880 in the applications I use it.

I have been playing Guitar for 28 years. I started recording at home about 1 year ago with a Yamaha AW16G. I run all my mics through PreSonus Tube Pre's and also use Dynamic mic at home through a Centaur Acoustic PA.

I bought this mic originally to record acoustic guitar before I started buying condencer mics. I do not like the sound of this mic for guitars or vocals. Its totally subjective but for Dynamics in this general price range I love the Sennhiser e835 they are just a little better than the Shure SM 57's or 58's to my ears.

I do multitrack recording (2 Mackie SDR's 24/96) for live bands in a TV studio plus other TV-related or music-related type jobs. I have many mics. My main stage vocal mics are AKGc900's (I have six of them), I have 3 of the old D880 and one of the new D880MkII. I have some old Sennheiser dynamics that I use for talking voices. Plus, various other assorted mics.

BTW: I notice that the new Evolution Sennheisers are quickly becoming the defacto stage standards. Used to be everyone used the Shure 58's.

I have an old Mackie analog board (24 channel 8 bus) that still sounds great. For recording, my preamps are a Focusrite ISA 428 plus various compressors and a 16 channel Speck parametric EQ. I also use two sets of Focusrite Octopres. Edit music files on Sony Vegas. Listen through Event 20/20 bas.

I stopped using these AKG D880s as my main vocal mics a while ago. But then I used them again and was surprised to hear how clear they sound in the upper medium frequencies. Makes some voices sound clear and lively, not heavy. By then, AKG had already stopped making the ones with the two (ugly) green bands (which I paint over when using on TV gigs), so I bought the new D880MkII. But the new one is NOT the same. Doesn't sound good to me and I haven't found any situation yet where I prefer the new one. The new model is all black and has a "hyper" pattern, I think. I wish they didn't make the change.

Long story short, although I'm not buying anymore for now (I have 3 "older" D880s already), in some live-stage situations, this mic is very useful. Can help some singers cut through the mix. And sounds "alive" (hard to describe). Only bad thing is the ugly two green bands on the ball. (Also, now that I think of it, there may be product variations because one of my three D880's has a volume level that is noticeably lower. So try first if possible.)

BTW: These do not sound "glass" clear like the Sennheiser dynamics, so I still prefer the Sennheisers for "speaking" voices. But for signing, especially in a mix, I can find use for these AKG's.

Later when I have time, I'll rate my main vocal mics, the AKG C900's (an "un-hyped" condenser) which can be bought new for really low discounted prices.

Gone from 4 track cassette recorders to hard drive recorders to Pro Tools over the last 25 years but this review is for "live performance".

Can't remember what I paid for them but I purchased 2 for 1 at Musicians Friend for a very low price. This is a very warm mic that puts everything else I have used to shame including far more expensive dynamic mic's.

I've been playing, writing, and recording music for nearly 20 years. I've recorded demos (4 track casette) and have gone into the studio a coupld of times (Alesis ADAT 24 track with tons of extras). I currently own a Roland VS 880EX and use it for recording in my home. I listen to all my mixdowns via an old pair of Altec-Lansing speakers from the 70s--these were audiophile grade for their time. They give very detailed reproduction and have never let me down.

It's a handheld cardiod dynamic mic--with, I believe, a neodymium element. I've used the mic on lead vocals in a live situation, and in various instrument micing duties on-stage. I've never recorded with this microphone, because I have other dynamic mics that I prefer, and have a condenser mic (CAD Equitek E-100--review to come soon) that is generally more detailed and just plain superior for nearly all of the micing applications I could dream of. Anyway, this mic is average at best. I've never been to impressed by its output, have found the sound to accentuate sibilance to an annoying degree, and am plainly dismayed at how poor the mic's windscreen blocks p-pops--as compared to an SM-58 and a cheaper CAD 22A. I also have issues with the XLR connetor they put in this mic. It cuts out momentarily with some mic cables while working perfectly with others. I've compared it to other microphones, and have noticed that the posts are a smaller diameter than most...this is the only microphone that suffers from this affliction, regardless of price. Needless to say, that really limits how dependable this mic can be if you don't have a known, trusted mic cable to accompany it in every situation (yeah right, I do well to keep everything untangled much less separated and mated to a specific mic). Overall, I'm really not very impressed by this microphone. It sounds okay, given one puts a pop filter in front of it and lucks out and grabs a cable that won't short out mid-song. For my money, ther are much better options out there. In this case, I think I spent the majority of my money on the brand name. ATTN: AKG...just because the 414 is the end-all/be-all of studio mics doesn't entitle you to cut corners on lower priced mics. A true quality driven company will do good work at all levels, regardless of price. Please learn from this and spend the extra $.03 to bring this microphone (and likely ones below it) to their true potential.