ProAudio Review - October 2008 - (Page 66) LIVE | REVIEW tuned to B). The C5 sounded surprisingly good as a snare drum microphone, when I used it a couple inches off of the rim of an Ayotte 14x4 maple drum. The bleed from the rest of the kit sounded good enough that I didn't feel a need to gate the track. That said, it was a much different sound than normal “donk” sound you'd get from a dynamic mic positioned above the drumhead. The D5 was usable in the kick drum, though it didn't have (nor did I expect it to have) the low-end rumble that you'd normally want in a kick mic, however it might be worth a try if you're looking for that limited bandwidth, dry 1970's sound. | SUMMARY The AKG D5 provides a nice alternative to the typical dynamic handheld microphone providing a more balanced tonal spectrum than some rival designs. The C5 delivers the goods for those seeking a more “modern” vocal sound. Excellent build quality, keen AKG Continued From Page 64 sounded better than the SM58 that the singer usually used. The female vocalist in the band (who had a slightly dark sounding soprano voice) sounded great using the C5, though she did remark that the microphone seemed a little bit on the heavy side. Interestingly, AKG has a microphone that uses a similar diaphragm in a smaller body (the Elle C), which is targeted towards female users. During the time that I had the two AKG mics for review, I also tried them in several studio applications. Using a Moses graphite neck J bass (with a Bartolini pickup) through a Polytone Mini-Brute amp, the D5 sounded punchy, yielding an almost McCartneyesque tonality. The C5 was a little bit on the “clacky” side, though it did reproduce the transients more accurately. Using the same amplifier and a Fury Fireball baritone guitar, the C5 was almost perfect as it emphasized the sound of the pick while still picking up the loose sounding low end of the instrument (which was PRODUCTPOINTS Excellent sonics Good values in current market Low Self Noise Great mic clip PB1000 accessory can make the C5 uncomfortably bright in some situations SCORE Two well-priced high quality microphones from AKG. pricing, and pleasing ergonomics make these two handheld microphones from AKG well worth a look and listen. Richard Alan Salz is owner of Vermont Audio Labs. 66 | ProAudio Review | October 2008 www.proaudioreview.com http://www.dangerousmusic.com http://www.dangerousmusic.com http://www.proaudioreview.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.