AKG C414 BULS or TLII for Vocals?

[DoneDigi]

Your opinions, experiences, comments greatly appreciated.

Mucho Respect

Albert

[Matt Whritenour]

idk what the TLII is
but i like the 414 a lot
it is on the list of mics that i will purchase oneday
but for right now, i am broke

[xeetstreet]

I have an AKG 414 B/ULS but I have honestly never used it on vox (...use my TLM103 for that). I think the 414 B/ULS is traditionally a drum overhead, ac. guitar, etc. type of microphone.

[rocketeer]

I can tell you from extensive experience with the TL II that's it's an excellent vocal mic. Been using it for years in the studio, and while no mic is perfect for everything, it's not a bad choice at all. It's also exceptional on acoustic piano and a pretty good overhead mic for a drum kit in certain situations. Just my 2 cents.

rocketeer

[3JDamon]

Neither. 414's are not vocal mics IMO. They are a "specific task" mic. They work for certain voices for certain circumstances, but you can accommodate far more voices for far more circumstances better for far less money.

[Wicked-Mama]

This is incredible !! Have you ever TRIED the C414 on vocals ? No ? Then how can you tell it's not made for vocals ? That really makes me crazy...

The C414B-ULS is the most versatile microphone made by AKG, and it's used worldwide for EVERYTHING, from drum overheads to acoustic instruments (guitar, piano) and VOCALS. Every big studio has at least a pair of them. Its sound is very broad and smooth, and it can fit in a lot of things extremely well. I try every year with my students, say, 20 different mics (from Studio Projects to Schoeps) on different instruments - including vocals, and in many cases the C414 fits in the top three. Of course it's not perfect, and I wouldn't use it for ANY voice, but I can tell one thing : all the better sounding mics I have tried for vocals were MORE expensive than the C414, without exception. And the gap is VERY big between this mic and a Rode NT2, for instance...
And don't forget it has 4 directivities, 2 low-cut filters and two levels of attenuation.

The TL-II diaphragm is also interesting, as it is the same as the C 12 VR, the brand's "Big Mic". I personnaly don't like the sound of the C12 VR that much, but it's a question of taste. It's been made to be used SPECIALLY on voices, so I can't understand your point !!

Go to this site to get some more information : http://www.akg.com/akg_structuretree...cle/powerslave,id,64,mynodeid,5,nodeid,5,_language,EN.html

And PLEASE stop writing on the use of mics if you haven't tried them, it's very annoying.

Hope that helps.
Yann

[marcusb]

Neither. 414's are not vocal mics IMO. They are a "specific task" mic. They work for certain voices for certain circumstances, but you can accommodate far more voices for far more circumstances better for far less money.

I would never be so brash as to class a mic as 'vocal only' or any other mic as a 'specific task' mic. Your job as an engineer is to pick the right tool for the job and that can depend widely on the source material you are recording. Sometimes the most 'wrong' mic can turn a project on its head and give you the incredible tones that you were looking for. The NTK for instance, whilst everyone reckons it's the bomb on vocals I really don't like it on vocals at all, same goes with the TLM103 .. i've used lotsa Neumann mics and that one is a stinker on vocals ... wayyyyy to bright. However I have had fantastic results with the NTK on bass drum and double bass, and cranked electric guitar amps. Same for the TLM103 .. it's killer on a snare drum and acoustic guitar.

But back to the 414 question. I personally don't like the TLII for vocals, I find it way too bright .. I actually don't like the TLII much as a mic full stop. It is acceptable on piano and occasionally distant mic'd acoustic guitar but yeah it's not flash in my book. The 414B on the other hand is wicked on almost everything, it's deep (insanely awesome low end response) and thick and creamy .. it's big sounding. The difference between the two is more than costmetic, the TLII is the 'Transformer Less" version of the original 414B (the B being the very original and the EB being the re-issue) with that particular capsule (if memory serves i'm pretty sure both the TLII and B/EB use the C12 capsule) I much prefer the sound of the transformer with that particular mic.

Ultimately your ears are the judge and your taste, style and individual projects will dictate more what the mic can deliver for you with a variety of sources.

Try one out and see if you like it.

Cheers,
Marcus

[Chris Cavell]

The EB used the original brass c12 cap for much of it's production. The TLII uses the c12vr cap. The original 414 (no letters following) was actually made almost entirely of plastic and very prone to RFI. The EB version was the very second version where they moved to all metal construction. There was never a c414b without any other letters following.

I agree, the TLII and the ULS leave a lot to be desired when compared with the EB. The EB has over time become considered one of the most versatile microphones to have ever been made by any manufacturer. I love it on vocals. However, If I was made to choose between the TLII and the ULS for vox, I'd probably go with the ULS and boost the high end myself rather than use what appears to be an overly trebly TLII.

[Haigbabe]

I use the EB and the B-ULS.

I really much prefer the B-ULS. It's a more modern mic with hotter output and a tighter sound imo. It works well on the vocals I do with a tad of "air" added (Ren EQ for example).

I'm buying more mics presently (trying the Gefell 930's) to get away from the EB's.

Not really a big fan of the TL11, but they still work well for some things.

I hear a lot of "talk" dissing the 414. It's a pity really, as it is a very good mic at a very good price.

YMMV.

Haigbabe

[dBHEAD]

I use the BULS on vocals all the time because of the way it makes them sit in the mix. Microphones with a shiny high end don't work well for vocals most of the time, because most of the high frequency content in vocals is sibilance -- something we don't want to hear. That's why they make de-essers. The 414BULS almost never needs to be de-essed. It does have good high end response, but it's a creamy, smooth high end rather than a brittle, detailed high end.

Now if I was recording a voiceover dor a TV commercial, I don't think I'd want it because it doesn't sound clear and punchy, which is what I'd want in that circumstance. By itself, it's questionable. But the way it makes stuff sit in the mix makes it possibly the most useful mic ever made.

Just my .02