AKG C414 Review by Unique Featured Guitarist Ryuzo

2020-02-26

This time, I would like to talk about the appeal of AKG's C414 large standard microphone.

At Sound House, numerous customers have submitted product reviews, and I think that many people are referring to these. However, many people wonder what the sound is like, thinking, "I want to hear it!" So, this time, we had a special guest and focused on the sound of the C414.

Our guest:
This is Ryuzo, a unique guitarist who has a distinctive sound.

http://ryuzo.rolling-ahead.com/

■ Career

You may already be aware of this, but here is a quick run-through.

First of all, why is he unique?

He has been weightlifting for many years,

「”Top athlete holds Japanese record"」

There are many professional guitarists in the world, but are there any others that have a background like Ryuzo-san’s? It’s said that, "Heaven doesn't give two gifts," but that doesn't apply to Ryuzou-san at all

One day, he just suddenly decided that he wanted to start playing guitar because he wanted to play music. At first he was playing mainly electric guitars. After that, he moved to Tokyo to study in earnest, and in 2016 participated in the "Morris FINGER PICKING DAY" finger picker contest. It was the start of a brilliant career as he won second place in the contest.

Currently, he is not only posting videos to YouTube, but also selling TAB scores and CDs of posted videos, as well as going on nationwide tours.

■ The background that led to to asking Ryuzo for a review

I once watched a video that introduced Ryuzo-san’s equipment, and it was mentioned that he was using the AKG / C214. In addition, I thought, the acoustic guitar, which covers the entire range from delicate sounds to powerful sounds and from low to high frequencies, is the perfect instrument for learning about the characteristics of microphones.

There are two types of C414: the C414 XLS and the C414 XLII. And I think many people are interested in learning about the differences between the two. Until now, there were no high-quality sound sources or videos that compared them in detail, and it was difficult to confirm with your own ears. So I decided to plan a sound quality comparison video and consult with Ryuzo. We were grateful for his reply and are now able to introduce this to you as follows.

■ Review

The introduction was long-winded, but I’ll let Ryuzo introduce the C414 XLS and the C414 XLII. Check out the video!

What do you think?
It is generally said that the C414 XLS is a flat sound, while the C414 XLII a more distinctive high end and more presence. At this point, people will have a variety of opinions, but there is no doubt that both mics are very high quality. It's also fun to listen and compare the sounds and decide which one to choose.

In my personal opinion, in this video, the C414 XLS made it easier to understand the thickness and warmth of the guitar sound, and the C414 XLII gave me the impression that the higher frequencies were more pronounced and tighter. As Ryuzo-san commented, I think the compatibility changes with the guitar, and also with the song. Many of Ryuzou's videos use the C214, and you can hear the wonderful performance and the sound of the C214. According to Ryuzou, "The sound of the C214 is a little harder, yet lighter than that of the 414". The 214 diaphragm is equivalent to that of the C414, so I think that the high quality is still fully conveyed. The directivity and PAD switching functions are missing, but you can see that it is an excellent microphone, and this has also been recognized by professionals.

I think the AKG mics will continue to be used in videos uploaded by Ryuzo in the future. Please always pay close attention to the microphone as well as the performance. I think it will be very helpful for those who are considering a mic for self-recording. Finally, I picked my favorite videos and listed them below.