Hey everyone,

I have an opportunity to buy a new AKG 414 XLII and wanted to get some advice. Currently, I'm using a WA47jr, and while I enjoy it at times, I often find it a bit harsh for my taste, especially in certain recordings.

I'm wondering if the 414 XLII would be a nice alternative to replace the WA47jr. I mainly record RnB and hip hop vocals, so I'm looking for something versatile that can complement these genres. Any thoughts or experiences with the 414 XLII for this kind of use? Thanks in advance.

 

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XLII is an XLS with a high freq bump. I'd recommend trying some dynamics, as your room may not be helping your problem. An RE20 or SM7, both used in conjunction with a 'cloud lifter'. Using a popscreen? windscreen? try the 'pencil trick'? What kind of preamp are you using? try performing a bit off-axis into the mic. try to stand further back. Also, try altering your tongue's normal position within your mouth a bit. Lots of set-up & performance tricks to get the sound you are looking for without buying new gear.

Check out 3u Audio if you're looking for bang-4-buck condensers. He used to work for ADK and builds/tunes himself. You have to email him directly for a quote.

 

Hi, I'm currently using an EVO 8 from Audient, but I'll be getting an ID44 Mk2 soon. I don't have any external preamp at the moment. Do you think investing in a preamp would be a better idea than buying a new mic?

 

I second the 3U Audio thought. Although I myself have not used them I know people with good ears and engineering chops that swear by them. Perhaps the best budget bang for the buck microphones out there.

http://www.3uaudio.com/chanpin.asp?dh=1

E-mail: [email protected]

 

I've been thinking about getting the ISA Two and the ID44 MkII, along with some new treatment for my room. I thought about the ISA Two because I'd be able to use it with both my mic and my guitar. Do you think that would be a better deal?

 

Thanks for the info, my friend

 

Well, the ID44 mk2 looks interesting: 2 sets of ADAT optical to expand ADDA at a later time (or, any equipment with optical connectivity) and some send returns. The big selling point in your situation is that the XLR/TRS COMBO jacks can function as "true" line inputs by bypassing the onboard preamps and sending your signal straight to the ADC - many consumer all-in-one interfaces with "line inputs" don't do what they advertise. Personally, I am an RME snob, and will advocate saving for an RME unit. This is because they engineer rock-solid drivers, not to mention ADDA, clock, hardware...just amazing imo. I tried an Audient ID14 mk1. Wasn't impressed with the ASIO driver latency for real-time midi purposes.

I shamefully own the ISA 2 and ISA 1. Sometimes use the TWO for external hardware synths from a summing mixer. IMO they are great general-workhorse pres with an output xformer. I'm more impressed with the ISA ONE because you can use the MIC pre (for your vox mic)...AND...use the "2.4 megaohm" DI (for your guitar) at the same time. Both the ISA MIC and DI line outputs would be plugged into the XLR/TRS combo inputs of ch.1 & ch. 2 of your ID44 using the TRS input (for line input). For your application (at the moment...) the ISA ONE sounds like a winner for you, not to mention is more flexible than the ISA TWO (sans the second mic pre). Make sure you use XLR to TRS cables. I like Mogami & Canare, but it's not necessary. Try REDCO.COM cable maker to choose your own cables and connectors (it's an educational experience), or roll and solder your own.

The ISA 1 or 2 mic pre is pretty clean, but can saturate a bit if you crank the gain and adjust with the trim.

ISA TWO would make more sense if you wanted to get into stereo recording sources or dual mic a guitar cab, etc... You might wanna think that over a bit before you pull the trigger.

Think about what you really need before dropping all of that cash. If this is something you are going to do for years, then think about RME. This can become an expensive endeavor. ISA ONE/TWO are good options, but we didn't even discuss affordable 500 series gear like Sound Skulptor, Five Fish, CAPI or Seventh Circle ;) ...my $0.02 on that.

Sorry, that was a long response. I hate doin' that!

 

No. I think about prioritizing like this: THE PERFORMANCE --> THE ROOM TREATMENT --> THE MIC --> THE PREAMP --> ..........THE ADDA

Acoustically treat your room (look online how to "properly" do this!) and then try your WARM mic. However, to get the best out of a good mic, you'll want a proper preamp to exploit that mic's true potential. A $2000 mic running through an interface's $40 preamp doesn't make sense, but would you even notice? Maybe not, but if you tried say a Great River or Phoenix DRS-1/Ascent One, you'd probably hear a difference and then want to burn a hole in your bank account.

 

No need to apologize. It's great getting some insights from people with more experience than me. Since you have both preamps, that makes it even more interesting. I'll invest in my room and save for an RME and an ISA 1 then, as I’m not planning on changing those gears any time soon. Thanks for all the info

 

That sounds like a solid plan, but don't take my words as gospel. Recommend using this information to aid in your further research.

 

Thanks for the input. Every serious and trusted music producer I know has recommended an RME interface as well. I'll keep researching until I have a solid plan in place.