AKG D7 Mic Review

The D8000M Dynamic Vocal Microphone is a handheld microphone that is ideal for lead vocals. A supercardioid polar pattern guarantees the utmost gain before feedback at a extremely high sound pressure level (SPL), and helps vocals cut through the mix more easily. The D8000m is equipped with an indestructible metal casing, rugged spring steel grill, and a scratch-resistant black finish.

AKG D7 Mic

FEATURES

• Supercardioid polar pattern
• Rugged wire mesh cap with internal protective wiremesh cap
• Die-cast metal body

Generally speaking, this microphone is clearer sounding then SM58, less mud, more depth and more highs. However, this doesn't always means that it's better in the mix for vocals. It's excels as an instrument microphone.
I used it in untreated venues, doing mostly jazz, vocal, acoustic, fusion and some rock.
Grand piano - if feedback is a problem, this is a great mic to use if you want the natural sound of the open lid. I can put these not so far from the lid's edge (a bit inside the piano and below) and get reasonable feedback rejection (=reasonable EQ compensation) in dense rock mixes. Just use another mic below the piano for monitoring. I like the tone, not too dark, not too bright.
Makes a Steinway sound a bit more nasal, perhaps aggressive- then it actually is, but that's sometime what's needed.
I appreciate a dynamic microphone that is able to pick the sound of a grand from that distance. With a sm58, I have to use more EQ to get proper sound (but hardly the same results) and more EQ for feedback compensation.
Electric guitar - clear, deep tone, cuts through better, not harsh. Not a new league above shure but preferable.
Vibraphone - this is a great mic for this application, because the miking for this instrument needs to be set up quite high above it, to get all the sounds in a balanced, natural way. I put two D7 about 50cm above the vibraphone as a spaced pair and get usable (but not really loud) monitor levels. Just low cut and add a bit of high mid to cut through the mix. Easy.
Kajon - this mic is great inside of the kajon, a poor man's Beta-91a. Gets both the lows reasonably well (it's no bassdrum mic) and the highs without much box resonance.
Vocals - on some vocals, the highs are not easily treated by EQ. It sounds bigger and better then sm58 when I tune the loudspeakers, and leads to less GEQ cuts.. But it's is less versatile, so it didn't establish itself as my "to go" mic. The fullness of tone does not always work for my style of mixing. The sm58 is a more "laid back" microphone and thus blends more easily into my mix. On cheaper speakers with more limited frequency range, like vocal amps, the D7 will be preferable just for its clarity.
Overheads - Like with the piano, it's able to pick up depth of tone from afar. The sound is quite usable for rock, but still don't get the highs right - quantity or quality. You can't EQ that too much either. The toms do sound killer. If I can describe the sound of this mic as overhead, I would say "hard". Really different then the condenser "airy" sound. The sm58 sounds dull and useless in this application.
Hi Hat - this is a GREAT hi hat microphone, and my favourite. All it needs is HPF set quite high (but I do it with all mics) and some eq only if the hat has some annoying resonance. If positioned correctly, it rejects other drums much better then a condenser, and can be compressed to even out. Not looking back!

The AKG Acoustics D 7 is AKG’s current high end entry into the world of hand held vocal microphones. This particular microphone shares many of the same qualities with its more ubiquitous friend the D 5, however, there are certain key differences that must be noted, that account for the almost doubling of the price. The AKG D 7 is a dynamic microphone designed for hand held vocal use, and it was designed with an incredible focus on well balanced sound. The first thing to note about the D 7 is its Laminated Varimotion diaphragm, which means that the diaphragm of the D 7 has a thickness that varies across it. It is not a new idea, but AKG has implemented it at such a low cost that it is worth mentioning. This is apparently meant to enhance clarity. The D 7 has a supercardioid pickup pattern, which allows it to reject other things and reduce bleed. This was a very deliberate choice by AKG to not use a cardioid pattern microphone. At any rate, this, along with its built in high pass filter which rolls off the low end underneath about 80 Hz, allows the AKG D 7 to be an idea vocal microphone with a built in cleanliness to it. The AKG D 7 has a frequency response that begins at 70 Hz and continues up to 20,000 Hz, although starting around 15,000 Hz, there is a very aggressive roll off. There are a couple of peaks, notably in the low end and in the early mids, and a bit of a shelf boost around 5,000 Hz with a bit of a dip.

AKG's new reference dynamic microphone delivers high end performance and noble sound in every studio and on every stage. The D7 creates that subtle and opened sound in all frequency ranges condenser mics are famous for, but it also has the powerful resonance of a dynamic microphone.

"Before hooking up the mic to a PA system, I checked it by doing some voice recording in the studio, just to see what its real tonality and susceptibility to popping was like. I was recorded flat with no additional low-cut filters and managed a pretty natural sound with an open, but not aggressive high end and a surprisingly good resistance to popping. The sound warms up if you get right on the mic grille, due to the proximity effect, but not excessively so. Predictably, the high end wasn't as 'airy' as with a capacitor model, but for a dynamic mic it actually performed rather well, so I was keen to try it in a live situation".

"We often have problems with getting adequate level without feedback, and when we use a system with subs, popping is sometimes a significant issue with our existing mics. Fortunately, the D7 behaved well in both respects, delivering an adequate level of clear and well-balanced sound with no significant popping problems. If used hand-held, the handling noise is also adequately low...We'll definitely be buying this one for the band!"

The mic’s capsule is shockmounted to reduce handling noise. Also, a high-pass filter, which rolls off low-end sound below 80Hz, is built into the output circuit.
D7 Varimotion CapsuleThe capsule design is called “Varimotion;” it employs a diaphragm of variable thickness. The use of varying thicknesses is not new or original nor, as far as we can tell, covered by AKG’s patent on this capsule. Rather, the patent covers the manufacturing process that yields a varying-thickness membrane at low cost.

OVERALL OPINION

The AKG D 7 is a fantastic microphone, I have found, and it did produce a rather clear, neutral sound. It is nothing spectacular or revolutionary, but the microphone is certainly a fantastically viable choice for many singers who want to confidently assert themselves with style.

AKG K702 Headphones Review

AKG is the first manufacturer in the world to use revolutionary flat-wire technology in headphones, namely, the K 701. The result is a truly dramatic sound that places every musician at their correct location with pinpoint accuracy. This kind of agility, spaciousness, brilliant highs, and velvety, punchy bass is simply miraculous.
•  Revolutionary flat-wire voice coil technology for extremely accurate sound and transient response
•  Patented Varimotion diaphragm for sparkling highs and accurate bass response
•  Two-layer diaphragm for wide dynamic range and superior clarity
•  High-performance neodymium magnet system for minimum distortion
•  True bi-wiring
•  High-performance, 99.99% oxygen-free cable
•  Professional 1/4" jack plug
•  Comfortable, specially shaped "3D-Form" ear pads for perfect fit
•  Padded, genuine leather headband
•  Complete with stylish storage cradle
•  Individually tested and numbered

AKG 702

Headphone listening is, by its very nature, vastly different than speaker-based listening. On the plus side, room interactions are negated, very little amplifier power is needed for satisfactory levels, other people are not disturbed by your music, and the price-performance ratio is unparalleled. On the negative side, with the vast majority recordings having been optimized for listening over speakers, headphone soundstaging and imaging is not as convincing.

Also, the visceral impact of bass transients is not as fully realized. However, I've come to the conclusion that preference for speakers over headphones does not invalidate the other, and vice-versa.
After conducting some research on all the developments I've missed in the world of headphones over the past eight years, I decided to begin my journey with the AKG K702 headphones. AKG was founded in Vienna, Austria in 1947. In the years since its inception, AKG has become a key player in the realm of professional audio, with its headphones and microphones found in major studios around the world. With the discontinuation of the K1000 a few years ago, the K702 represents AKG's flagship headphone.

The K702 utilizes a dynamic transducer, but employs two novel technologies. The first is the unique and patented Varimotion dual-layer diaphragm. The Varimotion diaphragm varies in thickness, progressively becoming thinner out towards the perimeter. This is said to imbue the driver with better control and high-frequency reproduction at the center and greater elasticity and excursion for bass transients at the edge. The second is the flat-wire voice coil, which AKG also employs in its microphones. Utilizing flat wire instead of the more commonly-used round wire enables AKG to build very rigid voice coils with minimal weight, which is said to result in an increased magnetic field and improved pulse response.
The K702 closely resembles AKG's K701 headphone, the differences being a different color aesthetic and the provision on the K702 of a detachable headphone cable. The AKG 702 is open-backed, and boasts a frequency range of 10 to 39,800Hz (no tolerances specified). Sensitivity is given as 105dB at an input of 1 volt, with an impedance of 62 ohms. Maximum input power is said to be 200 mW. The headphone comes with a three-meter 99.9% OFC cable, connected to the left earpiece, with gold-plated 1/4" and 1/8" connectors. The K702's color scheme is stylish, done up in silver and black, with velour earpads and leather headband. Packaging and instructions included are adequate, if not quite in the same league as some of its more expensive competition. AKG's warranty for all its headphone products is two years.

The AKG K 702 is a substantial headphone, being circumaural in nature with large earcups, but is not as heavy as expected due to its reliance on lightweight plastics in its construction. Weighing in at 235 grams without its cable, the K 702 disperses its mass evenly across the listener's head. I found the K 702 to be very comfortable for long listening sessions, but occasionally, I noted some pressure on my scalp from the ridges present on the underside of the headband. As mentioned, the circumaural earcups are large and deep, leaving my ears unencumbered. The height adjustment is done via elastic straps and has more than enough range for my medium-small head.

Once break in was completed, I was surprised at how much better the AKG sounded. Now I was hearing a transducer of remarkable neutrality and subtlety. This neutrality, especially in the all-important midrange, was the one consistent sonic trait I discerned throughout the review period. Voices and other midrange instruments sounded very lifelike, with no driver or mechanical resonances to color the purity of reproduction. Listening to Even in the Quietest Moments (A&M Records 069 493 348-2) by Supertramp, I was quite taken with the natural reproduction of Rick Davies' vocal on "Lover Boy." Likewise, his piano playing on "From Now On" sounded full and rich, without any undue coloration. And hearing Paul Desmond's alto saxophone on Dave Brubeck's classic Time Out (Columbia/Legacy CK 65122) was a revelation, with the K702 rendering his playing with the requisite bite and dynamic shading.

The K702's treble performance was also superb from the upper midrange to the mid-treble, with a purity and airiness that was beguiling on percussion instuments. Talking Heads released their final album as a group, Naked, in 1989. A myriad of international influences informed David Byrne's songwriting and the band's playing, including American jazz and Caribbean Zouk, and these influences can be heard on the record, with multiple percussionists assisting the core group's efforts on many of the tracks. Listening to the CD (Sire 25654-2) over the K702, I could clearly hear and delineate Manolo Badrena's shakers and triangles playing alongside Chris Frantz's cymbal brush work on songs like "Mr. Jones" and "Mommy Daddy You and I." However, I did occasionally note some truncation in the highest treble, which could lead to a touch of dryness, most notably on the Time Out CD noted above.
The AKG K702 is a truly outstanding headphone, possessing remarkable levels of neutrality and openness. Its airiness and large soundstage combine to convincing effect in ameliorating the typical in-your-head claustrophobia of headphone listening. While not the last word in bass extension and impact, listeners who don't need to plumb the depths while enjoying their dub reggae will find much to love in the K702's presentation. And, I've saved the best for last—with easy-to-find discounting on its retail price, the K702 is an unparalleled bargain, providing high-end sonics at entry-level prices.

Alesis MultiMix 8 USB FX Review

Alesis MultiMix 8 USB FX

Alesis’ new USB mixing desk and audio interface offers a lot of essential features for the small project studio – at a small project studio-friendly price! The key feature of this most recent addition to the MultiMix range is the onboard digital FX buss, which makes it far more useful in the gigging arena as well as giving the studio user another sound-processing option.

As with all things modest in size, there’s not enough room in the casing for a transformer, so the supplied separate transformer is connected to the back via a three-pin connector secured by a locking ring. The only other items around the back are a switch each for the main power and phantom power, plus a USB socket.

Alesis MultiMix 8 USB FX Mixer

The housing is made of sturdy sheet metal and has solid plastic end cheeks, which can be removed if you wanted to sit the mixer in a more confined space. Despite the diminutive size, however, Alesis has managed to spread the knobs out to give you a little more room for your digits than did previous models in the series.

The four mono channels – each with XLR, 1/4-inch jack sockets and a low-cut filter set at 80Hz – occupy the left-hand half of the desk. Channel 1 boasts an insert socket for using an external device in the signal path – if, for instance, you want to run a vocal through a hardware compressor to tame it. It’s a shame that only one channel has this option, though, as this makes processing stereo signals impossible without sending them out through the aux buss on playback, which is much further down the signal path than a conventional insert point.

Channel 2 has the option of recording passive instruments directly, using a Guitar button that acts as a DI switch, but again, there’s only one of these, so no recording bass and guitar together without some kind of preamp. The first two channels do have a parametric mid as well as sweepable hi and lo EQ pots. All channels have FX post and aux pre sends, pan, volume and an LED peak indicator.
Channels 3 and 4 have three sweepable EQs with the mid set at 1kHz, while the two stereo channels – served by pairs of 1/4-inch jacks – just have hi and lo pots. Although rather limited, the EQ still retains a musical quality and does offer good value for money. It’s easy to bemoan the lack of this or that feature, but you have to bear in mind that this phantom-powered mixing desk and A-D/D-A convertor only costs around over 100£!

The mic pres are clean and capable of delivering a healthy signal; although the signal-to-noise ratio is probably quieter on more expensive desks, the MultiMix’s is still perfectly acceptable. The two outputs (Monitor and Main) are also connected via 1/4-inch jacks, as are the auxiliary buss and the headphone output. The FX, aux and headphones all have their own level control.

The FX buss has a good spread of the usual effects, which can be bypassed using the footswitch socket on the main panel. As well as flange, chorus and rotary, there are a couple of delays – one that acts as an ADT unit and another that’s probably only really useful in a dub scenario, as there’s no feedback control. The three types of reverb – room, plate and hall – each have three variations, with Room 3 sounding very transparent. All of the effects are very usable, with the shorter reverb times being easier to sit in a mix.

The beauty of this mini mixing marvel is in its plug and-play USB functionality – there’s no need to install any drivers for either Mac or PC. This makes the MultiMix 8 USB FX ideal as a first-time purchase for the budding producer, as it will provide them with a soundcard with 16-bit, 44.1/48kHz conversion and a mixer in one box. Sure, there’s no main output insert point (as well as the other omissions listed above), but the latest MultiMix still represents excellent value for money and is well worth checking out if you’re looking for a versatile, entry-level mixer with USB audio functionality.

Shure MV5 Digital Condenser microphone for iOS and Mac

As someone keen on recording voiceovers and podcasts from an iPad, I needed a Lightning-enabled microphone that could handle such a task. While it’s true that Apple’s Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter allows iOS to interface with a variety of microphones that it wasn’t able to before, I like the idea of keeping my setup as minimal and as dongle-free as possible.

Enter the Shure MV5 Digital Condenser Microphone. This is a MFi-certified Lightning-enabled microphone that works with the iPad or iPhone using a single microUSB to Lightning cable. By switching out the Lightning cable for a traditional USB cable, you can use the same microphone with your Mac or PC.

Shure MV5

This microphone is a digital condenser that can be powered via Lightning or USB. It doesn’t require any special adapters or power supplies to work, just plug it in, launch an app, and start recording.

Since I planned on using this microphone for podcasting on the go using Ferrite, it had to meet a few of my requirements. Most importantly, I needed something that was small and easy to travel with. At only 5.5-inches tall when mounted to the included stand, the Shure MV5 easily meets my needs in that area.

Build quality-wise, the Shure MV5 is a mixed bag. It does feature an all aluminum stand, but the stand is so lightweight that the setup is top-heavy when the microphone is mounted on the stand. The thread mount screw hole on the stand is wide, allowing you to move the position of the microphone forward or backward to achieve different firing angles.

The microphone itself is almost all plastic, and features a red windscreen underneath its plastic grill. I’ve dropped the MV5 several times off my desk, thanks to how lightweight the stand is. Even with those drops, the plastic didn’t crack, chip, or dent in any way.
Shure offers the MV5 in two flavors — a black version with a red windscreen, and a more understated grey version with a black windscreen — both for $99. I personally opted for the black+red combo, as it lends the microphone its own unique personality.

Mounting the microphone

Although the Shure MV5 comes with an aluminum stand that allows the position of the microphone to be slightly adjusted, as mentioned, I find that the stand is too light, making it easy for the microphone to tip over if you’re not careful. The good news is that the thread mount found on the bottom of the MV5 is a standard 1/4″ camera tripod thread, allowing it to connect to a variety of stands, booms, etc.

Headphone monitoring

Headphone monitoring is super-important for recording, since it allows users to monitor their sound input and gauge whether they’re speaking to loud or too soft. Thankfully, the Shure MV5 features a 3.5mm headphone output to tap into, allowing me to use my Audio-Technica ATH-M50x cans for monitoring.
The microphone also features a headphone monitor volume adjustment that can help users to acquire just the right amount of volume in their headphones.

Mute switch

Mute switches seem to be hard to come by on microphones, which is one reason why the best-selling Blue Yeti has always been a favorite of mine. That microphone features an easy to access mute switch that makes it simple to suppress coughs and other inevitable background noise that you encounter when podcasting or doing vocals.

The Shure MV5 features a mute switch, although it’s not in the most ideal area. The mute switch for the MV5 is found on the back of the microphone, right below the DSP button that lets you change the microphone’s recording modes. To be fair, Shure seems to have opted for the best spot available, it’s just that real estate is hard to come by on a microphone this small.

Shure BETA 87A Review

The Beta 87A is a premium quality, hand-held condenser vocal microphone from Shure. It is designed for professional lead or backing vocalists on stage and offers a smooth frequency response and high sound pressure level capabilities. It has a tight supercardioid pattern to provide excellent isolation from other instruments as well as helping to minimise feedback from stage monitors. It comes with a storage bag and stand adaptor and, like most condenser microphones, it operates on phantom power (between 12-52v).

The Beta 87A is designed with a low-frequency roll-off that helps to compensate for the microphone’s proximity effect (the boomy sound often associated with singing close to the mic). It has a tailored frequency response that features a presence rise that brightens the upper midrange and helps the vocals cut through the mix. Like the dynamic mics from Shure, the mic has a robust capsule suspension system to minimise handling noise. When comparing to similar dynamic microphones, the Beta 87A produces a similar punchy sound in the mid-range, but with the added warmth and open top-end that you would expect from a condenser microphone.

Although feedback rejection is good, if you accidently cup your hands over the grille at a gig it becomes quite prone to feeding back on stage. Also, although ideal for live vocals, its close pickup pattern reduces its usefulness as a microphone for other instruments such as acoustic guitar (like you might expect from a studio condenser mic).

Shure BETA 87A

Overall the Shure Beta 87A is an excellent vocal microphone that is well worth the investment if you are looking for top audio quality on stage. It produces a much more full and studio-like sound than dynamic microphones such as an SM58 and remains clear and undistorted. Saying this, its crystal clear sound may not make it the first choice for heavy rock singers, and rappers who like to cup their hands over the mic’s grille should probably look elsewhere too. At this level there is plenty of competition from other manufactures, however the Beta 87A holds its own against similarly priced alternatives such as the Audix VX-5 and Rode S1, as well as competing favourably against more expensive competition such as the Neumann KMS 105 and Sennheiser E965. If you are looking at upgrading your microphone; the Shure Beta 87A is definitely worth checking out.

In my home studio I have several condenser mics (Rode NT1,AKG and Audio Technica. The sound of a good condenser on vocals is a must for pro sounding recordings. Shure has managed to bring that sound to the stage for use in live performance. I have a decent Mackie based PA system (Mackie mixer and Mackie active speakers) and I must say that every positive reveiw is true. This is the best live vocal microphone I have ever used. For the past 25 years I have been faithful to Shure SM58 mics for vocals but now I am hooked on the Beta 87A. Yes they are expensive but if you can afford it they are worth it. Borrow one if you can and you'll see what I mean. If you have a high quality PA system you should have a high quality microphone and this is it.

Warning: The Shure Beta 87A (87 and 87C) along with the Shure Beta 58 are heavily counterfeited and sold on sites like Ebay and Craig's list. They look almost perect and come in perfectly duplicated Shure boxes with warrenty cards, mic pouches and mic collars. The first thing to check for if you get one is to see if it is actually a condenser mic. Most of the counterfeits out there are poor sounding dynamic mic capsules. Turn off your mixers phantom power and if the mic still works it's a dynamic fake not a real Shure condenser. Do a Google search for more ways to spot the fakes.

If you sing for a living, you deserve a Beta 87. It captures every nuance, rasp and grain of your voice in live performance, on par with many studio mics costing as much or more. You don't have to baby it, it's built like a tank and performs flawlessly in any weather.

A built-in electronic bass roll-off circuit lets you set the EQ on your mixer once and forget it. The clarity and quality of your voice remain basically the same. No Bruce Banner when it's far away, no Incredible Hulk when it's close, it's always balanced, warm and clean.
To guarantee break-proof operation, Shure offers no switches of any kind on its wired mic line. So you should choose the pattern or circuitry you want by the model.