Examples: AKG C2000B, C3000B, C 214, Perception 100 and 200, and C 414 (Figure 5)
Figure 5. AKG C 414, an example of a large diaphragm condenser microphone.
In condenser mics, the electronics can be either a vacuum tube or an FET (Field Effect
Transistor). Both sound about the same when picking up moderate sound levels. But with loud
sounds, a tube starts to distort slightly in a pleasing way. This gives the tube mic a “warm” or “soft
focus” sound that many engineers prefer. Tube mics, however, tend to cost more than transistor
(solid state) mics. Examples: AKG C12 VR.
OTHER TYPES OF MICS
Another useful type of microphone is the
boundary microphone
. It’s meant to be used on
surfaces such as floors, walls, piano lids, or panels. It sounds great for piano and room ambience,
but can be used in many other applications. Examples: Crown PZM 185, PZM-6D and PZM-30D
(Figure 6).
