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AKG C12 VR
Oct 30, 2014 10:34:28 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by jcoutu1 on Oct 30, 2014 10:34:28 GMT -6
Anyone used this? Any good? kidvybes maybe? |
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Post by tonycamphd on Oct 30, 2014 11:11:53 GMT -6
id like to hear opinions of peeps that have used this as well, I can tell you the physical properties of the mic are not at all like the real C12, especially the head basket, and for $5K!! This is a good thread below, if it were me, i'd just get a matachung C12 built with a TC capsule or take advantage of Shannon's mad science, my matachung is the one mic i'd grab and run out with in a fire, it's ridiculous on acoustic instruments imo. www.gearslutz.com/board/high-end/569460-akg-c12-vr-mods.html |
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Post by btreim on Oct 30, 2014 12:21:05 GMT -6
That's the primary mic we use for VO's and I'm not a huge fan. The Hi's seem covered up till 10k or so and then very exaggerated from there on. So then you're left with this really detached and artificial sound top end. Although, I've only used a vintage C12 on one occasion so I don't really have the experience to compare the two.
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Post by jeromemason on Oct 30, 2014 13:05:36 GMT -6
I used to use one.... it's nothing like a C12 honestly, doesn't have a smooth sound, suffers in the articulation department and has a lot of unnecessary top-end. It's expensive as hell and there are mic's out there much better than that one for wayyyy less.
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Post by Ward on Oct 30, 2014 14:45:54 GMT -6
The best one word description I've ever heard was: "Yuck". Pretty much nailed it.
It's an ok utility mic, like the C414xls, but...
If you pay more than $2k for one, you're giving away money.
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Post by jcoutu1 on Oct 30, 2014 15:20:08 GMT -6
Consensus... bad mic. The people have spoken.
I had a guy stir up a trade offer and saw that the street was $5k. I didn't look at any other info yet, but looks like I saved myself some unneeded research. I'm not really in the market for a mic, but if this was something awesome, it might have been worth dealing for.
Thanks guys.
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Post by aremos on Oct 30, 2014 21:15:22 GMT -6
It's actually a very good mic! But should have been named "The Tube II". The name it carries conjures up unrealistic expectations of the legendary C12.
And the price is suspect.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Oct 30, 2014 21:25:04 GMT -6
A real C12 presents vocalists in their best way, much like the great movie star photographers in the 30's and 40's found the lighting and angles to create an aura about someone and capture your interest, an illusion of sorts. The C12 is like the U2 song said, "even better than the real thing", it highlights your best qualities.
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,978 
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Post by ericn on Oct 31, 2014 9:07:57 GMT -6
It's not a bad mic, just not a great mic like the name implies!
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Post by jeromemason on Oct 31, 2014 11:54:37 GMT -6
Yeah, let me clarify something here, I don't want anyone to get the impression that I think that is a bad microphone, it's just it's not worth 5k, or even 3k. A Mic that can do what it does should be somewhere around 1.5k, to me that's fair, because you'd want a stereo pair for OH's, that's what they would be good for, or room mics. It does have a pretty sensitive capsule, but something is wrong with it, it's not the capsule used in a normal C12 or 414, it's manufactured elsewhere and is a different design, and I think it's got some HF resonance or something that causes that massive 10-15k lift. C12's have that lift, but by about 2db or so, this would be more like 4-5db and I'm not even kidding, it's insanely bright. It's also scooped in the upper lows as well, which is why I think a pair would be good for OH's, even still you'd have to shelve them a little.
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Post by ben on Oct 31, 2014 17:19:11 GMT -6
I recall doing a shootout several years ago with a VR, 414BULS and a Peluso P12. The P12 was much brighter and brittle on top, so nothing like the other two. After much listening, we all agreed that the VR sounded a lot like a really good version of the 414. I would say the mic is worth $2500 MAX, and that's only because of the AKG heritage, and for that price, I'd go with a pair of the Chunger C12's. I also agree that if they called it anything but "C12" may more people would consider it a very nice microphone.
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Post by Shannon on Oct 31, 2014 18:36:02 GMT -6
Its not a nippie hardner it works thuogh. It has the plastic capsule used in the 414's not very good. I have switched and modded a C12VR with a diy hot rodded capsule and it really turned out beyond my expectations. If your interested let me shannon@micrehab.com. Honestly it was able to stack up to a OG. I did one for addiction studios (journey the band, Dave Kalmusky, ) used on a band out of Canada. I think small town pistol, ill have to double check i know that they are really doing well. I think they got nominated for album of the year and a Juno award.
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Post by jcoutu1 on Oct 31, 2014 20:05:38 GMT -6
Its not a nippie hardner it works thuogh. It has the plastic capsule used in the 414's not very good. I have switched and modded a C12VR with a diy hot rodded capsule and it really turned out beyond my expectations. If your interested let me shannon@micrehab.com. Honestly it was able to stack up to a OG. I did one for addiction studios (journey the band, Dave Kalmusky, ) used on a band out of Canada. I think small town pistol, ill have to double check i know that they are really doing well. I think they got nominated for album of the year and a Juno award. Meh, i was only gonna do a deal if it was a nipple hardener. NBD. Thanks for the info though. |
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,978
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Post by ericn on Oct 31, 2014 20:52:39 GMT -6
Its not a nippie hardner it works thuogh. It has the plastic capsule used in the 414's not very good. I have switched and modded a C12VR with a diy hot rodded capsule and it really turned out beyond my expectations. If your interested let me shannon@micrehab.com. Honestly it was able to stack up to a OG. I did one for addiction studios (journey the band, Dave Kalmusky, ) used on a band out of Canada. I think small town pistol, ill have to double check i know that they are really doing well. I think they got nominated for album of the year and a Juno award. Shannon that's it in a nut shell, because It says AKG C12 I would have to Shell out close to nipple harnder $ to buy one then Shell out more $ to you to make it nipple hardner, There are less expensive ways to get to the point where I can give you some cash to get those mammory's erect and I would rather go some other route and put more of the cash in your hands them somebody else's just cause it says AKG! For the cost of a Used C12VR It should at least give a tingle, if not make me hard , and in my mind I can't get over the fact even though I know better that the AKG name should mean that they should be able to do more than achieve a solute, if anybody should be able to make a full on orgasmic c12 recreation it would be the people who invent this type of orgasem, it's like the hot girl who gave you the best BJ forgot how she did it and now wants lobster dinner dessert, the most expensive wine on the menus, so that you get to meet her freind and then buy her dinner and .... so you can get that BJ! |
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Post by jimwilliams on Nov 1, 2014 10:52:19 GMT -6
I've rebuild about 30 of those over the years since they came out, including one I did for the late, great Dr. George Duke. It is a similar plate follower circuit like a C-12, but adds an additional 1/2 tube gain stage selectable with interior slide switches (most never ever use that).
The output transformer is a a tiny POS like in a C-24. It looks similar to the 414-BULS but has different primary windings. The capsule is the clone C-12 copy as featured in the 414 TL-II models with the 10k hz peak, you know, the one nobody likes. 5% carbon film resistors and you get the idea, crappy interior parts are used with a fancy gold plated screen to fool you.
Add some decent resistors, caps and psu rework they can sound pretty good, but only if you dump that capsule. There are also some crappy tantalum signal caps in the power supply box that need dumping.
Back in the 1990's there was a guy in California that bought up all the "The Tube" and C-12 reissues and replaced the capsules with C-12 capsules he got from buying up older 414's and 412's. Those mics sounded pretty good once the circuits were cleaned up.
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