AKG C414 XLII Matched Pair Matched Pair Stereo Set

AKG C414 XLII Matched Pair Stereo Set

The C414 XLII is a precision large-diaphragm condenser built for the demands of professional recording. This matched pair captures transparent, detailed source material across vocals, instruments, and ambient recording applications, making it the foundation microphone for studios tracking everything from lead vocals to drum overheads and room ambience. The all-metal construction ensures RF rejection and durability through countless sessions, while the intuitive pad and filter controls enable fast, surgical gain-staging adjustments between takes.

Sonic Performance & Transducer Design

Built on a 1″ edge-terminated dual-diaphragm design, the C414 XLII resolves exceptional detail with a 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response and a 134 dB dynamic range. The 6 dB-A equivalent noise floor keeps the noise profile invisible on dense mixes, even when recording sources at whisper levels, while maximum SPL ratings from 140 to 158 dB (depending on pad setting) accommodate everything from delicate vocal textures to transient-rich snare and guitar amp captures without clipping or character collapse.

Studio Flexibility & Mix-Ready Control

Nine polar patterns—omnidirectional, wide cardioid, cardioid, hypercardioid, figure eight, and four intermediate settings—let engineers shape the source’s proximity and room interaction on the fly. Three pad settings (-6, -12, -18 dB) and switchable bass-cut filters (40 Hz, 80 Hz, and 160 Hz) provide precise control over proximity bass and low-frequency rumble, critical for tight vocal chains and clean drum bus recordings, while the peak hold LED gives clear visual feedback on transient headroom and precise gain structure during tracking.

Key Features

• 9 switchable polar patterns: omnidirectional, wide cardioid, cardioid, hypercardioid, figure eight, and 4 intermediate settings
• Maximum SPL: 140/146/152/158 dB (at 0/-6/-12/-18 dB pad settings) for 0.5% THD
• Equivalent noise level: 6 dB-A at 0 dB preattenuation (IEC 60268-4)
• Dynamic range: 134 dB; frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
• 1″ edge-terminated dual-diaphragm transducer
• Three attenuation pad settings: -6, -12, and -18 dB
• Bass-cut filters: 12 dB/octave at 40 Hz and 80 Hz; 6 dB/octave at 160 Hz
• All-metal construction for RF interference rejection
• Peak hold LED for visual overload indication
• Matched pair within 1 dB sensitivity and 1 dB frequency response (300 Hz–8 kHz, cardioid mode)
• Operates on 48V phantom power
• Includes two shockmounts, two windscreens, stereo bar, and aluminum flight case per pair

This matched pair delivers the studio-grade transparency and reliability essential to critical stereo recording, with the precision engineering and acoustic flexibility that has made the C414 XLII the standard across decades of professional tracking and mixing work.