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#1
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AKG Mic Question
Hi folks:
The AKG D-224 microphone, with separate capsules for high and low frequency, was a wondrous good mic, but it was notorioudly fragile, and needed to be handled with kid gloves. As I recall, the same fragility problem afflicted the mic's two siblings, the D-202 and D-222. Any of you folks know what made it (them) so fragile, and if that problem could perhaps be corrected by the manufacturer without changing the sound? Peace, Paul |
#2
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AKG Mic Question
On 7/30/2016 9:48 PM, PStamler wrote:
The AKG D-224 microphone, with separate capsules for high and low frequency, was a wondrous good mic, but it was notorioudly fragile, and needed to be handled with kid gloves. As I recall, the same fragility problem afflicted the mic's two siblings, the D-202 and D-222. Gosh, it's been so long. I have two D-224s. I bought them when I was using a Sony TCD-5 cassette recorder for field recording and they were the next best thing I could find to condenser mics since the recorder didn't provide phantom power. I use them every now and then and as far as I know, they still work. But I've always handled them carefully. I hadn't heard about a fragility problem, and in its day, used to see D-202s on stage now and then. Maybe they all broke. I recall having to clean the low cut filter switch a time or two, and that's kind of fiddly. I figure that if I ever have to do it again, I'll just bypass it. The windscreens (it needed two, one with the hole straight through so it could slip over the rear port) turned to sludge long ago, and they're really needed for outdoor work. So maybe keeping the mics indoors has helped mine continue to work. -- For a good time, call http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com |
#3
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AKG Mic Question
PStamler wrote:
The AKG D-224 microphone, with separate capsules for high and low frequency= , was a wondrous good mic, but it was notorioudly fragile, and needed to be= handled with kid gloves. As I recall, the same fragility problem afflicted= the mic's two siblings, the D-202 and D-222. I have some of the D-224s and some D202s, and they all have something really weird going on in the upper midrange. They are occasionally useful but as you note they are fragile and I think we have far more neutral alternatives. Any of you folks know what made it (them) so fragile, and if that problem c= ould perhaps be corrected by the manufacturer without changing the sound?= I don't have any idea, but Richard Land at Land Audio Services in Hendersonville, TN can. He's the expert on these things and worked for AKG mike service for decades until they decided to stop supporting older dynamics. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#4
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AKG Mic Question
PStamler wrote:
The AKG D-224 microphone, with separate capsules for high and low frequency, was a wondrous good mic, but it was notorioudly fragile, and needed to be handled with kid gloves. As I recall, the same fragility problem afflicted the mic's two siblings, the D-202 and D-222. ** The 224 was a "studio" mic - not made for the hard life experienced with sound or even location recording. Inside there is a lot of stuff, including two rather small capsules. So far more to go wrong and very fine wire used on the 200 ohm diaphragms, so the tiniest corrosion spot results in an open circuit. The 202 was made for live sound but strangely used a plastic handle fitted with heavy metal parts at each end - so was not fond of being dropped numerous times. It also has lots of bits inside and very fine wires plus the dual capsule is shock mounted and that leads to internal connecting wires fracturing eventually. Any of you folks know what made it (them) so fragile, ** See above - there were multiple issues. The MD441 had similar problems, maybe worse. FYI: The SM58 has got to be the most rugged and long lived mic ever made - so what makes the difference ? Just two bits, a capsule and a matching transformer inside - no switches, coils or other fragile junk. The diaphragm uses relatively THICK wire ( the impedance is about 20 ohms ) hence the transformer which is glued firmly inside the very solid metal handle. .... Phil |
#5
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AKG Mic Question
In message , Scott Dorsey
writes I have some of the D-224s and some D202s, and they all have something really weird going on in the upper midrange. They are occasionally useful but as you note they are fragile and I think we have far more neutral alternatives. I used many, many D202's in studios and outside in sun, wind and rain. I didn't find them particularly fragile. The faults I remember were that occasionally the whole sintered end came off cleanly where it joined the main body, and the bass cut switches sometimes got mechanically battered and loose or seized solid. I also have a pair of D200's, the rare cheaper version of the 202. More robust, but they have a phase problem. I only once used them, many decades back, as a sort of crossed pair into a mono Nagra to record a duo in a folk club. Red Rector, the mandolin player was wonderful, sadly, the recording was not. -- Bill |
#6
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AKG Mic Question
Bill wrote:
In message , Scott Dorsey writes I have some of the D-224s and some D202s, and they all have something really weird going on in the upper midrange. They are occasionally useful but as you note they are fragile and I think we have far more neutral alternatives. I used many, many D202's in studios and outside in sun, wind and rain. I didn't find them particularly fragile. The faults I remember were that occasionally the whole sintered end came off cleanly where it joined the main body, and the bass cut switches sometimes got mechanically battered and loose or seized solid. I have a few D202s still in the kit, and they all sound different. They used to sound the same, but then they got dropped and the low end changed. I don't know if the issue is the voice coil scraping against the gap or what, but none of them likely sound the way they are supposed to. I also have a pair of D200's, the rare cheaper version of the 202. More robust, but they have a phase problem. I only once used them, many decades back, as a sort of crossed pair into a mono Nagra to record a duo in a folk club. Red Rector, the mandolin player was wonderful, sadly, the recording was not. I honestly don't think any of these microphones are really much good. The sintered bronze thing just seems so cool and so ingenious but really it doesn't sound good. I got them because they were well-regarded at the time and I didn't really know how to listen back then. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
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