Nice of you to put some energy into this. Any listeners should keep in mind that the tone of any mic is majorly affected by minute position changes with acoustic guitar. The fact that these are xy'd means they'll be picking up a pretty different sound.
Thanks for your wise and kind words! While the xy micing usually does make a big difference, I believe a more distant micing would create the point of difference. Also, this parlour guitar is rather similar in tone when miced in any position near where the neck meets the body. It's a very har sounding, mid range and bright guitar.
I prefer the km54, but still for the price the c1000s sounds pretty good, and the fact that we are here compairing them kind of talks pretty well about the c1000s.
I agree that the C1000S compares well with all that hood and plastic crap removed... but I’m all about the smoothness of the top end and love how the KM handles this. Also, as the C1000S is more gritty, harsh and distorted in the highs, I assume this would cause problems in mixing. Often at this stage of a song production a combination of instrument parts build to make a total sonic landscape and if there are too many harsh top end elements, example really bright cymbals, tambourine and female vocals then the mix could end of sounding painfully brittle... at that stage you’d be wishing it was recorded on analog tape!!
Je ne me suis pas moi-même concentré sur le son basse fréquence du micro AKG, mais je l'ai senti plus cassant, moins doux dans les aigus. Mais oui, excellent résultat compte tenu du coût !
Tout dépend aussi du préampli utilisé, quand je rentre un Shure SM58 ou SM57 dans une tranche de ma Neve 5465, ça sonne super ;) J'ai aussi un KM54a avec la fameuse lampe AC701k, dans la Neve c'est fabuleux, quel son. Dans la vidéo, l'AKG est moins précis dans les fréquences basses, c'est plus brouillon à l'écoute, mais pour la différence de prix, c'est quand même bluffant.
Correct me if I’m wrong in your translation, but I think you’re saying it all depends upon the preamp used. In my case both mics were recorded through a class A style Neve preamp with minimal EQ and just a hint of Urei 1176 compression.
@@jamiedurrantmusician Yes, I imagine you used the same preamp for comparison. What I meant was that if you use a low-end preamp, the difference in sound between the AKG and the Neumann will be more accentuated.
I agree the C1000s would be a better choice for recording. It's a more flat sound all around and it picks up that wood texture front he guitar the most. the Neumann is pretty much a mic that needs no eq done to it and has a very bright tone.. both can be used for different recording purposes, but I like the akg better. Not a pro, just have a really good ear for recording. I'm curious though why you went for a "stereo mic placement" and not just a plain parallel placement.
Hi thank you for your comments. The mic positioning was never intended to be used as a stereo pair, although yes it and x pattern - I simply wanted both mics pointing at the same focal point of the guitar. The tonal result is extremely similar but I agree the Neumann is brighter and the AKG has a grit that does translate some of that wood tone! But for me, as mentioned in the video, I’m more the fan of the Neumann KM54a tube mic. But you’ve also noted very wisely, that different mics for different purposes is also the point here - you’re using your brain and your ears! Thank you for joining the conversation! Valuable words!
I like this channel. You said "relatively low cost" and so I had to look it up not knowing anything about the mic and expecting relatively low cost to mean 1100 dollars or something but ... looked it up and 200 bucks. Yes, that's more my language. I like this channel.
Sorry for the super late response! But good point, I'd prefer to help people with low cost options. Have you seen the new video. $500-$600 421 mics might be the next best step for you?
While I now own an unmatched pair, the first KM54 I’ve used on acoustic guitar for over 20 years. I’ve treated it with extreme care and it’s still going strong. Amazing mic, in my opinion simply the most astonishing and smooth sounding thing ever. Keep in mind also how cheap as bitey sounding this Harmony guitar really is. Did you watch my video on being the vintage gear detective?
@@jamiedurrantmusician you know it was hard to discern the actual quality because it wasn't just the acoustic guitar by itself. But in my experience the KM54 seems to deliver the sonic real estate of the acoustic guitar that we actually hear with our own ears. Just a spectacular recording device.
@@jamiedurrantmusician I mean your recording sounded great! But for example if I'm recording acoustic guitar as an accompaniment, I mean I might just use a standard SDC, and to alleviate the brittle highs I'll dial in some of the pickup in that register since it's pretty often a soundboard transducer these days and SBTs are wonderful for highs.
(just because it's not front and center in the mix). How's the unmatched pair? I would guess it's a not negligible but minor difference from a matched pair. I mean one KM54 on its own sounds 3D! There's a video on here that is just a single KM54 and I listen to it and go, god who even needs the second one this sounds great on its own! (Of course it's running through a killing pre as well)
Hi thanks for your comments - unfortunately at this time I cannot make the comparisons of all the KM Neumann mics, however I will consider this in the future - thank you! Top idea!
I had a stereo pair of AKG C1000s. Ok on acoustic guitar, and I used them a lot as overheads but never really liked their sound for that, as you say, harsh and gritty. I read up on some mods for them and they sounded much better, so I can believe removing the cases would help from experience. I use rode NT55s now, and they should soooo much sweeter.
I totally agree on the grittiness of the C100S. They're a low cost condenser and cannot compare to more expensive, detailed capsules and electronic designs. I'm even keen to talk about Realistic (Radio Shack [USA] Tandy electronics [Australia]) PZM microphones, that I once used, however soldered on a 12v power supply, which provided a cleaner output with better signal to noise ratio. This I recall as having better, smoother high end than the C1000S. And I used to gaffer tape these to mic stands for dum overheads - they were fantastic! The mod was great!
@@jamiedurrantmusician when I was studying 20 years ago, one of the lecturers raved about those Tandy/RadioShack PZMs, but you couldn't get them even then.
Nice Video! I have owned two C1000s for years and have never tried to use them to record an acoustic guitar in stereo, do you think they are good microphones to do this? Could you tell me how to place them? do i have to remove the covers? I would like to get a very pronounced stereo sound. Thanks for your suggestions.
Hi Sarah, there are many people who like the sound of the C1000s compared with my Neumann. Cover removed I was surprised at how well it performed, however it is more gritty and less smooth in the top end compared with the Neumann, in my opinion. Removing the cover of the C1000s is simple, just unscrew and pull off the plastic hyper cardioid cap. This is effectively removing some rubbish - cheap parts that alter the mics tonal and pickup response (I assume). Try it and compare. Also note, I am NOT recording guitar in stereo, my mic setup shows 2 mics pointed at the same part of the guitar, and while it’s an x pattern, it was never intended as a stereo mic technique - this is x 2 mono mics for A/B comparison. For my money, double tracking acoustic guitars in mono and then hard panning left and right with your mixer is a great sound. But parts need to be super tightly played. Try it!
@@jamiedurrantmusician Thanks for your kind and accurate reply. I have often tried dubling acoustic guitars and the c1000 has always performed very well. I'll try to record without the capsule cover. My doubt was if I could use two for XY or ORTF shooting ... but I will also experiment with these techniques! Thanks again and congratulations for your video and for what you do.
@@JackMasonLive you know, I think you 100% right! This was an early video for me - apologies for wasting your time, I’ll do a better job on the next one! Thanks for your honesty JD
Nice of you to put some energy into this. Any listeners should keep in mind that the tone of any mic is majorly affected by minute position changes with acoustic guitar. The fact that these are xy'd means they'll be picking up a pretty different sound.
Thanks for your wise and kind words! While the xy micing usually does make a big difference, I believe a more distant micing would create the point of difference. Also, this parlour guitar is rather similar in tone when miced in any position near where the neck meets the body. It's a very har sounding, mid range and bright guitar.
I prefer the km54, but still for the price the c1000s sounds pretty good, and the fact that we are here compairing them kind of talks pretty well about the c1000s.
I agree that the C1000S compares well with all that hood and plastic crap removed... but I’m all about the smoothness of the top end and love how the KM handles this. Also, as the C1000S is more gritty, harsh and distorted in the highs, I assume this would cause problems in mixing. Often at this stage of a song production a combination of instrument parts build to make a total sonic landscape and if there are too many harsh top end elements, example really bright cymbals, tambourine and female vocals then the mix could end of sounding painfully brittle... at that stage you’d be wishing it was recorded on analog tape!!
Je ne me suis pas moi-même concentré sur le son basse fréquence du micro AKG, mais je l'ai senti plus cassant, moins doux dans les aigus. Mais oui, excellent résultat compte tenu du coût !
Exactly
Tout dépend aussi du préampli utilisé, quand je rentre un Shure SM58 ou SM57 dans une tranche de ma Neve 5465, ça sonne super ;) J'ai aussi un KM54a avec la fameuse lampe AC701k, dans la Neve c'est fabuleux, quel son. Dans la vidéo, l'AKG est moins précis dans les fréquences basses, c'est plus brouillon à l'écoute, mais pour la différence de prix, c'est quand même bluffant.
Correct me if I’m wrong in your translation, but I think you’re saying it all depends upon the preamp used. In my case both mics were recorded through a class A style Neve preamp with minimal EQ and just a hint of Urei 1176 compression.
@@jamiedurrantmusician Yes, I imagine you used the same preamp for comparison. What I meant was that if you use a low-end preamp, the difference in sound between the AKG and the Neumann will be more accentuated.
I agree the C1000s would be a better choice for recording. It's a more flat sound all around and it picks up that wood texture front he guitar the most. the Neumann is pretty much a mic that needs no eq done to it and has a very bright tone.. both can be used for different recording purposes, but I like the akg better. Not a pro, just have a really good ear for recording. I'm curious though why you went for a "stereo mic placement" and not just a plain parallel placement.
Hi thank you for your comments. The mic positioning was never intended to be used as a stereo pair, although yes it and x pattern - I simply wanted both mics pointing at the same focal point of the guitar. The tonal result is extremely similar but I agree the Neumann is brighter and the AKG has a grit that does translate some of that wood tone! But for me, as mentioned in the video, I’m more the fan of the Neumann KM54a tube mic. But you’ve also noted very wisely, that different mics for different purposes is also the point here - you’re using your brain and your ears! Thank you for joining the conversation! Valuable words!
I like this channel. You said "relatively low cost" and so I had to look it up not knowing anything about the mic and expecting relatively low cost to mean 1100 dollars or something but ... looked it up and 200 bucks. Yes, that's more my language. I like this channel.
Sorry for the super late response! But good point, I'd prefer to help people with low cost options. Have you seen the new video. $500-$600 421 mics might be the next best step for you?
I absolutely love the KM54 I love any video of someone using it. It's my dream to own even an unmatched pair someday
While I now own an unmatched pair, the first KM54 I’ve used on acoustic guitar for over 20 years. I’ve treated it with extreme care and it’s still going strong. Amazing mic, in my opinion simply the most astonishing and smooth sounding thing ever. Keep in mind also how cheap as bitey sounding this Harmony guitar really is. Did you watch my video on being the vintage gear detective?
@@jamiedurrantmusician you know it was hard to discern the actual quality because it wasn't just the acoustic guitar by itself. But in my experience the KM54 seems to deliver the sonic real estate of the acoustic guitar that we actually hear with our own ears. Just a spectacular recording device.
@@AndrewGorny ok point noted, in future mic tests I’ll showcase single track recordings OR provide multitrack downloads
@@jamiedurrantmusician I mean your recording sounded great! But for example if I'm recording acoustic guitar as an accompaniment, I mean I might just use a standard SDC, and to alleviate the brittle highs I'll dial in some of the pickup in that register since it's pretty often a soundboard transducer these days and SBTs are wonderful for highs.
(just because it's not front and center in the mix). How's the unmatched pair? I would guess it's a not negligible but minor difference from a matched pair. I mean one KM54 on its own sounds 3D! There's a video on here that is just a single KM54 and I listen to it and go, god who even needs the second one this sounds great on its own! (Of course it's running through a killing pre as well)
One can justify the hell out of everything because of a certain price, but in comparison the C1000 sounds like a carboard box...
Funny, there are people here saying the C1000 sounds better! I guess they possibly don’t have good monitoring, or have too much wax in their ears lol
interesting comparison, good video !! i wonder if u have a km184 or km84 i would love to hear a comparison between them and the km54
Hi thanks for your comments - unfortunately at this time I cannot make the comparisons of all the KM Neumann mics, however I will consider this in the future - thank you! Top idea!
I had a stereo pair of AKG C1000s. Ok on acoustic guitar, and I used them a lot as overheads but never really liked their sound for that, as you say, harsh and gritty. I read up on some mods for them and they sounded much better, so I can believe removing the cases would help from experience.
I use rode NT55s now, and they should soooo much sweeter.
I totally agree on the grittiness of the C100S. They're a low cost condenser and cannot compare to more expensive, detailed capsules and electronic designs. I'm even keen to talk about Realistic (Radio Shack [USA] Tandy electronics [Australia]) PZM microphones, that I once used, however soldered on a 12v power supply, which provided a cleaner output with better signal to noise ratio. This I recall as having better, smoother high end than the C1000S. And I used to gaffer tape these to mic stands for dum overheads - they were fantastic! The mod was great!
@@jamiedurrantmusician when I was studying 20 years ago, one of the lecturers raved about those Tandy/RadioShack PZMs, but you couldn't get them even then.
@@audiomatters9523 I still own them and will put them through their paces again soon - for UA-cam
@@jamiedurrantmusician I would definitely like to see that, cheers
AKG C1000s, the best of these microphones
Why do you like the C1000s and where are you based btw? And do you record with a C1000s?
Nice Video! I have owned two C1000s for years and have never tried to use them to record an acoustic guitar in stereo, do you think they are good microphones to do this? Could you tell me how to place them? do i have to remove the covers? I would like to get a very pronounced stereo sound. Thanks for your suggestions.
Hi Sarah, there are many people who like the sound of the C1000s compared with my Neumann. Cover removed I was surprised at how well it performed, however it is more gritty and less smooth in the top end compared with the Neumann, in my opinion. Removing the cover of the C1000s is simple, just unscrew and pull off the plastic hyper cardioid cap. This is effectively removing some rubbish - cheap parts that alter the mics tonal and pickup response (I assume). Try it and compare. Also note, I am NOT recording guitar in stereo, my mic setup shows 2 mics pointed at the same part of the guitar, and while it’s an x pattern, it was never intended as a stereo mic technique - this is x 2 mono mics for A/B comparison. For my money, double tracking acoustic guitars in mono and then hard panning left and right with your mixer is a great sound. But parts need to be super tightly played. Try it!
@@jamiedurrantmusician Thanks for your kind and accurate reply. I have often tried dubling acoustic guitars and the c1000 has always performed very well. I'll try to record without the capsule cover. My doubt was if I could use two for XY or ORTF shooting ... but I will also experiment with these techniques! Thanks again and congratulations for your video and for what you do.
@@sarahzanetti9902 well thank you so much for your kind reply! Yes, trying new things is always good, if you have x 2 C1000S mics why not try stereo!
Kinna questionable way to demonstrate the purity of a high end mic with some crunchy rhythm guitar strumming louder than the acoustic itself. 😅
@@JackMasonLive you know, I think you 100% right! This was an early video for me - apologies for wasting your time, I’ll do a better job on the next one! Thanks for your honesty JD
@@jamiedurrantmusician I appreciate your humility, brother! sorry if I came across sideways. Much love...JM
@@JackMasonLive no all good, and I should re-edit and re-mix this one - have a good one!
C1000 good