AKG C1000S

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94
Reviews | AKG C1000 S
A
KG’s C1000 S, now in a
new mkIV version, has over
the years been a popular
choice for anyone looking
for a multi-purpose small-diaphragm
condenser that can take on a number
of tasks both in the studio, onstage
and out in the field.
The C1000 S is a back-electret
design. One consequence of this is that
it doesn’t have to have phantom power
as its power source, being able to run
instead from battery power if needed,
and thus useful in field recording
situations where supplying phantom
power could be problematical. There’s
an on-off switch for the battery and you
should get 120 hours use from a set. A
red status LED flashes momentarily to
let you know that the batteries are in
good condition. The top half of the
microphone, which includes the wire
mesh cap, unscrews easily from the
rest of the body, allowing access to the
battery compartment.
Taking it apart
Taking off the top half of the mic body
also gives you access to some
adjustments – inside you’ll find
switches for a 10dB pad and for bass
cut courtesy of a filter that rolls off
frequencies below 80Hz. There are also
two other possibilities taken care of by
a pair of small plastic appendages that
can be clipped over the capsule before
screwing the body back together. The
first of these is a polar pattern
converter that changes the mic’s
pickup pattern from cardioid to
hypercardioid. The second is a
presence boost adapter that is designed
to improve intelligibility of speech by
boosting the mic’s sensitivity by about
5dB between 5kHz and 9kHz.
First impressions of the C1000 S
are that it’s rugged like a dynamic mic
but with extra top end. On a hi-hat the
C1000 S captures all the crispness
and sizzle you’d need without getting
overly harsh and it is also eminently
capable of being an overhead mic on
the kit. Of course the way you approach
recording a drumkit depends how many
mics you have but the C1000 S is a
definite asset however many you have,
either in an overhead role (singly or in a
pair) or as a spot mic on hat or ride. We
also got great results on acoustic guitar
pointing at the end of the fretboard a
few inches out. If you are an advocate
of using two mics on an acoustic guitar,
a pair of these would do the job and
doubtless would come in useful for
other stereo micing tasks.
Putting the C1000 S in context,
with adequate resources a first choice
condenser pair for all-round studio work
would be a pair of AKG’s C414s but if
the budget won’t stretch, the C1000 S
could provide fairly polished results in
that workhorse role for around a quarter
of the cost.
Who’s it for?
We reckon this is one pretty versatile
mic and reasonably-priced, so who is
the C1000 S for? Well, for general
studio use it’s a great asset to have in
the mic cupboard; two would be even
better and provide an affordable source
of decent stereo micing. It’s also a solid
choice if you make field recordings; the
battery power being the essential
feature, but ruggedness also being
paramount. Plus the C1000 S’s gold
capsule and XLR plugs make it
humidity-proof for all environments –
now’s your chance to record yourself
singing in the shower…
WHAT is iT?
A small-diaphragm
condenser mic with
several switching
options and battery
power if you want it
ConTACT
Who: Sound Technology
Tel: [phone]
Web: www.akg.com
HiGHLiGHTs
1 Runs off batteries as well
as phantom power
2 Rugged build quality
3 Versatility as it can lend
itself to a variety of tasks
speCs
Type: Small diaphragm
condenser microphone
Frequency response:
50 Hz – 20kHz
Sensitivity: 6 mV/Pa
Signal to Noise: 73 dB-A
Polar patterns: Cardioid,
hypercardioid,
Power supply: 9 to 52 V
(phantom power or
2 AA batteries)
Controls: 10dB Pad, bass
cut filter (@80Hz)
Connections: Balanced XLR
Dimensions:
229 x 34 mm
Weight:
320g
AKG C1000 S | £179
VeRDiCT
BUILD
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VALUE
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EASE OF USE
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VERSATILITY
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RESULTS
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A sound choice for a dependable
and affordable all-rounder
small-diaphragm condenser.
It’s been called the Swiss army knife of microphones,
so Trevor Curwen ponders just how sharp AKG’s
C1000 S really is
FMU271.rev_akg.indd 94 9/11/13 3:35 PM