AKG C636

A
s a condenser mic,
the C636 is
inherently more
complex than its
dynamic siblings,
a complexity that
comes at a cost in
both R&D and production. Issues with
feedback rejection and handling noise
have to be balanced against tradeoffs
in sound quality. Behind the simple
black exterior and lightness in hand,
the C636 boasts serious design chops
to give it the ‘Master Reference’
moniker, but is it deserved?
In short, yes. The sound is clear
and full, far more linear and ‘real’
than its dynamic mic counterparts.
The high frequency range is present
and well defi ned, without the harsh
hype and phase-shift peakiness that
some (cheaper) condenser mics either
display or attempt to mask with an
overall HF pull-down. At the other
end of the scale there is a realistic
richness that neither booms,
resonates or masks the source. All in
all this mic works almost boringly well
at reproducing the voice without
artifi ce. Obviously you want the
best-sounding vocal possible, but a
high quality response also pays off
with regard to engineering, requiring
less EQ, de-essing and general
soundcheck fi ddling.
On stage, or when working with
monitors in a live studio session,
feedback is Enemy No.1, exacerbated
fundamental in so much of the audio
production world, on stage or in the
studio. AKG have always pushed
forward in this area, from the
D19/190s of yesteryear to the current
D5/7s and C5/7s, as well as the
successful C535 which this model
updates, carrying on a strong tradition
of innovation and quality. The C636
may look quite plain, but it has a lot
going on ‘under the mesh’ to create
an impressive solution to the
multi-faceted problems of live vocal
capture. So, yeah, ‘Master Reference’
seems apt, as is the price.
by peaky frequency response curves
that may fl atter tonally but wreak
havoc when amplifi ed. The C636 is
remarkably well designed in this way,
and I had to work hard to conjure any
feedback at all. Getting a condenser
capsule to sound good and reject
feedback is no mean feat, which
explains the cost. The other big
problem is the effect of plosives, and
again real effort has gone into
keeping this at bay through the
multilayer pop screen inside the mesh
basket. While we’re on problem
solving, the C636 is also impressive
at handling noise, or lack thereof.
Though the pickup pattern is
cardioid, the off-axis rejection is
abnormally impressive and, as the
literature promises, uniform (with
regard to frequency). I couldn’t fi nd
even a hyper-cardioid mic in my
collection to match it. This goes some
way to explaining the excellent
feedback rejection. For live studio
sessions this is a great boon, allowing
vocalists to be closer to their bands
and better performances.
Handheld mics just aren’t as sexy
as old school ribbons or esoteric large
diaphragm condensers, but they are
THE PROS & CONS
+
Clear, well balanced
response straight to
the preamp
Superb in terms of
feedback rejection
Excellent off-axis
attenuation
-
You have to pay
for quality
FM VERDICT
9.2
A handheld vocal mic’s job
is to reproduce the most
important instrument in
tricky settings; this does so
with uncommon ease
All in all this mic works
almost boringly well
AKG C636 microphone | Reviews
89
FMU331.rev_akg.indd 89 18/04/2018 14:12