The Ribbon mics continue to impress with a great new acoustic session from Graham Hodge CHECK IT OUT. The BIG IDEA is to run a studio recording materclass weekend. Look out for details!!!!!!!!!

Introduced in 1953, the AKG D12 was the world's first dynamic cardioid mic with a "unidirectional" design intended to reduce the pick up of extraneous sound and the production of feedback. It was based on new developments in microphone technology which eliminated much of the shrillness characteristic in earlier microphones and it extended the frequency response deeper into the bass range. It's a large diaphragm, dynamic, cardioid pattern mic and the transducer has a special "bass chamber" that boosts the lower frequencies in the 60-120 Hz range giving it a full, round bass end whilst the slight peak in the 60 to 120 Hz range enables the microphone to do full justice to a range of brass instruments and vocals and the mic was an immediate success at radio stations, recording studios, and movie sets throughout the world.
A number of other AKG microphones would be based on the D12, including the D20B, D25, D30, D36, and the D45.

Fairview has two of the original AKG D12 mics and more recently bought the egg shaped D112 really just for the kick drum. I think if you listen the sound of the kick drum on records has changed over the years from being a bit soft and paddy in the 70s to more punchy and "clicky" and AKG have just gone with this and produced a mic with a lift at the bottom and a one at the top to give some more attack. You do get favourite mics and I suppose it's my first choice for the kick drum though I have recently used one of the old D12s to good effect. I have used both mics on bass guitars and any large brass instruments like a trombone or a tuba. I know that originally the AKG D12 was a very popular vocal mic in radio stations in the US and I once actually recorded a girl singing with the D12 in sheer desperation when all else had failed. She had such an awful voice that all the decent condenser mics just highlighted the fact. I can't remember what happened in the end it was such an awful session that I’ve erased it from my memory! JS.

microphone basics|dynamic microphones|condenser microphones|ribbon microphones |stereo microphones|Links|contact us|