CloseThe Gutsiest Do-it-all Condenser for Under $200.
So what's the deal with the Perception 220? We'll put it this way. When you're recording yourself, do you really want a mic you need to push, pull, finesse, and caress into sounding good? Nope. You want a mic you can plug a cable into, put sound in its vicinity, and know it's going to rock. And that's exactly what the Perception 220 is all about. Use it on your acoustic guitar, sing into it, put it in the room during band practice, even park it directly in front of the loudest drummer you know (seriously) — the Perception 220 can handle it, no problem. Long story short, this is the "do-everything" condenser every home/project studio needs. As an added bonus, you get awesome accessories with it. Solid.The AKG Perception 220 gets the gold star for versatility: it rocks on vocals, drums, guitars, brass... you name it. So if you're after bang for your buck, dynamite for your dollar, crash for your crash, or any other clever and alliterative description of value, then you're definitely going to dig this
microphone. You could quite easily use just the Perception 220 to record an entire band, one instrument at a time. That's why it's such a good pick for the home studio musician recording him/herself or a friend — it's a
beast on voice, just as great on acoustic guitar, and it's ready to record super-loud sources without flinching (more on that in a second). But even if you just used the Perception 220 for vocals/speech, you're still snagging a great value. We've heard about broadcasters and podcasters shying away from mics three, four times the cost of this one because they simply love how it sounds. It's just got a nice way of giving your voice more body and overall "oomph" when you get up close to it. It's also the kind of mic that puts you right up front in the mix — exactly where you want to be.
Here's another thing. One problem you can run into in the studio is that you've got a mic, but it just can't stomach loud sources. If you put it up against a
thrashing instrument — say a drum kit or a blaring electric guitar — it's going to fink out and distort on you. Why? It comes down to how much sound pressure your mic can take. What's awesome about the Perception 220, though, is that you're not going to have this problem. That's because this thing can handle up to 152dB of sound pressure without distorting... and if you're hip to those numbers, that's kind of, sort of, really insane. In real-world terms, 152dB is louder than a jet engine taking off right across the runway from you. It's louder than a gun blast next to your head. It's sort of like, oh, sticking your
ear right up against an emergency siren. We're talking about a painful kind of loud. But seriously — the Perception 220 can totally handle it. And that's what you want. Because why let a can't-handle-it microphone ruin the perfect take, right? Right.
Last but not least: accessories. Yes, the Perception 220 is impressive on performance alone — and more than worth every penny. But AKG really went all the way with this one. No chintzy accessories here. First, you get a practically bullet-proof metal case, so you can bring it from your house to your buddy's house without worrying. Plus, it comes with a really nice spider-type shockmount — a studio essential. It's also worth mentioning here that the Perception 220 looks great. Yeah, yeah, we know it's about performance — but it's fun to bring this one into the room and watch people check it out. It's got a really nice metallic blue finish on it, giving the vibe of a high-dollar microphone. And honestly, it performs right in that high-dollar microphone ballpark. It is, after all, a mic from AKG.
AKG Perception 220 Large-diaphragm Cardioid Condenser Microphone Features at a Glance:
- Large-diaphragm, true condenser cardioid transducer
- Rugged all-metal body
- Roadworthy construction
- Switchable 20dB preattenuation pad
- Switchable bass-cut filter
- Type: 1" large diaphragm true condenser
- Polar pattern: Cardioid
- Frequency range: 20Hz-20kHz
- Sensitivity: 18 mV/Pa (-35dBV)
- Max. SPL: 135dB/155dB (0/-20dB) for 0.5% THD
- Equivalent noise level: 16dB-A (IEC 60268-4)
- Signal/noise ratio (A-weighted): 78dB
- Preattenuation pad: 0dB, -20dB
- Bass filter: 12dB/octave at 300Hz
- Impedance:<200 ohms
- Recommended load impedance: >=1000 ohms
- Current consumption: <2 mA
- Power requirement: 48V phantom power to DIN/IEC
- Connector: 3-pin XLR
- Finish: Metallic blue/nickel grille
- Designed and engineered by AKG in Vienna, Austria
- Comes with spider-type shock mount and aluminium carrying case
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