Customer Reviews

AKG C411L Ultra Light Instrument Mic W/Mini XLR Instrument Mic

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

PROS:
1-the flexibility to experiment with placement and tones on the soundboard and bridge.
2-sounds better than most pickups.
3-no need to drill holes in the guitar
4-low cost (also see CONS)
5-sound got even better when I combined the C411 signal with an Audio Technica AT831b clip-on mic pointed at the soundhole. This sound was almost as good as using my AKG C414 in the studio.
6-adhesive sticks really well and doesn't mark up or damage the wood
7-solid/loud output
8-can be used on multiple guitars
9-using two C411s at the same time (placed on different parts of the guitar)would probably sound even better

CONS:
1-doesn't sound better than a high-end condensor mic
2-cost of the mic is low but the AKG cable you need to use the mic cost more than mic.
3-attack is good for fingerstyle/classical/flamenco players but not ideal for really fast pickers (maybe a compressor would remedy this issue)

OVERALL:
worth the money and worth trying out as an alternative to other pickups/transducers for live sound.

when i originally purchased this product, i didnt really have great expectations for it. i had tried it once in a hurry,managed to get a decent sound, so i thought, i'll give it a shot. but man, when i actually took 15 minutes to find the sweet spot on my acoustic guitar, GOD this thing gave me an eargasm ;) my whole life, i had dreamt of getting a pure,natural acoustic guitar without bothering to drill holes in my guitar or having to worry about feedback on stage.
this mic captures every imagineable detail on my steel sting acoustic & its incerdibly feedback resistant for most acoustic venues(dont expect to play at a rock show thru a 100W monster amp). the acoustic sound comes out so clear & natural,it picks up finger squeaks,finger taps everything & yet very little of surrounding noise. hats off to AKG for making such a great product. I've even tried it on a nylon string guitar(great sound), on a sitar(really good) & even on the body of a fretless electric guitar(!even the electric sounded decent!)

remember that this is not a pickup, its a condenser microphone. so it needs phantom power.
only downside: this mic is hardwired with a mini XLR plug. to use it, u need to buy another AKG product like the B29L or MPA V in order to supply phantom power. u cannot plug it straight into an amp or mixer. despite the added cost, i feel its really worth the price. in fact this should be an industry standard. i'm tired of going to concerts & having my beautiful acoustic miked with a SM57(acoustics sound like garbage thru a SM57).
great product, spend half hour with your acoustic guitar to find the sweet spot to paste it(with included removable adhesive) & u'll get years of auditory pleasure.
this is a highly recommended purchase.