AKG: P420 Microphone

I have a list of microphones that I recommend for people looking for good quality that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Most of these people are hobbyists, making home recordings for themselves or dipping their toes into the wild waters of recording. My go-to list includes mics from Audio-Technica, Audix, Earthworks, and Mojave. I am now adding the AKG P420 to that list. It has got most of the features and quality needed to make quality recordings and learn about mic placement, polar patterns, instrument-specific usage, and important studio fundamentals.

The P420 is a multi-pattern condenser microphone and is part of AKG’s Perception line of microphones. It’s aimed at the personal studio market, and at $199 it falls into the price range of many budget microphones of the same ilk. Early in my quest to have more than one mic, I purchased some of those budget mics made in various locations around the globe, and at the end of the day I got what I paid for, which was not much: Sizzle-ly hyped top end, sub-par connections, and poor construction. This is not the case with the AKG P420. It’s a solidly-built mic. Connections are sturdy; its all-metal body has heft, the switches feel solid, and the windscreen/grill is refined. The mic sports three polar patterns (cardioid, omni, and figure-eight), a -20 dB pad, and a 12 dB/octave “bass cut” filter that rolls off at 300 Hz. It handles SPLs up to 155 dB, so go ahead and throw it in front of your guitar amp, bass cab, or kick drum. The P420’s plastic foil diaphragm is gold-sputtered on one side only to avoid shorting out the back electrode (even at high SPLs).

The first place I’ll try any condenser mic is on acoustic guitar. Instead of running the mic through one of my premium mic preamps, I used the pre on a Soundcraft Notepad 8-FX [Tape Op #161]. My 20-year-old daughter and I were working on recording some of her songs, and since she represents the target market for this product it seemed an ideal application. We tracked acoustic instruments and vocals using the P420 and Notepad preamp, and I was surprised at the quality of the tracks even with this budget recording chain: Plenty of clarity, body, and chime from the acoustic guitar, plus completely useable vocal tracks. I employed the low-cut filter for both applications, which cleaned up some mud, and I applied some simple EQ to nip and tuck the parts into place. The mic takes EQ well, and when I got the tracks up to my proper studio to flesh them out a bit, I found what we had tracked in the living room sounded pretty damn good. The P420 is equally useable on a bass cabinet and as a kick drum mic. I’d also like to hear it in a minimal drum mic set in front of the kit, or as a drum overhead. I’m sure it would also be a great podcasting or voiceover mic.

The P420 is a great starter piece for budding recordists not yet ready to spend $1000 on mic. Though maybe not in the same league as a Neumann U 87, an AKG 414, or even some of the microphones in the $1000 price range, for its target audience it is a solid offering that will get the job done in many scenarios, and it'll last for many years to come. The mic comes with a sturdy, foam-lined metal carrying case and spider shock mount. Optional accessories – such as a pop filter, table stand, and windscreen – are also available.