AKG C636 Handheld Vocal Microphone - Black

Excellent mic that I bought after seeing a few video reviews of it online. It came down in an Amazon deal, I made a quick decision, and I feel it paid off.The first obvious thing is that there is a nice transparency to the sound the mic picks up, it feels very natural, and if the mic is far enough away there's a moderate but limited sense of the room ambience in the sound, which makes it pretty consistent. I normally use condenser mics (Audio Technica ATM-11 and AT-2020) and a PZM, but wanted a dynamic to mic up my guitar amps, for some vocals, and also for portable recordings I make in different spaces when I'm travelling.The stated frequency response, 70hz-20khz, suits my purposes for vocals, and guitar amps, but the roll-off in the bass above 70hz definitely changes the character of the bottom end if you're mic-ing up a bass part. If you were using a 5+ string bass this definitely wouldn't be the go-to mic (but then again you'd be DI-ing the bass anyway).The supercardioid pattern effect is really obvious, with a marked dropoff if you move off axis, so for bvox you'd be quite cosy with your co-singer if you both wanted to be heard, and "three's a crowd" - a third vocalist would be a bit of a tight fit and probably wouldn't be feasible, it really is that focussed. The upside is that you can use this to advantage once you get the feel for how it picks up off-axis sounds, and it works quite well at limiting the room ambience to what comes off the wall behind you. For my condenser mics I use a portable vocal booth, and while the D5 isn't that isolating, it is a decent compromise. It also seems to have a very low level of handling noise, less of an issue in my workspaces, but noticeably good for such a budget mic.The thing I have a love-hate feeling about is the almost complete absence of a proximity effect. Most of the time I love it, especially if mic-ing up amps, since I get a lot of leeway in mic placement (always bearing in mind the supercardioid directionality it has). Now and then, though, I'd like to just lean in when singing and get a bass lift, and it doesn't seem to happen. If you're used to the Shure SM58 line, you'll know how that can be quite effective when it's necessary, so for some people that may be a deal-breaker. Since I have a fairly light and airy voice this usually isn't important (in fact this mic "likes" my voice!), but the lack of proximity effect means that I don't have that extra artificial reach into the low end when I could really use it. The SM58 gives my voice an option that it doesn't have naturally. Then again, if the D5 was a close-up kind of mic it probably wouldn't have the pop-shield design it has, and go rounded instead.All that said, though, at the price it is a stellar mic, nice and solid, and professionally turned out. Its main physical shortcoming is the lack of an on/off switch, for which you need the D5S instead, but for home/project studio and location work it is less of a problem than for stage because you have other muting options.

Update: So, I've been able to use it live on a few occasions now and it hasn't disappointed. It's bright, rich and cuts through well without being overly harsh or lacking in balance across the range. I still reach for the Rode M2 more often than not, because as a condenser it gives me more to play with within the mix, but I would say that I have absolute confidence in the D5 to handle itself in any situation (much like many sm58 users would consider that mic - although personally I think the D5 is streets ahead compared to the Shure 'industry standard'.Only had a chance to use it in the house thus far for spoken word, with hopes that I’ll be able to use it Live for singing soon. Very well built, robust microphone that equals anything I’ve used before. I own and normally use a Rode M2, but was looking for a dynamic to give options. Sold my Rode M1 a few months back and then bought some of the T-Bone Beta mics, which were ok but still lacking. Then I bought a Tourtech vm50 from guitarguitar for £10 after watching an Andertons review on YouTube and having used it once Live (at a Christmas event) it was actually really quite impressive.But, having had an eye on the d5 for a number of years, I can honestly say that I’m somewhat frustrated that I didn’t opt for it years ago, rather than go round the houses. I’ve never been a fan of the Shure non-beta range (loved the Beta87 and 57) due to the lack of clarity but this AKG seems to have the openness of my M2 with an added presence boost that I was looking for.I’ll look forward to using it properly in the coming months when the world settles down!

Excellent Mic, I made the switch from Shure SM58 two years ago having used one at a larger gig with a hired PA company. It made my voice sound warmer, more rounded! The sound engineer had an SM58 set up for me originally, but my voice sounded a bit nasal & Honky? He changed the mic to an AKG D5 and the difference was amazing, so much so that I went out the next day & bought one. I play with a number of Bands, mainly playing drums & singing backing vocals, I found an immediate difference when we used our own PA. The only Problem was I was getting a lot of spill from the kit especially when I moved the mic away for numbers I did not sing on. So the ideal solution was to get a D5 with a switch! So far it is perfect! I'm not saying the D5 is a better mic than the SM58, I am saying that the D5 is a better mic for me, it is more suited to my voice. If you are looking for a mic then definitely check out the AKG D5! The D5S is exactly the same but with a switch. They are a little harder to find, so when I saw one on-line I didn't hesitate I ordered it straight away from Amazon, it arrived 2 days later. Excellent service from Amazon as per usual. Great Price (a lot cheaper than the SM58)! Excellent Mic!!!PS Since I made the change to the D5, 2 other members of the Band have done the same thing, we are all very happy with the D5(s)!

This is a well built microphone, seems solid enough and could weather a fair beating. The tone is a little off for my voice, and I sing mostly hardcore punk, so I understand the tone I'm looking for isn't perhaps what the mic is designed for.The Sennheiser e835 is better suited for my style and voice, it seems to have a much more well rounded tone with a better response to all the frequencies in my singing. However, for certain other voices and styles, I could see this being an excellent microphone, so while it's not quite for me, I feel a 4 or 5 star rating is accurate.