AKG Perception 220 Studio Condenser Microphone

Engage the AKG Perception 220's bass roll-off feature for crisp acoustic instrument recording or turn it off to capture vocal tracks with thick resonance.

Overall User Ratings (based on 28 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(28) (see rating details)
Submitted November 20, 2009 by a customer from gmail.com

"Great Option for Good Sound on a Budget"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I plan on using this mic for a long time to come.
Sound
Very versatile microphone. I use it mostly for recording vocals. very natural sound. Use it with both my multi track recorder and my computer workstation. The sound is impressive.
Features
For the price, this is the only non off brand mic that I have seen with these features. Other mics in this price range don't have the same features or tend to have much cheaper construction quality.
Ease of Use
Very simple to use. No learning curve unless you're completely unfamiliar with condenser microphones.
Quality
This mic feels solid and looks awesome. only had it for a few weeks but I dont think it will be problematic. Seems as though it will provide years of service.
Value
I think if AKG doubled the price of this microphone and you bought it, you would still think you got a steal of a deal.
Manufacturer Support
the best support is not needing to use it at all.
The Wow Factor
originally I was going to get a 2nd Rode NT1-a for a matched pair, then decided that I'd rather have a second microphone that could provide a different sound. Very happy with my decision.

Musical Background:

active mucisian

Musical Style:

Hip Hop R&B
16 of 16 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted July 11, 2009 by a customer from earthlink.net

"A surprising value for your voiceover booth."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
After about four months, this has become a "go to" mic for my voice work. Great for broadcast work. Beats out the RE-20 with a more refined top end and better response. An upgrade to a Neumann is about all that can beat it for my needs.
Sound
While it's not exactly in the same class with a Neumann, it has a surprisingly detailed sound for a mic in this price range. I use it for voiceovers, and it brings out the subtle qualities quite well, especially with a touch of compression. Some might need a de-esser, but if you move in closer it helps. Nice proximity effect. Team it with a nice tube preamp to warm it up and you'll love it.
Features
It's an external bias "true" condenser at the price most companies charge for an internally biased mic. To me, that's the most important feature. The extra elastic for the shock mount is a nice touch. Quality shock mount. Pad and filter switches are solid. The roll-off filter is a bit too much for my taste, but it could come in very handy for other uses. If all you want to do is to remove the floor rumble, use your preamp's filter.
Ease of Use
Nothing exotic here. Plug and play. Point and talk. And that's a good thing.
Quality
AKG must really put these under a microscope when they come in from China. Looks and feels solid. No lose bits. No shortcuts that I can find. (It's working too well to open up.) Puts up with high humidity quite well, too. A pleasant surprise.
Value
Definitely a great value for anyone serious about recording. Even if you've never tried AKG, the Perception line is worth checking out.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't needed service. I don't expect I will.
The Wow Factor
Let's face it. Chinese mics have limited appeal. This is one of the exceptions. It's appearance does have a certain vintage quality about it. I feel like I'm using a serious recording tool. Interesting color.

Musical Background:

broadcast engineer, voiceover artist
24 of 26 people (92%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted July 18, 2009 by a customer from gmail.com

"Great mic, great buy, a little bright"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
im not lookin for replacement anytime soon. im gonna use this mic till it breaks..then ill fix it and use it again. of course this mic isnt gonna compare to say a NT2000, but for the price it definitley gives u more than what u pay for
Sound
the sound of this microphone is very clear. For the price its hard to beat. It does give a slight boost at around 10Khz leaving it a little bright for my tastes. it picks up everything so make sure theres no background noise. The mic performs very well. its not too sensitive and it clarity is excellent. i primarily use it as a vocal mic for singers. i found that i can use this mic for a wide variety of singers. but since its a bit bright i tend to keep away from using it with higher singing or songs with alot of plosives. i find that using a slight compressor and a bit of eq makes this mic sound awesome.
Features
i absolutley loved that this product came with a shockmount and a carrying case.
Ease of Use
very easy to use. just plug and play.
Quality
this microphone is very well designed. its heavy and durable. although what you pay isnt that much, it feels and looks like a very high quality microphone. havent dropped it yet. but im sure it can withstand a few hits
Value
this is definitley worth the money. if u are looking for a good vocal condensor or somethin for acoustic guitars this is the way to go. even if you have money to spend on a more expensive mic....save it and try this one out. you might find that you dont have to spend alot of money to get great sound
Manufacturer Support
havent needed any yet
The Wow Factor
this microphone looks great sitting in my studio. to most peopl they think that it is a very expensive microphone. the grill on it shines in the light and it makes it look awesome

Musical Background:

Recording Engineer, drummer, studio owner

Musical Style:

Ska, Jazz, Reggae
14 of 15 people (93%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted July 25, 2012 by Brant S in Grand Rapids, MI

"Amazing!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I have an AT4040 that I've loved for years. This mic sounds almost identical, however, the low rumble you find in the AT4040, which can become a problem, is not a problem at all on the Perception, so far. This mic seems to be dialed in just right for a plug and play performance. You just can't beat the price for what you get here. It's sound is totally pro. You'd have to spend hundreds more for minute quality differences. I love this mic!

Musical Background:

Self produced singer/songwriter

Musical Style:

Alternative folk / rock / pop / acoustic.
1 of 1 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted March 15, 2013 by John Aspro in Chicago, IL

"AKG Perception 220"

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
In my opinion these Mics are very underrated they are clean and buiit solid. I use them and get excelent results as drum overheads.I entered a rating for Mfg support but I have not used them in years they were good but now I think for the most part they are outsourced. I have never had a bad AKG Product

Musical Background:

Musician

Musical Style:

Blues Jazz Rock Pop Country Folk
Did you find this review helpful?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted April 15, 2013 by Peter martin in Highspire, PA

"No you didn't ??"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
This is an excellent product but the price should not be $179.00 due to the fact that you can purchase this microphone BRAND NEW anywhere else for $100.00 sorry zZounds
1 of 1 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!

Submitted December 12, 2009 by a customer from gmail.com

"Great sound and very cheap."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
If you don't have enough for buying a Neumann, Rode, Blue, or another great mark, Its easy, buy this mic, you'll be surprised about the sound you can have with it.
Sound
It have a great bright sound. Its perfect for drums, voice, and another applications you wanna try it, as amp recording, guitars, but with bass only to take ambience tracks, my point of view... I use it at home, with Dbx pre-amp and it sounds great, and its the same result when i use it with avalon or another pre-amp in my proffesional studio. Many people think that Neumann or Rode can give more than this mic, maybe, but always remeber, isn't the quality of the product, the idea is, only what you can do with the equipement you have. I saw many people made great recordings with cool edit, behringer desk and samson mic...
Features
Just that it needs.
Ease of Use
Very, very easy, good sound with bad or good pre-amp. But I recomend everybody, use a tube pre-amp to grow up the sound of this article.
Quality
All fine. It seems hard.
Value
Very good price for the product you buy. this microphone, is destinated to recording home, but I can afford that is great in professional studio recording. Really, buy it. Behringer C3, B1, SE electronics 1000 are cheaper, but the quality is not the same, for nothing.....
Manufacturer Support
Any repair or problem in 6 months of using diary.
The Wow Factor
Beautiful, hard as a rock....

Musical Background:

Producer & musician

Musical Style:

All from Flamenco to Rock
4 of 4 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Please wait.