Review: AKG D7
A new handheld ‘reference’ dynamic mic from AKG is always worth a gander.
9 November 2009
Review: Mark Woods
AKG has a great reputation for making quality microphones. There aren’t many established recording studios around the world that don’t have at least one C-414 in their mic collection. The live fraternity, however, is probably more au fait with AKG’s D12/D112 kick mics and the C451 small-diaphragm condenser than its vocal mics – it’s a stubborn demarcation that AKG is determined to break down. The new D7 is its latest salvo in the battle for lead vocal supremacy, offering a tough onstage handheld dynamic that aims to deliver accurate and detailed sound reproduction more commonly associated with condenser microphones.
Out of the box the D7 looks and feels like a high-quality mic. On the standard model the dark-grey body tapers gradually from the base and then more widely to meet the matching grey steel grille. Also available are the D7 ‘S’ version (‘S’ for switch) and the ‘LTD’ version, featuring a bright chrome-plated body – I’ve only seen it in photos but it looks great.
BREAKING WITH CONVENTION
The D7 feels solid to the touch, reassuringly heavy in the hand, albeit a touch slippery-smooth perhaps, and is physically attractive overall. There’s a cool sunken AKG logo on the body and the flat-topped grille has a silver band near the bottom with a grey strip featuring the word “Dynamic” printed three times around it. (The words themselves seem a bit gratuitous for mine, but funnily enough, they inadvertently serve as a handy reminder that the mic doesn’t require 48V phantom, but it’s not something the artist really needs to see.) Curiously, the mic’s XLR connector seems ‘upside down’ at first, relative to convention at least. AKG has chosen to turn the XLR connector over so when a lead is connected to the mic, its latching mechanism is concealed from view. It feels like an odd design decision at first; either the logo seems like it’s on the wrong side of the mic or the XLR is wired upside down, but of course it’s not and there’s arguably merit in AKG’s aesthetic preference.
The mic’s grille is sprung steel and very strong, containing a thicker-than-usual foam pop filter that can be easily removed for cleaning. The grille is also quite big and immediately reminded me of the annoying singer at a recent show who put one of my SM58s in his mouth – hands-free style – for most of the band’s set. If we’d been using the D7 I don’t think he’d have got it in there, and I’d certainly have preferred that!
The D7’s supplied clip has flexible sides that allow the mic to be removed easily, but care needs to be taken not to slot it back in too hard, which may result in the mic popping back out and falling to the floor. The D7 is also exactly the same size at the base as an SM58, and fits well into a standard Shure clip. This is handy for those times when a quick mic changeover doesn’t allow you time to replace both the mic and the clip. The D7 clip itself is made of an “elasticised rubber compound” that’s been designed to avoid going floppy over time.
Unscrewing the D7 grille reveals a large diaphragm shock-mounted into the microphone body. The solid build quality inspires confidence that the mic can be dropped without killing it [which I proved in an independent test – Ed.] and it looks built to last. The diaphragm itself is AKG’s own ‘Laminate Varimotion’ design – a manufacturing process that results in the production of a diaphragm of varying thickness, which allows for more accurate response tuning and fidelity.
The D7 is supplied in a zip bag that has a little tag sewn onto the seam to identify it as a D7 – handy for quickly identifying it in a drawer or case with other mics. Unfortunately, the protective bag only fits the mic so the clip ends up hanging around separately.
NEED TO KNOW
AKG D7
Reference Dynamic Vocal Microphone
SOUND OFF
So what does it sound like? AKG has chosen to describe the D7 as a ‘reference-quality’ mic – I took this to be a deliberate invitation to compare it to the Shure range, and its style and price line it up squarely against the Beta 58. The Shure products have been the reference mic for rock for over 30 years and while I’m surprised they haven’t been superseded by now (like most other 30-year-old gear has), they remain ubiquitous. As the house sound tech at the Theatre Royal, Castlemaine, I get to work with lots of acts travelling with their own sound mixer and vocal mics, and many still prefer the tight pattern, reliability and predictable vocal sound they achieve with an SM58/Beta58.
I’ve had a Shure SM57 at the desk for longer than many of this magazine’s readers have been alive, and even though I now use a variety of dynamic and condenser mics for live vocals, depending on the act, time has proven that a 57 still provides a reliable reference for tuning the PA. The first thing I did was swap my SM57 for the D7 and embark on a thorough ‘check one two’ through a PA I’m very familiar with. This PA, I must make clear, has an emphasis between 400 and 600Hz that needs to be pulled back in order for it to sound ‘flat’, and before testing the D7 through the system these frequencies had already been attenuated.
My first impression of the D7 was of its smooth and extended high-frequency response, and in a blind test I’d have picked it for a condenser design. Its midrange frequencies were less pronounced than those of the 57 and I immediately felt inclined to put back some of the 400-600Hz I’d earlier taken out of the PA’s mid boxes. The low-mids meanwhile were solid, with a predictable amount of bass boost when you’re right on the mic. Plosives were well controlled by the under-grille pop shield and in-built high-pass filter, but not completely eliminated. The result was a clear sound with good presence and excellent intelligibility.
Next, to the stage, and a test through the floor wedges… I had a big night of heavy rock bands ahead of me and I’d planned to use the D7 as the main vocal mic. At a moderate volume my first impressions were again favourable; nice clear sound with a fairly hi-fi top end. I knew the monitors would end up at full volume for the show but cranking the volume up to gig level started to produce feedback in the horns. I tried reducing the offending frequencies but the law of diminishing returns set in quickly without any net improvement to the sound. Normally I’d use a Beta58 for these types of bands and when I hot-swapped one for the D7 the Beta58 was louder and had more punch across the midrange. Without time to finesse the system I used the Beta58 for that show.
The next few weeks saw a lineup of different acts; no loud bands but lots of female vocals, acoustic guitars and delicate instrument sounds. For these type of shows I normally use a condenser vocal mic but the D7 was right at home in this less than full volume environment and it was a pleasure to use as the main or backing vocal mic. The midrange had a pleasing lack of hardness that really suited some voices, particularly female vocals that are often more pleasant to the ear during softer verses than loud choruses, where their sound can get harsh. The brightness of the mic was great for enhancing diction and intimacy on breathy vocals. The only downside to this was a tendency to exaggerate sibilance in some voices and handling noise from the mic body was slightly higher than average.
Even though it was designed as a vocal mic the D7 also works very well on stringed instruments that would normally attract a condenser mic like acoustic guitars, mandolins or banjos. It uses a humbucking coil to minimise electrical interference and was whisper quiet in use.
CONDENSER SOUND, DYNAMIC DESIGN
Overall, the D7 is a nice mic that lives up to AKG’s claims of delivering a condenser-like sound from a dynamic capsule in a package that’s good-looking, rugged and doesn’t need phantom power. I’m not so sure of the ‘reference-quality’ claim, and it wouldn’t be my first choice for full volume rock use – nor would any condenser for that matter – but as a general-purpose vocal/instrument mic it works well and would make an excellent choice for some voices.
