C 426 B

Common name: AKG C 426 B

Production Status: Discontinued / Vintage

The C 426 B is the direct descendent of AKG’s original C 24 and C 422 stereo microphones. It features improved dynamic range, self noise, sensitivity, linearity, frequency response and channel crosstalk. The C 426 B contains two 25 mm gold sputtered dual capsule sets arranged in a coincident pair. The entire microphone head assembly can be rotated 45° relative to the shaft, allowing a quick changeover from M-S to X-Y modes of stereo recording. Additionally, the upper capsule assembly can be rotated 270° relative to the lower one, providing maximum flexibility in stereo pickup angle. The polar patterns for both microphone sections are separately controlled at the S 426 remote powering unit. The change in polar pattern is noiseless and may be made during recording. The microphone has a switchable -10 dB pre-attenuation pad and a 12 dB per octave bass cut below 75 Hz. Two narrow angle LEDs are aligned with the primary axis of both capsule sections and enable the engineer to verify the exact orientation of each capsule. The microphone is attached to the S 426 control unit via a multi-pin, 66 ft. (20 meter) cable.

Electrical Characteristics

Frequency Response
30Hz - 20 kHz
Output Sensitivity
11 mV/Pa
Max SPL
132
Max SPL, THD:
0.5
Self Noise (CCIR)
25 dB
Self Noise (DIN/IEC)
14 dB-A
Output Impedance
200Ω
Recommended Load
1kΩ
Powering
Phantom 12-48
Supply Current
2 mA
Alternative Powering

Switchable Options

Pad
10dB
Filter/EQ
75Hz 12dB/oct

Physical Characteristics

Connector
2x XLR-3M
Connector notes
Available Colours
Non-reflective black
Weight
470 g
Length
235 mm
Min diameter width
33 mm
Max diameter
42 mm
Depth

Accessories

Included
H15/33 suspension, W426 foam w/scrn, S426 remote control
Optional
B 18 battery PSU (1 chonly), N 62E, N 66E AC PSU