AKG D40 review

Super-solid stage mic

  • £79
  • €106
  • $129
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The robust D40 has a protective metal casing and grille and has a frequency range of 50Hz-29kHz

MusicRadar Verdict

The D40 will deliver come what may no matter how noisy, crowded and sweaty the stage is.

Pros

  • +

    Solidly built so should give years of service and excellent sound reproduction.

Cons

  • -

    Doesn't enhance the sound much.

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Compared to the recently reviewed AKG D12 VR - a mic as at home in the studio as the live arena - the diminutive D40 is a bulletproof workhorse built primarily for stage use.

Build

"The D40 has been built to capture an instrument faithfully in the sonic equivalent of a war zone"

The D40 is a compact and unpretentious dynamic mic that has been designed to withstand nightly abuse. Described by AKG itself as being suitable for 'rough stage use' it is equipped with a protective metal casing and grille and has a built-in windscreen/pop filter.

A frequency range of 50Hz to 20kHz and a maximum SPL of 156dB enables it to be placed in front of all manner of instruments.

Hands On

We test the mic on drums in a studio setting, but the D40 has been built to capture an instrument faithfully in the sonic equivalent of a war zone.

Placed over a snare and then each of our toms it certainly provides a healthy signal with no loss in frequencies.

At the same time it does little to enhance the sound - not an issue in a live setting, but in the hallowed confines of the studio it's hard to get excited about it. This is a mic definitely more suited to its intended environment.

Adam Jones