AKG D5 Supercardioid Dynamic Handheld Vocal Microphone Instruction Manual
- June 13, 2024
- AKG
Table of Contents
AKG D5 Supercardioid Dynamic Handheld Vocal Microphone
Precaution / Description
Precaution
- Please make sure that the piece of equipment your microphone will be connected to fulfills the safety regulations in force in your country and is fitted with a ground lead.
Unpacking
| |
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1 D 5/D 5 S| 1 SA 45| 1 Carrying case
- Check that the packaging contains all of the components listed above. Should anything be missing, please contact your AKG dealer.
Optional Accessories
- For optional accessories, refer to the current AKG catalog or folder, or visit www.akg.com. Your dealer will be glad to help.
Features
- Frequency response optimized for vocal use.
- Integrated wind and pop screen for effective suppression of pop and breath noise.
- Frequency independent super cardioid polar pattern for high gain before feedback.
- New Varimotion diaphragm for brilliant sound.
- Shock mounted transducer element reduces handling and cable noise.
- Extremely resilient, spring-steel wire-mesh cap for extra impact resistance.
Description
Brief Description
The AKG D 5 is a super cardioid dynamic microphone. It has been designed
specifically as a vocal microphone for rough onstage use. The wide frequency
response of the D 5 slightly favors the midfrequency and treble regions to
ensures good intelligibility of speech. The term “super cardioid polar
response” means that the D 5 is most sensitive to sound arriving from in front
of it, less sensitive to sound arriving from the sides and rear.
This pickup pattern is virtually the same for all frequencies or, in other
words, from the lowest to the highest notes (“frequency independent”).
A shock mount on the transducer minimizes handling and cable noise. An
integrated windscreen reduces pop, wind, and breath noise to a minimum.
A rugged front grill made of spring-steel wire mesh that is extremely
resistant to deformation and a sturdy zinc alloy die-cast body effectively
protect the microphone and transducer element from damage on stage and on the
road.
The D 5 S has the same mechanical, electrical, and acoustic characteristics as the D 5 and features a noiseless on/off switch.
Interfacing
The microphone provides a balanced output on a 3-pin male XLR connector:
Pin 1: ground
Pin 2: hot
Pin 3: return
You can connect the microphone either to a balanced or an unbalanced microphone input.
- To connect the microphone to a balanced input (XLR connector), use a commercial XLR cable.
- To connect the microphone to an unbalanced microphone input (1/4″ jack), use a cable with a female XLR connector and a 1/4″ TS jack plug. Please note that unbalanced cables may pick up interference from stray magnetic fields near power or lighting cables, electric motors, etc. like an antenna. This may cause hum or similar noise when you use a cable that is longer than 16 feet (5 m).
Using Your Microphone
Introduction
A handheld vocal microphone provides many ways of shaping the sound of your
voice as it is heard over the sound system.
The following sections contain useful hints on how to use your microphone for
best results.
Working Distance and Proximity Effect
Basically, your voice will sound the bigger and mellower, the closer you hold
the microphone to your lips. Moving away from the microphone will produce a
more reverberant, more distant sound as the microphone will pick more of the
room’s reverberation.
You can use this effect to make your voice sound aggressive, neutral,
insinuating, etc. simply by changing your working distance.
Proximity effect is a more or less dramatic boost of low frequencies that
occurs when you sing into the microphone from less than 2 inches. It gives
more “body” to your voice and an intimate, bass heavy sound.
Angle of Incidence Refer to fig. 1.
Sing to one side of the microphone or above and across the microphone’s top.
This provides a well-balanced, natural sound.
If you sing directly into the microphone, it will not only pick up excessive
breath noise but also overemphasize “sss”, “sh”, “tch”, “p”, and “t” sounds.
Fig. 1: Typical microphone position.
Using Your Microphone
Feedback
The term “feedback” means that part of the sound projected by a speaker is
picked up by a microphone, fed back to the amplifier, and projected again by
the speaker. Above a specific volume or “system gain” setting the sound system
will start howling and the sound engineer will desperately dive for the master
fader to reduce the volume and stop the howling.
To increase usable gain before feedback, the microphone has a super cardioid
polar pattern. It is most sensitive to sounds arriving from in front of
it(your voice) while picking up much less of sounds arriving from the sides
or rear (from monitor speakers for instance).
To maximize gain before feedback, place the main(“FOH”) speakers in front of
the microphones (along the front edge of the stage).
If you use monitor speakers, be sure never to point any microphone directly
at a monitor or FOH speaker.
Feedback may also be triggered by resonances depending on the acoustics of the
room or hall.
With resonances at low frequencies, proximity effect may cause feedback. In
this case, it is often enough to move away from the microphone a little to
stop the feedback.
Fig. 2: Microphone placement for maximum gain before feedback.
Backing Vocals
- Never let more than two persons share a microphone.
- The microphone is very insensitive to off axis sounds. If the two vocalists were t sing into the microphone from an angle wider than 35 degrees, you may end up bringing up the fader of the microphone channel far enough to create a feedback problem.
Fig. 3: Two vocalists sharing a microphone.
Cleaning
Microphone Body
- To clean the surface of the microphone body, use a soft cloth moistened with water.
Internal Windscreen
- Unscrew the front grill from the microphone CCW.
- Remove the windscreen from the from grill and wash the windscreen in soap suds.
- Allow the windscreen to dry overnight.
- Replace the windscreen in the front grill and screw the front grill on the microphone CW.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Possible Cause | Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| No sound. |
- Power to mixer and/or amplifier is off.
- Channel or master fader on mixer, or volume control on amplifier is at zero.
- Microphone is not connected to mixer or amplifier.
- Cable connectors are seated loosely.
- Cable is defective
|
- Switch power to mixer or amplifier on.
- Set channel or master fader on mixer or volume control on amplifier to desired level.
- Connect microphone to mixer or amplifier.
- Check cable connectors for secure seat.
- Check cable and replace if damaged.
Distortion|
- Gain control on mixer or transmitter module not set correctly.
- Mixer input sensitivity too high.
|
- Set gain control to stop distortion.
- Insert 10 dB preattention pad between microphone cable and input.
Microphone sound becomes duller by and by|
- Internal or external windscreen attenuates high frequencies when soiled.
|
- Clean internal or external windscreen.
Specifications
| Polar pattern: | super cardioid |
|---|---|
| Frequency range: | 70 Hz to 20 kHz |
| Sensitivity: | 2.6 mV/Pa (-52 dB re 1 V/Pa) |
| Max. SPL for 1% / 3% THD: | 147 / 156 dB SP |
| Equivalent noise level: | 18 dB(A) to DIN 45412 |
| Impedance | ≤ 600 ohms |
| Re commended load impedance: | ≥ 2000 ohms |
| Connector: | 3-pin XLR |
| Finish: | matte Gray-blue |
| Size: | length: 185.2 mm (7.3 in.); diameter: 51 mm (2 in.) |
| Net weight: | 340 g (12 oz.) |
| Shipping weight: | 655 g (1.45 lbs.) |
| Patents: | Var motion varying-thickness diaphragm for dynamic transducers |
(patents nos. AT 403.751, US 6.185.809, DE 814.637, DK 814.637, FI 814.637, FR 814.637, GB 814.637, IT 814.637, NL 814.637)
This product conforms to the standards listed in the Declaration of
Conformity.
To order a free copy of the Declaration of Conformity, visit
http://www.akg.com or contact [email protected].
Frequency Response
Polar Diagram
Documents / Resources
| AKG
D5 Supercardioid Dynamic Handheld Vocal
Microphone
[pdf] Instruction Manual
D5, D5 S, D5 Supercardioid Dynamic Handheld Vocal Microphone, Supercardioid
Dynamic Handheld Vocal Microphone, Dynamic Handheld Vocal Microphone, Handheld
Vocal Microphone, Vocal Microphone, Microphone
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