The C 451 EB came out a year later in 1969, and is very similar to the C451E, but also included a switchable high-pass filter that provides a 14 dB/octave cut at either 75Hz or 150Hz. Brilliant on acoustic guitars and most stringed instruments, piano, etc., it was designed for use with 12 volt phantom power, but could handle up to 52 volt

The AKG C 451 E was first released in 1968 as part of the very popular Condenser Modular System (CMS) Series. It was the first FET mic to be manufactured by AKG, and was designed to be very versatile; it could be outfitted with numerous different modular components such as external attenuation pads, swivel mounts, extension tubes, and most importantly, capsules with various polar patterns, such as the famous CK1 cardioid capsule.

Low noise level, extremely high reliability and life-long stability are inherent features of the C-451E. Low current consumption at low voltage and Phantom circuit powering permits feeding the microphone supply voltage via a standard two-conductor plus shield audio cable. In addition to the central feeding technique, directly off the d.c supply of the associated amplifier, the microphone may be powered by the AKG N-46E a.c. power supply or the AKG B-46E d.c. battery supply.

The basic C-451E system consists of the C-451E preamplifier, CK-1 miniaturized cardioid condenser microphone capsule, stand adapter and windscreen. The C-451E offers interchangeable capsules, allowing the selection of different response characteristics to adapt the microphone to various types of environments and recording applications. Its highest professional reproduction qualities makes it eminently suitable for recording studios, television and radio broadcast, motion picture studios, stage and concert hall applications as well as high quality commercial sound installations.”

  • Ultra low noise figure (14 dB-A ENL)
  • Extremely low distortion (from 30 Hz to 20,000 Hz)
  • Low power consumption (less than 1 mA)
  • 15mm active diaphragm diameter for a good balance between low self-noise and acoustic properties
  • Smooth roll-off at both ends of the audio range for good phase response
  • Carefully designed output stage for driving any load right down to almost zero impedance of long cable runs without detectable deterioration of the output signal
  • Constant output impedance over the entire audio range