AKG Pro Audio Lyra Ultra-HD, Four Capsule, Multi-Capture Mode, USB-C Condenser Microphone for Recording and Streaming
AKG Lyra
Ultra-HD Multimode USB Microphone
AKG Lyra is perfect for creating podcasts, YouTube videos, music and more with 4k-compatible, Ultra HD audio quality. Featuring cutting-edge AKG Internal Element Overload Prevention, an internal shockmount and built-in sound diffuser, Lyra automatically reduces noise and improves signal levels.
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Plug and Play
Lyra works seamlessly with Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices so you can quickly record in the studio, office or on the go. You’ll be up and running in no time, it just works, right out of the box
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Easy to use
Simple controls help you get started quickly. Every function you need is ergonomically placed and easily accessed right on the mic—so you can stay in the moment while always being in control.
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Vintage Modern Design
Inspired by classic studio microphones the Lyra offers a sleek design that’s sure to spark your creativity. The stand with built-in cable management makes it easy to position Lyra on your desktop.
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For Podcasting
Lyra is perfect for podcasting, with multiple capture modes and direct headphone input allowing for multiple recording options.
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For Music
The versatility of Lyra allows for solo recording instruments, vocalists or even small ensembles.
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For Gaming
With its vintage sleek design, versatile capture array and headphone port for zero latency monitoring the Lyra is perfect for gamers.
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For Work
The clear crisp recording quality of Lyra means you’ll always be clearly heard and understood. Lyra is compatible with all major video conference platforms.
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For YouTube
The 4 different capture arrays mean that Lyra is super versatile for Vloggers, clearly picking up sound from multiple positions and multiple distances.
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Four Capture Modules for Multimode versatility
The four distinct capture modes allow you to record, stream and communicate in ways that would normally require a multi microphone setup.
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Front
Perfect for solo recording and video calls
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Front and Back
Perfect for Multi person recording
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Tight Stereo
Perfect for solo instrument recordings
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Wide Stereo
Perfect for recordings with ambience
Comparison
| | Ultra HD Quality | |
| | Supports MAC and PC | |
| | Ableton Lite | |
| | Mounting Options | |
Includes AKG K371 | |
- AKG Podcaster Bundle
| Weight: | 454 g |
| Size: | 3 Feet |
| Dimensions: | 7.62 x 7.62 x 7.62 cm; 453.59 Grams |
| Model: | C44-USB |
| Colour: | Silver |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium ion batteries required. |
| Colour: | Silver |
| Size: | 3 Feet |
I originally purchased this product due to its cool vintage look but quickly found out it’s a powerful work house which is highly versatile in any setting whether it be a podcast, gaming session, singing, etc. The setup is amazingly easy and quick and the output of this device exceeded most if not all of my expectations and and cleared any misconceptions. The seller was very good in wrapping the product this arriving on time without any damages or issue. I highly recommend this this product and seller.
I have XLR mics and for Windows recording XLR and audio interfaces cause a real issue using WDM instead of ASIO. Anyways, I’ve fooled with Blue Yeti and Rode USB mics and they simply aren’t good for quality voiceovers. Enter AKG Lyra! Amazing sound quality.
But I have been trying to get the stupid bolt to release so that I can take the mic off the stand. I’ve tried unscrewing it by hand, destroyed a quarter in the bolt’s slot trying to twist, and now have scratched the bolts by using a wrench. Any ideas??? It is supposed to look new and now …
I like it, using happily, good looking, impressive, different from others. U will love it also.
bellisso e professionale (non ai massimi livelli ovviamente, per quelli bisogna arrivare almeno a 200-300)! L’ho usato insieme ad un pannello fonoassorbente e l’audio pulitissimo. Si pu usare anche per fare ASMR secondo me
Excelente para podcasts, para grabar guitarras y voces cantadas y habladas, buena captura del audio sin necesidad de acercarse ni tanto volumen, muy bueno.
Good sound quality. I would recommend using it with a headphone to get the proper feedback. I used Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones and the duo worked very well for me.
Sound is great. Feels solid and a great price makes it a good choice for youtube videos, voice overs and online meetings.
AKG Lyra Microfono USB Eccezionale e unico! Realizzato in metallo alluminio anodizzato il basamento con la forcella, in materiale plastico la struttura del Microfono, che risulta massiccia e solida, con i comandi precisi, sulla parte anteriore la manopola del volume (attuatore digitale a rotazione senza fine) uscita per la Cuffia, e il pulsante del Mute con la scritta che si illumina di rosso quando inserito, troviamo anche i 4 Led Blu che indicano il Modo di composizione dei n.4 Capsule microfono nascosti sotto griglia metallica,(“Front-Front & Back-Tight Stereo-Wide Stereo”), sulla parte retro troviamo la manopola di selezione Mode e quella del Guadagno del microfono. Prima di ordinare questo Microfono era molto preoccupato perch sul sito AKG, i commenti della gente erano che con il Software Apple macOS Big Sur, il suddetto dispositivo via USB, non veniva visto!?, ci nonostante mi sono fatto coraggio e lo ho acquistato…, collegato al mio MAC Mini M1 con macOS Big Sur versione 11.6, tramite interfaccia USB “OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock”, stato subito immediatamente visto e perfettamente funzionante, Fantastico, cos pure gestito con Applicazione Skype, vedere schermata allegata. Il Dispositivo IN & OUT a 192Khz 24Bit, con una Applicazione Editor adatta per le alte prestazioni del dispositivo, avete un Sistema completo Microfono / Cuffia, nel mio caso la gloriosa e sempre verde AKG K240 Studio. Il sonoro, il timbro del di questo Microfono eccezionale, sensibile percettibile e Dinamico!, insomma, come mi ha detto un amico, ti sei fatto il regalo di Natale. Dispositivo con il rapporto qualit prezzo infinito, nella foto un insieme di famiglia con la rara Testa Microfonica AKG Harry estremamente soddisfatto.
I’m an audio professional who has owned three recording studios (small ones!). I have mics from Neumann via Schoeps through Radio Shack including various AKG.
I bought this to use with a laptop, my DAW and a folding 88 keyboard when away from home.
Considering it is back-electret, it’s pretty good, exceptionally quiet, the interface drives my K702 to a reasonable loudness cleanly, and it has 24 bit convertors so I don’t have to fuss about levels.
There are few comparable competitors and none of them of the same heritage.
Notably it does not have the extreme proximity effect that most low cost USB mics show.
A decent mic.
Me fui por esta opcin por supuesto por que es AKG, para grabar podcast es increble, los patrones jalan muy bien y puedes escoger la opcin que necesites de 4, muy buena calidad de grabacin y siendo tipo c lo puedes conectar hasta en el iPad y ah grabar todo lo que necesites, muy verstil, buena calidad de grabacin de voz y econmico, recomendado.
I own both the AKG Lyra and the Blue Yeti. Both in their own ways are great mics.
The AKG Mic is a straightforward plug and play device that works very well without any I tinkering required. Simply set the gain settings to the desired level and your good to go.
I use the AKG as a part of my work setup and it works flawlessly with both Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams. Background noise filtering is excellent. The audio through the microphone jack on the AKG is very solid as well, producing clear crisp sound.
To compare, the Blue Microphone is not as complete out of the box. You do need the Logitech software and the NVIDIA background noise cancellation software running to get the Blue functioning like the AKG out of the box. The Logitech software also includes the ability to get a more ‘produced’ sound, which for work calls I don’t really need. But for my gaming/streaming setup I find to be incredibly useful.
In conclusion, when your making your selection – consider your use case. If your looking for a simple plug and play microphone that ‘just works’ go with the AKG. If your ok with downloading and configuring additional software and looking for a more ‘produced’ affect – go with the Blue.
The sound quality is good but that is a given being an AKG microphone. However it shows that they have saved money on body quality, the doesn’t have a very good finish,, the turnaround knobs could definately be better quality. Hope it lasts long.
Es verstil, el poder conectar audfonos, poder regular la ganancia es algo muy til y prctico.
he best mic i ever got sound clear load very good buy you need to get a mic arm will be better as the stand is very small but the mic is very good
Me gust:
A) El hecho de que tiene cuatro cpsulas para los diferentes modos de captacin, eso lo pone en ventaja contra otros micrfonos que tienen nicamente dos cpsulas.
B) Capta el sonido de forma muy natural. Esto puede ser una ventaja o una desventaja segn lo que ests buscando.
C) El diseo es una cuestin de gustos, a m me encant el estilo retro del micrfono.
D) Ligereza y portabilidad.
E) El precio es econmico para la gama en la que compite.
No me gust:
A) Solo la base y el brazo son metlicos, todo el cuerpo del micrfono y los controles, con excepcin de la malla est fabricado en plstico que al tacto y a la vista lucen de no tan buena calidad.
B) Es MUUUY sensible, de modo que si no ajustas bien la ganancia y tu entorno, tendrs sonido ambiental no deseado en tus grabaciones, nada que no se resuelva en post-produccin, pero considero que est un peln arriba de sensibilidad para usuarios que no lo utilizaremos en cabinas aisladas acsticamente, sino en nuestras casas, oficinas, etc. (TIP: vas a necesitar colocarle una esponja y un filtro antipop, eso mejora mucho la captacin de voz sin tantos vicios)
C) No incluye un software propio como si lo hace el Blue Yeti X y que te permite ajustar ciertos parmetros de tu micrfono para procesar la voz desde la captacin. El AKG va crudo y va tan natural que tu voz se escucha tal cul es, ni ms ni menos, sin adornos, florituras, compresin, equalizacin, nada, as que esfurzate por hablar y respirar bien porque todo se va a registrar en tu grabacin.
Notas sobre compatibilidad:
1.- Para usarlo con celulares como el destino de la grabacin: No lo s, el cable que incluye es un USB-C a USB regular macho; no tengo un adaptador USB hembra a puerto Lightning, de modo que no lo pude probar con un iPhone.
2.- Para usarlo con tabletas como el destino de la grabacin: Prob con un iPad Pro, que de forma nativa tiene un puerto USB-C; necesitas un convertidor USB regular a USB-C, utilic dos, el convertidor por s solo y un puerto extensor de los que reciben varios USB regular, HDMI, SD card y los mandan todos a una salida USB-C; no funcion, al parecer no le proporciona suficiente energa al micrfono porque no se enciende el botn de Mute y aunque se encienden los otros LEDS, no reconoce el micrfono en notas de voz ni en otras aplicaciones de grabacin de audio, tampoco manda seal de audio de monitoreo a los audfonos que conectas al propio micrfono. No digo que no se pueda, solo que con estas pruebas no logr hacerlo funcionar.
3.- Para usarlo con laptops o computadoras de escritorio: Parece que es su uso idneo, ya que lo reconoce plug & play; no s si en Windows necesites instalar drivers, yo prob con Mac y sin problema lo reconoce, de nuevo, en equipos como la MacBook Pro donde ya no tienes de forma nativa un puerto USB regular, tendrs qu usar un convertidor o un extensor de puertos, pero lo reconoce bien y funciona sin problemas.
En conclusin: buen equipo, buen precio, peroooooo mi recomendacin, Shure MV51 (Una maravilla, robusta, metlica, con conectividad total, incluso a puerto Lightning con cable incluido) o el Blue Yeti X (precioso, controles tctiles, software propio y magnfico para aplicaciones de voz).
Loved the quality and a great microphone at this Cost. It is super sensitive and does not have a Wind shield so I suggest you get a Pop filter or maintain proper silence while recording.
An alternative stand might help, as it is threaded at the base of the fork, so at least I might could suspend the mic from above the monitor. For now, i often unplug it and move it out of the way when not in use.
I love the sound quality and the fact that the mic can be easily put on your desk and attached to your laptop. The quality is excellent and the mic has an option of to record two ways for recording for an interview and facing one way for single voice. Great value for money.
Que les puedo decir,el diseo es muy elegante y aparte capta el sonido muy bien. Lo he usado en con Teams, hasta le puse cable OTG y lo us en un sony Xperia 1 II. Tiene un adaptador para usarlo con un brazo normal de micro. Tiene una licencia gratis para usar Ableton Lite 10 en un folleto. Cable USB tipo C.
Must buy for youtubers however order a filter additional to the mic as air also gets captured
Good product all matching most of the specifications but overpriced.
This products is not for those who have lot of noise in his/her in background because this mic is so sensitive It is condencer mic and it is sensitive than others condencer mic. Voice is good but it created problem if you have background noise
Amazing doing quality, build quality was average, 4 polar pattern definitely give more control over the sound
Doesn’t properly work with direct connection to android devices (or atleast 4 phones that I tried)
Got it for 7.2K which is a great deal considering Yeti’s price. Compared to Yeti, this product is equally good if not better at a very reasonable price.
If you have budget constraint, go for it. I now record voiceovers without worrying about ambient noise. I was using Zoom H1 Mic before this for last 7 years.
Amazing product in this price range good HD sound quality and can be connected to any laptops or tabs easily as it has c type connector cable , can also be connected to smart phones ( need an external OTG adapter ) installation now very easy just plug and play… Well built and Very heavy duty metallic finish most important thing comes with licensed “Abelton live lite 11” DAW for music production. Overall loved the produc
Must be connected direct to USB ports not into any cheap USB hub.
Too sensitive, which mean you need akoustic tuned room. Need to buy Acoustic Foam Panelsfor Home & Studio Sound Insulation.
But if you don’t want spent money for studio mixer and lots cable, good to buy one usb mic.
I needed a mic closer to me than the inbuilt one on my mac, for very specific purposes. This was one of the results that popped up here on Amazon along with the Rode and Shure equivalents. Got this since it looked better for my preference and has a USB type C, than the micro-USB that some of the other brands have.
I do have studio mics for vocal and instruments, so I didnt need something similar, just enough to teach music via zoom. This one served the purpose well.
Also, my students say it looks cool having the mic in front, and I check with them on levels, and they can hear me clearer now.
Its got a couple of presets that are useful. very sturdy and reasonably heavy for its size, so I know it wont topple off and fall from the table, etc.
And trust me m reviewing after an one month of use. It’s very good for every musicians. It picks crisp & clear sound. M using this with my iPad 6th gen . Really happy with this product. Thanks Amazo
I Make videos for a youtube channel, ie small budget and regular, free flowing output. I need cameras, audio equipment and Software that is simple to use and can be put to work at the drop of a hat.
My Gopro’s do that brilliantly and now I have a mic for voice overs and interviews that does the same.
I Love this AKG Mic, it should get a design award for elegance, it is well built and works beautifully at the drop of a hat. Thank you AKG.
Worth the price, in the beginning you just have to dabble adjusting the gain. After that it works like a charm
his microphone for a usb mike is really good and versatile with a number of polar patterns,
it can even do 2 people from each side, plus wide stereo mode if you want to use for instruments,and its also very detailed for singing all in all a great looking great sounding mic, with the ease of use of just plugging straight into usb
you won’t be disappointed
Utilizzabile praticamente per qualsiasi cosa, non apprezzo tanto i comandi nel retro e mi pare stupido inserire un cavo type c dritto quando ci voleva chiaramente uno a 90 in modo da poterlo direzionare senza intralci.
Il fatto poi che possa essere usato anche collegato ad un telefono lo rende veramente un best buy.
Easy to use, and by all accounts, a substantial improvement in sound quality over my computer’s built-in microphone. Provides the gain necessary to be heard when you want to in a group meeting, and reasonably priced for a high quality USB microphone.
Rien redire. Super qualit d’enregistrement, super fonctionnalits. Trs utile pour composer des musiques ou faire des podcasts.
Ottimo microfono usb, da me usato per podcast e registrazioni voce. Trovo che abbia un’ottimo rapporto qualit–prezzo. Suono pulito, ampio range di frequenze. Sensibile ad ogni fiato, bisogna solo prenderci la mano.
Works effortlessly and is extremely versatile! Fantastic value for money at 111. I would not hesitate.
Great quality and beautifully designed. Good sound quality. Not used for podcast recordings yet but have high hopes. Bit pricey.
I just love this product. The feedback I receive from my trainees about my voice is something super amazing. Awesome product.
Amazing product!
I surely recommend this not just for podcasting purposes, but also for professional audio recording (for songs, dubbing etc.)
Worth the money. Crystal clear Professional mic transformed for lifestyle user, so that we can easily connect it to computer or phone. Very best for Zoom, Webex and other meetings. also for office chat VOIP Calls. For computer connection, just a USB cabke comes along with the .ic. For mobile connection, you need an USB adapter with USB Female pin in one end and either 3.5 male pin or USB C type male in another end based on your phone’s audio pin type. You can adjuat the mic gain so that the opponent can hear even pin drop sound because the mic is damn sensitive so it can xapture vocals iutside your building as well. dont worry you can adjuat the gain so use it for the purposes. Capyure modes are great, front for single audio, front and back for 2 people talking in opposite to the mic. And stero mode for group talking to the mic.
I used to use a Samson Go Mic which was a huge step up from the laptop mic or basic headset mic.
In comparison, this yields noticeably, but not significantly better audio than the Samson Go.
Given the current scenario and the expected prevalence of VoIP over PSTN for all work related calls going forward, it’s a worthwhile (and small) investment for anyone who cares for how they sound on business calls.
-1 star for the mute button – it takes a hard press to register which tends to push the device back on a table unless you use your hands to grasp the mic while muting
Akg lyra proves me wrong.I was a little bit hesitant before buying this product.but after using this I can assure you that this product deserves more money for its performance. Really great product ,superb
Amazing quality, picks up some noise however if you take proper accessories like pop up filter this can be mitigated.
Great product at good price – bought at 8k
I just opened the box and The product has dents. Certainly, it is not new. I have replaced and got a new one. Works perfect.
Wow. Never used anything close to this. The battery backup is commendable, portability is good and comes with a lot of features just like a professional studio headphone. I am impressed.
The product is very good. The sound quality is excellent. Got what I expected.
A simple but professional piece of work! It has an adjustable mic angle along with an integrated desktop stand with a cable management channel. Designed thoughtfully for hobbyists and professionals
All I need to do is plug and play. Wow! Such an easy to use professional USB condenser microphone! Highly recommended to people who make music and podcasts at home including me.
does not connect to I phone .cannot be used for starmaker for which i bought .
This product is an excellent choice, as it can be easily mounted on a desktop mic and on a boom stand as well. It is compatible in both ways and with almost all operating systems, too. I’m really enjoying this product.
It has a 4-capsule adaptive array that provides four selectable capture modes. It is compatible with almost every device.
This is the first mic I’ve bought for recording podcasts. It fits in perfectly with my iPad based podcast workflow perfectly. It certainly looks the part and quality of recordings is much better than just using the system microphone.
Use the mic for podcast, Zoom etc and professional audio recording of voice and instruments. It does what it says…
It’s a very good mike for this price , apt for home studio .. can be used for Facebook live , Zoom – it was 9,999 a week back but now it’s 16,999 /-
I pre-ordered the microphone and got it delivered on June 8th. I’ve been using it for different purposes since then. I can promise that it is a great quality microphone. Its worth every penny you spent for it. If you learn to adjust the gain control you will get crystal clear voice even in reasonably noicy atmosphere. I’ve tried recording it with Nuendo and Abelton live softwares and its results are impressive. I use it for zoom webinars and my friends say that it gives a clear sound.
You can easily mount it on a normal microphone stand or a boom scissor arm stand. I use it on boom scissor arm stand a d I love it. You can easily connect it to Mobile, laptop or iPad. Though it’s body is made of plastic, the stand is made of metal and according to my opinion that doesn’t affect us in any ways. If any of you are looking for a budget microphone with an assured quality and performance you can surely go for it without hesitation. We are using AKG codeless microphones for few years in our church, with that experience I can tell you that AKG keeps the sound quality, durability and their standard even in their least priced models.
Before I purchased it I went through a lot of international reviews and comparisons. All the professional guys gave good positive comments on AKG lyra. Compared with several others brands and features I found it
better and affordable. I am glad about my choice.
This is a fantastic option for a compact home studio recording setup. Easy to use and great quality. Also looks super stylish!
For 9.5k it’s absolute beast mic for streamers and yes it’s better than blue yeti in terms of sound quality only thing I didn’t like it was plastic body of mic rest are all aluminium and feels premium too when you hold in your hand akg if your reading this review plz make metal body of this mic of this next version so it can compare completely to blue yeti I recommend this product over blue because of sound quality of this microphone and vintage look and yes you Ableton 10 lite for free with this akg lyra
You can create music with software go for it guys no hold back 10/10
I previously had a blue snowball mic but wanted better quality. For a USB microphone, this gives a great recording. I also soundproofed my office with moving blankets and that, plus the better quality mic gives a professional sound with still the USB connection.
Am having no problems do far. Happy with the produc
Better for computer recordings than smartphone recordings as it consumes most of the power of the smartphone (mobile charger can not be used while using this AKG USB microphone).
Diaphragm size could have been slightly more for better vocals.
I have been using this mic to record a Podcast during this pandemic for my clients and it is really just plug and play with excellent sound, design for quick use and a unique style that is reminiscent of retro microphones. It is intuitive in recording style and the mute button is right on the front of the mic for easy recording with seamless flow when there are interruptions that must be paused. At this price this mic is a winner for sure.
It does has a mute button light indicator. I have attached a picture. Maybe this didn’t have any light at the first few lots and they have added the indicator to later products.
Coming to AKG, it is a renowned brand for microphones and headphones, now owned by Harman owned by Samsung.
About Lyra, it is the only USB microphone from AKG and it is good. Good for podcasters and YouTubers.
Pros:
1. It is a multi-pattern microphone with 4 capsules. And it works as advertised. I bought mainly for the stereo.
2. Recording quality is awesome. Clarity is good. Excellent for voice over. Gain is great. Value for money.
3. It has USB-C connector. Unlike other similar usb mics with printer connectors. So you can directly attach to a macbook pro using C to C cable or via USB OTG cable to android.
Cons:
1. Built quality is not good. Unlike other microphone like Yeti which are made of metal, this one is plastic. And the knobs wobble. Not good to carry in a bag. Though the stand is heavy.
2. There is no gain mark. I had to create marks using marker. This is a major drawback in this device. You can’t find gain measurement. You have to mark it.
About made in China, except Ahuja and Neumann(handmade in Germany) every microphone is manufactured/assembled in China as of now. So, think about it.
Excelente producto! Aun estoy estudiando los tutoriales que incluye, pero es justo lo que esperaba.
I needed a microphone for recording some talking – specifically for voice-over media and digital meetings. Long story short: this AKG Lyra microphone is a great microphone for amateur or business-level uses. It sounds great and looks good, but it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of a super-pro microphone – though, if that’s what you’re looking for, you will have to fork over a lot more dough.
Out of the box, this microphone is easy to set up. It is really just plug & play, but it also comes with a free copy of Ableton Lite. I’m not a musician, but digging through this software, it seems like it will do an adequate job for most people. However, it is totally unnecessary if you have some other recording software. Windows Voice Recorder, which is included with every copy of Windows 10, will work fine if you just need something very simple.
In fact, the microphone is fairly simple itself, leaving most adjustments for in-software or an external board for more advanced tuning. Physically on the mic, there is a mute button on the front, which can act as a cough button. It lights up red when muted, so it’s easy to tell if the mic is hot or not. With that, there is a headphone-out volume adjustment that pairs with the on-mic headphone jack.
On the back, there is a headphone “pattern” dial with four options: front, front & back, tight stereo, and wide stereo. This is really handy to set a quick adjustment, but most people will probably pick whatever setting is best for their use case and stick with it. And finally, below that there is a microphone gain knob. My only complaint here is that there are no indicators on this knob, so it is difficult to dial in. Or worse, if the knob gets bumped, it’s hard to remember where it was previously set.
Overall, I’m happy with this mic for my amateur uses. What it comes down to is that it’s easy to use, and it sounds great. If you want to take advantage of stereo sound, the 4-mic internal setup sounds really great to me. A pro might want something more advanced and customizable, but if you don’t need that then this will work great.
Having worked at Guitar Center for many years and being musician who previously helped run a studio, I was really partial to Blue microphones and Shure microphones and thought for sure that I’d be going with one of the Blue Yeti microphones. I already own a Blue Snowball but wanted something more versatile and higher quality.
After looking at the Blue Yeti mics, I realized that they don’t play all that well with Apple products, which is a major issue for me. I noticed this AKG mic on the search results and decided to do a little research on it. Turns out, it was exactly what I was looking for!
I knew AKG was a high quality brand like Blue and Shure, so I felt confident that I wasn’t being duped. You may think it’s snobby, but if I don’t see a brand sold at Guitar Center or find it on the Sweetwater page, I generally will shy away from it. There are a lot of low quality makers of music supplies that love to take advantage of people who don’t know any better. Beware.
Anyway, I ultimately decided on buying this particular microphone out of all the ones I saw in my price range. It arrived a few days later and I was ecstatic. The sound quality is amazing. If you’re a beginner and you don’t know much about microphones but you want a good quality for recording interviews, podcasts, or making some solo artist music that sounds great without throwing thousands into a recording studio, this is a great little setup. I could see an acoustic guitar playing singer/songwriter making a nice demo with this. You don’t need to know the microphone pattern names like cardioid, bi-directional, omni, hypercardioid, etc. This mic uses simple names and they are easy to switch through.
I obviously recommend this mic and am happy with my purchase.
good microphone good for music
of 24 bit 192 khz microphones for this price and usb based probably one of the best
comes with a version of Ableton
low frequency response makes it a good choie of microphone for drums and music instrument recording at home
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large not for travelling. does not come with travelling case or bag
draws a lot of power so use with ipad or laptop must be with external power source. says so on the instructions.
currently audacity is not available for latest version of OS X. when audacity is available for latest version of OS X it is big bonus
you may have to install specialised asio drivers to use on pc or linux
and if you buy this microphone
get additional cables for flexibility. for example usb c to usb c if you have a macbook pro
get decent speakers to hear the quality of the mic like Bose Revolve
take time to learn how to use it.
It is easy to find it not working. Operating it from Audacity is easy but when using for online meetings, make sure the right mike is chosen first in MIDI controls, then in Preferences then also within Firefox or browser.
Then you are also limited by the specs of your software. 24 bit 48kHz is more than enought for 90% of most people’s needs, less if your internet connection ain’t rip-roaringly fast.
This microphone is so much better! It has a much warmer tone. I’m particularly impressed with the switchable polar patterns (effectively Mono Front, Mono Front and Rear, Stereo Front and Stereo Front and Rear), the onboard gain control (which is really useful) and the ability to mount it on a microphone stand (by removing the nicely designed and weighted desk stand – comes with a mic stand thread adaptor). Other neat features are the latency-free headphone socket and the front mounted Mute button. It also uses a USB type C connector for connectivity and using it in Windows 10 was literally plug-and-play. It feels really nicely made and has a really attractive classic broadcaster mic look. In fact, I was so impressed with it that I bought another one for use in my home recording studio.
Downsides? None without being very picky given the price. It feels like a good quality weighty product but it’s clear now that almost all of that is in the stand and bracket which are made out of metal. The mesh grille is also made of metal. However, the entire microphone body is plastic, as are all of the onboard controls… and they in particular feel a bit cheap in use. There’s also no pop or wind shield included (which isn’t a deal breaker by any means but it would’ve been nice to have found one in the box).
Other than that, I think the AKG LYRA (C44-USB) is one of the best performing and best value Ultra HD Multi-Mode USB microphones currently available. Highly recommended.
A great price to get everything you need to begin professional-level podcasting. Microphone, headphones, and software. They even throw in a free class on Recording and Production Techniques. Could not be happier with the end results. This would make a great present for a young adult looking to get started in podcasting — and perhaps be the start to a lucrative career.
I am of course using it in “front” mode (best for single person voice), but my son is also using it in tight stereo mode to record homework assignments for his remote music lessons. So it’s a very versatile device. Changing modes needs no complex software – just a simple rotational knob. Think of that.
First of all, the AKG Pro audio podcaster essentials kit is terrific if you want something you can open up, plug in, and start using immediately. My Windows PC had no issue recognizing the headphones and microphone, and there’s only one USB connection.
The headphones plug into the microphone and comes with a splitter so you can have two headphones on. The headphones are sharp looking, and they feature great sound. The microphone is amazing. You can have it a foot away from your mouth and it sounds like it’s really close. Plus there are settings to do one sided, or dual sided mics.
The biggest issue is that this has SO MUCH packaging material. Everything comes in a seperate box that is filled with foam. I spent more time opening this up than actualy setting it up. Bags, black foam, boxes big and small abound.
Other than that one issue, this is the perfect kit to get someone who wants a professional sounding kit, and they want it all in one package even if that package takes a half hour to get through.
This is a very good kit with a lot of the essentials to getting started in podcasting. What a difference having good materials can make. It is nice that it came in a bundle. I thought it was a decent value for what you got. It wasn’t too difficult to set up. Everything worked as it should. It was very motivating for us to get more serious about it. Could make a great gift for someone who is interested in this. I would recommend it.
I wanted to start recording my stories and this turned out to be a fantastic option! The sound is great and the mic is very sensitive but you can control the audio easily. The microphone is heavy duty and the headphones do a great job cancelling out all other sound except your voice. You can even share the mic with another person and they’ve included a headphone splitter cable. So far, I’m impressed with the quality and it’s doing a great job with recordings!
The AKG Lyra Ultra-HD multimode USB microphone works really well, and the sound quality on the whole is much better than other sets I’ve tried (or tried to piece meal, I should say – I’m glad this does the job well, because I couldn’t seem to nail down the sound quality until now using other devices).
There’s a really helpful (and free) introductory recording course at Berklee Online, and I highly recommend it when first getting acquainted with this set and what it can do for you. It saved me time from messing around with it using plain ol’ trial and error and gave some really good info (although you will still have to do that a little, depending on your needs and circumstances – but the course helps me out).
You get a full set of accessories in this set, including the cables and a dual-headphone adapter. Once you’re set up, it’s actually very easy to use, and you need little else to get going on your way. It’s perfect for my needs as a beginner, and the pricing is fair for everything you’re getting out of it at that level. It gets two thumbs up from me!
The Ableton Live 10 Lite audio–production software is another story, and I’m still learning how to use it. Fortunately, the package comes with a free course in audio editing to have you get started using Live 10—works fine on both PCs and Macs…as does the hardware. While learning Live, I’ve been using Adobe Audition, Adobe’s professional audio editing software; so, you can also use other audio editing software with the AKG Podcaster Kit. All in all, I’m truly happy with the whole system.
AKG have a phenomenal history producing professional microphones – with their D12 microphone achieving international fame in 1953 – a product that was improved into the most famous variant, the C414 – a matched pair of C414 mics will set you back about 1200 and in the right configuration and circumstances would be appropriate for use in the highest grade professional studios. AKG was bought by Harman in 1994 and in 2017 they decided to shut down production of their manufacturing facility in Viena. The brand is now headquartered in California.
I don’t think it’s a wild consipracy theory to think that the general shape of this AKG Lyra has some echoes of the AKG C414, but of course the moment you start to inspect it you realise these are two entirely different beasts. The C414 is broadly rectangular with the microphone diagram in the top half behind a grill, and it has a variable pickup pattern for different recording jobs, but there the similarity ends.
The Lyra has four proprietary condenser capsule microphones in an array mounted under the top grill and this enables you to choose from four different pickup patterns – front, front and back (an interview for example), tight stereo and wide stereo. The control to select between these pickup patterns is one of the two knobs on the back of the Lyra, and round the front you have four LEDs that tell you which pattern you have selected.
Also on the front is a mute button (which makes a faintly audible sound when you press it during a recording), along with a volume knob for your headphone output, and finally on the back is a knob that lets you set the microphone gain so you can accommodate a wide range of sources such as voices and amplified musical instruments.
On the underside you have a USB C socket to connect the mic to your computer and a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack socket to connect your headphones for zero latency monitoring.
The standard of build of the Lyra is great – it’s a really attractive object to have sitting on your desk, and it’s nice having a swappable mount on the bottom so you can attach it to a standard microphone stand if you want more flexibility of placement. The grey material is obviously plastic when you touch it which is a bit of a pity, but then it does cost a fraction of the price of the AKG C414.
This really is a plug-and-play device – my Windows 10 PC recognized it immediately. The Lyra picks up your voice really cleanly – clean and detailed, and is a good way of interviewing someone over a desk. I like the easy to understand switching between polar pattern modes, zero latency monitoring and build quality.
After getting this all together and the drivers working (windows does most of the work) I did a few test recordings with both background and other noise interference and It really picks my voice up no matter what. Now I didnt have blasting music going on. Just my regular game music other random house noises and interuptions the usual. I honestly don’t like how my voice sounds but it still picked it up and made it clear as day. The included software is a nice program, but like most is really just a demo. Overall this Microphone is very nice and very high quality even its a little bit retro/vintage compared to others out there on looks. If your thinking that old headset microphone just is not cutting it anymore I say give this a try.
It has a cool look, and I like the various controls which include rotational knobs that feel high quality. It works fine with both Mac and Windows and is truly plug and play.
If you’re looking for a good Mic. for recording audio/video clips, you’d do yourself a favor by ordering this one.
A really decent usb condenser microphone.
I have tried this microphone on a number of different sound sources in my home studio, and I have been pretty impressed with the results from each instrument.
The Lyra has been designed with a home producer and podcast creator in mind – the selectable polar patterns hint to this, a great feature in a microphone of this price range.
The sound captured is a crisp, clear recreation of the instrument being played and could certainly be used on any recording to great avail.
My only concern is the amount of ambience that this microphone can pick up, though in a fully treated space, this might not be such an issue.
Certainly a microphone that is a lot of fun, easy to use and a great tool for recording.
See the video for and audio sample with this microphone. I had the lowest bit rate suggested.
As I say in the video, it says on the box “Windows 8+”, but it works fine for Windows 7. I was able to plug it in and find the driver for it.
I am not going to pretend I am an expert when it comes to brands of microphones, but I found this to be a quality microphone. I do however, make a lot of videos with my voice, and my lapel mic and sometimes my shotgun mic outside.
You can listen to the video and decide for yourself how the audio is. I do have a degree in electronics, so I do understand saturation and cut off clipping, so I turned the microphone gain down. I DO like that is had that separate control. Saturation and cutoff clipping for those that don’t know is when your voice sounds distorted and “tiny” on audio. What happens is you get so much input on the base of your cmos, or transistor that the output of the amplifier slams into what is called the Cut off and saturation region. The microphone has so much imput, the transistors output can’t go any higher, so your voice gets distorted. You will hear lots of volume, but your voice won’t sound clear.
I found that what I hear out of the monitors (head phones) does not necessarily relate to what the video sounds like. I experimented until I got what sounded right. I probably could have turned the gain on the microphone up just a little bit.
I used this in “Tight Stereo” or I picked up all the ambient noise like the fan on the wood pellet stove, the auger on the wood pellet stove etc. That is to say, this certainly is not a sound studio….
I hope this helps!
Mark 🙂
As far as the audio, I do not have a deep bass voice. My voice is rather soft.
This will work just fine for video voice over work. I am planning on doing a video in the future that I think this will be good for!
As I said, I am a microphone novice, so I would have liked to see a windscreen, but my exceptions might be off. Microphone windscreens might always be a separate item for this quality and price of microphone. I may be being unreasonable.
Let me preface this review by stating that I am not an audiophile and do not understand as much about professional audio recording, but even I was able to detect the difference between this microphone and the ones I tend to use regularly (laptop, phone, gaming headset).
This microphone is excellent at recording sound to such extent that I liked how I sounded on the recording, whereas I hated my whiny, crackly voice I usually heard from the recordings so I was horrified what my friends and family thought about my voice when talking on the phone or over the Skype.
The product comes attached to the industry-standard microphone stand which is very sturdy and sleek, it is very easy to adjust the microphone angle and the hinges are pretty solid, they can be adjusted with ease but are quite firm. The included cable (USB Type A to Type C) is braided and 2 meters long which is quite useful for a microphone as it might need to be used far from the PC. The package also includes Ableton Live 10 Lite audio production software if you need a software to get started with the professional recordings.
It is very easy to set up with any PC you just need to plug the provided cable to the PC and it is automatically detected and ready to go. It can be adjusted using Windows 10 built-in recording options, however, more options are available in the Ableton 10 software which can be used as an instrument for live performances as well as a useful tool for composing, recording, and mixing audio.
This microphone has four internal capsule microphone array to help it capture great audio from any side as well to record surround sound in multi-musician setup. It has an internal self-adjusting shock mount which minimizes contact noise and has a built-in sound diffuser as well as AKG’s proprietary Internal Element Overload Prevention that automatically reduces noise, eliminates pops and improves signal levels which are all very important in a professional setup as they can affect the sound quality a lot, and you can test it by recording sound side by side using this microphone and a laptop microphone.
The device has one button and three knobs, the button is for muting the microphone, the front knob is for setting the capturing mode of the microphone: Front (for streamers, vloggers), Front & Back (good for interviews or multiple musicians), Tight Stereo (for recording sound sources with stereo spread), and Wide Stereo (for ambient recordings).
The other two knobs on the other side are for setting the capturing mode and the microphone gain.
The knobs have a nice travel and feel smooth, however, on the gain side I would like to see some indication to know what the current gain is as I had to guess how much further I have to go.
The surround sound, which I have tested extensively, is not as impressive as I expected but is still there and is a has a good balance between the capturing microphones.
Overall, this is a high-quality microphone that is very easy to set up and use and which produces excellent recordings. For anyone who does streaming, podcasts, and home recordings this microphone is perfect for helping you to record high-quality recordings.
It is relatively new and that is why it is rather pricey (139), however, I am not a professional and cannot realistically determine the value of this device, personally I find it pricey, however, for a professional that earns from streaming or podcasts, this might be a bargain.
The Lyra hits you with a cool Retro look and pure-d plug-and-play awesomeness. With the Blue Yeti X, I had to install Logitech G-HUB software before it worked correctly for some reason. It also looks really cool. Both are side-address mics. Both come with a nice heavy-duty weighted stand, but both really need to come right off their stands and go on a boom arm. Otherwise, you get a lot of feedback from every touch and jostle of the surface on which they sit, including keyboard, mouse, and paper movements. Anything touching anything. Yeah, just put them on an arm and put the stands back in the box. (Well, unless you are totally mobile and don’t use this mic in a static room, in which case, ignore all that)
The Lyra’s build is a bit underwhelming, but I don’t intend to be tossing it around or anything. I just wish it had less plastic (it has a plastic body, mounting knobs, and adjustment knobs) and I wish that the build was a little tighter. The adjustment knobs have so much play, I’m concerned that they could break eventually from normal use or with accidental rough usage. We’ll see. Hopefully not! (Maybe it has springs in there?) The mesh is also a bit flimsy. Overall, if you’re going to toss this baby in your suitcase, put it back in its box first. The Yeti X has a metal housing and knobs, plus a thicker mesh, and could probably withstand a gorilla attack. That said, I’m pretty easy on my equipment, so hopefully not a factor.
The Lyra has a USB-C connection to it and a USB-A to the computer. The Yeti X has a micro-USB connection to it and a USB-A to the computer. I’m fine with either one, but I know some folks just go nuts with happiness that the Lyra accepts a USB-C plug. Personally yeah all I care about is how well the mic works. But for those who care, there it is.
I liked how the Lyra’s buttons gave a very tactile and audible click when changing polar patterns, but I really like the Yeti’s lights and controls better. I can control so much more and get visual feedback on where I am with gain, headphone mix, etc. Plus, I can customize the colors of the feedback lights by function if I so choose (and I do). Both have nice mute buttons with visual light indicators. (Thank you!) I do wish the Yeti’s polar pattern knob was on the front, because I find myself flipping it around to make sure I haven’t changed the pattern. The polar pattern indicator lights are on the front of the Lyra and it’s much harder to change the pattern accidentally. (That said, every time I think I’ve accidentally changed the polar pattern on the Yeti X, I haven’t. But hitting that button on the back makes me insecure and requires that I check.)
I use my mics for vocals in an untreated room and that means I use them primarily in cardioid mode, which the Lyra calls Front. Both mics have four capsules and four polar patterns: Yeti/Lyra – cardioid/front, figure-8/front+back, stereo/tight stereo — those are basically equivalent, and the fourth pattern for the Yeti X is omni and for the Lyra it is wide stereo. The stereo on the Lyra works great to pick up acoustic guitar and the like, saving you some expensive equipment. The omnidirectional on the Yeti X works great also. They just have different purposes.
The Lyra has great, great sound. In the cardioid polar pattern, I found that vocals sounded crisp, clear, and light especially in the higher range. Very nice sound. The Yeti X cardioid sounded a bit fuller with a richer sound in the mid-range, although the higher notes were still very clear. Both produced what I consider very nice detailed sound. (I’m not an audiophile, so YMMV.)
The Lyra dropped more background noise in cardioid mode by just the slightest amount, which might have been influenced by the mic placement. Both mics in cardioid mode drop the background noise dramatically. You can actually play loud music in front of them if you have it facing sideways and the drop is impressive compared with the vocals going straight into the front of the mic.
The software for the Lyra comes in a lite version that you can upgrade for $100. The software for the Yeti is downloaded free, although not having used either, I think the Yeti’s is more voice effects while I got the impression the Lyra software is more full-featured, but bear in mind, I didn’t download or use it. The Yeti software is currently Windows-only. None of that affects me, as I have no intention of using voice effects, although I may play with them at some time for the heck of it, and I use only Audacity with both mics at this point with no intention of changing.
Overall, Lyra vs. Yeti X is a bit of a tie for me. I like both of them very, very much. I wish the Lyra’s build was a bit more robust and that it had more on-mic settings and feedback lights for gain, headphone/mic mix, etc. I rely on those a lot. But right, now the sound produced by each mic is my favorite until I use the other. Overall, the Yeti X is more robust, has great sound, and I really like the controls. The Lyra also has fantastic sound, and I think the deal-makers for many will be how committed they are to the USB-C input for the mic (the output is USB-A) and the fact that the stereo pattern for the Lyra is so robust that the mic can create really nice stereo output all by itself without the need for specialized and expensive equipment.
Very pleased with how well this mic performs.
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I used the mic at the balcony edge of a church to record a choir. I experimented with recording patterns and finally selected narrow stereo. Being that far from the two soloist put their voices at a slight distance but the hall ambiance was there. I would buy again.
This definitely has a classic retro style of old radio broadcasters that is somehow really appealing, from a manufacturer that has been at the forefront of recording studios for the last 70 years.
The AKG microphone is definitely high quality and produces excellent results without needing to be an expert in the studio, as it is really easy to set up, especially on my Mac.
Included in the box are:
1. AKG Lyra Microphone (USB C)
2. The 2m USB C to USB A Cable
3. US to EU Stand Adapter
4. Quickstart Guide
5. Ableton Live 10 lite Registration Card
There are four different capture modes, which you will also find on the Yeti but called something different:
1. Front – for single users
2. Front and Back – better for two users, so face to face interviews
3. Tight Stereo – true stereo capture with left and right separation
4. Wide Stereo – for whole room sounds
This is competing against the Rode NT, Samson G-Track, and the Blue Yeti which are all in the 110 to 160 range whereas this AKG is on sale for 139. You can also upgrade to the AKG Pro which is on sale at 205.
The mic comes very tightly packed and protected in a well-designed box with a 2m USB C to A cable, US to EU stand adapter, instructions and a code for Ableton Live 10 Lite. You can use the mic with either its built-in stand or it can’t be removed, and the mic mounted to an industry standard mic stand. It’s got an internal shock mount that self-adjusts to reduce unwanted noises if you lean on the table or knock it and a built-in headphone jack that provides zero latency.
On the front of the mic there is a Mute button and a control knob to select 4 different ways of capturing audio; Front (for streamers, vloggers), Front & Back (good for interviews or multiple musicians), Tight Stereo (for recording sound sources with stereo spread), and Wide Stereo (for ambient recordings). Two other knobs on the opposite side of the mic control the input gain and microphone pattern.
Setting it up was a case of plugging it in on a Windows 10 computer, you can fine tune the settings in the recording options built-in to Windows. Ableton 10 can be used as an instrument for live performances as well as a useful tool for composing, recording, and mixing audio. Its quite a powerful software suite that was released in February 2018, the Lite version has the essentials you need to get you going.
Overall, this is an excellent microphone package and the mic itself just oozes quality and has a real premium look to it. The plastic and metal used is very high quality and the knobs have a premium feel to them when turned. It records amazing detail and in ultra HD to match the standards of 4K video content, this should easily meet the needs of streamers and music creators looking for that professional quality. I’m enjoying using it and really cant fault any aspect of it, therefore I’m very happy to highly recommend this excellent mic from AKG.
Extra note for people planning to use it with iPad: One weird thing I have experienced is that the “volume” knob doesn’t play nicely with iOS (iPad). The iPad doesn’t recognize the microphone as a proper headphone amp/interface and doesn’t really know what to make of it. You can adjust the volume with the knob, but if you touch the volume on the iPad directly, it will override the volume to match what you set on the iPad. It still works, but I’ve already almost deafened myself by dialing in the volume on the mic, and then adjusting the volume via iPad only to have it jump up a few notches too loud. Typically when iPad has a headphone amp/audio interface connected, it disables volume control on the iPad and relies solely on the interface for adjustments. That’s not the case here, so the volume controls compete with each other and do not stay in sync. My suggestion would be to always adjust volume directly from the iPad and forget about the onboard volume knob when monitoring with headphones.
Overall, everything works great and sounds great and there’s literally nothing out there with similar features. Very unique!
This is an excellent mid-range, versatile mic for a multitude of use cases. I’ve been using it for podcast / voice recording, and the sound captured is crisp, rich and full. It’s sensitive and has a tight directional focus, so there’s no need to get right up close to get a clean take.
As well as the gain adjustment, there’s a pattern selector to switch between capture modes – front, front-back and tight/wide stereo. In practice, I’ve just been making use of the front pattern, which is perfect for single voice recording. But it’s handy to have the other options for music or a small studio setup.
Setting it up is an absolute piece of cake – unbox, plug in and it’s instantly recognised by both Mac OS and Windows. For voice recording I use Audacity, and the mic appears in the input dropdown without any extra tweaking or prompting.
Oh, and it looks the part as well! Not that looks are the most important thing with such a functional piece of kit, but it doesn’t half look nice on the desk. 🙂
A classy, rich recording solution for the home or small studio.
This is a great multifunctional microphone that’s can be used for many different situations vlogging, podcasters, gamers or even musicians would find this microphone useful.
I particularly liked the microphones inbuilt self adjusting shock mounts that really does minimises contact nose, this was a major issue with previous microphones I have used.
This microphone is 4K computable, ultra HD with 24-bit audio resolution which in simple terms means crystal clear recording to what I think is a professional level.
This microphone has four capture modes front, front and back, tight stereo and wide stereo again allowing for so much flexibility of how and what is recorded. This microphone from AKG is simply plug and play with no need for any other separate audio interfaces. It is compatible with Windows, Apple and Android devices.
It comes extremely well packaged to ensure it gets to you in perfect condition.
Usb-c connection is great for connecting directly to the newest MacBook Pros (usb-c to usb-c cable not included)
Comes with Ableton Live Lite which is a very solid audio recording and editing programme.
Excellent value for the price point.