Austrian Audio OC616: A Modern Multipattern Condenser with a Mix-Ready Sound
A new multipattern 414-style mic with modern voicing.
Austrian Audio OC616: A Modern Multipattern Condenser with a Mix-Ready Sound · Source: Austrian Audio
The Austrian Audio OC616 is a professional multipattern condenser mic designed to become a daily workhorse within your home recording setup.
Within the Austrian Audio large-diaphragm condenser range with its signature “Open Acoustic” design, there has always been a gap between the affordable mass-production scaled OC16 and the dual-output OC818 with all its bells and whistles. The new OC616 is designed to fill this space in the middle of the Austrian Audio range, giving more musicians access to a professional multipattern mic.
Austrian Audio OC616
Like the other similar-looking mics in the OC series, the OC616 is inspired by the legendary AKG C414 with the same CKR12 dual-diaphragm ceramic capsule and modern transformerless FET circuitry. However, to call these microphones clones would be reductive and inaccurate, because Austrian Audio’s OC series was designed by original engineers from the AKG Vienna factory.
Like the OC818, there are five different polar patterns, including cardioid, hypercardioid, wide cardioid, omnidirectional, and figure-8. However, there aren’t any premium features like the dual outputs, Bluetooth control, or Polar Designer plugin integration. Instead, there are three high-pass filter settings (40, 80, and 160 Hz) and two pad settings (-10 dB and -20 dB).
The main difference between the new OC616 and the OC818 and its cardioid-only relative, the OC18, is the voicing. Rather than getting the transparency of a modern 414-style mic, the OC616 delivers a more “finished,” production-ready sound, making it ideal for project and home studio use.
As you’d expect, this mic shines on pretty much any sound source you can throw at it. Of course, vocals, speech, and acoustic guitars are its bread-and-butter, but you can also use it in overhead configurations or as a room mic for drum kits or instrumental ensembles. The OC616 ships in the MCS616 protective carry case lined with molded foam for storing and transporting the mic, the OCS6 shockmount, and the OCH8 mic clip.
Pricing and Availability:
The Austrian Audio OC616 is currently available for pre-order, shipping later this month.
More about the Austrian Audio OC616:
- Official Product Page
- Browse Austrian Audio on Thomann*
- Browse Austrian Audio on Sweetwater*
- Read more about Austrian Audio on Gearnews
*Note: This article about the Austrian Audio OC616 contains affiliate links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: The price for you always remains the same! If you buy something through these links, we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!
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