This year marks the 60th anniversary of AKG, and they’ve announced a limited-edition C414 mic to celebrate. Fundamentally, it’s the same as the C414 XLS, although its outer casing is finished in silver, rather than the normal matte black, and it bears the new blue AKG logo, which they’ve also unveiled as part of their birthday celebrations. The C414 LTD comes in a rugged black case with shockmount and pop filter, as well as a certificate of authenticity. It’s rumoured that there will only be 2007 of these mics made, so you’ll have to be on your toes if you want to pick one up.

Also new are the C5 and D5 handheld vocal microphones. They look similar to each other, but they differ in that the C5 has a cardioid condenser capsule while the D5 is fitted with a supercardioid dynamic one. Also available is a D5S, which has a switch, and all three will be shipping at the end of March.

In the late ’80s, AKG launched their Micromic series: a collection of miniature gooseneck microphones designed for a selection of different applications. Now they’ve updated the series with the C516, C518 and C519, for amplifiers, drums and brass respectively, and the C520 and C555 head-worn models. Usefully, the C518 has a clamp, rather than a clip, so it connects more securely to a drum’s rim than its predecessor.