AKG Perception 120 USB User Manual

1 Safety

[ATTENTION] Risk of damage

Please ensure that the equipment your microphone will be connected to fulfills the safety regulations in force in your country and is fitted with a ground lead.

Environment

1. When the product reaches the end of its life, separate the housing, electronics, and cables and dispose of all components in accordance with local waste disposal regulations.
2. The packaging can be recycled. Dispose of the packaging in a suitable collection system.

2 Description

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing an AKG product. This Manual contains important instructions for setting up and operating your equipment. Please take a few minutes to read the instructions below carefully before operating the equipment. Please keep the Manual for future reference. Have fun and impress your audience!

Scope of supply

• Perception 120 USB microphone
• Table tripod
• Tripod adapter
• USB cable
• Quick Start Guide

Please check that the packaging contains all the components listed above. If anything is 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.

Summary

[NOTE] For further information about the features and use of USB microphones and frequently asked questions, see the product description on the AKG website at http://www.akg.com/perception120usb.

The Perception 120 USB microphone expands AKG's successful Perception range and is also the first USB-equipped condenser microphone from AKG. With the widespread USB standard, ease of use and real plug-and-play, users without any recording experience can quickly and easily make high-quality, professional recordings using PC or Mac - with no installation and no additional equipment such as mixing desks or special sound cards.

The microphone features an integral analog-to-digital converter. It is the only USB microphone in its class to have a separate analog-to-digital converter (24-bit, 128x oversampling) instead of the normal single chip system, offering convincing sound quality and low noise.

The Perception 120 USB contains a 2/3" condenser capsule for clear, transparent sound, an integral pop filter, a switchable bass-cut filter and an attenuation switch.

3 Installation

Setting up the microphone

Diagram description: Two steps showing how to attach the microphone to a tripod. Step 1: Screw the tripod adapter onto the table tripod. Step 2: Screw the microphone onto the tripod adapter.

Connecting the microphone

Diagram description: Two steps showing the USB connection. Step 3: Connect the USB cable to the microphone and the recording device (e.g., computer). Step 4: LEDs on the selector switches light up to indicate power is OK. The computer operating system detects the microphone and automatically installs the device driver.

4 Configuration / Volume control

WINDOWS XP

Diagram description: Screenshots showing Windows XP sound settings. Step 1: Open Control Panel. Step 2: Select the Audio tab. Step 3: Ensure "AKG Perception 120 USB" is selected as the default playback device. Recommendation: Change the Sound playback device back to the original playback device.

Diagram description: Screenshots showing Windows XP volume control. Step 4: If AKG Perception 120 USB is not selected as the default sound recording device, select it from the drop-down menu. Step 5: Open volume control in recording software or click "Volume". Step 6: Use the slider to select the required volume, refer to Level settings (Page 24).

WINDOWS VISTA

Diagram description: Screenshots showing Windows Vista sound settings. Step 1: Open Control Panel, navigate to "Hardware and Sound", select "Sound". Step 2: Select the Playback tab. Step 3: Ensure "AKG Perception 120 USB" is selected as the default playback device. Recommendation: Change the Sound playback device back to the original playback device.

Diagram description: Screenshots showing Windows Vista volume control. Step 4: Select the Recording tab. Step 5: Ensure "AKG Perception 120 USB" is highlighted with a green tick. Step 6: Click "Properties" to open volume control. Step 7: Select the Levels tab. Step 8: Use the slider to select the required volume, refer to Level settings (Page 24).

WINDOWS 7

Diagram description: Screenshots showing Windows 7 sound settings. Step 1: Open Control Panel, navigate to "Hardware and Sound", select "Sound". Step 2: Select the Playback tab. Step 3: Ensure "AKG Perception 120 USB" is selected as the default playback device. Recommendation: Change the Sound playback device back to the original playback device.

Diagram description: Screenshots showing Windows 7 volume control. Step 4: Select the Recording tab. Step 5: Ensure "AKG Perception 120 USB" is highlighted with a green tick. Step 6: Click "Properties" to open volume control. Step 7: Select the Levels tab. Step 8: Use the slider to select the required volume, refer to Level settings (Page 24).

MAC OS X

Diagram description: Screenshots showing Mac OS sound settings. Step 1: Open sound settings in System Preferences. Step 2: Select the Output tab. Step 3: Ensure "AKG Perception 120 USB" is selected as the default playback device. Recommendation: Change the Sound playback device back to the original playback device.

Diagram description: Screenshots showing Mac OS volume control. Step 4: Select the Input tab. Step 5: If "AKG Perception 120 USB" is not selected as a sound recording device, highlight it. Step 6: Open volume control in recording software or use the slider to select the required volume, refer to Level settings (Page 24).

Level settings

Diagram description: A volume indicator graphic. Use your recording software to set the volume. When using the microphone or recording from a sound source, adjust the volume control and check the level indicator. For best results, recommend the highest possible volume setting to reduce unwanted noise, but not so high as to cause unpleasant distortion (indicated in red on recording software). Carefully increase volume until overload (red) is no longer shown.

For best results when recording speech, recommend placing the microphone 20 to 40 cm (8 to 16 inches) in front of the speaker(s).

5 Operation

Operating instructions

Diagram description: Shows recommended microphone placement. The front of the microphone is the side with the AKG logo. The Perception 120 USB has a cardioid polar pattern, recording little sound from the rear. Always point the logo towards the sound source. The microphone should be positioned 20 to 40 cm (8 to 16 inches) from the speaker's mouth for best results.

[ATTENTION] Risk of damage

Keep the microphone dry. Moisture entering the capsule can cause crackling due to short-circuits affecting the polarization voltage. When recording wind instruments, speech, or singing, ensure you do not sing or blow directly into the microphone.

[NOTE] For optimum results, we also recommend the optional PF 80 pop screen to prevent unwanted blowing and popping sounds or moisture problems.

[NOTE] When using the microphone outdoors, use the optional AKG W 4000 windscreen to protect the microphone from moisture and to reduce wind noise.

Control elements

The Perception 120 USB has attenuation and bass-cut selector switches.

Attenuation selector switch

Diagram description: Shows the microphone with a switch and a "-20 dB" indicator. Selector switch 1, on the right-hand side of the microphone, increases the control limit by 20 dB for distortion-free recording of loud sound sources or those in close proximity. This pre-attenuation pad prevents overload, especially at low frequencies.

Bass-cut selector switch

Diagram description: Shows the microphone with a switch and a "-20 dB" indicator. Rumble or wind noises can cause distortion at low frequencies. The switchable bass-cut filter provides additional distortion reduction. The filter slope is 6 dB/octave with a corner frequency of 120 Hz. The bass-cut also counteracts the proximity effect when the microphone is closer than 15 cm to the sound source.

6 Cleaning

Microphone

Use a soft cloth moistened with water to clean the surface of the microphone body.

7 Specifications

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 sales@akg.com.

Frequency response

Diagram description: A line graph showing frequency response in decibels (dB) on the y-axis (ranging from -30 dB to +20 dB) against frequency in Hertz (Hz) on the x-axis (ranging from 50 Hz to 20,000 Hz). The line shows a relatively flat response across the audible spectrum, with a slight dip around 100-200 Hz and a rise towards higher frequencies.

Polar diagram

Diagram description: A series of polar plots showing the microphone's sensitivity at different angles for various frequencies (125 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 4000 Hz, 8000 Hz, 16000 Hz). The diagrams illustrate a cardioid pattern, with maximum sensitivity at the front (0°) and reduced sensitivity at the sides and rear.