AKG P5 S Dynamic Vocal Microphone With Switch

AKG P5 S Dynamic Vocal Microphone With Switch

The AKG P5 S is a handheld dynamic vocal microphone from AKG’s Perception Live series, built for singers and presenters who work on real stages rather than in treated studios. Its supercardioid pickup pattern concentrates on the voice directly in front of the capsule, its die-cast metal body shrugs off the knocks of nightly use, and a simple on/off switch on the barrel gives the performer direct control over whether the microphone is live. This is the switched version of the P5; the otherwise similar P5i is a different model with smart-device features that do not apply here.

A dynamic capsule is the right tool for this job. It needs no phantom power and no battery, it tolerates very loud voices at close range without distorting, and it is far less sensitive to the room than a condenser, so what reaches the mixer is mostly the singer rather than the hall. AKG rates the P5 S for sound pressure levels up to 144 dB, which leaves generous headroom for loud vocalists, brass and amplified instruments placed close to the grille.

Key features

• Dynamic vocal microphone with supercardioid pickup pattern
• On/off switch on the barrel for direct control at the microphone
• Frequency response of 40 Hz to 20,000 Hz, voiced for lead vocals
• Handles up to 144 dB SPL without a pad
• Die-cast metal body with a rugged wire-mesh grille
• Internal protective windscreen behind the grille against breath and plosive noise
• Balanced 3-pin XLR output, supplied with stand adapter and carrying bag

Supercardioid pickup, explained

A supercardioid pattern picks up in a narrower lobe than the standard cardioid found on most stage microphones. On a loud stage that narrowness is worth having: monitor wedges, guitar amplifiers and the drum kit sit outside the lobe and are reproduced more quietly, which means the channel can be turned up further before feedback starts. The trade-off is discipline. The singer needs to stay roughly on axis, because moving well off to the side loses level quickly, and there is a small pickup lobe at the very rear of the microphone, so a monitor wedge should not be placed directly behind it. Angling wedges slightly to either side is the standard working position with this pattern.

The switch, and working technique

The on/off switch sounds like a small thing until a microphone is shared between acts, used for announcements between songs, or handed to speakers who are not performers. Switching off at the barrel avoids a trip to the mixer, prevents handling noise and stray conversation reaching the PA, and lets a compere mute the microphone while moving through the audience. For singing, work close and consistently: a few centimetres from the grille keeps the balance of voice to room stable, and pulling back for loud passages is a natural way to manage level before any compression is applied. Because the capsule is passive, none of this depends on a battery state.

Connection and setup

The output is a balanced 3-pin XLR, so any standard microphone cable into a mixer, stage box or audio interface microphone input completes the chain. Set the channel gain with the singer performing at their loudest, keep EQ flat until the position and distance are right, and only then shape the sound. The microphone’s 580 ohm output impedance and 2.5 mV/Pa sensitivity suit ordinary microphone preamps; AKG recommends a load impedance of 2,000 ohms or more, which normal mixer inputs provide. A stand adapter is included for mounted use, and the zip bag keeps the microphone protected in a gig bag.

For lead and backing vocals, spoken announcements and rehearsal rooms, the P5 S covers the essentials with no power requirements and no settings to manage: a focused pickup pattern, a body built for handling, and a switch where the hand already is.