AKG Acoustics

AKG Acoustics (originally "Akustische und Kino-Geraete Gesellschaft m.b.H.") is an Austrian manufacturer of audio electronics and accessories for professional and consumer markets. The company was founded in Vienna in 1947, and was acquired by Harman International Industries in 1994. AKG Acoustics' most important product categories are microphones, headphones and wireless audio systems.

History

*1945 - Dr. Rudolf Görike and Ernst Pless begin supplying movie equipment to theaters in postwar Vienna. [http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/AKG-Acoustics-GmbH-Company-History.html AKG history] ]
*1949 - AKG begins producing headphones [http://www.akg-acoustics.com/site/powerslave,id,35,nodeid,35,p,0,_language,EN.html AKG history milestones] Last accessed March 30, 2007]
*1953 - introduces the world's first dynamic cardiod microphone [http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/AKG-Acoustics-GmbH-Company-History.html AKG history] ]
*1955 - founds a German subsidiary [http://www.akg-acoustics.com/site/powerslave,id,35,nodeid,35,p,0,_language,EN.html AKG history milestones] Retrieved March 30, 2007]
*1985 - founds a USA subsidiary [http://www.akg-acoustics.com/site/powerslave,id,35,nodeid,35,p,0,_language,EN.html AKG history milestones] Retrieved March 30, 2007]
*1994 - becomes part of Harman International Industries [http://www.akg-acoustics.com/site/powerslave,id,35,nodeid,35,p,0,_language,EN.html AKG history milestones] Retrieved March 30, 2007]
*2006 - produces a limited 60th anniversary edition of the celebrated C414 LTD microphone. [http://www.akg.com/site/press_center/powerslave,id,107,nodeid,0,_language,EN,nodeid,33.html AKG press release] ]

Microphones

Among its professional products especially noteworthy is the first C 12 (introduced in 1953) and its successors and alternate versions, which include the Telefunken Ela M 250 and M 251 (1960), the C 24 stereo microphone, the C 412, and over a dozen different models which have carried the designation "C 414" in various forms.

AKG microphones have been used for shooting Hans Hass's movie Adventures in the Red Sea and were installed on the MIR spacestation. They are also mentioned by Dan Brown in his novels The Da Vinci Code and Deception Point. [http://www.akg-acoustics.com/site/powerslave,id,35,nodeid,35,p,0,_language,EN.html AKG notable events] ]

Some microphone models include:
*D12E
*D220
*D112
*C414
*C451B
*D409
*C1000

Headphones

AKG also manufactures a range of high-specification headphones.The K50 model, introduced in 1959 were the world's first supra-aural and open-back headphones.A particularly notable model is the K1000. It had an unconventional design with adjustable driver cages. When fully toed-out the headphone approximated a head worn set of speakers. The current flagship model for the AKG headphone line-up is the K701.

Many top recording studios use AKG K-240 headphones as a solution for best general use for both monitor and playback. They received particular notoriety from their prominent display in Eddie Murphy's 1985 music video for "Party All the Time".

Another notable, yet short-lived model was the K-280 Parabolic - a multi-driver headphone which focused compression waves to a central point in the earcup.

ee also

*List of microphone manufacturers

References

External links

* [http://www.akg.com AKG Acoustics]
* [http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/AKG-Acoustics-GmbH-Company-History.html AKG company history]