‘Odessey & Oracle'
The Zombies
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AKG C12
[1967]
Our legendary AKG C12 microphone features the original CK-12 capsule found only in the earliest models from around 1953. This had less of the high-end frequency response we normally attribute to C12s. Though commonly used for strings, woodwind, brass or piano, this microphone found its place in history in 1967 as a bass mic.
That year, the expensive AKG D20 was banned from use on low end frequencies such as bass and bass drum because bands kept blowing them out. Engineers like Geoff Emerick and Peter Vince first tried the Neumann U67 as a replacement for bass, but soon found the C12 to create a fuller sound when paired with a DIT (Direct Injection Transformer) fed straight into the recording desk.
This progression is reflected on The Zombies cult-classic album ‘Odessey and Oracle’, recorded in Studio Three in the summer of ’67.
Their June and July sessions feature the Neumann U67 on bass. By August, the C12 had taken its place, resulting in the amazing bass sound on the iconic ‘Time of the Season’ and ‘Care of Cell 44’.