Final Thoughts
Outside of my personal use of an AKG headset, I didn’t have any experience with their products. However, knowing how much I liked their K240 studio headphones, I had somewhat high expectations for the Ara microphone. The dual polar pattern design of the Ara offers this microphone a bit more versatility than a single pattern microphone, as the Ara can support a standard Cardioid pattern, as well as an Omnidirectional pattern for those times when more than one audio source is present. This makes this microphone great for not only solo podcasts and recordings, but for face-to-face interview needs and group recordings. An easy to use dial is present for making the adjustment between these polar patterns, as is a knob that provides both volume control for the headphone monitoring port as well as muting function. Multiple mounting options are also included with the Ara, including the stand and base that come attached to the microphone body itself, as well as the included thread adapter for use with 3rd party arms or stands.
The Ara is touted by AKG as a professional microphone that is easy to setup and use, and I think that accurately sums up the device. The Ara does keep things simple in that it doesn’t provide many options aside from the two polar patterns, mute, and the headphone monitoring option. If you need more adjustment, there are some software tweaks that can be used to dial in the audio you want to pick up (NVIDIA’s Broadcast to cut out background sounds and isolate voice), as well as a multitude of OS settings and applications for adjusting audio. The included copy of Ableton Live 11 Lite can also help you produce and edit your audio as needed.
The AKG Ara is a great sounding microphone that has a modern design that harkens back to earlier times, while providing versatility in its multiple polar patterns. Available from our favorite online retailer for $69, the Ara is a solid choice for improving your audio quality. The AKG Ara earns a 9 out of 10.
Pros:
- Solid Build Quality
- Dual Polar Patterns
- Headphone Monitor
- Proven AKG Quality
- Built-in Microphone Arm Threading & Adapter
- USB Type-C Connectivity
Cons:
- No Tap-to-Mute Feature
- Short USB cable