Underscoring its continued effort to provide reliable professional-grade recording and live sound microphones to customers around the world, HARMAN’s AKG has been awarded two METAlliance certifications for both its C 414 XLS and C 414 XL II microphones. The C 414 XLS and C 414 XL II each offer nine pickup patterns, combined with its proven reference quality, leading-edge technology and state-of-the-art components, to accurately detail acoustic instruments and vocals.

Alongside platforms for research and development, standardization and education, the METAlliance works closely with manufacturers to evaluate and certify products that offer the highest levels of quality in the recording chain. To date, only a handful of products have achieved this accolade.

“HARMAN’s AKG HSC and HSD headsets incorporate features that have been directly requested by professional users, and offer excellent comfort, optimum ambient noise reduction and outstanding audio quality,� said Thomas Stubics, product marketing manager – recording and broadcast, AKG. “We’ve designed the HSC and HSD’s with comfort and usability in mind and each set will offer reliable service across the board.�

The METAlliance, founded by Chuck Ainlay, Ed Cherney, Frank Filipetti, George Massenburg, Phil Ramone, Elliot Scheiner and Al Schmitt, is comprised of a group of globally-recognized, award-winning audio engineers and producers who have been deeply involved in establishing techniques and technical standards, which are the foundation of modern music recording.

“AKG 414′s have been a mainstay in my recording arsenal my entire career,â€? commented Cherney. “The new 414′s have upped the ante. Being able to choose and place a microphone and not have to reach for an equalizer is simply the best.â€?

Scheiner remarked, “I recently tested the new AKG-414′s on acoustic piano and as drum overheads. I found them to be beautiful and transparent. I’m positive they’ll work in a multitude of situations.”

“The new AKG C 414 mics are just great,â€? stated Schmitt, a 24-time nominee and 11-time GRAMMY® Award winner. “So far, I’ve found them to give me exceptional results with piano and guitar.â€?

For more information on the AKG C 414 XLS and C 414 XL II, please visit http://www.akg.com. For information on METAlliance, visit http://www.metalliance.com.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

For additional information, contact:
Seth Buchwalter
Definition Branding & Marketing
(212) 660-2555 x 20
seth.buchwalter@definitionbam.com