MXL MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shockmount

by MXL

Product Features

• 3/4" gold-sputtered diaphragm Attractive vintage body style with champagne finish 30Hz-20kHz frequency response 130dB maximum SPL Sensitivity: 15MV/pa Equivalent noise: 20dB (A-weighted) Wired with Mogami cable

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• ASIN: B0002GIRP2
• Item model number: MXL990
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,302 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #32 in Musical Instruments > Recording Equipment > Microphones > Condenser Microphones

Product Description

The MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shock Mount has a silky, sweet high end while retaining tight, solid low and midrange reproduction. The 3/4" gold-sputtered diaphragm creates a professional sound suited for digital and analog recording. Attractive vintage body style with champagne finish. 30Hz-20kHz frequency response. 130dB maximum SPL. Includes custom shock mount, mic stand adapter, and case. Requires phantom power.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

110 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for the price but I find it a bit muddy, February 28, 2005

By 

BassMan (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: MXL MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shockmount

It's hard to beat this mic on price. I have one and often use it for home recording projects, demos and such. It's a good inexpensive way to record vocals, but I find the sound a bit muddy, and often come back with eq to turn down some of the low-mid frequencies. Now there are a number of condensers coming out in this low price range, and I've tried a few of them and haven't yet found a cheap one I like any better than this. For finished products, I'd use a better mic if available, but this one will work with a bit of EQ and a careful ear.

The mic requires phantom power, so I got the Art Tube MP preamp to go with it. That preamp warms up the sound and really helps this mic out compared to the built-in mic pre-amps on my board.

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for the price, perfect for podcasting, November 15, 2005

By 

Bob Barnacle (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: MXL MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shockmount

I have two of these because they're SO cheap and use them mainly at home if I have a musical idea. One of the reviewers above mentioned it was a bit muddy which I totally agree with. But it's incredibly cheap and fairly detailed for that amount of money. I'm curious how it will hold up over years of use. Anyway, this is probably the perfect "step-up" mic for podcasts if you are currently recording with your computer's built-in mic or a radio shack dynamic mic. I would choose this over the m-audio mics- it feels slightly more durable.

42 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Mic For the Price, September 14, 2004

By 

latentaudio "latentaudio" (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: MXL MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shockmount

I purchased this mic to record mandolin and acoustic guitar in my PC based home studio and couldn't be happier.

It accurately reproduces my Taylor acoustic guitar. When used in conjunction with an ART tube pre-amp, it actually enhances my low cost mandolin.

No regrets here!