Customer Reviews

Audio Technica AT2020 Side Address Cardiod Condensor Studio Mic

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this as a gift for a friend he was really happy with it but, I have a completely different view. The AT2020 is a pretty bright mic which sounds good at first but once you layer tracks on top of each other it can sound very harsh. Second it is not a true large diaphragm condenser. It is a very good mic for people starting out in music or just using it for podcasts, but there are a bunch of better mics near this price. Two that come to mind are the MXL V67g and Studio projects B1 (stay away from the studio projects C1) both exceptional microphones for the price. Although there is one mic you that is a bit more expensive but is absolutely amazing, the MXL 2003a. A lot of people have claimed the studio projects C1 sounds like the Neumann u87 it doesn't, the MXL 2003a however sounds very similar and is easily the best LDC mic under $500. With that being said the AT2020 is not a bad microphone but it is not great, to people who have just used built in mics on there computer or camera this will blow them away but as time goes on they will learn the limitations of this microphone.

Although to be fair I have a lot of experience in pro audio and production, so I maybe a bit overly critical. One thing is for sure though; there are definitely better mics in or near this price range.

Let's face it...I'm just a hobby musician. A guy in his mid-30's who has tinkered with music most of his adult life. I've played both as a solo artist and with bands. I've also been fortunate enough to spend time in actual recording studios with true professionals. None of this qualifies me as an expert...but I do have a certain level of familiarity on the subject.

I purchased this mic to supplement my home studio. I was hoping to get a little better sound than my usual stable of dynamic mics provide. I think I got pretty lucky with this purchase - it's my understanding that in this particular price range, you shouldn't expect a whole lot. I mean, it's just a microphone, right?

What I will say is that I was certainly satisfied with my purchase. I've used this microphone in conjunction with a tube preamp on a handful of recordings with great success. I bought this with the intention of using it for vocals, but I've found that I actually prefer it to record my acoustic guitar - this microphone picks up all the sound that I'm looking for from my acoustic - it's the nice, mellow, and full bodied sound that I hear when I'm playing, but that I was never able to capture before. In terms of its originally intended use, I felt is was only a slight improvement over the SM58 that I typically used for vocals - however, I wouldn't put too much stock into my assessment, as vocals are not one of my strengths when it comes to music (let's face it, autotune was created for a reason, right?)

Granted - everyone is going to have different opinions of this product, and I happen to think it works great for those of us on a budget. In terms of value - it is a great product for a fantastic price. I liked this microphone so much, I plan on buying at least one more.

Wow! This microphone is amazing. I see what people mean when they talk about condenser microphones being more fragile than normal dynamic microphones, but this isn't a piece of plastic, it's built well.

I paired it with the Behringer 502 5-input mixer, and it sounds great, totally professional quality. I just wanted something simple to begin home music projects, and this microphone's quality is more than enough for me.

It's very warm and highly sensitive. I don't even notice that it's side address, you can turn it up so that it picks up everything in the room.

I would have bought a stand for it as well, and a cheap pop filter. Otherwise, great deal for a mic of this quality.

Edit:
I now notice that the mic lacks full sound across all frequencies... which isn't something I noticed without looking for it specifically. Basically, the mic can be crystal clear and warm and all that, but still not retain the bass depth in a deep voice and the highs of a high voice. It is sensitive and clear, but it doesn't do what professional mics do--which is drop the midtones and hit the highs and lows.

This mic has a great pick up and produces a clear sound. It is best to have 2 and record in stereo.

I was especially fortunate and got a new one for around [...]
making this beautiful-sounding vocal mic
a spectacular bargain for the home-recording musician or audio-blogger.

I don't know of any truly-decent large-diaphragm condensers with
the full 1" diaphragm size for under [...] (don't be a sucker for the
super-cheapies that look so big & cool). The AT2020 has a 2/3-inch diaphragm size, but
sounds better & bigger than anything else I have ever heard in the price range.

If you can spend [...]on a wonderful AT2035 or maybe a Studio Projects mic,
then by-all means, do it.
But the AT2020 [...]on all competition under [...], IMO.

I use it with the Studio Projects VTB1 Mic Preamp and the sound is B-I-G.
The AT2020 and the VTB1 are definitely a sweet pair together.

Although, I suspect any decent preamp used properly with the AT2020
would sound pretty darn good.

And DO use a preamp, even if only a $30 Art Tube MP.
Count on buying the 2 items together.

The pre will "send your AT2020 to the gym", by giving it
a thicker, fuller, BETTER sound.

The thing to remember with preamps is to
try to get close to the *loudest possible clean sound*
coming out of the preamp and generate
a BIG signal going IN to the recording device, which should
have its input gain quite LOW (maybe like "2" or even "1").
Watch your clipping/overload levels,
listen for any audible noise or distortion in the recording,
and make adjustments to cut those sound flaws, if they are present.

For vocals,
Experiment with going as loud as you can from the preamp while still sounding CLEAN,
until you find you particular setup's "sweet spot".

"Straight-up" dial-settings is often around where you end up.

The AT2020, used with a decent pre like the one I have (there are many others),
should get you a serious studio vocal sound
with pro-quality clarity and little coloration.

IMO, it's got to be the world champ of under-[...]studio Condenser Mics,
at least right now (in 2009),
until something more miraculous comes along.

And if you are presently recording vocals with
something like an SM58, moving up to the AT2020
with a modest preamp will absolutely blow your mind--Much "bigger" sounding,
with much finer detail, presence and clarity.

I hear this mic is good for miking electric guitar cabs
and various percussion too.

But voice is its forte, I believe.

It's a gem.

For the price, this is a great mic. I use it for home recording, mainly vocals although it is good for acoustic guitar recording as well. Sturdy construction all around.Keep in mind that it does not come with a mic stand or cable. Overall very pleased with this product.

Audio Technica AT2020 Side Address Cardiod Condensor Studio Mic

I bought this mic to add to my "mic locker" so that I have different output for whatever I was recording (hip-hop, acoustic guitar, vocals). This mic has become my go to mic nowadays. The build quality is 2nd to none compared to my other mics (MXL 990, MXL V63M, MXL3000. . .see a pattern here?). The sound quality going into my Behringer MXB1002, and keeping it flat sounds better than trying to get the sound of what I was looking for. Not too much bass, but still vibrant mids and highs without drowning anything out too much makes recording into my DAW (Record 1.5) easier to manage and EQ. I get a lot of good natural tones from acoustic guitars as well. If your just looking into getting a good all-around mic for recording, pick this one up. . .

If you are looking at this, you know it's really cheap for a condenser microphone. Probably about as little as you can spend for anything of quality. It does not have a roll-off for low frequencies, or any other switchable pad, but it is built like a tank.

I found that it sounds kind of weak by itself, but with a decent preamp it can sound pretty good.

This mic does its job. I am giving 5 starts for the value.

Pros:
1) Affordable price
2) Low noise: I was actually quite surprised when I heard my test recording. Even after signal amplification, I do not hear much noise.

Cons:
1) Small gain: Since I use it mainly for instrumental recording, the gain is a bit low for me. From 2 feet away, a series of amplification is a must, but it works out all right due to low noise. I am not sure for vocal works.
2) Weak bass: You won't hear much bass from this.
3) Sound getting lumped: Although being neutral, the sound still comes flat.

Overall, I am impressed with this. My complaints won't go away unless spending ~$1000.

If you're considering this mic, go for it. For the money, you can't go wrong. My advice: (1) buy a pair if you're using this for recording drums; (2) buy a mic (or pair) in the 30 or 40 series by AT if you can afford it. Whatever you choose based on price range, these are great microphones. I use mine for overhead on drums and for mic'ing acoustic guitar. Fantastic.