The Audio-Technica AT 4050 is a large diaphargm condenser microphone designed for use in the recording studio. The mic is one of the best that Audio-Technica has to offer, and is overall a very popular model for it's nice sound and great price. The mic has three different polar pick up patterns to choose from, including cardioid, omnidirectional, and figure eight, which are the three basic pick up patterns that multi-pattern mics will have to choose from. The has both a -10 db pad and a high pass filter at 80 Hz. The AT 4050 also comes with a well built shock mount when purchased new.

OVERALL OPINION

While I'm usually not one to recommend the microphones made by Audio-Technica, the AT 4050 is surely the best sounding microphone I've used that they make. While it isn't as cheap as most of their other mics, it is for good reason, as the AT 4050 sounds way better than most of the other ones and also offers up a lot more versatility. I'm sure that the main usage that the AT 4050 sees is for vocals, but it can definitely be used for other applications like drum overheads and acoustic piano and guitar. The mic isn't the greatest design out there, but for the price there isn't anything to complain about. Most people I'm sure will look to Audio-Technica for mics cheaper than this even, but if you're a home studio owner and are looking for a go to vocal and/or condenser microphone, this is one of the best deals out there. Even so, I'd recommend checking out a bunch of other microphones in this price range, as there are really a lot to choose from - some are better and some are worse, but before buying you should definitely do your research to see what will work best for you. Personally I'd recommend spending a few extra bucks on the Neumann TLM 102 or 103, but the Audio-Technica AT 4050 is a fine mic in it's own right and is one that I'm sure makes a lot of home studio owners very happy...