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« "Suffers" from the "strangeness" of the 20-series »
Published on 06/29/11 at 05:33That being said: The AT2035 is a cardioid condenser microphone that targets the entry market, although the microphone, as part of the AT20-series, does possess the unique characteristic of feeling non-hyped, but slightly squished. This means that it doesn't have the natural "air" of the other low-entry condenser microphones, but it lacks the sibilance peaks and the harshness of the high frequencies of them as well.
The AT2035 has a high-pass switch and a pad for high SPL's. Useful to have, but personally, I did not employ either of them regularly during my time with the 2035. That peace of mind, however, does make me feel more confident in singing into one than into a 2020. That, and the shockmount that comes with the microphone makes this microphone much more intimidating.
This isn't exactly specific to the AT2020 and the AT2035, but I experience a certain level of anxiety singing into a condenser not in a shockmount. Not because I'm afraid of vibrations, but because the shockmount, like a pop filter, seems to tell a singer where he or she should be.
OVERALL OPINION
The gripe I have with the AT2035 and most other 20-series mics is its lack of fullness. Great condenser microphones feel like they're enveloping you in the sound; they have a natural size to them that the 20 microphones lack. However, the 20-microphones are set apart from the other entry-level microphones because the other ones for the most part feel like they're poking rather than enveloping.
I'm grateful that the way in which the 20-series is cheap is its avoidance of that "fullness" altogether; I appreciate Audio-Technica for not trying badly to recreate that detail.
If you were constrained to these entry-level microphones, I would strongly recommend any of the AT20-series microphones. They are leaps and bounds above all of their peers.
Although. If deciding between the 2020 and 2035, go for the 2035; it's slightly less noisy, and it's more sensitive and a little more flattering.
The AT2035 has a high-pass switch and a pad for high SPL's. Useful to have, but personally, I did not employ either of them regularly during my time with the 2035. That peace of mind, however, does make me feel more confident in singing into one than into a 2020. That, and the shockmount that comes with the microphone makes this microphone much more intimidating.
This isn't exactly specific to the AT2020 and the AT2035, but I experience a certain level of anxiety singing into a condenser not in a shockmount. Not because I'm afraid of vibrations, but because the shockmount, like a pop filter, seems to tell a singer where he or she should be.
OVERALL OPINION
The gripe I have with the AT2035 and most other 20-series mics is its lack of fullness. Great condenser microphones feel like they're enveloping you in the sound; they have a natural size to them that the 20 microphones lack. However, the 20-microphones are set apart from the other entry-level microphones because the other ones for the most part feel like they're poking rather than enveloping.
I'm grateful that the way in which the 20-series is cheap is its avoidance of that "fullness" altogether; I appreciate Audio-Technica for not trying badly to recreate that detail.
If you were constrained to these entry-level microphones, I would strongly recommend any of the AT20-series microphones. They are leaps and bounds above all of their peers.
Although. If deciding between the 2020 and 2035, go for the 2035; it's slightly less noisy, and it's more sensitive and a little more flattering.