Log in
Log in

or
Create an account

or
< All Audio-Technica AT2020 reviews
Add this product to
  • My former gear
  • My current gear
  • My wishlist
Audio-Technica AT2020
Images
1/545
JeffTadashi JeffTadashi

« A versatile condenser mic! »

Published on 05/14/12 at 11:44
The Audio Technica AT 2020 is a cardioid pattern condenser microphone, that is fairly affordable and very versatile. I've used it for mic'ing guitar amps, acoustic guitar, and vocals, and it has excelled in all of those applications. It is very solid and rugged, and comes with it's own mounting piece, which makes it easy to screw on an off the mic stand. It also fits standard mic shock mounts, although it does not ship with one. The cardioid pattern (in which the back of the mic rejects the most sound) makes it the most useful for the most applications; it can be directed at a specific sound source, but it can also record a large room, large range environment.

I find that condenser mics in general excel in recording, but are too sensitive for live purposes, and this mic is no exception. No way could I use this instead of my Shure SM58 for live vocals.

The sound quality is very transparent and clear. On vocals, there are simply no artifacts, as the only processing I usually do is roll off some lows and add compression. Much better than my ribbon mic, which tends to be too dark for vocals. The highs on the AT 2020 are not harsh at all, as they sound very natural.

The AT 2020 does not work too well on extremely loud sources, such as bass guitar speakers or cranked guitar amps. I was not able to set the gain low enough in some of these cases, and we had to turn the volume down on the amplifiers.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall, this is a great general purpose, cardioid condenser microphone that any starting musician should consider. Very durable, very transparent sound, from a reputable microphone company. This mic has lasted me several years, and I never had the need to replace it. You won't be disappointed!