« Great studio microphone. »

The Audio Technica AT4040 condenser microphone is an excellent choice for studio recordings, great for vocals, acoustic guitars and overheads. It has a wide dynamic range and low noise (only 12dB of self- noise). Its high SPL capability captures every sound with detail and with a natural quality. It also is very affordable compared to similar condenser microphones in that price range like AKG or Rode, so If you're looking for a good home- studio condenser microphone this should be your first option. Even if you go to a professional studio you will definitely find one or two of this microphones around. I use it to record vocals, acoustic guitars (using two of them, one aiming at the neck of the guitar and the other at the body) and overheads, as well as percussion and even a chinese instrument I play called Hulusi, it has a radder odd (but beautiful) sound but it was smoothly captured by the AT4040. The recorded drums sounded amazingly clear and organic. One very important thing to keep in mind when recording with this microphone it's placement; its cardioid pattern and large diaphragm makes it very responsive to sound pressure at the extremes; it will capture from the smallest detail to the loudest hit with equal precision.
The AT4040 also features:
-Switchable 80Hz hi-pass filter
-10dB pad
-Cardioid pattern
-Frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz
-Signal to noise ratio of 82 dB
-Includes shock mount and case

OVERALL OPINION

What I like the most about this microphone is its versatility, clarity and smoothness, it is also very durable and solid built. As I stated before, this mic is perfect for vocals, acoustic instruments and overheads, however regarding lead vocals recording, it may not be the best choice for everyone; it feels a little bit bottom heavy and some voices may sound too deep, but this is easy to EQ out so it's not really a problem, what I'm just saying is that there are more suitable microphones for certain vocals; some voices have the upper midrange about 6-7 kHz but for some others this frequencies are more on their sibilance range, and vice versa. Also what I said earlier about placement is very important when recording vocals, in my band the singer can get very loud so when we were recording vocals we'd make him stand like 40-50 cm away from mic so the whole vocal range could be well captured with no clipping. I'm happy with the results, the vocals sound warm, crisp and full. Precision and quality of the sound are extraordinary for a microphone in that price range. Definitely would buy again. In conclusion:

Pros
-Wide dynamic range
-Clear Sound
-Versatility
-Durable
-Great deep end

Cons
- Some vocals can get a little bit muddy in the low end