MXL 990

I wasn’t too sure about the MXL 990 at first just because of its appearance. Most mics that look like this sound horrible and they make them look like this (really goldish and shiny) to attract people then once you get it you realize how bad of a decision you just made. But that wasn’t the case with the 990 by MXL. Now I wont say that the quality you will get will blow your sox off, but for the price that it cost brand new there are few other mics in that range that can even compete with it.


OVERALL OPINION

The best thing about this mic is that me having a deep voice sounded great on it, which was a plus because its always so hard to find a mic for my low tones that I sing and hum in. Most mics just don’t pic up the low’s too clean and they end up sounding really muffled. But the MXL 990 specializes in picking up those low tones and base tones. I have not used it on my acoustic or any other instrument yet, but they claim that the MXL 990 is an “all purpose” sort of a mic. I have used it for over a year, but I do not own it anymore now. I have gave it to a friend who needed something to record on and I have a lot of mics so it didn’t hurt me to give him one to use. He loves it and hasn’t complained yet. I just cannot stand the way that it looks, it just seems really cheap looking to me. I am very thankful that it doesn’t sound like it looks, which is pretty much what I thought was going to happy. Overall, it’s a solid mic for a decent price and it will not disappoint you.

MXL 990, condenser, 48 Volts
Cardioid
Shock mount suspension included (which makes it look like a TLM)

OVERALL OPINION

Hello everybody,
I just bought the MXL 990 for $130.
And, for the price, I have nothing to say, except that it has a coloration in the high frequencies,
But then again, you shouldn't expect too much, and you have to look for the right position, it's not a NEUMANN that costs $2000, you know!!!
In conclusion, it's quite all right for a home studio, better than the Rode NT2, I think. Some say that even big studios have a couple of them!
The product range looks promising
It's your choice.

I use it mainly for vocals, but it does pretty good on guitar and other acoustic sounds. Cardiod, electrostatic transistor mic with an impeccable finish, a very nice look, like the TLM 103 (but I don't mean to say it's a TLM!). Comes with shock mount, stand adapter and case. No user manual. Only a sheet of paper. But it's useless, anyway. I give it a 10 because the only default I've found has to do with the case (it didn't close tight from one side, although it got better with use...).

OVERALL OPINION

I've used it very intensely for three days. I simply love its transparent sensitivity. I'll explain myself: It captures very, very well everything that is close to it, without capturing the fly that's 20 feet away! There's no audible noise, so it's great in that sense! Now, when it comes to sound... Compared to a Behringer B2-Pro I had and replaced with this one (a big loss of money, but I'm happy) the mxl-990 has a warmer feel, more accentuated lows (without being too much), distinct highs (but not aggressive) and splendid mids. And compared to an M-Audio Luna (that a friend lent me), the sound lacks very, very little warmth, as well as a bit of high mids and highs.. BUT THE SOUND IS NEVERTHELESS VERY HARMONIC! With its small capsule (20mm), it can put up with a lot without distorting. And that's what I love. It seems to have a slight bump in the lows, but nothing that a little EQ can't fix! So, given the quality and, especially the price! 10/10