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Published on 06/30/11 at 03:50*Microphones are very subjective. Some microphones that work for some brilliantly may be disastrous on others. It is therefore important to understand the context in which this review is written and take it with a grain of salt, like all reviews on microphones should be treated.*
Except for this one. The MXL 990 is a very popular microphone for one reason. It's cheap. It features a 30-20,000Hz response, and comes without any bells and whistles. No pads. No roll-off switches. That's understandable, since the MXL 990 is stupendously affordable. The diaphragm is also only about 3/4" inches wide, so it isn't a large diaphragm condenser, like many people seem to believe.
OVERALL OPINION
The MXL 990 is famous. It's famous because it's cheap. That means every single one of my friends who sort of cares about recording owns one of these.
There's very little to this microphone, because of its lack of frills. You either like it or you don't. Most people who have never recorded with this microphone will enjoy it, but for those of us who have used better equipment, this microphone is somewhat of a running joke on forums when wide-eyed beginner recordists ask for suggestions and bring it up. In the frequency graph, it has a strange rise in the sibilance range and a drop off right before the airiness. It also has a reduction of low-mids, making this microphone sound rather brittle. When I used it, there was a strange effect going on in the lacking mid-range. When I read Michael Joly's mod package for the MXL 990, he mentions a mid-range phase shift. That's just one of the problems that seem to plague this microphone.
You might appreciate it if you've never used a studio condenser before, but the MXL 990 is not exactly a place I would recommend beginning. I would recommend the Audio-Technica AT20-series for some neutrality or the MXL V67 for a more proper definition of high-end.
Except for this one. The MXL 990 is a very popular microphone for one reason. It's cheap. It features a 30-20,000Hz response, and comes without any bells and whistles. No pads. No roll-off switches. That's understandable, since the MXL 990 is stupendously affordable. The diaphragm is also only about 3/4" inches wide, so it isn't a large diaphragm condenser, like many people seem to believe.
OVERALL OPINION
The MXL 990 is famous. It's famous because it's cheap. That means every single one of my friends who sort of cares about recording owns one of these.
There's very little to this microphone, because of its lack of frills. You either like it or you don't. Most people who have never recorded with this microphone will enjoy it, but for those of us who have used better equipment, this microphone is somewhat of a running joke on forums when wide-eyed beginner recordists ask for suggestions and bring it up. In the frequency graph, it has a strange rise in the sibilance range and a drop off right before the airiness. It also has a reduction of low-mids, making this microphone sound rather brittle. When I used it, there was a strange effect going on in the lacking mid-range. When I read Michael Joly's mod package for the MXL 990, he mentions a mid-range phase shift. That's just one of the problems that seem to plague this microphone.
You might appreciate it if you've never used a studio condenser before, but the MXL 990 is not exactly a place I would recommend beginning. I would recommend the Audio-Technica AT20-series for some neutrality or the MXL V67 for a more proper definition of high-end.