Audio Technica AT2040 Hypercardioid Dynamic Podcast Microphone

This mic is Honestly one of the best Budget broadcast microphones you can get!The build quality is there! All metal aside from the mounting clip. The threaded adapter is plastic, but it works. The grill has no give, and it looks good!I would invest in some time in some EQ software to get the most out of this microphone, just like with any other. From personal experience the AT2040 only needs minimal adjustments to soften the mids (your core speaking voice), that being said your voice will be different. I am confident it will still need minimal adjustments, as I have listened to female speak into it as well and the higher pitch female voices sound great. A foam windscreen would help with this as well, and I personally recommend it just to keep the mic clean and the ease of cleaning.That being said it has some built in EQ with a high pass filter kicking in at 80hz, to try and keep the mic from picking up your real low thumps like steps on the floor or table bumps.It also has some of the most off axis projection I have seen on a mic, speaking 90 degrees off from the speaking surface I can barely hear myself.Now I do power this with the Elgato Wave XLR with Phantom Power off, since Dynamic mics don’t require it. BUT this mic needs some Serious gain to sound good, which is normal for Dynamic as well. I don’t use the Elgato software, but I’m around the 45 gain mark or so, my microphone volume from the elgato is set to 97 in my windows which is darn near max, but it is what it requires to get decent sound from it. If you see a review saying its quiet then question if their gain was set too low!The Rhode Podmic is its biggest contender in the budget category and you couldn’t go wrong with it either, but I digress as this is a review of the AT2040For $100 and minimal EQ adjustments this thing is a great deal!

This mic is ultra tight cardiod. Off axis rejection is extreme. S/N is very good for a dynamic mic which always need more gain than a +48v condenser. The build is quite solid and a bit heavy, ( Why ?) It has no Lo cut or pad. It rolls off a little early and has no deep bottom, but mids are fine and reaches upward more than any hyper cardiod mic I've tried. It's not crisp, but is more bright than dark. It has NO proximity effect ! You can swallow it without getting boomy. Perfect for harmonica players ? My use is to isolate drum kit elements in a studio setting. I need 2 or 3 more. Unscrew the capsule guard and remove the front foam for a little more treble.

Solid Sound, Solid Build: The AT2040 captures your voice or instrument with crystal clarity. Plus, it's built like a tank, so it'll last through all your recording sessions.Versatile and Easy: Whether you're singing, podcasting, or jamming, this mic's got you covered. And setting it up? Piece of cake.Bang for Your Buck: Top-notch quality without breaking the bank. Need we say more?Final Verdict: The Audio-Technica AT2040 is the perfect companion for your recording adventures. Clear sound, easy setup, and great value—what more could you ask for?

Having been podcasting with a variety of AT products in the past two years, I can honestly say that this mic is very good value for the money, with a few caveats.The at2040 is essentially a 1/4 of the cost of the BP40 but shares a similar look--since I'm never on video for my podcast, I don't really care about how the microphone looks. In terms of functionality, this mic doesn't require phantom power, which is neither here nor there, as I still require an audio interface to make the connection to the XLR cable work--and mine goes through a second-generation Scarlett Solo without a touch of feedback or hiss.Noise is controlled very well--there's no need for a pop filter although simply in terms of protecting the casing, you may want to use a foam head anyway, but if you unscrew the grate you'll find a pop-filter already included internally. I'm not sure how well it works for everybody else's voice but the at2040 rendered my vocals much more crisply and cleanly than the at2020.I will say that some post-production was definitely needed to add a boost to the final output (which is often the case for most mics anyway), but for podcasters, this is a very very good budget option for a dynamic mic that looks good and right out of the box helps to deliver a really nice, professional sound. (*Note* as of 9/19/21 I've ordered the Coda MB-1 to see if I can't get even better performance out of this mic, as I noted in a recent recording that at a very low level I could hear some audible hiss which may have been the fault of my laptop ports, but I will update this review if I see any difference is made)I've used the atr2100, the aforementioned at2020, and the Pro41 and this one beats them all.**NOTE** with the Coda MB-1 this mic is an amazing piece of hardware and a tremendous performer, and without it, it's still very good--but on my interface I was able to pot my gain down to 40% of max and get really clear results.

I originally saw a similar mic from some YouTuber and I decided to give it a try. It's pretty good. I did switch from a Rode mic to this just because I wanted something smaller and lighter.I'm not an audiophile so I can't give great comparisons, but as just a content creator, this gets the job done. Mic quality does sound slightly different between this and my previous Rode mic but I grew to like the audio coming from this one.