Audio-Technica AT2020 Cardioid Condenser Mic Review / Test
Buy the AT2020 (Affiliate link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/at2020x
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6RyM
Buy the Behringer UM2 (Affiliate link)
Amazon: http://geni.us/behrum2
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/3QA7d
Today I am testing out a microphone that I was incredibly excited to get my hands on. The Audio Technica AT-2020. This whole series of microphones is supposed to be great, and my first impression is good.
As per usual, I do need to include a disclaimer that this is an XLR Condenser microphone. That means that you need a proper audio interface for your computer, and you need proper phantom power (+48v) for this microphone to function properly.
If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $99 on Amazon.
What's In the Box
Microphone
Microphone Mount
5/8 to 3/8” microphone stand mount
Padded Mic Pouch
Documentation
Performance / Features
The build quality of this microphone is excellent. It has an all metal body and metal grill and has some nice weight to it. The mic mount is a nice sturdy metal, and the microphone storage pouch is very nicely padded for protection.
The frequency response is 20Hz-20kHz, which is everything you will need out of a microphone. I think that the acoustic guitar sounds very nice and clean. Vocals sound crisp on this microphone. Electric guitar sounds nice as well. I think it does extremely well in the low end by picking up those frequencies while controlling them and avoiding an overly boomy sound.
The microphone has a cardioid polar pattern, which is fairly directional. When testing it out, it seems like the pick up pattern is about 180-degrees. So anything in front of the mic it will pick up, and anything behind it, it should cancel out. When testing this out on the keyboard test, we heard a LOT more of my voice versus the keyboard, but you could still hear a bit of clicking in the background. During the distance test, we heard a bit of a drop off in volume as the distance increased, but it was not as drastic as a dynamic microphone.
Pros
Great sound
Nice build quality
Full frequency response
Not overly boomy in the low end
Cons
Not great with sound isolation
Conclusion
So all around, I think that this is a great microphone and I found it very difficult to find any negatives for this microphone.
I would not recommend this microphone to someone who is not concerned with getting high quality audio, or willing to invest in a proper Audio Interface. If you are just doing voice overs for gaming videos and are on a budget, this is not a microphone for you. If you're starting a little home studio, and want to record higher quality audio, this is a great starter mic.
If you have any additional questions about this headset, leave them in the comments on this site or on the youtube channel, and I will try to reply ASAP.