Audio-Technica AT2041

My Background... guitarist for thirty years, singing on and off for twenty. Recording experience ranges greatly from little 4-track cassette stuff to professonal studios. Lately I'm doing all my recording on a DAW with Echo Audio interfaces, KRK monitors, guitar processors from Line 6, Korg and Vox. Favorite headphones are Sennheiser HD280's.

First... I bought the AT2020 and AT2021 bundled as AT2041 for $149. This is a phenomenal deal on two really nice mics.

The side address condenser 2020 is a steel-cased unit which seems very sturdy and built to typical, high Audio Technica standards. Sure, it's made in China, but what low end mic isn't? The 2021, small conderser, seems of similar quality. Each mic comes with a mounting adapter and vinyl case.

Ratings

Construction - 10
Sound - 9
Value - 10

The 2020 is really a great sounding mic. I've been using an AKG C3000B lately and I think it sounds quite similar to that mic. I also use an Okatava MK-219. The AT 2020 is a bit brighter and has minimal proximity effect. It seems best for voices about six-ten inches from the singer's mouth, but it is quite forgiving in the area. Vocals sound precise and "airy" which might be attributable to a slight boost about 3 kHz.

There are no rolloff or pad switches, but for a hundred bucks you can probably live with it. There is no shock mount. I would get one. This mic is as sensitive as most high-end condensers, so you will definitely pick up unwanted noise.

The 2021 is a really nice sounding, small diaphragm mic. I've only used it once so far. I recorded my Larrivee C-10 mic'ed at the 12th fret and direct to the board from the pickup. The mic, mixed in stereo with the pickup, brought a nice high-end to the mix. The sounds of the pick on the strings was precise.

All in all, these are two great mics for the money. My Okatava is in retirement and the AKG may be on break for a while too.