Audio-Technica AT3035

Working musician for 25 yrs
Engineer for 20yrs
Analog 2" for alot of those years.
10 years recording digital...Tascam 2488 neo for live with API 512...Neve 1073...Avalon 737.
Yamaha NS10s with Phase Linear 400a

Its a unidirectional condencer with a pad and bass roll off.

Ive been using two of them for overheads on a ludwig Vistalite with Zildjian A series with an AT25 on bass and 2 SM57s on snare.

I have a KSM32 which is several times the price...and since that is what is used to record Steely Dan and also used by Eddie Kramer I wanted to have two...but since I have 2 of these they get props for overheads...cymbols and toms are picked up as good as Ive ever heard a pair of mics with the AT3035s.
I saw videos of Gretch drum sets being demo-ed using just one 4' over the set and was pretty impressed with the sound so I bought two wanting to record drums LedZeppelin style...beats any SDC sets Ive ever heard on overhead.
I dont use it for anything else because I have better mics for acoustic instruments and amps...and vocals....but I have heard examples of competent recordings being made with pretty sounding female voices and instuments.

Downside is they were cheap to aquire so resale isnt the best...but these are keepers anyhow

I do reccomend this mic to alot of people who want to invest in SDC for overheads and for those who cannot afford the shure's for instruments and 40 series for vocals...these are dirt cheap used.

I have been recording music and writing original rock for 25 years.
I have played out quite a bit and been on TV and radio as a local artist.
I record to a PC running Cubase SX w/ a Mackie Onyx 1620 FW board.
I monitor through headphone and cheap desktop moniotrs, I give mixdowns a listen through the car stereo.

I have 3 of these from an insurance claim...
They are large diaphram cardiroid condensers with a built in
hi pass and pad.
We use this mic for all of our critical recording needs.
Close placement on bass drum hammer skin, guitar and bass cabs,
overheads, main vocal takes.
It basically fell into my lap. I had looked at them before and wanted one but I had no idea what a fine instrument they were.
This mic puts out exactly what you put into it. I would describe it as "scientific" no color that I can tell.
It is fine for any recording studio applications.
Do not get it wet!! I will shock the heck out of you and stop working for a bit. Dosen't tolerate spit well like an SM-58 would.
Off axis rejection is not strong enough for live applications.

My music is synth, guitar and vocals. Noir synth-pop.

I use it for my vocals and it's very good at capturing me. I rehearse a lot, concentrating on maintaining pitch and tone. That way when I record I can be sure I have good quality going into the mic.

It doesn't do anything that makes my voice sound weird or unnatural. It captures my tone without making me sound thin or bassy. It's just me. It's also sensitive enough to pick up every nuance of my singing. All in all - a very good mic.

I have been making music for about 12 years. I started out as a guitarist and have been recording now for about 5 years. I have worked with multi-platinum producers as well as garage bands. I am currently recording using Sonar 8 Producer Edition on a custom built PC.

I'm pretty sure that if you're reading this review, you already know that it's a cardoid condensor mic. For the price, I think this is a fantastic microphone. It's very versatile. I purchased it to use primarily for vocals, but I've found that it works great to mic guitar cabinets as well. The 10db pad is especially helpful in this area. Some of these reviews state that it's not good for recording acoustic guitar. I think that depends a lot on mic placement. I found it works great when you stereo-mic the acoustic. I've had pretty good results when I record an acoustic using the AT3035 and an SM57. It works pretty well as a drum overhead as well. Of course this mic won't sound as well as some of the mics that cost $1000+, but I think in the $200-500 range, it's a great deal and you can usually find it for around $100.

I've been playing around with home recording for 2 years, I own some cheap/budget stuff such as mic and preamp. The primary chain is my ART MPA gold to Emu 0404 to Cubase, I monitor with a pair of Alesis prolinear 820 and my Equation PR-21.

1) This is a condenser with cardioid pattern (just 1, it only got 1 capsule so no multi pattern here), HPF @ 80hz and a -10db pad for loud sources.

2) I use the mic on vocals since that's what I bought it for, most LCD are use for vocal anyways. And I use it like any other mic, on a mic stand with shockmount right side up.

3) I have a few other LCD like the CAD M177, MXL 990, a shure Sm58 and PG58. I just wanted to try this mic out since it's pretty cheap.

4) I like it's sounding for vocals, very cheap shockmount though, also doesn't come with a flight case, just paper case with foam to keep the mic in place, if it's going at the MSRP I would seriously complain, but since the price is pretty low @ street price I think it's not that bad, although something like the MXL 990 that cost only 50 bucks got a nicer case.

5) I would recommend this mic for vocal, there's been report that it sucks badly with guitar and some other sources, reasonable since there ain't alot of mic that works great on multiple sources, especially since we're talking about budget mic.

I have been making music for about 4 1/2 years, mostly using samplers like Gigastudio and Kontakt. I'm currently using the At3035 to record to Sonar Producer 5.

I use this mic to record vocals. I recommend getting a pop filter due to this mic being sensitive and it may need just a little bit of equalization to get it sounding top notch. Other than that, this mic is one of the best for it's price.

I was looking for another mic for my home studio. I currently use the AT3035 for Vocals but was looking for something a step above. I tested the AT4040 and the AT4050. Guess what? I found the AT3035 was alot warmer and cleaner. I would say to anyone looking for a great vocal mic to please try the AT3035 first before spending 3 times the money on something you don't need, or may not like as much at the AT3035. Keep in mind that most big studio owners will try to make it look like you need all of the expensive bells and whistles to make good recordings. They don't want you stealing work from them so they make you feel that you need all this over rated equipment. I get some great results from my home studio. In fact people think most of the recordings were done at my friends studio that's worth $400,000. Now that's funny... Do your research people and save your money,......P.S big studio owners get rid of those big consoles that's just there for looks and yes I will have fries instead of onion rings...LOL

I love the warm and crisp sound of the AT3035. I have been using this for over 6 yrs with out any problems. Save your money and buy this mic.

I've been making music 30 years. I've gone from portastudios to my current Tascam 2488, and I've done many studio sessions on Neve boards and full Pro Tools rigs. I monitor through KRK's right now.

This AT 3035 is a fantastic value for the money. It is smooth and warm on vocals, and does well on all acoustic instruments. Just a nice mic for the money, and perfect for the home studio on a budget. I've had it 3 years now, with not one problem, and with great results on over 50 recording projects.

I have a Roland VS-1680 setup integrated with SONAR and have used this setup for about five years. Some of my tracks have been on commercially released albums. Prior to that, I'd had a lot of experience as a musician working on projects for bands and singer-songwriters in NYC and in Massachusetts. I currently use my setup for studio and live recording.

I've owned the AT3035 for about five years now. It was the first large-diaphragm condenser mic I purchased for my home studio. It's an excellent starter condenser, in my opinion - rugged, pretty good sounding, and useful in a number of applications.

I find the 3035 to be particularly good as a vocal mic, on guitar cabinets, and as a drum overhead. For vocals, it doesn't have the hyped high-end of many inexpensive LDCs, and I like that a lot. It sounds ACES on electric guitar cabinets. It was also my go-to live drum mic - a single overhead - for one band I play in, where the drummer used a set of Yamaha Recording Customs. The 3035 captured all the articulation and clarity of those drums without a lot of coloration. Interestingly, my drummer sold those and got a set of vintage Ludwigs (this band is a Beatles cover thing I do), and the 3035 didn't work nearly as well. The Ludwigs are much darker drums, acoustically louder and more complex than the Yammies, and the 3035 really only created a more smeary sound in the PA. I've used an A-T Pro37R, a much brighter mic, on those, and it's worked very well on the Ludwigs.

I agree with the other reviewer who talked about this mic being a little problematic on acoustic guitar. Like anything, this certainly depends on the acoustic. I haven't tried it on my Taylor (a 314), but on my '74 Martin D-35 - a really huge-sounding guitar - it sounds a little boxy, even positioned a couple of feet out from the lower bout of the guitar. The recording was adequate and I did use it - but this is not a mic I'd use for a solo acoustic guitar piece using the Martin. For whatever reason, it just doesn't work well with that guitar.

My other "complaint" about this mic is that it can sound a little grainy. I notice this occasionally on vocals, but most notably when recording the Martin. It's as if it somehow can't quite capture all the nuances of more complex sounds.

The good news, though, is that that slight graininess and boxiness makes it an EXCELLENT microphone for guitar amps. It adds a certain ballsyness or aggressiveness to amps that really makes it work well, whether live or in the studio.

I've also had good success using it as a distance mic on acoustic (upright) bass, partnered with an Pro37R on the fingerboard. I positioned it about 3' out, pointed at the bridge, and I got a really nice, extremely usable bass sound by blending the two tracks.

Overall, I'm a big fan of A-T mics, because I think they represent both an excellent value and they are a superior alternative to the flood of Chinese-produced condensers on the market. I have found my A-T mics to be super-reliable, great sounding, and well engineered. No, I don't work for them. But I do own, along with the 3035, a 4033a, a 4050, two Pro-37R small diaphragm condensers, and an Artist Elite AE-3300 for live work. They're not my only mics, but the A-Ts are the bulk of my microphone closet.

Overall, the 3035 is a pretty versatile, relatively neutral-sounding mic that's good on many things, and because it isn't excessively colored, you can stack tracks using it and you won't get the sort-of EQ accentuation you otherwise might from using the same mic for everything - that right there makes it a real winner. For a first microphone, it's a great choice. It's a mic you can and will continue to use even after you start buying more expensive gear.

I've been making music for nearly thirty years. I own a Tascam 2488 and use the AT-3035 for recording vocals and acoustic guitar mic.

I disagree with the reviewer who said he thought the mic was only mediocre for acoustic guitar. If you know how to position the mic, it sounds superb as an acoustic guitar mic. I play a $2000 Taylor acoustic, and it records well using the AT-3035. True, you absolutely need to use a pop screen when using it for vocals. It's very sensitive to plosives. But thats part of its quality. It truly is an excellent mic for the money. I've had the opportunity to compare it side by side with other mics that were twice the cost. Save yourself some dough and get pro studio quality results with this mic.