Budget vocal mic - AT2020 vs AT3035

[Getafix]

Hi guys,

I produce electronic music & am looking for a mic to record some female & male vocals. Research shows most people here recommend Audio Technica mics so i've decided to go with either the AT2020 or the AT3035.

I'm going to be recording with a RME Fireface 400. I already own a SM58 & am not too happy with it for female vocals.

Is the AT3035 worth double the price of the AT2020? I'm looking for an all rounder that i can use on anything should the need arise.

Also i'm not too sure about what the difference is between dynamic & condenser mics. Is it that i would need a preamp with lots of gain to get the best out of a dynamic like the sm58?

So i'd like to know if i should spend more to get the AT3035 over the AT2020. Thanks!

[roxxon]

The AT3035 is a much better mic that the AT2020.

If you have a decent pre...With ample gain...
You should seriously consider buying a SHURE SM7.
It is probably the most versatile mic (dynamic) in it's price range.
It's a great all around mic.
I love mine.
I'd take choose it any day over the AT3035.

shure sm7 - Shure SM7B Professional Microphone - Microphones - Compare & Save at WinBuyer.com



Another great inexpensive and very vestatile condenser mic:

CAD M-179 Servo-Condenser Microphone

[Getafix]

Thanks for the reply. I do not have a pre, i will be using the pre on my Fireface 400. I'm not sure how it compares to a decent mid-priced pre though. If there is a lot of difference then that will probably be my next purchase.

The SM7B is a bit out of my budget. I'm looking to spend $200 tops for the moment.

Is the CAD equally good on vocals compared to the 3035?

[roxxon]

They both sound okay on vocals. The CAD ans the AT.
It depends on your specific voice or the voices you are recording.
You better buy a half-ass mic pre in the near future.
Your RME Fireface 400 pres aren't too great-sounding.

The SM7 is worth every penny.
Good luck.

Remember:
Sometimes you get exactly what you pay for and other times you pay for what you get, exactly.

Good luck...

[river]

The 3035 is a great bang for the buck mic, very low self noise and a pleasant bump around 200-300 for a little warmth, another slight bump around 12k for some air. I use them for vocals (and lots of other stuff) over an AT4050 regularly.....on another thread on this forum I mentioned that a 3035 beat out some medium and high end mics (AKG C12, AKG 414, SM7, Neumann U87) in a shootout for a vocal mic on a recent CD project. It's really a subjective thing, no absolute right or wrong, just what your ear prefers. I agree with roxxon about getting a decent pre. Look around on ebay for a used ART Pro MPA and put some quality tubes in it. You can put different tubes in each channel to give you more choice of tone/color. You can also find 3035's new from ebay stores for about $135.

If you want to hear vocals done with the 3035, check out my studio page:

MySpace.com - Sonic Sculpture - NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Indie / Alternative / Other - www.myspace.com/sonicsculptureinc

All lead vocals were done with this mic, as well as electric guitars, various other stuff.

[Getafix]

Thanks guys, i think the 3035 sounds like the winner to me so far.

@ River

The recordings sound pretty good, even for 96k playback!

I guess my next investment is going to be a nice pre, but that's another thread!

[river]

Thanks s-cube, always a victory when you can get a Myspace mp3 to sound halfway decent. Where is Switzerland are you? One of my favorite places ever!

[Getafix]

I'm in Lausanne, it's in the french part of Switzerland. It is a great place to live, just a bit expensive.

[river]

There's a famous culinary school in Lausanne, n'est-ce pas?

[Getafix]

Yup, not really a culinary school but a hotel school. Its actually the first & one of the best hotel schools in the world, established in 1893.

In fact i'm a student there, graduating this december hopefully!

[Getafix]

On topic:

Just found out that the AT3035 is only $125 on ebay. That means that some other mics are within my budget too, mainly:

AT4040
AT4041
AT4033 (stretching the budget a bit)

I'm thinking as long as i'm buying, i'd rather buy the best i can right now rather than regret it later.

Any comments on these as an all round workhorse mic?

[Sean Sullivan]

I think the AT3035 is a good microphone, I really like the AT4033 also. Don't forget about the Studio Projects C1...much better on female vocals but a great value.

[river]

I checked out the 4040 on AT's site, looks nice, but likely to be brighter sounding based on the response chart, like a cardioid version of the 4050:


As opposed to the 3035:


Specs are otherwise comparable. The 4041 is a small diameter capsule, better for overheads and instruments. The 4033 is a well respected mic also, but also on the bright side.

[Getafix]

All right i think i've made my mind up! At $125 new a AT3035 seems to be a steal, so i guess i'm going with it. Will probably buy a good pre next & then consider a mic upgrade.

Thanks everyone for your help!

[Stevil]

Originally Posted by s-cube

Is the CAD equally good on vocals compared to the 3035?

as a general rule CAD's tend to be a bit 'darker' 'warmer' sounding. AT's more 'bright' 'clear'. both are nice to have around depending on the flavour yer going for.

[superduck15]

I thought I'd post this to show ya the differences between the 2 mics.

We had redo vocals for one of our songs, so we opted to go to a studio to do vocals for this one song with the benefit being the studio dude could suggest new melodies. The music itself is from the same sessions.

Glorified - recorded w AT3035, MOTU 896MK3 pre's, using waves comp plugins. We recorded this in a (bad) sounding room.

Devillaire - recorded w SM7b into API A2D w Distressor comp. Was recorded in a studio vocal booth!

It'd be great to hear thoughts. I'm actually in the process of buying an SM7b so i can probably do a fairer comparison later.


My band is called DRIVEBY SUMMER...from Perth Aust!!

[KeithMoonwannabe]

ok first off this post has some ridiculous stuff.

The RME has adequate preamps for most uses. Unless you are disappointed with your recordings/results I see no need to really buy a better preamp unless there is something different you want.

Next if you only have $200 to spend I would try spend as much of it as you can. Your best bet would probably be buying a used mic.

I suggest searching for some of these used, but before buying get to a store that carries a bunch of mics and audition to make sure you get the best tool for the job NOTHING IS A GREAT DEAL IF YOU CAN'T USE IT:
AT3035
AT4040
AT4033
KSM32
KSM27
SP CS5
BLUEBIRD
M179 (I use an M177 which is the same mic just cardioid instead of variable pattern for my voice I recently posted a clip using a single M177 on my voice while playing acoustic guitar and I thought it turned out pretty well considering I'm not a great singer)

All these mics give you a much better starting point and will be versatile on other sources.

I'm sorry but if you can only have one mic the SM7 isn't the most versatile. They are great mics but if I got stuck on an island and I had a single preamp and a single mic the SM7b would not be it.

People on here often exaggerate the quality of mics, pres, rooms, etc. Yes all these things are important but honestly if you are half decent at positioning mics and can perform decently you can make a good sound whether you use top notch mics and pres in good sounding rooms or if you use mediocre gear in an untreated room.

Simply put JUST BUY WHAT WORKS FOR YOU and let YOUR EARS BE THE JUDGE.

Now don't waste too much time trying to make a decision all the mics suggested will work just get something and make some music.

[Thee_Adleen]

[QUOTE=roxxon;1552731]The AT3035 is a much better mic that the AT2020.

If you have a decent pre...With ample gain...
You should seriously consider buying a SHURE SM7.
It is probably the most versatile mic (dynamic) in it's price range.
It's a great all around mic.
I love mine.
I'd take choose it any day over the AT3035.

shure sm7 - Shure SM7B Professional Microphone - Microphones - Compare & Save at WinBuyer.com



Another


incorrect - they both, are cheap mics but I would use, a 2020 over the dull 3035 any day the at2020 is a much more brighter mic then at3035 I have both and very high end pres and I believe they're both great mikes however I would use the 2020 for male vocals and the darker 3035 for female vocals

That said, you can't judge a book by its cover

[PoorGlory]

I use the AT3035s and CAD M179s.... the AT3035 works great on overheads mostly. I think the M179 is a better all around mic. Better for vocals and stringed instruments, as well as percussion. I've tried the M179 on overheads a few times, but I always inadvertently end up EQing it to sound closer to what the 3035 gives me.

Neither is a fantastic vocal mic..... but get a pair of both anyway!