AT2020 acoustical mod samples

mprewett · 26th February 2009

I got an AT2020 for Christmas (in the AT2041 pack) and decided to do some acoustical modifications to it to see what would happen. I got the idea from the mods Michael Joly does.

I took apart the mic, removed all the secondary screening and removed the foam/tape from the capsule. That's all I did. The body already has foam dampening, so that was already taken care of.

I recorded the samples by running the mic through a Mackie 1202VLZ3, tape outs to my M-Audio 24/96. I did my best to keep the mic recording position the same before and after. All the samples were recorded about 7" from the source, 12th fret on the guitar, with the voice also 3 or so inches above the capsule so I avoided singing directly at the now foamless capsule.

For the record, the AT2020 is a 16mm capsule (the same capsule as the AT2021, as near as I can tell) set in a larger housing in a side-address body with different electronics than the AT2021. It is by no means an LDC, as is often advertised by retailers (even though Audio-Technica makes it very clear it is not an LDC).

I wanted to post these to see what people thought. I haven't seen any mods for these mics listed on the board, so I thought I'd share my experience.

Cheers,
mike

mprewett · 26th February 2009

For anyone who decides to venture into these mics, I can tell you that you'll need a Phillips 00 and 0 size screwdriver, a no-flame heat source (such as a soldering gun) to apply to the outer screws to break the locking glue, and that the capsule housing is attached to the mic screen by a thick foam double sided tape. Also, the grounding mechanism for the circuit is direct from the pcb board to the mic body, so don't expect it to be grounded until you re-assemble.

Cheers,
mike

strewnshank · 26th February 2009

Thanks for the tips...I'm checking out the clips now...

Heartfelt · 26th February 2009

thanks for the clips.

mprewett · 2nd March 2009

A picture of the capsule for anyone interested.

D. Rumble · 8th March 2009

I think this is a wonderful example of a very affordable mic that simply sounds like it's a mic several times its price. Your guitar sounds awesome, also.

As for the mod... The difference is extremely subtle, but I'm hearing just a pinch extra highs in the modded mic, possibly bordering on being a tiny bit harsh, while the un-modded mic sounded nice and smooth at the top. I personally don't feel like the mod is neccessary. The mic sounds great out of the box.
To me , Audio Technica is the only brand who's condenser mics below $300 actually sound great and very usable. As opposed to the cheaper MXL's and Studio Projects mics, which have an annoying buzz in the highs.

I absolutely love my AT3035 on vocals, acoustic guitars, overheads and as a room mic.

d.

AND · 8th March 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by D. Rumble

I think this is a wonderful example of a very affordable mic that simply sounds like it's a mic several times its price. Your guitar sounds awesome, also.

As for the mod... The difference is extremely subtle, but I'm hearing just a pinch extra highs in the modded mic, possibly bordering on being a tiny bit harsh, while the un-modded mic sounded nice and smooth at the top. I personally don't feel like the mod is neccessary. The mic sounds great out of the box.
To me , Audio Technica is the only brand who's condenser mics below $300 actually sound great and very usable. As opposed to the cheaper MXL's and Studio Projects mics, which have an annoying buzz in the highs.

I absolutely love my AT3035 on vocals, acoustic guitars, overheads and as a room mic.

d.

+1...I sold my 2020 because of the hi's..But I did keep the little pencil mic that came in the bundle...sounds great on acoustic guitar and acoustic bass!!

mprewett · 10th March 2009

Thanks for the kind words, D. Rumble.

I agree the affect is subtle. I did the mod because I hoped to bring a little more clarity to the midrange and to un-rumble the bass. I didn't get any action in the midrange, but the increase in the HF response did help to un-rumble the bass a little, which is more important to me than the increase in high-end sizzle. So, from my standpoint, the mod was a minor success.

AND, it's curious to me that you'd keep the 2021 but ditch the 2020 because of high-end response. To me, the HF on the 2021 is pretty abominable, and much, much more present than on the 2020. I did the same basic mod to the AT2021 (i.e., removing anything in the sound path) to hopefully bring some clarity to the high-end and get rid of that atrocious sizzle, but it barely did anything. I may attempt an electronics mod at some point. Heck, if I can get some money together to buy better mics, I might try to dig into the capsule itself. I'm curious what would happen if the metal filter and screen that is on there was removed. Really curious.

Cheers,
mike

billyindonesia · 30th March 2010

good on voice thumbsup but not for an acoustic guitar

i dont know its caused by mackie mixer or the m-audio

anyways..
for what i heard the mod doesnt bring big differences..
thanks for sharing

and thanks for the clips and hard work

pasarski · 30th March 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by mprewett

A picture of the capsule for anyone interested.

That's a one ugly looking capsule and capsule mount!

TurboJets · 30th March 2010

Seems to me there's something phasey about the mic that is actually emphasized by the mod. You can hear it when the artist (OP) moves to stop recording at the end of the vocal performance. I hear an emphasis in the same phasey quality on the fingerpicking clips. It's a phase issue the foam (before the mod) seems to cloak. Of course this same characteristic is a little desireable on the strumming samples. Pretty curious, interesting. Anybody else picking up on that? mprewett, do you hear that phase issue when you listen back to the clips?

I've done mods like this also (mxl990 for ex.) with excellent results. Joly's been experimenting and advising about physical mods like this for more than 10 years now. The results are usually fantastic, but I find it interesting how it sometimes reveals the design flaws that are inherent in the mic to begin with, not that the 2020 is a bad mic - it's a nice mic with a good sound, especially for the price. And I'm a huge fan of anything from AT.

2nd March 2009	#5
mprewett Gear maniac Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Kent, OH Posts: 188 Thread Starter	A picture of the capsule for anyone interested. Attached Thumbnails

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26th February 2009	#2
mprewett Gear maniac Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Kent, OH Posts: 188 Thread Starter	For anyone who decides to venture into these mics, I can tell you that you'll need a Phillips 00 and 0 size screwdriver, a no-flame heat source (such as a soldering gun) to apply to the outer screws to break the locking glue, and that the capsule housing is attached to the mic screen by a thick foam double sided tape. Also, the grounding mechanism for the circuit is direct from the pcb board to the mic body, so don't expect it to be grounded until you re-assemble. Cheers, mike

26th February 2009	#3
strewnshank Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Boston Posts: 1,604	Thanks for the tips...I'm checking out the clips now...

26th February 2009	#4
Heartfelt Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 2,432	thanks for the clips.

8th March 2009	#6
D. Rumble Gear maniac Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: NYC Posts: 197	I think this is a wonderful example of a very affordable mic that simply sounds like it's a mic several times its price. Your guitar sounds awesome, also. As for the mod... The difference is extremely subtle, but I'm hearing just a pinch extra highs in the modded mic, possibly bordering on being a tiny bit harsh, while the un-modded mic sounded nice and smooth at the top. I personally don't feel like the mod is neccessary. The mic sounds great out of the box. To me , Audio Technica is the only brand who's condenser mics below $300 actually sound great and very usable. As opposed to the cheaper MXL's and Studio Projects mics, which have an annoying buzz in the highs. I absolutely love my AT3035 on vocals, acoustic guitars, overheads and as a room mic. d.

10th March 2009	#8
mprewett Gear maniac Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Kent, OH Posts: 188 Thread Starter	Thanks for the kind words, D. Rumble. I agree the affect is subtle. I did the mod because I hoped to bring a little more clarity to the midrange and to un-rumble the bass. I didn't get any action in the midrange, but the increase in the HF response did help to un-rumble the bass a little, which is more important to me than the increase in high-end sizzle. So, from my standpoint, the mod was a minor success. AND, it's curious to me that you'd keep the 2021 but ditch the 2020 because of high-end response. To me, the HF on the 2021 is pretty abominable, and much, much more present than on the 2020. I did the same basic mod to the AT2021 (i.e., removing anything in the sound path) to hopefully bring some clarity to the high-end and get rid of that atrocious sizzle, but it barely did anything. I may attempt an electronics mod at some point. Heck, if I can get some money together to buy better mics, I might try to dig into the capsule itself. I'm curious what would happen if the metal filter and screen that is on there was removed. Really curious. Cheers, mike

30th March 2010	#9
billyindonesia Gear nut Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 118	good on voice thumbsup but not for an acoustic guitar i dont know its caused by mackie mixer or the m-audio anyways.. for what i heard the mod doesnt bring big differences.. thanks for sharing and thanks for the clips and hard work

30th March 2010	#11
TurboJets Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 1,758	Seems to me there's something phasey about the mic that is actually emphasized by the mod. You can hear it when the artist (OP) moves to stop recording at the end of the vocal performance. I hear an emphasis in the same phasey quality on the fingerpicking clips. It's a phase issue the foam (before the mod) seems to cloak. Of course this same characteristic is a little desireable on the strumming samples. Pretty curious, interesting. Anybody else picking up on that? mprewett, do you hear that phase issue when you listen back to the clips? I've done mods like this also (mxl990 for ex.) with excellent results. Joly's been experimenting and advising about physical mods like this for more than 10 years now. The results are usually fantastic, but I find it interesting how it sometimes reveals the design flaws that are inherent in the mic to begin with, not that the 2020 is a bad mic - it's a nice mic with a good sound, especially for the price. And I'm a huge fan of anything from AT.