Audio Technica AT2020 - User review

User Review
Sound Quality		7
Ease of use		10
Features		6
Bang for buck		10
Score: 83%

Audio Technica AT2020

Published by Tom Higgins
29th December 2011

More product information

Audio Technica AT2020

Well, I think this is a great mic. It is certainly great value for money.

When compared to my SM57, it sounds much more open and sensitive (as it should) so it is ideal for vocals and acoustic guitar. It is also more full-sounding so it is quite pleasing as a drum and electric guitar room mic. Its low self-noise makes it a lot more usable than my cheap SDCs for quieter sources.

The review of it on Sound On Sound is particularly supportive. Audio Technica AT2020. I disagree with the SOS review insomuch that they felt the self-noise was a problem. For all sources in the studio, it is perfectly acceptable. All other reviews and opinions that I've seen have been in favour too.

This is a great mic for those starting out. They're also cheap enough to get a decent stereo pair. (Using them as drum OHs gives a more full sound than my SDCs).

On the other hand, please note that it has a 3/4" capsule and is limited to one polar pattern. For that reason, I rated its features as only '6'. The 3/4" capsule would technically mean that it is not able to reproduce bass so easily, but I have yet to find this a problem. Having variable polar patterns would be a nice addition but there's no way that this can be expected at such an affordable price.

Great mic. Thanks for reading. PM me for any more questions!

By mikeg09 on 30th December 2011

User review
Sound Quality		9
Ease of use		10
Features		6
Bang for buck		9
Score: 85%

The AT2020 is a nice microphone that should really be a couple hundred dollars more expensive. This microphone was my first one that I bought. It is built very solid and it has a nice paint finish as well. The sound of the AT2020 is very transparent and can often sound thin and hi-fi. It definately does not sound like a vintage micropone and does not have a defining characteristic about it.
It does have its own sound but its more like a bright sounding microphone. Pairing it with different preamps is where you can get different colors. I have herd many people use it for overheads as well. The sound of the AT2020 is also very detailed like many of the Audio Technica microphones. Very modern sounding.
Overall if you are looking for a high quality clean sound, this is the mic to get.
For a hundred dollars it is really good especially if you are just starting to get serious about recording.

By brianellefson on 12th January 2012

User review
Sound Quality		6
Ease of use		8
Features		4
Bang for buck		5
Score: 58%

I own it. It never gets used.

I know what the frequency chart says on it, but it just always sounds extra hyped on the high freqs to me. I suppose under the right situation I'd use it here and there, but not on Vox. MAYBE on acoustic guitar. Maybe as a room mic on an electric guitar.

Just could never find my way around the high freq hype. Couldn't get vocals sounding right with it.

Overall, still, not a bad deal for less than a hundred dollars, just not my thing.

By guit145 on 19th January 2012

User review
Sound Quality		4
Ease of use		7
Features		6
Bang for buck		5
Score: 55%

First LDC mic I bought many years ago. Hasn't left the drawer for several years. Noisy and harsh on the high end. Build quality is okay, but I just can't think of anything it would sound good on. Maybe I'll try it again when I'm in an exprimenting mood, but for now I get no use out of it.

By shreddersinc on 2nd February 2012

User review
Sound Quality		9
Ease of use		9
Features		7
Bang for buck		10
Score: 88%

AT2020

I'm very impressed with this mic overall. It captures my girlfriends voice very accurately, doesn't seem to add any color or take anything away from her voice. Proximity effect isn't anything like my sm57 and of course this is a whole different kind of beast. Also, we have not had a problem at all with any sibilance.
I can't tell yet if the noise floor is a little high or if it's the noise from my computer, hard drive or family

I'll have to get to the bottom of that one. It would be nice if it came with a shock mount and pop filter, but you can pick one of those up from a different company for a reasonable price.
The microphone does pick up reflections rather easily, But at the same time I have a bad room that is almost square and very small.
One nice thing about this mic is you can move back from it, without the need to turn up the gain. Also, with some careful placement you can get a useable recording of an acoustic guitar.
Build quality is O.K, at least as good as what you would expect. I recommend that you add this no brainer to your mic locker or at least give it a listen.

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