Great God Almighty

I own one of these AT4040 and I must say I am truly thankful to the Lord for it. I used it to record my female lead and backing vocals in a gospel song and it was great! The AT4040 handle the emotions and pressure of high soprano very well. When you have a mic that sound as excellent as the AT4040 it really brings out the best in you!

Solid Performer

I gave this mic a 5 rating because it performs as advertised...flawlessly. If you're looking for a microphone that will reproduce the source without adding or taking anything away, then this is the mic for you. Are there mics that will do the same with even more accuracy? Probably. However, you won't find any other mics for $300 that will accomplish this task better than this one. I had a client comment that the mic is probably how a mirror would sound if it were a mic.

Cosmetically, everything about the mic says "professional tool". I've had mics in the past where I'd look at them and they'd scream "home studio" back at me. Not this puppy. The shockmout IS a little...um, unconventional? I was a little worried about the whole elastic band thing holding the mic, but was surprised at how well it actually did once I got it in there. Good thing the included a dust cover. I have no desire to find out how many threadings and removals it takes to damage the thing, so I'm just gonna leave it in there. It's probably gonna get used quite frequently anyhow.

Finally, I'd like to add that I was so impressed by the way this mic peforms that instead of purchasing the TLM103 next, I'm going to buy the AT4060. They are pretty much the same price, the AT4060 gives me the option of vacuum tube warmth, AND after two Audio Technica mics (AT3035 and AT4040) I am confident I won't regret the decision. I think I'm turning Japanese...and I really think so.

From Overheads to Orchestras

As a tech for a school system, we use these mic's to record band, orchestra, and chorus concerts along with a wide variety of other events and are never disappointed with the results.

On the other hand, at home I use these mic's as drum overheads. The sound comparable to C414's at one third the price! They also excel at reproducing acoustic guitar and work well as a second mic along with an SM57 on electric guitar cabs. Definitely my go-to mic.

AT4040 is a winner

im very satisfied with this mic, i own this and a Focusrite TrakMaster PRO preamp, and together they produce great studio sound. -i mainly record vocals for Rap, Hip-Hop and R&B music. -very clean sound.

One of the best cheap mics

This mic is a great vocal mic. I used it to record a female jazz musicians vocals, and it sounded smooth, breathy and personal. I haven't used it much on percussion. I have played my classical guitar into it, and it makes that sound amazing too. This is a wonderful mic for a super cheap price. I am going to buy another one soon so I can make stereo recordings with it.

GREAT MIC!!!

If your in the Market for a good clean mic for vocals and other studio tasks you should look no further.

For the price, this mic is a winner.

Solid Mic for the Money

I was at first disappointed as I plugged it into my Yamaha Console with the wire I bought from Sweetwater, only to realize 2 hours later that because it was a high impedance cable that was also longer than my usual one I use, my sound has been castrated. I was very disappointed because my old AKG Perception 200 sounded better, untill I plugged the new mic using my old cable, and VIOLA. That's when the moment of joy came!

It has a very decent high frequencies that cut through the mic, but don't make your ears bleed like A LOT of cheaper mics. The lows are pretty broad, but I always roll them off for my heavy bass voice. Midrange is nice and destinct, that stands out, and gives a mic its character. Like someone else said here, this mic shows your voice as it is (or close to) in real life. If you looking for a mic to enhance vocals, this may not be the one.

This mic doesn't sound sterile, like many mics in the price range. The transient response is quick, but not precise like let's say on AKG Perception 200 or other AKG series mics. If you have a vocalist that uses a lot of multis (in rap) or staccato styles then the notes come in smooth, instead of distinguishing every note/first letter to the next (smooth transition).

It all depends on the taste, but for the price that this mic sells, it's def better than anything I've seen in $350 range. If you under budget, this mic is def great, and as far as I've seen I only heard good things about it. I love this mic for rap, rock vocals.
Gives it a nice place in a mix.

I suggest a nice mic pre and you got a mic that can rival some $500-700 mics.

Audio Technica has a winner.

This microphone defines "Bang for the buck". I am a Hip Hop/Rap Producer and musician, and this mic makes my vocals sound amazing. This was the first mic I personally bought, I now own this one as well as a Neumann U 87, and I must say there isn't much notable difference... Except the price of course.

If your looking for an outstanding microphone with a cheap price-tag, this is calling your name.

You get what you pay for.

This mic records the real you. It is very clear and absolutly worth the money.

An A-T Gem

I have owned this mic for about 3 yrs. and used it on my last couple of cd's for vocals. Ran it through an ART TPSII. Bought a Grace Design m101 micpre this year, ran the 4040 through it....WOW ! what a difference. I miced my guitar cab with it, again wow, tried it as a room mic and didn't care for it in that mode. Where it really shined was micing my acoustic, very open and true, captured the sound of the guitar very very well, not quite as open and airy as my MA200 but still didn't disappoint at all. Every home studio should have at least one of these mics. For the price they are outstanding.

A trusty work horse mic for 6 years and counting!

I've had one of these since 2002.. and it's a well built good all around mic for the price. My only complaint has been it's not the best choice for Rock or Pop vocals, and I have found it can't handle the highs of a upper register power vocal well (it likes to distort & become VERY thin when pushed too hard).

Overall though it's a fantastic all around condenser, well built mic for the money.. a must have for your mic locker!

Great Buy for the $$$

I bought 3 of these mics to start up my production company. We do everything from live and studio recording, dramas, live sound, etc and we've been 100% satisfied. If you're on a budget, but still need a good quality sound thats clean & not noisey, this mic is the best buy in its price range. We use it along with a tube mic pre to make it sound really nice and warm on vocals and I'm pleased. It's an excellent buy for the money and Audio Technica is known for outstanding quality and durability.