I am Smitten with this Mic

I rarely give any reviews a 5 but I am just in awe to this microphone. I just bought another one for a stereo set up. I read that the precision of these microphones are almost exact. I have had my first AT 4047 for at least 5 years now. I was a litte apprehensive of buying a new one due to the differences of a "broken-in" mic and a new one. But I can say I am pleased with the match since I have tested them with a piano set up. Very warm and catches every nuance. They sound very similar if not matched. Vocals on softer songs, I always go to this mic instead of the AKG B-ULS (which I use for more progressive vocals). Also, I use this as a room mic when I am recording amps (with a Heil PR30 snug to the grill and a Royer 101 8 inches away). It gives a great mix between the 3 mics. Overall, I am totally pleased with this Japanese microphone that really has a great vintage mixed with modern vibe.

SUPER VOCAL AND ACOUSTIC MIC

The AT4047/SV is a great Condenser for vocals and acoustic guitar. It utilizes a transformer in the output like some of the great mics of the past. Not tinny sounding like some of the over-priced Neumanns,which offer no pad or hi pass, and has great rich sound. This mic will surprise you if you've used cheaper AT models. IT"S NOTHING LIKE AN AT4040. A/B it against anything, it'll stand up ! it's awesome on male and female vocals. Kudos to AT !!!

Who needs a vintage pre amp!

First let me say, I like AT mics. I own 2 2035's I got for $95 each which are true externally polarized condensers. They work extremely well as drum overheads...if you know how to place them and do some very selective EQing to taste. I also have a 2050 I like for it's versatility. Both mics are incredible values and would be at twice the price, being fairly flat, get back what you put in type of unclouded sound that is rare at the price. The high end on these mics, while fairly present, does not have the brittle, harsh sound many chinese mics can emit. They are also very consistent in quality and specs making it easy to make a matched stereo pair.

But this is about the 4047SV. I just wanted to admit my bias. Like every one else, this mic is very different for AT. If you are a fan of the Golden Age Pre73, you don't need it with this mic. I have used it primarily for vocals and voice over type work. I couldn't believe how good it sounded through an SP VBT-1. It actually made the pre amp sound better...I was able to get a fairly warm and as someone else said, very "smooth" sound using little or no tube blend. Through a Focusrite Pro 40, it also sounded very good.and while Saffire pres are very quiet and clean, they do impart a very slight but musical bit of coloration. The 4047Sv again just took the sound of the pre to creamy levels. It essentially did the same thing through a 710 Twinfinity. It was very easy to get a good sound and it seems taking a little extra time finding the right sweet spot for different individuals/uses both with the roll off on and off saves a lot of time as little (if any!) EQing will be necessary. Like the others, I am very happy with this mic and plan on getting a 4047MP next.

Sweet Vintage Character

I got this mic a couple months ago and I have been blown away by the quality of the sound. Its got a darker, thicker sound to it than most condensers, which is perfect for a more coloured vintage sound. Vocals sound huge and this is the first mic I've had absolutely no problems with sibilance with! I've recorded acoustic guitar with it, and it sounds great although you'll get a very thick sound as well, so it takes up a lot of room in the mix. I'd definately reccomend it for male vocals seeking a smoother, classier sound.

a terriffic vocal mic

The AT4047 is the best deal for vocal and acoustic guitar use. I'ts got a very warm smoothe un-hyped high end treble response unlike other mics like the Neumann TLM103 ( $1000 ) and Rode NTK ($529 )which quite frankly sound brittle. The AT4047 got a frequency response that's perfect for recording most vocals !!! I like it as much as my Neumann U87 -if not more, and at the price it's a steal. It's built with quality throughout. It's manufactured in Japan, unlike a lot of other high end mics from companies like Blue who have alot of their mics (like the Bluebird and Baby Bottle )manufactured in China. For those of you that have actually used a vintage Neumann U47 FET you will find the sound of the AT4047 is quite similar.....

Unbeatable for the price, and the only choice if you dont have the right room/preamps

Unbeatable for the price, and the only choice if you don't have the right room/preamps (a studio is only as good as its weakest link). I use it mainly for ambient bass drum, or main jazz bass drum. However it excels on male vocals, acoustic/jazz guitar and sax.

Among the best for male vocals, cellos, and other complex bass

Our favorite microphone for a large percent of male vocals. The mic produces a full, round bass, with a lot of detail in the upper end. The characteristic curve drops slightly in the middle, providing a slightly accentuated high end. When used on cello, all the complex upper frequencies are easily heard, but silky smooth. Even used this mic on kick drum with very decent results. Do not recommend this mic for most female singers, though - especially those with sharp sibilance, which may be difficult to control with this mic. For instruments with little or no bass output, this mic may produce an over-active high end.... that is, in our opinion.

A really sweet mic for the price

I've owned this mic for several years, and every recording I've made with it sounds sweet! I sing in a couple bands, and our recordings have always surprised the other musicians I work with. I recently tracked vocals for a friends demo.....he was impatient and tracked a few songs before I came over with a cheaper/less quality microphone. We tracked the rest of his songs with the AT 4047. He was very disappointed when we A/B'd the tracks, the AT was light years better. Warm, present and killer in the mix. He should have waited til' I got there.......

Does it all

I have owned my 4047 for about 5 years, I own lots of mics but this one does it all.Great vocals, really nice room mic, perfect second bass drum mic, acoustic guitar........its all good

Warm and smooth

I've used this microphone on a number of sources; vocals, speech, acoustic guitar, kick drum. I don't recommend you use it inside a kick drum, as that use caused damage to mine (but it sounded great up until that point!).

I recorded a female vocalist with this mic plugged into a dbx 386 preamp. Her voice has the smooth softness of Alison Krauss, but a little more sultry (like Diana Krall, but without the "bite"). The mic captured her beautifully, singing a country-bluegrass tinged song. It lent a nice vintagey sound to the recording with its slightly muted high-end, and rich low-end. NOTE, when recording female vocalists, she'll need to back off the mic to about two feet or it will sound muddy.

For speech, it sounded like a person talking. Nothing more, nothing less. I call that a win.

The nylon classical guitar that I recorded with this mic and the same DBX preamp (386) wasn't the right combo for the instrument. While the sound was silky smooth, the resulting recording was a little dull on the high-end. This might be a good mic to use when taming an acoustic that's a little on the bright side.

I used it on the low side of a Steinway grand piano, with a 4050 on the high side. When located in the low sweet spot of the piano, it produced wonderfully rich, rumbling lows, with a very smooth overall character that stayed out of the way of the instrument's tone.

4.5 out of 5... It's not an all-purpose mic. However, on the sources it's good for, it shines through with stunning sound!

Smooth

This microphone is interesting, because it has a very different vibe going when compared to other Audio Technica products. Where other mics such as the 4050 and 4060 are very clean and detailed, the 4047 veers away from that and moves into a more "vintagey" colored sound.

The mic offers a low cut and a pad switch, both of which come in handy on every session. I have used this mic with great success on male vocals, guitar cabinets, and outside kick drum. I have found this mic to work great on smoothing out sibilant singers. "Smooth" is actually a great word to describe this mic. If you need clinical, look elsewhere, but if you are in need of a smooth-sounding, vintage inspired, colored mic, this is your best bet.

Decent Vocal Mic

This is a decent vocal mic, but I just compared it to the MA-201 (an FET mic in the same price range) and the MA-210 blew it out of the water. Not even close. Go for the Mojave if you're looking for an affordable FET vocal mic.

Student at SAE, Nashville

I did a 'blind test' on a Rode NT2 and the 4047 on a small guitar amp at my school. The main difference I heard was the 4047 had a slightly thicker low-end to it. On male vocals, the voice is very present, but without harshness... smoothe and thick, too. Threre is a negligible amount of off-axis coloration, so these sound great even when you really back off from the sound source. Bottom line: a great mic worth the price.