When I first got my Audio Technica Pro37 my first thought was, “How is something this small supposed to be so useful?!” I had read review after review of these, from Steve Albini claiming these were among the best mics you could get in the sub-$200 range, to my professor’s glowing endorsement, but none of them quite prepared me for exactly how tiny these mics are. I mean, these things are small, even for a pencil condenser. Of course, the first thing I did was try them out.
First thing I applied this to in a real world setting was an orchestral recording. I used it as a spot mic on classical harp and found that it was perfectly present upon the setting. Just enough highs to not be overly harsh, while maintaining the clarity required for a harp. After this, I went from one source to the next, trying to find something that was poorly represented through these. Using it on snare drum gave a great sound, until the drummer started playing too loud and it started to distort. After that, I tried them as overheads and as a high-hat mic, where it excelled at both, and even has its place alongside a dark ribbon on guitar cabs.
The next thing that I had to do was try them on a source that is a little less conventional for a small diaphragm condenser, the female voice. After hearing it on a classically trained vocalist, I was floored. These little things surpassed all my expectations for any small diaphragm condenser, especially at the price point.
These mics are wonderful little workhorses that can be applicable in nearly every situation. From live orchestral, to rock band studio, these guys will capture it all.
