Audio-Technica AT4047/SV Cardioid Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone Reviews

Arguably one of the most underrated microphones in existence. It's my "secret weapon" vocal mic. I have compared it extensively to some high-end Neumann mics. It easily fits in the stable between a vintage U47 and a U67, with hints of a U87 on the top end. Buy two!

Right out of the box the mic performs with a richness in the upper-midrange where my voice happens to live. This mic was recommended by a seasoned engineer who works with all finest mics in a top studio.

I plugged in to a channel with my standard pro channel settings and it felt very "right". Then I recorded a track and turned off all the previously used plug-ins and it was nearly there without so much as turning a knob.

Love it.

This was the first "real/pro" mic I bought when I started my own studio 17 years ago. 3 studios later it is still with me. Please believe me when I tell you that this is the mic to have if you can only afford one good mic. I've given that advice dozens of times. Vocals, guitar, strings, horns, or anything you put in front of it sounds great. I've used it on Grammy-winning vocals. A first call Nashville session guitarist once told me it was as good or better than anything he'd ever heard on his acoustic at some prestigious studios. I was doing an accordion overdub at another producer's studio and the 4047 was what he put up. I had to laugh! I told him that's exactly what I use! He proceeded to tell me everything I'd just mentioned here about it being the go-to! You'll never look back after you hear it for yourself.

This is-as everyone else stated-an amazingly accomplished vocal recording mic. The combination of transformer -coupled FET sound and the low self noise makes for a very intriguing combination resulting in more resolution of level detail than expected. I've had my heart set on one for a few years and finally acquired it due to the great sale price Sweetwater offered. I wouldn't spend the additional funds on an "accomplished" Neumann. Just my 2c. Cable this right, with at least Mogami Gold quality, and you'll be in good shape!
Thank you!

I've been using Audio Technica microphones since the late '70's. The AT4047/SV has a unique color, there is some boost in the upper mids but not in the highs. My GF bought this mic for me for my birthday because she knew I'd been looking at it.

My voice is Baritone to Contra Alto. This microphone sounds bright on my voice but not in a bad way. I can stack three or four vocal layers with it and it does not sound harsh or strident at all.

I've also stacked it with another bargain AT mic, I've cut a vocal with our AT2035 and then doubled that and then laid two more doubles with the AT4047, the combination of the brightness from the 4047 over the smooth 2035 sounds great, deep and rich. We've had numerous guests and clients ask "what's that effect on your voice?". I never tell.

It's interesting that this microphone and the AT4050 have the same size diaphragm, both are smaller than one-inch in diameter. I have over 50 microphones, lots of high end AKG, a bunch of custom mic's I've built or modded and I can say that this AT4047/SV is getting a lot of use here lately.

One thing I've noticed in over 40 years of recording my own voice, regardless of what microphone I use I still sound like me. Some may make me sound a little better than others but there have been no magic bullets and that goes for the Neumann M149, U87ai, Telefunken U47, Bock 407 and a few other expensive microphones I've had along the way. It all comes down to the source, the microphone just bends it a little along the way.

This Audio Technica microphone bends my voice in a way I like. I also like that it's not tube so there's no external power supply to trip over in the studio.

This microphone does not sound good on my GF, after trying a lot of different microphones on her we've settled on either an old Shure PE54 or AKG B-ULS. I mention this because this AT mic bends her voice in a wrong way, it accentuates something in her upper register that is already loud so it gets made even louder by the AT4047 microphone. She sounds best on a smooth flat response mic like that old 414.

The shock mount for this mic is a little weird but it also works with the AT2035 so that is nice.

I've never had a bad Audio Technica microphone and including all of them since the 70's I've probably had over 20 that I used regularly for live and recording sound. A good consistent product you can rely on.

Good music to all!

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.

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 !!!

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

My friend owns a very good recording studio. He asked to cut a vocal in my project studio since I have good equip and my piano is better than his. I had been considering a tube mic and this was going to be my big chance to hear one in my studio. So, in he comes with his tube rig, power supply, hookup cable and insisted it warm up for about a half an hour. The mic on that woman sounded fine so I began my search to find the right tube mic for me. My research turned up dozens of guys that loved sharing their opinions on which mic, which tube to put in it, blah, blah, blah. I ended up buying the 4047 instead. It's smooth and unhyped and just what I needed for the clientele I work with, with no tubes, power supplies or lengthy warm ups. I do a lot of my work in the field and deemed the whole tube trip not worth the trouble. So, if you have a studio and don't mind searching for the best mic/tube combination then have at it. If however, you'd rather spend your time recording instead of trying out tubes then get one of these. After all, it's all about the talent and musicianship anyway. Lots of the people I work with would sound great on an SM57, but the 4047 will give better detail and very low noise. The shock mount is very effective but it's a bit clunky installing which cost this mic a half star. By the way, when looking for tubes you'll find one more abbreviation to add to your vocabulary-NOS. That stands for "new, old stock" which are new 40 (or so) year old tubes that were never sold. Have fun.

The only reason I don't give this mic a 5.0 is because nothing is perfect. For me, however, this mic comes close. It's the best sounding and easiest to use microphone I've encountered. The concept of spending $2-5000 on a German microphone is absurd to me - the $700 this cost is the upper limit of what I would pay for any pro audio with the possible exception of the right front end compressor and various Macs.

Make no mistake, this is not "prosumer" or lower quality. This pro microphone will run with anything in the locker at GC. I do a lot of acoustic guitar and male vox recording and for my rougher-edged playing and singing, it's a perfect match. Lay into it and it just sounds better and better. I like that it is made in Japan. It's sturdy and the shock mount is strong and effective.

This is perhaps not the best microphone for classical guitar or a crooner like Sting or Sinatra, but put a guy like Rod Stewart or Kim Wilson before it and stand back. Anything with grit will harmonize with this fabulous piece. You don't even need a fancy mic pre - but if you insist, I would go for a clean, hi-gain, solid state model, such as something from Grace or SSL.

I've used this mic to record both male and female voices ranging from R&B to bluegrass and it ALWAYS sounds great. Often I will use it as the only mic recording voices and instruments on one track simultaneously, as in the old days for bluegrass, and it sounds great. It's warm with plenty of detail. In that setting and with Adobe Audition's multiband compressor I get the "whole" sound. I've used it with a saffire pro, scarlett 18i6, ISA One and Avalon VT737 (I like it with the ISA One best so far.
The only reason I gave it a 4.5 is the shock mount, which works fine, but is a little fidgety getting it in and out of it. I got an SKB case with diced foam and just leave the mic in the shockmount now. I agree with the other reviews, it's warm as opposed to the overly bright trend, but never muddy. I don't feel like I'm missing any of the sound at all. With the ISA One I have a fully professional sound and my clients love it.

It's awesome. Just got it for my Home-Studio. Mouth noises are gone now.The mic is low-noise as well no hums. I can also keep
my air-conditioning on and it will not pick up any hum. I have it set on a Personus pre-amp and have the 80 pass on.
Found a better sound with that than the 80 pass filter on the mic.But I'm sure the mic is good as well. Just found the pre-amp a bit clearer.
It sounds just as good as any expensive mic that I've recorded with in pro-studios. Not too hot of a mic and at the same time clear sound.
Great for audiobooks

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.......

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

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!

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.

Warm but not muddy. Present but not harsh.. in most cases. I've used this mic exclusively on vocals, so I can't speak on how it sounds for other instruments. As far as vocals go, if I have a vocalist with a voice on the deeper side and a lot of energy, this mic seems to be at it's best. Kinda sketchy results if I have a vocalist with an airy tone or someone on the quieter side. In my opinion it doesn't work so well for that. The transformer circuit is noticeable. Definitely adds character. Nothing wrong with that, but it's not ideal for every vocaIist. I can hear a break up in the upper mids that resembles an FET type of saturation. BTW I run it into my clarett and straight into the DAW, and the room I track and mix in is treated well acoustically.. So my results should be fairly accurate. Overall a good 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.

I'm not sure why this mic is called "warm". It definitely has a colored sound. Big time. Beware--this thing sounds muffled, a little nasal, and like it attenuates some of the upper frequencies. But "warm"? If that is what warm means, then I'll have to come up with a new word for boring. I bought it to record my deep voice, and frankly it just doesn't work for me. I was expecting something "warm" to sound thick, round, dense, but still lively and plucky, like the warmth of a Fender Twin Reverb that's been pushed for about an hour. Not flat and boring from the get-go. I just didn't work for me in the vocal department.

On the upside, it does great on drums and percussion, smoothing things over nicely. Sounded great with congas, djembes, bongos, tambourine and claves. Also sounded good on wind instruments. Didn't try it on piano. Okay on acoustic guitar, nothing I'd rave about, but not bad, does cut down on the sticky finger gliss sound when changing chords. So that's a plus. Sounded pretty good on guitar amp too.

So if you want a couple of good drum overheads, or acoustic instrument, or amp mics, this mic will work pretty well. For a good vocal mic, I'd say look elsewhere.

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.