Audio-Technica AT8035 Shotgun Condenser Microphone Reviews

This mic performed better than expected. I have always wanted a good shotgun mic for recording in a non-soundproofed environment, but they were out of my price range. This one fit right into my budget.

The recent weather has been hotter than usual and we had to keep the AC running to keep it cool in my apartment. In the past I had to turn off the AC while recording, then it would struggle to cool down the apartment after we were finished. This time I left the AC running and decided to just record a scratch vocal. On the playback the vocal was completely isolated and there was no trace of the AC noise.

Additionally, the mic has really good presence for a vocal. Everything was crisp, clear, clean. This is now one of the best mics in my arsenal.

I mostly record rock and pop music. I use a U87 or an SM7B almost daily. I recently have been taking other gigs such as Podcast, audio books, and things that are just dialogue. I am honestly blown away by this mic. A client brought tis in to try out and A/B to my other Go To mics. Honestly it sounds way better, fuller, and has a much lower noise floor than the SM7B. Im a fan for sure. Kinda of shocked at the price honestly.

I used this mic on a boom to record some foley, outdoor ambiance, and dialogue. It's above average at all 3, and still relatively small and light. The side rejection isn't as good as I'd like, but for the price it's still excellent. AT never ceases to impress.

I wish there was an inline preamp like the FetHead Phantom available on Sweetwater! I had to order mine elsewhere, but it works really well with the AT8035. Boosts the audio levels without introducing noise or peaking.

I bought this mic a couple years ago from Sweetwater and I can say that it has meet my needs in many areas. I do ambient and nature recording. I also do Foley and voice over on a small scale.

This mic is great for really reaching out and getting the sounds that I need whether it is fox kit playing in the field across from my home or the many birds singing at the river outside of town.

There are a couple of downside to this mic and one of them is it does not like high humidity. When the humidity reaches a certain point I will get an occasional popping sound in my recording. This has not been a big problem but it is worth noting...

The other problem Is rather a personal one and that is that I should have bought 2 of these mics so that I could have an adjustable stereo spread while out recording.

Great mic, great price and the people at Sweetwater were great in helping me put together a great kit...It has been awhile since I have ordered for my recording hobby but when I entertain such Ideas my mind always returns to Sweetwater

I love this microphone. We're using it for audio capture on independent films (for which I edit audio and compose music) and it's exceeded expectation since we bought it a couple months ago. It's such a clean, neutral (but not boring), and pleasant-sounding shotgun mic that I'm tempted to use it as a studio small-diaphragm condenser for acoustic instrument recording, too.

At this point I'm a big Audio-Technica fan. Their higher-end mics are still very affordable despite excellent quality. This mic, like others of theirs that I love (particularly the 4033), is rugged, built in Japan, aesthetically pleasing, and seems to be utterly reliable. Like other AT mics, it goes toe to toe with German industry standards costing several times as much. Don't get me wrong, I love the great German mics and use them whenever I can, but in terms of bang-for-buck, AT probably can't be beat in the industry today.

I am the sound dude on a game development team. I needed something to capture gunshots and their carry outside of my Tascam recorders. I mainly went after this one because my nice condenser mics were stolen out of my car in Feb, for the price and promotional deal, length, and the fact that I've been wanting a shotgun mic for a long time.
I worked with my sales rep Patrick Cobley to find if a dead cat pop filter would fit, even fit over the included pop filter to avoid expected wind. After a bit of him going out of his way to measure and test out my help request the results came back that it fits, but still is a bit short from the phase delay ports at the bottom while still being around the included pop filter. I was unsure about the purchase at the time and decided to save it for later. I bit the bullet and recorded out in the wind without a wind filter. With all of the strong wind out at the range and at all distances from the firearms and up-close captures of handling, I was able to save ALL recordings from the wind! The included pop filter is really dense and absorbent. At every location I could not avoid the clipping, but things still worked out. This mic is super sensitive. Now I wish I pointed the mic away from the firing line for a really cool effect. Next time.
My first mic tests was in town by a busy road and indoors. It was quite psychedelic haha. I'll explain. I was recording in mono knowing the mic is mono and not stereo yet the turning cars and music around the corner made things sound stereo. I believe it to be because of the phase delay. I had to check and recheck the recorder. Indoors was nuts. To start my studio is not treated. I sat at the door way recording out into the living room and had a friend talk straight in front of me. The sound ahead was clear as day while the phase delay picked up the echo/reverb of the room behind the mic. It makes for a really cool effect!
The model is shorter than I expected and much lighter without the battery installed. It is a metal body throughout with a nice finish, just super light. I like things that have a good weight to them, but as I used it going portable I was very thankful that it was so light. I fear though that it could bend or break if left alone with someone, handled, or stored incorrectly. It is almost a $300 mic and that is a lot for me, and the more expensive the more I take care. Best to keep it in the case whenever possible! The XLR port is extremely solid and tough for the body being so light and delicate. The battery catty is very flimsy and I avoid opening it. You have to supply your own AA battery.
The last thing on the list is something to consider if you are recording using the battery. There is a noticeable addition of static when when recording with it in use vs phantom power from the Tascam. I am not bothered by this since I have found a way I can edit to use every part of the recs. The mic power is passive when phantom power is enabled and so the battery usage is non-existent.
Adding this to my collection has really improved things and I am saving for another!

I've owned one for about a year but used one for years prior and always loved its natural, clear, human sound. It captures audio sweetly and with a big output that records well. I did some A-B comparisons with it and other shotgun mics and this one was undefeated, both in terms of audio quality and low noise. There's no downside, especially not with the price.

Not completely noise free but fairly low with a proximity of a 3 or 4 feet