Audio-Technica ATM450 Small-diaphragm Condenser Microphone Reviews

Why these mics aren't more widely known or mentioned in audio mic reviews of drum overheads is perplexing to say the least. I have used these in ORTF, Recorderman, X/Y and spaced pair and these always produce stellar results. Nice transient response. Very nice (not strident!) high end and just a very tight sound. I have mics that cost 4 times the price of these and I always come back to these. As far as close micing, I've yet to experience anything that sounds as good as this on a snare drum. Can't speak to other uses other than drums/percussion since I haven't used them in that capacity.
If you're in the market for some sdc overheads, seriously consider these sleepers.

I've got lots of expensive microphones, but this is my current goto for snare and toms. I won't say that it's any easier to place than a front firing mic. It's really not that difficult to get a 57 or 421 on a drum. It does, however, sound great. It handles drum levels great and gives a nice, full and detailed drum sound. I've got a small room and use it with drum clamps and an after market suspension mount with great results. I quickly threw it on an acoustic guitar while the player was singing. Rejection was admirable and the sound was quite decent.

I bought it just because of its design. There"s tons of places this thing can get too that traditional small diaphragm condensers may be too intrusive. So I bought it for that reason alone. And then it came and I hooked it up and recorded a few different sources. Man! This thing sounds great too! ...It should be in everyone"s arsenal.

We have tired this on hi-hats, overheads, cabs, toms and lots of other things. It rocks on all of them! But it's best use is on your snare top! Will change the way you mic the snare! It's side address makes it a perfect acoustic mic and it sounds awesome there too! Like I said - it's a major sleeper!

I've been using AT microphones since the early 1970's when their electret designs were some of the first decent sounding budget condenser models. Sweetwater hooked us up with a sweet deal on one of these and it's a hit out of the park in our studio!

This ATM450 is a really fantastic microphone which pretty much lives on the snare drum of our DW studio drum set at Proworkshop Recording. Clarity, realism, directional control, convenient size and packaging all add up to a very versatile microphone.

Previously I was using a Beyer M201TG on the snare and absolutely loving it, now the Beyer has moved to mic'ing the bottom of the snare and the ATM450 is handling the top. The ATM450 is the best recorded snare drum sound I've ever had in 50+ years of recording music.

Pull your SM57's off the snare drum and try one of these, it will blow you away with great snare drum sound.

Good music to all!

So far I've used these as overheads and on acoustic mandolin and I've got a new "go to" for both. They're excellent, grab a pair!

I started using these mics on a recommendation from a friend as overheads. They are the first out of the box for Hat and Ride mics, the mount and side address help with placement in some tight kit set-ups.
I also use them in a stereo configuration for a brass quintet I have to re-reinforce a few times a year. This is the first mic I choose for micing bass cabinets - a lot of detail and tone.
I own 5 and just ordered my 6th.

I use this on my bass cab live' the results will blow you away! Super articulate with amazing response, just try it out and you will see what I mean. Also great for overheads and other acoustic instruments.

Originally I just liked the fact that it was a side address mic, the specs were good too. But this mic does bring out really good detail for the price. I've been using these on toms so far and they sound great. I'm going to try one on a snare. Also, the pad and high pass filters are a plus.

I bought one of these to mic a horn player and was blown away by its depth and overall sound. I since have bought two more and use them as overheads on a drum kit, acoustic guitar and all kinds of drums. Get at least one of these!

I forgot to mention that this mic is also amazing on snare drum. You can easily place it out of stick hitting range and get a great snare sound. Depending on the snare drum and player I've recently only been using this with no snare bottom mic.

HI-hat, snare, acoustic guitar, cello, toms, overheads. If you need detail and a small profile mice this the way to go. I've never gotten a compliment on my hi-hat sound before using this mic......... which is a compliment right?

We are miking a Yamaha grand piano in a church for the purpose of both live and recorded sound. Having priced out a number of systems for picking up piano sound, this turned out to be a great (and more economical) alternative! We set up two mics by mounting them to the ribs above the strings, one above the higher register and one above the lower. The low-profile, side-address design allows us to keep the lid closed entirely, which has noticeably helped us prevent bleed from other sound sources.

As far as setup goes, placement is crucial, so you'll have to experiment to find the right spot above the strings and the right balance mixed between the two channels. But once you nail down the location and lock it in, these mics deliver a really flat sound that mixes well. They're very forgiving, and don't seem to have any bad habits. I'd certainly recommend them for anyone looking for an alternative option for miking a grand piano.

This is a fantastic mic. I intern at one studio nearby and I set up for the engineers, most use this for cymbals. It took me a moment to hear the benefit of this over other mics but when I finally applied this a few months ago I was blown away by how it sounds. Sometimes I am inclined to use a little bit of compression to help the cymbals stand out when needed, but I never feel like I need to with the 450! I'll even use it as an OV in a bind. Getting more soon.

I use a pair for recording in ORTF for orchestra, concert band, and choral ensembles. Being cardioid it lacks the bottom end of an omni, as you would expect, but the complexities of loud passages with full percussion come through with great depth and openness. The form factor lends itself to AB or ORTF stereo. The published response curve does not show up sonically, as these seem spared of the typical harshness in the upper mids and low highs of a small condenser. The size helps with storage and for a low profile during concerts if those things matter. They handle loud transients very well, reminding me of more expensive mics. If I were a drummer, this would be my main road mic for snare and overheads. They are an optimal trade between quality and cost.