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Reviews For: Audio-Technica AT2035

Category: Microphones for ham radio

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Review Summary For : Audio-Technica AT2035
Reviews: 2MSRP: 128
Description:
Designed for critical home/project/professional studio applications and live performance, this side-address cardioid studio condenser delivers exceptional detail and low noise. Equipped with a switchable 80 Hz high-pass filter and 10 dB pad, the AT2035 handles high sound pressure levels with ease. Along with its rugged construction and high-performance specifications, the AT2035 provides an exceptional level of consistency from model to model. It comes equipped with a protective pouch and a custom shock mount.
Product is in production
More Info: http://https://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/cebb57a269d232ee/index.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
1525
LU7BSE Rating: 2023-03-10
Microphone for ESSB -Voodoo audio, at a good price Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Great microphone at a reasonable price, I find that this type of microphone is for use in ESSB - VooDoo AUDIO mode, with equipment that manages to have filters greater than 3.5Khz, ideally 7Khz, without that width in transmission it would not make sense, only for the view , in general, a warm, bright and very sensitive sound, the -10db Pad is very good and it is activated to achieve the approximation effect, it is immune to RF, both on the kenwood ts-990 and on the 950sdx it sounds fantastic, of course, that needs its 48v power supply and a good pre and above all an equalization curve.
by itself it doesn't work. By itself it doesn't sound good, like any condenser microphone.
W6LBV Rating: 2018-12-28
Bright Condenser Sound and Good Directional Performance Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Although they take a bit more effort to use successfully in Amateur work, I like condenser microphones for their greater sound pressure level sensitivity and brighter sound, compared to the usual dynamic microphones. So I was very interested when I read a product description for the Audio-Technica AT2035 microphone. This is a side-addressed condenser microphone with a cardioid response pattern. The 2035 is a member of the same Audio-Technica series as the popular AT2020, but the 2035 has better specifications. The slightly higher price for the 2035 is, IMHO, well worth the extra few dollars.

In my customary microphone testing, during which I record my voice (and others) directly to a computer hard disc with no external speech processing, the 2035 showed higher than typical sensitivity and output voltage. The 2035 delivers more than a 20 dB sensitivity increase compared to an inexpensive A-T cardioid dynamic microphone. If needed, an internal, switchable 10 dB pad in the 2035 will knock down some of the increased sensitivity. A second internal switch provides very low frequency (< 80 Hz) roll-off.

The 2035's microphone self-generated (electrical) noise was almost unnoticeable during recording. The resulting voice output was indeed “condenser mike bright” with a slight amount of warmness in this reviewer’s basso voice. The off-axis room noise rejection of the mike’s cardioid pattern was easily apparent, as all recordings are done at the ham station operating position.

The 2035 features a rugged metal case structure, and it is supplied with an acoustic suspension microphone mount that has industry-standard mounting threads (the 2035 is not a hand-held microphone!). The mike has no internal provision for transmitter keying.

Several observations follow, offered as general suggestions that are not necessarily specific for the 2035 product.

1. As with all condenser microphones, including electrets, it requires a “phantom” power supply bias voltage to operate (48 volts d.c. @ 2 ma in this case). The 2035 provides balanced audio line (XLR connector) output, which balanced line configuration many modern transceivers will accept. Older rigs may require a small audio transformer to match the balanced line to an unbalanced line transmitter audio input. A small and inexpensive Pro-Audio grade pre-amp or microphone processing package could also handle these requirements and could provide some voice shaping, but is not absolutely required. All of this is not difficult technology to use.

2. Most modern Amateur transceivers have well-engineered microphone speech amplification and modulator circuits. Any average-or-better modern microphone will “sound good” with these radios; the design challenges for transmitters to “cleanly” transmit 300 Hz to 3,000 Hz audio on-air are not great. Acceptably “good transmit audio” is now “standard at no extra cost,” doesn’t depend very much on the exact microphone used, but does depend on the operator’s skill at setting up his radio properly. There are no longer any “one-and-only, ‘magic’ microphones” needed for producing memorable voice radio transmissions and Donald Duck has retired from ham radio!

3. The AT2035 microphone is capable of producing fine work in other audio areas in addition to Amateur transmitting. It should be considered when a ham station microphone is also shared with public address duties, or live performance recording, or voice-over work, or home studios, or podcasting tasks.

4. IMHO, since even inexpensive general purpose dynamic microphones (in the $25 class) can sound good with modern transmitters, there is an upper limit (now $75) that I will pay for any new microphone which will be used exclusively for ham applications. In this case, I have some non-ham duties in mind for the 2035, and so its higher-than-my-limit purchase price was justified.

5. The (frankly) overpriced “ham-use-only” microphone products (from both the transceiver OEMs and the “Rock’n’Roll Sound Company”) are not cost justified if they are used solely for ham service. For the prices charged for these products a microphone should also be usable for higher quality work as well. Inexpensive mikes can provide good ham grade (only!) performance without the inflated prices.

Overall, I’m very pleased to have the AT2035 in my collection, and I look forward to using it for several different audio applications.