Audio-Technica Review: AT3035 Cardioid Condenser

History: Primarily a singer, I've been playing guitar for about 10 years, been in a band (drummer!), and have continued to record and play with other musicians on a non-professional basis. My styles range from folk to hard rock, with heavy power-pop leanings -- Big Star, not Green Day.

Purchase: Bought at Guitar Center on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles for $200. I needed a better microphone for acoustic guitars and vocals.

What I Like About This Audio-Technica AT3035 Cardioid Condenser: I can't afford higher-end mikes that cost $4000, and I am quite pleased with the sound I get from the AT3035. After acquiring it, I used it on an acoustic-guitar/vocal recording and was stunned at how much clearer the sound was compared with my old recordings. I also use it for film voice-over and ADR work and the mike yields pretty clean results even without a soundproofed room. When shopping for the microphone at Guitar Center, I tested this against a Nady, an MXR and an AKG Perception -- some of those were more expensive than the AT3035, some were less -- but the AT3035 was the winner by a landslide in terms of clarity and construction quality.

What I Do NOT Like About The Audio-Technica AT3035 Cardioid Condenser: Nothing, really, except that the metal at the top of the microphone is a little soft and gets dented easily.

Audio-Technica AT3035 Cardioid Condenser Quality Rating: Very good. It's not too heavy, but feels sturdy enough. It also comes with its own shockmount and soft carrying case.

Review Summary: Getting this microphone completely changed the sound of my recordings. Suddenly my vocals began to sound much more professional, I could hear myself far better while recording and so I could also perform better. And the AT3035 also does fine recording acoustic guitars. For $200, it's a great piece of equipment.

Rating of this Audio-Technica product: 5

This Audio-Technica AT3035 Cardioid Condenser Microphones Review Submitted By: Derek Mok

Review Date: 2007-04-20