I had so much fun creating the “5 great mics for 399.00 and under” that I decided to offer a category for mid priced mics.  This article lists and describes a handful of really good microphones that a savvy studio engineer can still afford, but that can stand up well as their one and only mic, or contribute to a growing collection.  The mics in this price range are generally going to be more versatile their less expensive siblings.  For example, three of them are multi pattern/dual diaphragm condensers as opposed to only one in the $399.00 range, and two of them are tube mics, whereas the aforementioned budget category has none.  The perspective I am coming from is that of a project studio owner who needs one good large diaphragm condenser mic, and who wants to up the ante by spending a little more than $399.00 to achieve their production goals.  So let’s begin!

 

Number 5 Audio Technica 4050 ($549.00 to $599.00 street)

 

Audio Technica’s venerable 4050 is a stock workhorse mic if their ever was one.  It is use in many studios, both pro and project, primarily as a rock and roll vocal mic.  It is loud, clean, and forward.  With three polar patterns, a pad, and a roll off, it certainly a multi duty mic, or perhaps a go-to among many mics for certain vocal styles.  There are many who really like this microphone, and would even challenge its position on this list, but it does have a couple of slight drawbacks.  For mics in this price range, 17db of self noise for a transformerless mic is a tad loud.  It is certainly respectable, but these are the noise specs that I expect to see in a tube mic, and if I get a good tube sound from it, I’ll often take the trade off.  17 db self noise makes it just about the loudest mic on this list.  If I have extremely quiet material to record, such as delicate acoustic guitar, this mic would pass in a pinch, but I really would prefer to be in the 7 to 14 db range.  The second reason is sound.  While the AT4050 is a good, hi fi distortion free mic, its frequency response leaves it a bit stiff to my ears.  Many engineers like its neutrality, and find it a good benchmark to compress and eq, I have just never been enamored with the tone.  With that said, it is still a rugged, well engineered mic that can accurately record more than a few vocal styles and instruments well, and its multi pattern status helps it rise above many other worthy mics to make the short list.

 

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