Whether you have a room that sounds good, or need for easily achievable classic radio-like sound for your voice anywhere, A-T got your back.
Audio-Technica recently released the AT2040 often dubbed “the smaller brother of the BP40 and the AT2020 has recently reached a million sold products. We took this opportunity to highlight some of the differences and similarities of these products. The similar price point and often overlapping applications of the microphones may make the choice difficult in some cases and there are a number of factors we would consider before providing final advice.
The AT2020 is one of the most often mentioned products of the brand which is due to its durable construction, reliable quality, versatile use and not least its natural sound and precise sound pickup. It is a cardioid condenser microphone which makes it applicable in a very high number of situations.
The AT2040 has everything any podcaster would need in a microphone. Its hypercardioid pickup pattern and dynamic capsule allows for a different taste of a sound and makes the microphone more forgiving in acoustically challenging situations.
Given these differences if one is looking for a standard radio-like sound it is a better call to go with the AT2040 as its frequency response and the near-field effect together – when placed close to the source – produces warm, yet clear audio. The looks of the microphone and the fact that it will pick up less of the room make it also a nice choice for quick podcast setups.
On the other hand the AT2020’s condenser nature gives a much higher sensitivity, and its cardioid pattern along with that will tend to capture the room reverberation. This means that the audio will more directly represent the acoustic environment. If the room is not, or badly treated that will affect the result as well. The microphone’s more linear frequency response however allows using this microphone even for instrument tracking and other more specialized uses.
