Audio-Technica AT2020 vs AT2035 - One of These is The Best Budget Microphone for the Price

The Audio-Technica AT2020 and the AT2035 are some of the best budget condenser microphones you can buy, I personally love how they sound on my voice. For the price, these microphones are hard to beat....maybe. One of these is definitely a better value than the other in my opinion.

Timestamps:

Mic Talk - 0:00
What is Self Noise? - 2:03
Personal Preference - 3:46
An Apology - 5:15
Blind Guitar Test - 6:14
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In case you want to know what gear I use all the time.

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Interface:

Microphones:

Synths and Controllers:

Amp:

Software and DAWs

[AudioHaze]

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[simonparkinson-jones]

For this test i preferred the 2020. The bass was rounder and seemed to have more character whereas the 2035 seemed crisper. The point made concerning the difficulty in getting identical recording situations was well-made!

[cjpreyes]

Love the self noise explanation. Very well said, learned alot

[lusiselmascapo]

Really great videos man!! And quality so good too, just discovered your channel and subbed inmediately!

[ArtofZenDigital]

I’ve noticed that the 2035 sounds amazing with the Motu M4. The noise floor is very low on the M4, and it really does help lower what little noise the 2035 has. The ESS pre amp on the M2 and the M4 is amazing, at the 12 position on interface, there’s still a very solid wave file, which isn’t loud enough to add any noise, and it’s high enough that stacking vocal tracks isn’t required, nor is Logic Pro post production noise removal. In a way, the Motu M2 is essentially the same for a lower price, but it’s headphone amp, while very good, simply isn’t as powerful as the one on the M4. The added inputs on the M4 are nice too, everything else sounds the same between the 2 interfaces. Any room noise that’s present is gone with the Motu and the 2035 80hz cut. I had my overhead central air on, which is above my recording area, and I’m in a city, so as a test, I opened my window as well, which blocks outside noise incredibly well when it’s closed, to test that out. A siren was going off and none of it made its way into the recording test.

[Tennisers]

in the blind comparison for guitar, i liked at2020 more, maybe it's just because i'm used to how it sounds.

[Towert]

You did a good job describing DBs of noise, but one thing to keep in mind, dB is logarithmic scale, so 15 dB is not half as loud as 30 dB. Each 3 dB is effectively a 'doubling' of loudness.

[sec]

Slight correction: 0 db SPL is not complete silence, it's 20 micropascal (the "absolute threshold of hearing"). Silence is negative infinity (0 pascal).

[pakfumejia]

commenting for the algorithm before i watch the video!

edit: no worries about.the male vocal test! the guitar test was great!

[Prod.B-LOCZ]

4:50 Currently using the at2020 for recording vocals at my home studio. I was set on upgrading to the NT1 but your videos on the sm57 have me tempted to go for this instead. The at2020 definitely gets the job done especially since I primarily record rap vocals. My room has decent sound treatment but from time to time you’ll still hear background noise, either from inside my room or outside noises I have no control over. Now I’m thinking a dynamic & condenser mic combo is the way to go, at least for the time being.

[douglaskawaguchi]

What a great video, man, thank u so much

[OhGummy]

As far as Voice Over is concerned, how would you place the AT2035 and Rode NT1 and NT1A? I keep coming across people using the AT2035 as it seems to be friendlier for lower voices and more common in VO, but is it worth getting that when the Rode mics aren’t much more expensive?

[MrPhins]

Was the broken phone a result of trying to explain self noise to us laymen? Because, I can totally understand the frustration lol. Keep up the good work.

[LajosNagy]

RIP to the phone, my condolences. Great video as always!

[JoshTolbertUrbana]

Very late comment...But you know the AT2020 will work in the AT2035's shock mount. They use the same shock mount. :)

I have a pair of AT2020s...I'm probably going to pick up a pair of AT2035s. I like the more natural sound of the AT2035s, and the pad + 80Hz cut, plus the free shock mount and hard case make it _really_ price-competitive with the AT2020, especially if you buy the $39 shock mounts for the AT2020s.

I would consider still using the AT2020s for far room mics or something similar when you're gonna crush them hard, but the AT2035s will (IMHO) be better for about everything else.

I'm listening on a pair of Sony MDR-CD900ST cans, which are well-known for not coloring sound...

[kickbuttowski]

Which would be better? AT2020 or Blue Ember lol

Great vid :)

[AvisBoone]

WOW!!! How in the world did you lose what you recorded? It did not go to the cloud?

[arunsiddharthsai]

Hi brother, Akg p420 or Audiotechnica 2035 ? Which is worth to

[koolkd]

Great explanation, I was thinking of getting a at2020 usb x for music production. I know xlr mics are better, this is just momentarily but do you think it would preform well?

[johnheiser]

I have both and each is an exceptionally good mic in itself.