Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone, With Built-In Headphone Jack & Volume Control, Perfect for Content Creators

Condenser mics are usually super sensitive which can sometimes cause lots of problems when you go cheap. The AT2020 and the rest of the line swerve this issue by just being less sensitive than usual. This makes them good all-rounders that are less prone to background and room noise while still retaining the detail and clarity that condenser mics are known for.Any model of AT2020 is plenty of mic for amateur podcasts, youtubing, broadcasting, streaming, homebrew voiceover work, home recording etc etc. For any professional recording work that feeds your family, especially singing, you probably are looking at other/better mics to begin with. Though this mic IS intended for vocals and should be quite decent for singing if it's set up right. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's basically intended for amateur/beginner usage.As for the USB+ version it's intended to fill a pretty specific niche. For anyone looking at a Blue Snowball/Yeti, Various Generic Mics, Gaming Mics, etc, this is a great alternative from a very trusted audio-centric brand. I already use a few different mics for my amateur studio stuff but I needed something that would interface with my main PC directly for gaming, video calls, some minor recording stuff, etc. USB is limited to what you are able to do with your PC. If you understand the limitations and you know what you want to do, there's nothing wrong with the USB version of this mic. However if you are trying to do anything more serious you probably want the analog XLR version and a separate external interface.A few tips to get this sucker working at its best.1) GET A MIC BOOM. These mics capture best from the side(or direct front if you will, as opposed to the end) and suspended as opposed to standing on a solid surface. So a full boom mount that lets you suspend and position the mic properly will make a big difference.2) FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS AUDIO GET A SHOCKMOUNT. Even though these are on the less sensitive end of condenser mics they're still very prone to vibration, floor noise, etc. Microphonics if you will, haha. Even a very cheap cage-style shockmount will negate a LOT of this. Things like vibrating hard drives, footsteps, and movement noises will carry through to this mic. The more suspended and disconnected it is from the room the better.3) GET A POP FILTER. Any sort of pop filter will make an immense difference with these mics due to their sensitivity. I prefer the foam stretch-cover styled ones because they have a very slight noise cancelling effect, preventing far away noises from picking up so clearly. Most importantly though pop filters prevent plosives.4) DO SOME ROOM TREATMENT. It doesn't need to be much. Just a couple cheap 12 packs of foam panels will do 99% of the job. There is no magic "one-size-fits-all" trick for acoustic panels. In my computer room I treated the wall immediately behind me and the wall immediately in front of me behind my speakers. It prevents a lot of room reflections outright and will likely also improve your speakers if you are a music person.Overall this is a cheap but capable mic that can be used for a lot with enough prep. It is definitely not a toy mic and is the real deal. A lot of currently HUGE professional artists got their start with an AT2020.

The AT2020USB+ is an excellent choice for pod-casting, making home and professional level voice-over recordings. Included in the box is an instructional leaflet, warranty card, a very short lightweight tripod mic stand, a 9 foot long USB connector cable and a soft carry pouch. The AT 2020USB+ records directly onto a computer through a recording software (not included), like Audacity and others. I have the (free) Audacity for mac and the (paid for) NCH Wavepad, and find Wavepad simple to use and easy to record and process the audio.The mic has a function for directly mixing the mic input with a pre-recorded audio from the computer it is plugged into, by means of an adjustable control on the mic. There is also a headphone jack to monitor the mic signal in real time with a volume control on the mic.When plugged in to a computer's USB port, the AT2020USB+ lights up with a bright blue led showing that it is on, as well as giving the 'front and center' mark for recording. Speaking into the mic from the front or a sideways angle of about 45 degrees on each side (90 degrees total) gives a very good quality of recording volume. Going beyond that angle towards the rear of the mic captures less and less sound. From a rough and ready test-- at a constant volume level of speech, the recorded volume comes to a fairly uniform maximum of -12 dB directly to the front of the mic and within a 45 degree range from the front. Going towards the back the max recorded volume drops to -18 dB or less.Thus the cardioid pickup eliminates a lot of ambient sounds from the side and back, but not all of it. The quality of the recording is bright and realistic. When recording in a home environment like bedroom/living room environment, the mic tend to give a slight echo effect even though there are soft furnishings and furniture. While this is not unpleasant, for professional quality recordings a regular or portable sound booth will be needed. A temporary one can be quickly rigged as described below.***Useful tips**** Quick tip for acoustic isolation -- Enclosing the mic in 12" sound absorbing Acoustic foam panels around the mic fixes this. These can be the Auralex Studiofoam Pyramid 2 Inches Thick and 2 Feet by 2 Feet Acoustic Absorption Panels, Charcoal (12 Panels) or similar, but in 12" square panels. The mic on the stand, aligned vertically upright is around 9.5 inches tall and easily can be accommodated in a 12" enclosure. I use 5 free-standing panels to create a 5 sided cuboid form (including a base) leaving the front side open. I prop the foam panels up against each other like a house of cards and dismantle them when not needed. The pyramid wedges of each panel loosely grip the edges/pyramids of other panels, somewhat untidy looking but very serviceable. [As I am in India I needed a local equivalent and found an excellent substitute for the Auraflex pyramid foam through an internet search. The cost was around $3.00 per 12" x 12" panel--6 panels total=$18.00 + phone calls to manufacturer and local conveyance to pick up the material=$4.00. (Total cost=$22.00)]* Pop Minimization & Filter -- For minimizing pops in the recording, record from a slight sideways angle rather than the front and center line of the microphone. While the AT 2020USB+'s grill design around the cardioid capsule reduces clicks and pops in closeup speech, a pop filter shield in front of the mic helps to remove the clicks and pops further. I made my pop filter with a 6 inch embroidery hoop with nylon hose stretched through it and it works well. Attached to a flexible goose-neck on a lamp base this adjustable pop filter is highly portable and can be easily packed for travel, like the AT2020USB+.* Mic stand problems -- The stand is adequate if one adjusts the angle of the mic so that it has a stable center of gravity--about 30 degrees from the horizontal plane over the center of the mic stand makes it quite stable. However, then one will access the mic from a semi-sideways position rather than directly at the front. (Addressing the mic at a slight sideways angle will usually give a better recording.) If the mic has to be upright, then stabilizing the mic stand further is needed, or it will tend to topple over if nudged.* Additional Mic stand stabilization tip -- Align the vertically positioned mic, as shown on the box, but with a slight tilt towards the center of the stand--and--over one of the the tripod legs. That will give it the maximum stability possible given the limitations of the stand. If one aligns the vertical mic as shown on the packing box--that is, in between two of the tripod legs, it will surely tip over at the slightest touch.* Vibrational isolation -- As there is no vibrational isolation from the surface the mic stand rests on, any vibration from the surface will transfer to the recording. Setting the mic on an acoustic absorption panel like Aurafoam will help a little. A separate shock-mount can be got if needed, but if one is careful, and sets the mic on a surface not likely to be handled or touched during recording, the shock-mount is probably unnecessary for most uses. If the mic and monitor function levels, or headphone volume level on the mic are to be accessed during a recording session, the handling noise of this will come through on the mic regardless of having or not having a shock mount. Doing test recordings to set volume and mix levels before the actual recordings will help create better quality recordings. Some trial and error adjustments are to be expected.I was earlier using a ZoomH4N for closeup recordings. As it picks up a lot of ambient noise, for podcasts or closeup voice audio that did not give the results I was looking for. The Zoom is excellent for general recordings in a lecture or concert as it has an adjustable audio capture spread of either 90 or 120 degrees, and is quite sensitive. The AT2020USB+ is great for closeup voice-overs or specialized recordings due to its cardioid pattern audio capture pattern and off-axis rejection of sound.All in all--I am very pleased with this product--a great buy, reliable seller.

I bought this mic after listening to many very clean audio demos comparing this and the Blue Yeti.I've bought many usb and submini jack mics in the same price range, and all suffered from obvious hiss or hum. This mic has none of that. In fact, it's impossible to get my room quiet enough to hear any hiss at all, even wrapped in a thick foam pillow. Even with my PC under my desk, running with fans on minimum, I could still hear some mechanical noise somewhere. It turned out to be a battery powered clock that I normally can't hear! Simply turning down the gain in Windows by 25% got rid of that, and now I only hear clear, rich vocals when recording.The build feels very solid. It's heavy, milled out of aluminum. It has a built in DAC to send the USB signal out to your PC without investing in an external XLR interface, and a headphone out jack to monitor the mic with zero latency.You can mix the mic output with PC audio for gaming or streaming, but you won't be listening to the final audio mix unless you turn it all the way to the "Com" side and monitor the mic through your PC. The headphone jack shows up in Windows as a system output, so you can use it like any other headphone jack.Be warned though, you'll need to remove any PC or USB drives from the desk you mount this on unless you have a good vibration damping mount. I have a simple mic arm, and was picking up mechanical hum until I moved my PC to the floor.Also, this is a side-address mic, so the pickup area is directly in front, not on the end of the mic. You'll see the blue led on the pickup.This is the best mic I've ever owned, and for occasional voice work and streaming, it's more than enough. Very easy to sound like a deep-voiced movie trailer guy with this!