I got this mic about a year ago and have been using it with a Presonus Firebox and Logic 7 to record vocals, acoustic guitar, a...  Read More

I got this mic about a year ago and have been using it with a Presonus Firebox and Logic 7 to record vocals, acoustic guitar, and mic'ing electric guitar played through a Vox AC15 tube amp. Thus far I am happy with this mic. In terms of sound, it is good for vocals, giving a really nice sound with very low noise. After I have tweaked the EQ in Logic to give a boost to the mid-range frequencies, and put a bit of reverb on them, the vocals come out sounding very nice.I've used poor quality mic's for recording for a long time, always thinking that an expensive mic would be out of my budget, since I just do casual home recording. But a friend of mine told me that nowadays there are mic's in the 200 dollar range that can come close to those that are 1000 dollars or more. I'm not sure about that since I haven't done the comparisons myself, but I can say that this is far and beyond better than anything I have ever used before. Not just the sound quality, but the look and build of the mic are very solid and professional. I like the fact that it comes with a suspension holder and a nice bag to hold and protect the mic.If this is slightly above your budget level, I would suggest checking out Shure SM 57 as a great all-purpose dynamic mic.EDIT: One year later, after building up my studio more and comparing this mic with a few others in its price range, and slightly cheaper, I would say that this mic is a bit brighter and harsher on vocals than some other options. I'm now preferring an Apex 205 ribbon mic or a Shure SM57 or 58 for vocals (both available for $80-90). They are both warmer than this mic for vocals, and more pleasing for my voice, at least! I'm now looking for alternative condenser mic's to replace this one with. However, for two years, it did serve me well!  Read Less

I'm using this in my home studio singing and doing radio voice-over work with an AKAI EIE interface and Alesis NanoCompressor. ...  Read More

I'm using this in my home studio singing and doing radio voice-over work with an AKAI EIE interface and Alesis NanoCompressor. Over many years recording, I've used a number of good dynamic mics, including the Shure SM 57, 58, and Beta 58s, as well as some other low-priced studio condensers and a couple of RODE mics from a friend. In short, the AT3035 is the perfect mic for me, and here's why:1) It has virtually no character of it's own. It's neither harsh nor overly warm. It's a flat response mic. The frequency response curves in the specs bear this out. It does offer some nice proximity effect when you go in close for vocals, but otherwise, it reproduces the original source quite faithfully with no odd frequency response anomalies.2) It's very easy to get what you want out of this mic. With a little know-how, you can get a classic warm 50s vocal sound, a modern vocal sound, and good reproduction of acoustic instruments with this mic. There is no single microphone that does everything well without a little compression, a little EQ, and most importantly, proper miking technique. I get fantastic results with my voice (A strong low baritone) with no EQ and a little compression.3) It's quiet. This is the quietest mic I've used. Even with quite a bit of compression, there's none of the self noise issues I've had with other condensers.4) Excellent high SPL handling. I have a robust voice. I can get close to this mic and sing very loud rock vocals and there has never been a trace of distortion, unless my levels were set too high. This thing handles a loud signal extremely well.5) Smooth but detailed reproduction. With no post-EQ, vocals sound the way I think they should. Smooth and musical, but not sacrificing detail. Sibilant vocal sounds are never spitty and everything is balanced pretty much right on the money.6) Build quality is excellent. Casing is very solid, and the finish is excellent. The grills also seem pretty robust.7) The low-cut and pad switches are very effective and handy.Honestly, this is one of the extremely rare products I can think of with no cons. I love this mic, and don't plan on ever getting rid of it. It's a Swiss-Army Knife of condensers, in my opinion.P.S. - If you buy one of these without a shockmount, the Nady SSPF-4 is the one I use. It's a tight fit, but it works very well, comes with a good pop filter, and it's about 20 bucks.  Read Less

I bought the AT3035 because I wanted to add a condensor microphone to my recording options without spending a lot of money. Th...  Read More

I bought the AT3035 because I wanted to add a condensor microphone to my recording options without spending a lot of money. The AT3035 fit the bill.The microphone is fairly sturdy. The body seems to be better made than one would think for the price point.The one problem I had was the cheesy plastic recessed switch that low cut switch. I would say set it and don't change it ever again for fear of breaking the switch.The included shock mount works very well. I had no problem with the microphone slipping or falling, however I would not mount the microphone overhead upside down, unless I figured out some special type of rigging.The AT3035 excelled at vocals. Vocals sound very natural, with no little hint of lisping or whispyness. Obviously it takes a little time to get used to using a condensor, as they are far more sensitive than a standard shotgun microphone.Cardiods tend to reject less outside noise, so if someone is playing the TV downstairs or a car goes by outdoors, it will show up in your recording! However, I was still able to get great vocals down in a fairly open second floor room in my home recording studio.The microphone does well on recording acoustic guitar as well.I found the level of the microphone matched my Echo Mona microphone inputs well. Very easy to get a good balanced levels. I never noticed any excessive noise with this microphone.Keep in mind you need an XLR input with 48 volt power to drive the microphone, which almost all sound boards have.All in all, a cardiod microphone needs some getting used to in order to get the most out of it. It took me a while to build up the confidence and find the vocal nuances that can be achieved with this excellent microphone.However, for the price point, you won't be disappointed with the recorded result and accoustic flexibility of the AT3035.Recommended for home recording enthusiasts on a budget. This microphone sounds much better than the low price might lead you to believe.  Read Less