AT2020 : Decent Starter mic

Features: 3 stars. I would say that this mic lacks features (with no shock mount, pad or hi-pass etc) but for the price I wouldn't expect these and their absence no doubt keeps the price right.

Sound: 4 stars. Running this through an Apogee Duet i have found this mic to be fairly nice, pleasant lows and mids, nice and responsive. The highs are fairly smooth compared to other large diaphragm condensers at this price point but can be a bit shrill at high levels or on bright cymbals.

Quality: 5 Stars. Nothing to complain about with build quality, nice and solidly built, as you would expect from Audio Technica. has seen a fair amount of home studio use and travel and has held up nicely.

I would say this mic is suited to a beginner for small scale recording or podcasting. Good all round for acoustic instruments, voice and speech. Not an amazing mic but a very good price point. As with most LDCs around this price, though, a dynamic mic (Sm57 or sm58) may well fit the bill better and be more versatile with similar quality.