AT 2035 : Good first condenser for beginners

build quality is good. Looks amazing, feels substantial. Low noise floor. Limited to cardiod polar pattern but sports a level pad and low cut filter. It sounds very modern, with a distinct upper mid and high frequencies bump. Perfect for dark vocalists but with some voices it can sound peaky and harsh, exagerating sibilants. When enhancing during the mix and mastering process, for example using saturation and harmonics, it has to be tamed. I used it extensively even on cello, and using a lot of eq it can deliver on many different sources, but I think that its main use is for crisp modern vocals. It has been reliable and the shockmount, albeit made of plastic, has proven to be sufficient once the screw has been firmly tightened.