AT 4033 - Sweetwater Mic Month

anton · #1 05-10-2016, 03:15 PM

A while back one of my Audio Technica 3035's started making a weird noise. Some of you all here suggested it might be moisture on the capsule. I left it on for a while, and also put it in a container with some silica packets. No luck with either method. I am going to see about sending them off to AT for repair, but of course now I start thinking about other mics.

I see over at Sweetwater it is buy one get one half off on various mic models this month. I have been thinking about trying out an Audio Technica 4033 CL. They seem to be a studio standard for guitar. This would get me two brand new ones I assume with return policy intact for $600. That is not much more than the used prices I see. Or I save up a bit more and get a pair of Beyerdynamic MC 930's, which are supposed to be good too.

Thoughts? Someone help me justify spending more money on gear.

Anton

Rudy4 · #2 05-10-2016, 03:38 PM

They may be a perfectly good mic, but I'm not getting why AT represents them as a "large diaphragm" when the specs plainly list it at .45" capsule diameter. I've always felt like sticking a 1/2" diaphragm in a larger side address body and calling it a "large diaphragm" is a bit of deceptive advertising designed to sell mics.

I always look at specifications to see exactly what I'm purchasing and then go by reliable user reviews.

I don't have personal experience with this mic, but I do believe in truthful representation of a product by a manufacturer's sales literature.

anton · #3 05-10-2016, 03:54 PM

Yea I have seen that all over. "It is actually not an LDC.." Nonetheless, it seems to have a solid track record on acoustic guitar.

Cochese · #4 05-10-2016, 06:39 PM

I've owned the AT4050 (big brother to the 4033) for close to 20 years and it's a great mic. My suggestion though would be to get a different mic rather than stick with the same. My 4050 works really well on acoustic although I think I prefer the AKG414 but I've never used both at the same time. Much of it comes down to how you use it, mic pre etc.

Joseph Hanna · #5 05-10-2016, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anton

Yea I have seen that all over. "It is actually not an LDC.." Nonetheless, it seems to have a solid track record on acoustic guitar.

I don't get too caught up in the mic romancing. So, so many other factors come into play before any viable comparisons between well made mic's ever become a major factor. Some mic's work with some guitars in some rooms, other mic's work with other guitars in other rooms. Some mic's work well Monday night and are strangely confounding Tuesday morning. Some small diaphragm condenser mic's act like large diaphragm condenser mic's on certain guitars and conversely the exact opposite. I've honestly never ever seen a mic spec that accurately conveys what is happening at any given moment in a real world recording moment.

If you have a small mic locker you simply go with what you have. If you have a large mic locker you try things on any given night that seems to work. If you're lucky enough to find some consistency all the better and some with great rooms sometimes do.

That said and not being to terrible concerned with who's calling the 4033 what, I'd submit it has been the microphone that has proven to be the most consistently good sounding acoustic mic in my locker for many, many years.

If I lost it (which I have) I'd buy another in a heart beat

GuitarsFromMars · #6 05-11-2016, 06:12 AM

4033 are fine mics. I have one in my 'locker'.

anton · #7 05-11-2016, 07:47 AM

Thanks for the thoughts everyone. I am going to wait around and see what comes up used. I thought the Sweetwater Mic Month was a great deal, but it turns out the 4033A is the same as the 4033/CL, and there are plenty of the former used for a good price.

Rudy4 · #8 05-11-2016, 06:11 PM

I've always been a bit gun-shy at the prospect of buying used mics, especially those that have ultra-thin mylar capsule material. The ATs specs are 2 microns, so I guess you'd have to consider how important low price is vs. the possibility of reduced performance from a damaged capsule. My own personal opinion is there are a lot of condensers out there that have been inadvertantly subjected to stress from folks not realizing how easily a very thin mylar diaphragm can be damaged. I've heard of many ribbons that have been stressed by improper use.

IMHO it's worth paying a bit more to get something that you know should perform within specifications. That seems like the entire point of purchasing a good mic.

anton · #9 05-14-2016, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudy4

I've always been a bit gun-shy at the prospect of buying used mics

Thanks Rudy, that is a good point. Lots of tempting used offerings on Ebay and Reverb, but i guess you never can tell how they were treated.

anton · #10 05-15-2016, 10:40 PM

Joseph, did you ever have any issues with the 4033's self noise spec of 17db? I am a pretty soft fingerstyle player, so i usually have to feed the mic a decent amount of gain. On your SoundCloud sample of the mic, and other clips I have heard, self noise does not appear to be a huge issue.

thanks

Anton

Joseph Hanna · #11 05-16-2016, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anton

Joseph, did you ever have any issues with the 4033's self noise spec of 17db? I am a pretty soft fingerstyle player, so i usually have to feed the mic a decent amount of gain. On your SoundCloud sample of the mic, and other clips I have heard, self noise does not appear to be a huge issue.

thanks

Anton

Naw I've never had any noise problems with the 4033. I usually fight a bevy of other noise problems but self noise never one of them

That SoundCloud clip was recorded at my Topanga place way up the in the canyon. Essentially my back porch, screen door open with nothing even resembling a recording environment and of course you can hear the great outdoors pummeling through.