Has Anyone Compared an AT3035 w/a AT4040?

Bob's Mods said:
Any observations, thoughts, comments?

How do they compare and contrast one another?
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I have the 3035.. which I guess now is the 2035 now correct? It works great for me.. I love this mic at the price.. I have very little experience with the 4040, I recorded two verses with it at a different studio, and so my comparison is poor.. but I can say that I didn't notice a huge difference between the two.. I actually found the 3035 to be a tad warmer and a little more present for me in the mid range.. What I can't be sure of though is how much of that came from the inital setup being in two different studios.. so probably not accurate to compare at all.. I like them both though.
 
I've got'em both - I use the 4040 for vocals a lot, and I don't use the 3035 for much, but I have used it on clean electric guitar

The 3035 has a smaller diaphragm, and I do hear more detail with it. I think the bass response of the 4040 is stronger, and the overall frequency curve seems fuller and more present to me than the 3035.

edit: I don't know the story about the 2035 -- I thought it was a new model, but I really couldn't say
 
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Antichef speaks the truth. There is little comparison between the two- the 30-series are budget alternatives to the 40-series mics, which are professional-quality mics built for professional use. If sound quality is the main goal, the 40's are always preferred. If cost savings is the main goal, the 30's come into their own, and do provide reasonable sound quality, but they do not approach that of the 40's.

Put another way: If there is a reasonable chance the mic(s) used will be damaged or stolen, the 30's are your best bet. If you need higher quality and are not concerned with shock damage, environmental damage or theft, step up and use the 40's.
 
Theres a shootout on youtube with a 3035 against a KSM32 and a U87...and a chinese mice they were selling...the KSM seemed to be the smoothest of all of them...with the U87 being similer to the chinese mic with a hyped high end...the 3035 wasnt the best of all of them...yet they did include it and not any of the 40 series?...which might pose a question in itself.
 
I've had an AT3035 for a couple of years and never totally took to it. In the same price range you could pick up a CAD m177 which I think is a bit better. Both are very neutral sounding...the cad a bit clearer, IMO. I use a Kel HM2D which I prefer over both....very smooth. Haven't used the 4040 so can't comment.
 
I have not used the 4040. But I did compare the 4033 and 3035 side by side. The 4033 is a little better, but with some EQ they can be made to sound similar. I preferred the 4033 on acoustic guitar, and the 3035 for vocals on most voices.
 
I own a 4033 and a 4040. Very similar mics, with one having a slightly different curve than the other- one has a bit more bass, the other a bit more treble. Can't recall which is which, but it is no a big diff. Both are very good mics.
 
Unlike many other mics that are made in China, I know the ATs are made in Japan and are a better build wise. I own an AT condensor stage mic that beat out the Shure and AKG condensor stage mics I used to own. I know you the AT has a good reputation and you really can't go wrong with any of them.

I wonder how the AT4040 would stack up against the new Kel Audio HM-3C.
 
I wouldn't choose a mic solely by where it's made. The Kel HM2D was made in China, but seems very solidly built...and sounds great. On my voice I would choose it over the AT 3035 any day. CAD mics are also chinese made, I think, and the m179 gets almost exclusively positive reviews. I'm not knocking AT, I'm just not crazy about the 3035. What are you going to be recording?
 
Even AKG makes a turd or two...but the best chinese mics dont compare with AKG's mid level mics...besides I like to think my purchases should be from reputable companies that will still be there to service them...and when something better does come along...I can sell them for close to what I bought them for.
 
Have you compared the Kel mics to AKG or AT mics in the same price range? It really depends how much the OP wants to spend. If he's looking to spend under $200 he would most likely be purchasing a mic made in China...unless he decides to get the 3035. I'd choose the HM2D(Chinese) over the 3035(Japanese) any day....but YMMV.
 
I know the 3035 and if I were in the position where that was all I could afford...then maybe there might be a few chinese mics that might give me what I need better than that.
 
I have a 3035 and a 4033 (very close to the 4040) There isn't much of a comparison in my mind. The 3035 is great on percussion but that's about it. I would pick the 4033 on just about everything else.
 
Bob's Mods said:
For all the praise those CAD M177s and M179s get, they are no longer available from CAD.
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It looks like they've simplified their line to make room for new products. The M177 seems to be discontinued, but the M179 is still shown on their website.

http://www.cadmics.com/M179.php

No great loss on the M177. It was usually almost as expensive as the M179, but it was a single pattern version of the same mic. If it were half as expensive, it probably would have sold very well, but as closely as the two mics were priced, I doubt the M177 sold very many units at all until they discontinued it and the prices dropped. I don't blame them for dumping it. :)

As for why the CAD mics sound better than most of the Chinese-built mics, a big part of it is that they are actually designed by CAD (a U.S. company) and aren't Chinese-designed knockoffs of a couple of common circuits coupled with capsules that are knockoffs of a completely different mic's capsule and aren't well suited to those circuits. :)

BTW, it looks like they may be shifting their manufacturing back to the U.S., at least for some models.

http://www.cadmics.com/e100s.php
 
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