Audio Technica AT2050 Side-Address Studio Condenser Recording Microphone Mic

The AT2050 is a side-address condenser microphone with three switchable polar patterns: cardioid, omnidirectional, and figure-eight. One mic covers close vocal work, room capture, and two-person facing setups without swapping hardware mid-session.

Dual large diaphragms are gold-vaporized and aged so their characteristics hold steady over years of use. Frequency response spans 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and maximum input runs to 149 dB SPL, or 159 dB SPL with the 10 dB pad switched in. That headroom covers drum overheads, guitar amps, and brass without distortion.

The 80 Hz high-pass filter rolls off rumble at 12 dB per octave, useful for close vocals with proximity buildup or for recording in a room with traffic outside. Self-noise sits at 17 dB SPL with a 132 dB dynamic range.

Pattern choice changes what the mic does. Cardioid isolates a single source and rejects the rear. Omnidirectional captures the whole room evenly, good for choirs, ensembles, or a natural acoustic picture. Figure-eight picks up front and back while rejecting the sides, the setting for two-person interviews across a table or Blumlein pairs.

Phantom power of 11-52V DC runs it from any interface or mixer. The included shock mount and protective pouch handle isolation and storage.