MXL 990 Condenser Microphone

The MXL 990 is a large diaphragm condenser mic that requires 48V Phantom Power and some method of connecting this to the PC via a mic preamp/audio interface. I use and would recommend for those just starting out on a budget the Behringer Xenyx 302 USB audio interface. This mic is superb given the price point and I personally use this for podcasting and voiceovers. Please note that this is a very sensitive mic and has a natural, full, warm and clear sound with very little self noise (background hiss on recordings). The quality and sensitivity of this mic mean that it may not be suitable for very noisy environments with a lot of background noise, a dynamic mic might be more appropriate OR consider doing some acoustic treatment if your serious about sound quality. Condenser mics such as this one are also extremely sensitive to plosives, this is distortion that occurs when a blast of air is created particularly when making hard “p” and “d” sounds. Therefore I would highly recommend you get a pop shield to go with this mic otherwise you might have to experiment with mic placement. This mic also comes with a shock mount, essential if you intend to use this on a desk. A shock mount prevents sounds from being transferred into the mic if you accidently bump the mic stand and it stops/ significantly PC vibrations being passed through from your desk into recordings. One of the most common problems that I have noticed is that people complain that after recording using these mics that they only hear sound in one ear. This is a problem usually with software and not the microphone or hardware used to feed the sound into the computer. I find this problem arises when the software that you are recording your sound into such as Audacity or Adobe Audition is expecting a different type of input. i.e a stereo input and not a mono input. Stereo means that there are separate audio “streams” for left and right speakers. Mono means that the one single audio “stream” is played exactly the same through both the left and right speakers. Most mics output in mono or a single audio “stream” and therefore the input that your software should be expecting should also be mono. If it is expecting stereo then it will pipe the output the first channel it feels like I’ve usually found it’s the left. So check your software. Anyway back to the mic overall great mic for people starting out in podcasting and voiceovers great quality and great price considering that it also comes with a shock mount which otherwise you might have to buy separately. Highly recommended, just don’t forget that you will need an audio interface that supports 48V phantom power, and an XLR mic cable to connect your microphone to the interface.

This is by far the best mic I have and maybe ever will use! But let me get to the pros and cons! Pros: It will definitely bring out the bass in your voice! No buzz or hiss! Comes with a shock mount! Very high quality microphone. Delivers your voice with maximum crispness! Low priced for what it's worth! Large diaphragm! Great for YouTuber's, singers, podcasters and commentators Cons: It takes a while to setup You need to buy an audio interface You need to buy a phantom power supply You need to buy 2 XLR cables For some reason it won't work with Skype unless you use a XLR to USB Still does cost quite a bit of money! Besides all these cons the mic is really good and I would definitely recommend to anyone! I have a YouTube channel called AnonymousTechnology117 and did a video review on that so if you want to check the sound quality of it then you can go there for more information! I definitely think if you have £60-£80 to spend and not sure what to buy then GO FOR THIS ONE!!! It delivers perfect quality for any amateur or professional musician and what not. Just get this mic! It blows all the others out of the water by MILES. The Blue Yeti? Yup! The Audio Technica AT2020? Yup! ALL OF THEM!!! Head over to my YouTube channel to check, because i'm not lying! so again that's AnonymousTechnology117 go check it out! Thanks for reading and why not rate this review as helpful? Means others will buy the mic cos don't tell me your not even considering buying the mic after this review? Well do it! You won't regret it!

Really great sound from these. I was using a Sennheiser condenser mic for recording vocals at home but found the volume changed dramatically even if I moved a tiny bit during performance. This mic is super sensitive and won't pick up on tiny discrepancies like a condenser. Be sure you have absolute silence or this mic will pick up anything and everything in the background. The use of a pop filter should be the norm if you record at home anyway but you'll definitely need one with this. A vocal booth of some sort would be ideal too. Getting this mic, complete with the cradle and carry case too is brilliant value. My only gripe, being a newbie to using this kind of mic, is that it didn't have any kind of instruction to explain how it all fits together with the adaptor, mic stand etc. I know it isn't rocket science but it would have saved me time and the possibility I may have connected something wrongly and damaged it. Otherwise this would be a full 5 star review as the product itself is superb.

After watching CraigTube's demo of it, I decided this was the microphone for me. At first I was ever so slightly disappointed - it didn't have the tone that CraigTube got out of it. However, then I realised that he'd done some EQ (equalisation) to it. After teaching myself how to do that, this thing sounds absolutely amazing. Regardless, even before that this is easily the best microphone for this price and for a considerably higher price as well. I am using it with a Blue Snowball XLR to USB adapter, which also provides 48v phantom power and does the job very well. A good mixing desk might do a slightly better job, but the expense isn't necessary if you don't need the extra control. Well recommended.

This is a great sounding mic, tried it on TC Helicon Voiceworks on vocals and it sounded great. I am not a sound engineer, I am a musician and sound quality is of paramount importance and I would recommend it. I will be trying it next on the drums overheads and I expect it to perform just as well. It looks quite well made and it comes in a case with a handy shock mount and a mic holder. If you need to use it for vocals, do not forget to use a "pop shield" with it to protect it from excess moisture and it is a condenser mic so it needs "phantom power" - most decent desks have it, the TC Helicon has it and if not, those are available as an "add on" if required. Again, it is a nice mic and just for the record - so far I used it with Zoom R16 recorder. I hope this helps a little - do try it.

If you reside in the United States, the microphone is satisfactory. However, I advise caution if you are located elsewhere. The microphone itself is of adequate quality. I was fortunate to receive a product that was undamaged or broken, unlike some of the other reviews. The issue arose when I utilised the suspended mount. The mount drooped, prompting me to tighten it, which resulted in the bolt shearing off. This suggests that the mount is not made of steel, as the rest of the product is alloy. The broken screw is non ferrous, with a void in the middle. I contacted customer service. I am based in the United Kingdom under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Unfortunately, my complaint was unsuccessful. The act does not impose a time limit for poor-quality products. However, I was informed that since I am not located in the United States, I would need to purchase the replacement thumbscrew, which costs $10, exceeding 10% of the product’s price. I highlighted my consumer rights, but I was told that the company has a global warranty and is not subject to U.K. legislation. I believe that argument would be persuasive if I were to trade in the product in the United Kingdom and disregard U.S. laws. It is possible to replace the damaged part with a higher-quality component for less than £2. The lack of respect for customers and adherence to local consumer laws is astonishing. Other U.S. companies, such as Shure, offer exceptional quality and customer service. If you are based in the United States, I can recommend them. If you are not in the United States, I advise you to avoid purchasing from this company or hope that you do not encounter any quality issues, as the manufacturer disregards local consumer acts and rights, as evidenced by their response. Please refer to the attached email response and image of the broken product for your reference.

Nice sounding mic, especially for the price. The hard carrying case included has proven useful as I have moved around quite a bit. As far as design goes it looks great, its'almost a shame to put it behind a pop filter. The included shock mount does its job, and comes with replacement cables if the originals become loose over time. You will need to power this mic with phantom power, and connect it via an XLR lead - there is no point buying a usb to XLR cable because it won't work (I'm mentioning this because some people don't seem to understand that). The mic is sensitive and will pick up fan noise and other ambiance sounds. This can be removed in post easily, or avoided with a better room set-up / quieter computer. If streaming I recommend a software noise gate. I'm not experienced with microphones, and this is my first relatively 'high end' one, but as far as I can tell this product is built well, offers great sound, and looks stylish.

I have 3 of these mics. I use them for recording drums and vocals in my studio all the time with great results. I also use them live on drums. Yes of course you can better mics which are much more expensive, sometime they're worth the money, sometimes not.These mics produce a great sound and for the price really can't be beaten. The general consensus is that the manufacturers will increase the price very soon and I can see why. There are much more expensive mics that don't sound anywhere near as good as these. 3 of these, an AKG D12 on the bass drum and Shure Sm57's on the toms and snare to mic a drum kit and you will not be disappointed.