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If you’re just starting out as a voice actor, you want to be able to deliver professional quality work to clients and directors. In order to do this, you’re going to need several things— including a nice microphone. And while you may have been led to believe otherwise, an inexpensive USB mic like the Blue Yeti isn’t the right pick if you want anyone to take you seriously.

One man band 11 full crack. Enter the AT2020:

This microphone was made in 2004 by Audio Technica, a Japanese audio equipment manufacturer. And while this specific model is over 15 years old, it still holds up as the best microphone for voice actors at its price point who want to immediately improve the quality of their recordings.

Check out our Audio Technica AT2020 review below to find out what makes this such a great tool for voice actors!

The AT2020 is recognized and running the windows troubleshooting program comes back with no detected problems. The UM2 seems to be recognized as both a speaker and a microphone. The signal light on the UM2 is off but the power is on. More details can be provided if needed.

If you can, what's going on is your mic's sounds are monitored by default in windows settings, with or without Ableton. There should be a way to turn it off. As for why Ableton is not receiving input, it may have something to do with the fact your AT2020 is USB (is it?), rather than by Line-in or Microphone jacks. This microphone comes with a cardioid pick up pattern so that is the reason for the minimal background noises. I was surprise that the AT2020 came with a stand too, it has a pivoting stand so you can move the mic around to the way you want it. But bottom line is, this microphone is not for a seasoned veteran when it comes to recording. I just want a nice mic that wont pickup my mx browns. I hate using PTT also, its annoying and sucks while gaming. I have a blue snowflake but it is really bad, sound quality and noise pickup. I was looking at the at2020 and kind of a mini stand but im not sure if that will pick up the noise that much, Thanks for the help.

Audio Technica AT2020 Specs

The AT2020 is a condenser microphone, which means you’ll need to connect it to an audio interface with 48V Phantom Power via an XLR cable. Additionally, it has a cardioid polar pattern, meaning that it primarily captures audio from the front, it captures a bit less from the sides, and it blocks most noise from the back.

According to Audio Technica, the AT2020 has a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) of 144 decibels— about as loud as a firecracker going off. Does this mean you should use this mic to record fireworks? No, but it does mean you can scream your voice acting lines without distortion or damage to the capsule.

This is all just basic info that you can find anywhere. Let’s go a little deeper with the Audio Technica AT2020 spec sheet and some recording tests.

AT2020 Frequency Response

Check out this frequency response chart for a more detailed look at the AT2020:

Not sure what you’re looking at? You can read more about the importance of frequency response in microphones here, but I’ll give you a basic summary:

The AT2020 doesn’t have a massive variance in frequency response — which is good — but it also isn’t perfectly flat. The dip on the left side means it will be less sensitive to low tones, and the small bumps on the right mean it tends to be less accurate when capturing tones on the high end.

But what does this mean for a voice actor like you?

Well, if your only experience with audio equipment is a USB microphone or headset, you’re not going to notice any of these finer details. Instead, you’re just going to notice the huge boost in quality when switching to a professional setup.

It’s a different story if you’ve already had some experience with this kind of audio equipment. For starters, speaking in a deep voice may require you to move closer to the mic to trigger proximity effect. Additionally, higher voices and sharp tones (including sibilance) can be more of an issue— although not by much.

AT2020 Polar Pattern

Now let’s look at the AT2020’s polar pattern:

At2020 Not Picking Up Sound Sounds

This isn’t a big surprise. Since the AT2020 is a cardioid mic, it picks up more sound from the front and sides than it does from the back. But what’s nice about this particular polar pattern is that you can speak into the mic from an angle of around 30 degrees on either side without losing much sensitivity. This is a handy way to avoid capturing plosives in your recordings— no pop filter necessary.

Background Noise Generator Online

Something else to keep in mind is the pattern towards the rear. Although it’s significantly less sensitive than the front and sides, you’re still in danger of picking up noise from behind the AT2020 when recording. Check out the recording tests below and you’ll see what I mean.

Audio Technica AT2020 Recording Tests

Now that you know the technical details of the Audio Technica AT2020, it’s time to hear how it actually sounds.

These three tests were taken in a 100 square foot room with minimal acoustic padding. The AT2020 was connected to my PC via a Steinberg UR12 audio interface and recordings were made in Audacity with no post-processing.

Since this is a cardioid microphone, I spoke into it from three different angles. Check out these recording samples below:

This first clip was recorded from a distance of 6 inches directly into the front of the mic.

The second clip was recorded at the same distance. However, the mic was tilted downwards so I was speaking into the top instead of the front.

This third clip was recorded at the same distance— but this time, I tilted it upwards and spoke into the bottom of the mic.

Did you notice the differences between these three recordings? You can definitely tell that the third recording was weaker than the first two — except for that high-pitched click at around the three second mark — but did you notice that the second recording had a bit more low end than the first? These differences can be explained by the AT2020’s polar pattern: the top captures a full range of frequencies, the front is a bet less receptive, and the back is only really capable of capturing the highest frequencies. Because of this, I recommend using the second position for making high-quality recordings.

The above clips should give you a basic idea of the AT2020’s ability to record speech, but how does it sound when used by a professional voice actor? Check out this clip to hear what a professional can do with this microphone:

This clip was recorded by Elsie Lovelock at a home studio without any post processing. Notice how clear her voice is the entire time, even while shouting— that’s because the AT2020 has such a high SPL.

Audio Technica AT2020 Final Recommendation

As you can see from the information and recording samples listed above, the Audio Technica AT2020 is a solid entry-level voice acting microphone. If you want to record lines as a voice actor, this is the bare minimum that you’ll need for professional quality audio— along with an interface, a mic stand, and some recording software, that is.

Is there room for improvement? Absolutely, and you should consider upgrading to a nicer microphone later in your career. But if you’re just starting out, this is the best way to do it.

At2020 Usb Not Picking Up Sound