Are you looking for a condenser microphone for vocals and instruments? Audio Technica AT2035 and AKG Perception 220 are two condenser microphones available in a similar price range. Generally, people consider these mics to be affordable and budget-friendly, yet they offer superior performance levels and a good deal of versatility. Each of these two products has also received a lot of positive reviews from the market. So, should you choose Audio Technica AT2035 or AKG Perception 220? Below, we are going to see each model to determine which one makes the best bang for the bucks!
Audio Technica AT2035
Audio Technica AT2035 is a condenser microphone with a large diaphragm for smooth, natural, and low-noise audio reproduction. The mic is characterized by an all-black metal body and grille. On the mic, you can find two switches. These two switches are a high-pass filter switch and a pre-attenuation pad. Meanwhile, the mic comes with a cardioid polar pattern, and generally provides a decent isolation to the main audio source while rejecting noise coming from the sides and rear. The mic also comes with a custom shock mount for superior rejection of handling noise and mechanical vibrations. (Have a look : Audio Technica AT2035 Vs AT2020 Comparison)
Technical Specs
| Audio Technica AT2035 | AKG Perception 220 |
|---|---|
| - FREQUENCY RESPONSE : 20-20,000 Hz | - Audio frequency bandwidth : 20 to 20000 Hz |
| - LOW FREQUENCY ROLL-OFF : 80 Hz, 12 dB/octave | - Equivalent noise level 16 dB-A |
| - OPEN CIRCUIT SENSITIVITY : -33 dB (22.4 mV) re 1V at 1 Pa | - Sensitivity : 18 mV/Pa |
| - IMPEDANCE : 120 ohms | - Signal to Noise : 78 dB-A |
| - NOISE : 12 dB SPL | - Preattenuation Pad : -20 dB |
| - DYNAMIC RANGE (typical) : 136 dB, 1 kHz at Max SPL | - Bass cut filter : 300 Hz |
| - SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO : 82 dB, 1 kHz at 1 Pa | - Electrical impedance : 200 Ohms |
Audio Technica AT2035 possesses a frequency response range of 20 Hz – 20 kHz, which allows the mic to capture decent lows, mids, and highs. It also has an excellent sensitivity that it can easily capture subtle audio details from vocals and instruments, enhancing the accuracy and quality. Audio Technica AT2035’s output has decent depth, with the bass, midrange, and treble properly staged. The native maximum SPL handling is already quite high, 148 dB, but you can increase to 158 dB with the -10 dB pre-attenuation pad. You can also switch on the bass-cut filter when recording a vocal in order to eliminate low-frequency noise such as wind and breath sounds.
AKG Perception 220
Quite interestingly, AKG Perception 220 is quite similar to Audio Technica AT2035. Of course, there are some slight distinctions. AKG Perception 220 comes with an all-metal body and robust design for maximum durability. The housing is black while the grille is light brown. The mic also comes with a shock mount that functions to reject handling and mechanical noise.
AKG Perception 220 comes with 20 Hz – 20 kHz frequency response range, too. The mic also features built-in 80-Hz bass-cut filter and -20dB pre-attenuation pad. However, even with the pre-attenuation pad turned on, AKG Perception 220 still has a lower maximum SPL handling compared to Audio Technica AT2035, only 155 dB. Which means, the native maximum SPL handling is roughly about 135 dB. Furthermore, AKG Perception 220’s self-noise level is also slightly higher than Audio Technica AT2035. So, even though it is quite quiet as well, the crisp and clarity are inferior to the mic’s contender here.
Audio Technica AT2035 Vs AKG Perception 220
Conclusion
In the end, even though both products are excellent, we recommend you to choose Audio Technica AT2035. The maximum SPL handling is higher, allowing you take care of louder volume levels with ease. It also has a lower self-noise level, effectively enhancing the output’s crisp and clarity.