- Right click on volume icon showing at task bar system tray. Select recording devices. Click in microphone, set it as default. Hit on configure button, on a new opened window select the type of microphone and follow the instructions. Check the microphone or plug other one and check the issue.
- LINKS TO PRODUCTS IN VIDEOMICROPHONE- ARM- MOUNT- FILTER- https://goo.gl/qzLNusI.
Welcome to the KOMPLETE AUDIO 1 Quick Start Guide. You will learn how to use the KOMPLETE AUDIO 1 for audio playback and recording. If you have some experience already, feel free to jump straight into any section using the navigation above. For beginners, we recommend spending some time reading through the whole guide.
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.
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!
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.
At2020 Not Picking Up Sounds
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:
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.
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.
The AT2020 is Audio-Technica’s entry-level, side-address studio condenser mic. It brings the company’s build quality and consistency into the same street price range ($100) as many of the Shanghai-made Neumann U87 look-alikes.
This is a no-frills mic that lacks a highpass filter or shock-mount. It has a single pickup pattern — cardioid — and therefore needs only one diaphragm. That diaphragm has a fixed charge and is 16 mm, about halfway between most small- and large-diaphragm models.
Audio-Technica lists the 2020’s frequency response at 20 to 20k Hz. Between those points, it has a slight high-end rise (about 3 dB) between 5 and 20 kHz. At about 200 Hz, it starts a gentle dip that gets to about 5 dB down at 80 Hz. With a slightly bright but neutral sound and a 144dB specified input handling capability, the 2020 is more of an all-purpose mic than a specialist model with an opinion about what it’s picking up.
SOLID BUILD
The AT2020 ships in a foam-fitted cardboard box, but it also comes with a vinyl pouch for storage. In place of a shock-mount, it has a pivoting stand clip and includes the two standard thread sizes. The clip is nicely made and holds the mic securely in position; however, I found that the mic sounded smoother in a standard shock-mount. It’s hard to say whether that’s due to the way AT2020 couples with the mic stands I used, which are not particularly fancy.
Regardless, this mic doesn’t suffer from the body resonances that a lot of budget mics have when you tap them; in fact, it appears to be built every bit as well as the more expensive ($895 list) AT4050 in my arsenal. After discovering that the shock-mount helped, I mounted the 2020 in the AT4050’s shock-mount (AT8441) for this review. (The company says its AT8458 shockmount [$99] also fits the AT2020. — Eds.)
GREAT ON GUITAR
The first test was to try the AT2020 on the acoustic guitar part for a library cue I was working on. I also put up the AT4050 and an MXL V57M for comparison, running them through a Millennia Media STT-1’s mic preamp section in its uncolored solid-state (as opposed to tube) setting.
During my tests, the average mic position was about 14 inches away from the location where the sound hole meets the neck. Rather than being clinical and putting the mics in the same exact position, I moved each one to where it sounded best. At least in a spot-miking situation, I consider this the only valuable way to audition mics because that’s how mics are actually used.
Both Audio-Technica mics had a similar high-end boost and featured the pick noise that the test part needed, whereas the MXL V57M mic had less. While the Audio-Technica mics have a similar overall sound, the higher-end 4050 sounded rounder and had less of a dry, constrained sound. To remedy the lack of low-end roundness, I moved the 2020 closer to the instrument for some proximity boost, making it sound more similar to the 4050. With its more rolled-off low end and drier sound, the AT2020’s unequalized sound was actually the most appropriate of the three for this particular guitar part. The AT2020 is a credible choice for strummed, percussive acoustic guitar parts.
CHECKING OTHER SOURCES
Next, I tried the three mics on recorder, solo cello, shaker and tambourine. Both the 2020 and 4050 sounded slightly bright — yet reasonably faithful — to the sound of the actual cello, while the V57M emphasized the cello’s resonance too much.
The 2020 would not be my first choice for shaker, which wants a more exaggerated low and/or high end. However, it worked fine on tambourine (an indicator of solid transient response) and especially on recorder, producing a brighter rendition of the original sound.
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.
The AT2020 is Audio-Technica’s entry-level, side-address studio condenser mic. It brings the company’s build quality and consistency into the same street price range ($100) as many of the Shanghai-made Neumann U87 look-alikes.
This is a no-frills mic that lacks a highpass filter or shock-mount. It has a single pickup pattern — cardioid — and therefore needs only one diaphragm. That diaphragm has a fixed charge and is 16 mm, about halfway between most small- and large-diaphragm models.
Audio-Technica lists the 2020’s frequency response at 20 to 20k Hz. Between those points, it has a slight high-end rise (about 3 dB) between 5 and 20 kHz. At about 200 Hz, it starts a gentle dip that gets to about 5 dB down at 80 Hz. With a slightly bright but neutral sound and a 144dB specified input handling capability, the 2020 is more of an all-purpose mic than a specialist model with an opinion about what it’s picking up.
SOLID BUILD
The AT2020 ships in a foam-fitted cardboard box, but it also comes with a vinyl pouch for storage. In place of a shock-mount, it has a pivoting stand clip and includes the two standard thread sizes. The clip is nicely made and holds the mic securely in position; however, I found that the mic sounded smoother in a standard shock-mount. It’s hard to say whether that’s due to the way AT2020 couples with the mic stands I used, which are not particularly fancy.
Regardless, this mic doesn’t suffer from the body resonances that a lot of budget mics have when you tap them; in fact, it appears to be built every bit as well as the more expensive ($895 list) AT4050 in my arsenal. After discovering that the shock-mount helped, I mounted the 2020 in the AT4050’s shock-mount (AT8441) for this review. (The company says its AT8458 shockmount [$99] also fits the AT2020. — Eds.)
GREAT ON GUITAR
The first test was to try the AT2020 on the acoustic guitar part for a library cue I was working on. I also put up the AT4050 and an MXL V57M for comparison, running them through a Millennia Media STT-1’s mic preamp section in its uncolored solid-state (as opposed to tube) setting.
During my tests, the average mic position was about 14 inches away from the location where the sound hole meets the neck. Rather than being clinical and putting the mics in the same exact position, I moved each one to where it sounded best. At least in a spot-miking situation, I consider this the only valuable way to audition mics because that’s how mics are actually used.
Both Audio-Technica mics had a similar high-end boost and featured the pick noise that the test part needed, whereas the MXL V57M mic had less. While the Audio-Technica mics have a similar overall sound, the higher-end 4050 sounded rounder and had less of a dry, constrained sound. To remedy the lack of low-end roundness, I moved the 2020 closer to the instrument for some proximity boost, making it sound more similar to the 4050. With its more rolled-off low end and drier sound, the AT2020’s unequalized sound was actually the most appropriate of the three for this particular guitar part. The AT2020 is a credible choice for strummed, percussive acoustic guitar parts.
CHECKING OTHER SOURCES
Next, I tried the three mics on recorder, solo cello, shaker and tambourine. Both the 2020 and 4050 sounded slightly bright — yet reasonably faithful — to the sound of the actual cello, while the V57M emphasized the cello’s resonance too much.
The 2020 would not be my first choice for shaker, which wants a more exaggerated low and/or high end. However, it worked fine on tambourine (an indicator of solid transient response) and especially on recorder, producing a brighter rendition of the original sound.
In general, I would recommend using the AT2020 very close to the source. Its proximity effect is fairly controlled, but I also found that room tone tends to spotlight its less-pleasant characteristics rather than its strengths. Normally, one would make this suggestion for a noisy mic, but that’s not the issue here. The 2020 is intended for personal and project studio applications in which you’d normally want to mike close to the source to disguise the untreated recording rooms.
WORTHY CONTENDER
With the AT2020, Audio-Technica has succeeded in bringing its standard of construction quality into the entry-level price range. While it didn’t excel in every situation, it displayed admirable qualities when used up close to maximize the direct-to-reflective balance, emphasizing its stronger qualities. It also worked very well on strummed acoustic guitar.
Some inexpensive mics are character mics, designed to add an interesting color to the sound. With them, you tend to focus on that color rather than the sound quality. The problem is that they don’t work well on everything. Conversely, the AT2020 is designed to be pleasingly bright, yet accurate-sounding; to my ears, the trade-off to its greater versatility is that this design makes the shortcomings inherent to its price range more apparent. Nevertheless, it would make a credible choice for anyone looking for an affordable, all-purpose mic to start or build up their collection.
Audio-Technica, 330/686-2600, www.audio-technica.com.
At2020 Usb Not Picking Up Sound
Nick Batzdorf is an L.A.-based composer, producer, engineer and writer.
