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I noticed you have a lot of AT4033's.

How do you think the later model AT4040 compare to the AT4033?

/Lars

hi- I'm not an engineer but I recently picked up a pair of 4040's that I have been using for home recording and I have also played on some stuff in a couple of studios where the engineer used 4033's so here's what I know about these mics for what it's worth.
4033 is a really versatile mic. I have seen/ heard it used on acoustic guitar, mandolin, floor tom and as a drum overhead. In this last application I was especially impressed. The kit was mic'd with just an AKG D112 on the kick and the 4033 as an overhead and mixed to mono (it was being used for a TV commercial) and it sounded amazing. Of course most of that has to do with the drummer and the room, but I was really impressed by how you could hear all the parts of the kit and pick out each part and nothing (cymbals for example) sounded too harsh. I later saw what I think was a 4033 being used on Peter Prescott's kit at a Mission of Burma show in Atlanta so I guess it's good for live applications as well. If Bob Weston reads this it would be cool to know how he was micing those guys up. It seems like most people in our neck of the woods just puts dynamics on everything for live shows.
Anyway the 4040's sound cool to me, though so far I have only used them for female vocals, a drum machine through an 18" speaker really loud, as room mics recording rock band practice and on guitar cabinets. They seem to be able to take loud volumes without overloading (145db SPL accd. to the info provided in the box) and I think they sound really good on the guitar amps.
The differences between the 2 models seems to be that the 4040's sound really detailed almost to the point of being harsh sometimes and the 4033's, based on my limited experience, seem to sound a little smoother.
I looked at the frequency response charts of both mics and noticed that they peak and dip around the same places but that the 4040 has more pronounced and abrupt peaks than the 4033. Does anybody know how these differences affect the "sound" of the mics?
Also, has anybody used the new AT3060 phantom-powered tube mic? I haven't even seen it reviewed anywhere yet.
thanks
lee

Hi Lee,
first of all, I'm an Audio Technica fan because you most always get great quality for little money.
According to my experience the AT 4040 is the smoother mic. It doesn't have the 3-3,5 kHz boost that the At 4033 has. The 4040 has little more top end and to me it sounds a bit more natural. I think it has a 1" diaphragm, the 4033 has a 3/4" diaphragm. They both are very useful on a wide range of instruments (git.+bass cabinets, front skin of kick drum, even strings). I had pleasing results on vocals as well. This is were I prefer the 4040 over the 4033.
The 4033's mid-boost is what really like about the mic. If you just want to emphasis the 3,5 kHz range on an instrument without having to eq it, the 4033 does the job. I use it on most every session.
The AT 4040 is a little cheaper than the 4033. I guess it's the 4033's reputation that costs the little extra money.
Audio Technica have now introduced the AT 4033/CL (CL for classic). Except for the shock mount (same as the 4040 has) it's the same mic as the 4033a, they just raised the price a bit.
It's classic: Give the same product a new name and raise the price.

Love my 4033 & 4047 (and the 4060's that I've used at other studios).

I'm recording all the live Burma shows to computer multitrack for posterity (16-track, Digital Performer). For the drums, I record the bass drum mic, the snare drum mic, and a 4033 as a mono overhead/toms mic. The 4033 doesn't get put into the live PA mix. It only gets recorded. There are close mics on the toms and a pair of overheads for cymbals that all go to the PA (but not to the recording).

best
Bob

Hey Bob,

I hear that the 4047 is an atempt at neumann u47 fet. I love my fet 47. I use it on bass, kick, electric guitar and various other things. I can't really afford another one. Does the 4047 compete with it? What do you generally use it for?

b.

Yeah, the 4047 is an FET mic that is probably supposed to sound like a FET47. I've never had the luxury of a side by side comparison. But the 4047 sounds pretty great to me on bass amps and I've used it on a few bass drums with good results. I have a friend whos loves it as an overhead. We've both also used it on vocals.

There's a Soundelux mic called the iFet (or eFet?) that's amazing. I can't afford one, but I used one on a record recently and was blown away. The premise is that it's either a FET47 or a U87 with the flip of a switch. It was a pretty spectacular mic, and probably costs less than a FET47.

best
Bob Weston

Hey Bob,

Thanks for the input. I remember reading that soundelux was coming out with a mic like that. I'll take a look into it.

Thanks
b

Yep...that would be the iFET47. Incredible microphone. I rented this for a song that I did with Damo Suzuki (of Can) the same week that I had Sage Francis (the rapper) in my studio. Two different worlds of recording.

Using the iFET47 with the API legacy strip is one of the best sounding chains I have heard, and through my Series 1 Neotek it also sounded incredible. I doubt that the ATs are in the same ballpark for "feel" but are probably a much better value.

I have been looking at 4033s for a while now, I think its gonna be on the list after I get my next advance.

6.dos