Audio-Technica AT2020: Is This Condenser Microphone Right for You?

The Audio-Technica AT2020 is a cardioid condenser microphone for home recording, podcasting, streaming and voice work. Whether it is the right choice depends mostly on your setup. The standard model has an XLR output and needs an audio interface or mixer that supplies phantom power. As a condenser, it also picks up your room clearly.

It is a sensible pick if you record speech or vocals in a fairly quiet room from a consistent position. The cardioid pattern favours sound arriving from the front and reduces pickup from the rear. It does not remove background noise such as fans, traffic or keyboard clicks. If your room is loud or echoey and you cannot treat it, a dynamic microphone used up close is often more forgiving.

Before you start

Check which model you have. The standard AT2020 uses XLR. Audio-Technica also sells USB versions with "USB" in the model name, which connect directly to a computer and do not need a separate interface. Check the label on the microphone and the box, because the setup is different. The steps below cover the XLR model.

• An audio interface, mixer or preamp with an XLR input and 48V phantom power. The XLR model will not work from a computer's 3.5 mm microphone jack.
• A female-to-male XLR cable.
• A stand or boom arm that fits your mount. Check what mount came in your box.
• Closed headphones for monitoring.
• Optional: a pop filter for plosive sounds and a shock mount if your desk transmits bumps.
• Any drivers or control software your interface manufacturer requires for your operating system.

The microphone and interface capture audio locally, with no account or online service involved. The app you record, stream or call with is a separate matter. Some apps process or store audio on remote servers, so check that app's own privacy and storage information before recording anything sensitive.

Step-by-step instructions

Connect and power the microphone

• Turn the interface gain knob for the input you will use to minimum, and lower your headphone volume.
• Mount the microphone, then connect the XLR cable from the microphone to an XLR input on the interface.
• Connect the interface to the computer and power it on.
• Switch on 48V phantom power for that input. On some interfaces one switch powers several inputs, so first check the documentation for any other equipment connected to them.
• Give the microphone a few seconds to settle before raising the gain.

Keep the gain at minimum whenever you switch phantom power on or off or plug in a cable. This avoids loud pops in your headphones and lets you undo each step safely.

Select it in your system and apps

In your operating system's sound settings, choose the audio interface as the input device. Choose the interface's headphone output, or whichever headphones you monitor with, as the output device. Then select the same input inside each app you use. Video call, streaming and recording programs often keep their own device choice instead of following the system default. Your operating system may also ask whether an app may use the microphone. If you declined earlier, the app will receive no audio until you allow access in the privacy settings.

Pick a sample rate and use the same one in the interface driver and your software. 48 kHz is common for video and calls, and 44.1 kHz is common for music. A mismatch can cause errors, crackles or wrong-pitch playback in some setups. For recording, 24-bit gives more headroom than 16-bit.

The AT2020 is a mono microphone, so it appears on a single input channel. In recording software, record it to a mono track assigned to that input, not a stereo pair.

Set the input level

• Speak or perform at the loudest level you expect to use.
• Raise the gain slowly until the meter shows a solid signal and peaks stay clear of the clipping indicator, usually a red light or the top of the software meter.
• Leave headroom for laughter and emphasis. Clipped audio cannot be repaired afterwards.
• Set the level with the interface gain rather than a software boost, which also raises noise.

Position the microphone

The AT2020 is side-address: you speak into the side marked with the Audio-Technica logo, not into the top of the grille. Aim that side at your mouth and keep your distance consistent. Moving closer makes your voice louder relative to the room. It also adds bass through the proximity effect, which is typical of cardioid microphones. If plosive "p" and "b" sounds thump, use a pop filter or angle the microphone slightly off your mouth. Point the rear of the microphone towards the loudest noise source in the room.

Check the output

• Record a short test: a few seconds of silence, then normal speech, then your loudest passage.
• Play it back on headphones. Listen for distortion on loud parts, hiss or hum in the silent section, room echo and harsh "s" sounds.
• Look at the waveform. Peaks should be rounded, not flattened against the top.
• Check that the project or exported file uses the sample rate and format you intended, in the app's export settings or the file's properties.
• For calls and streams, use the app's own microphone test or a test recording. Noise suppression, echo cancellation and automatic gain in those apps can change how you sound to others.

Some hiss at high gain is normal for any microphone and preamp chain. Whether it is acceptable depends on your use. If it is noticeable, improve placement and gain first. Heavy noise reduction can make speech sound processed.

Common problems and next steps

No sound at all: check that phantom power is on for the correct input. Then confirm the interface is selected as the input device in both the system and the app. Make sure the XLR cable is fully seated, or try another cable. Finally, confirm the app has microphone permission in your privacy settings.

Very quiet signal: make sure you are speaking into the logo side rather than the top, move closer and raise the interface gain. A weak signal with phantom power off is another common cause.

Voice in only one ear: this is expected when a mono microphone sits on input 1 and is monitored in stereo. Use a mono track panned to the centre in your software, or your interface's mono monitoring option if it has one. If a call or streaming app hears silence, check that it reads the channel your microphone is plugged into.

Hum, buzz or crackle: try a different XLR cable and USB port, and avoid unpowered hubs. Hum can come from a ground loop between powered devices, so try plugging equipment into the same power outlet. Crackles and dropouts in recording software can come from a buffer size that is too small, so try raising it.

Hearing your own voice delayed or doubled: you are likely hearing both software monitoring and the interface's direct monitoring. Use direct monitoring on the interface and turn off input monitoring in the software.

Too much room sound or background noise: move closer, switch off noise sources you control and add soft furnishings around the recording position. If the room stays loud, a dynamic microphone may suit you better. If you want to plug straight into a laptop without an interface, consider one of the USB versions instead of the XLR model.