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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review:
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 More than a year later Jan 26, 2008
I bought one of these over a year ago, and it's been in regular almost daily use since. Easily one of my favorite mics for recording voice and acoustic instruments. I have had absolutely no problems with it, it's solid and reliable.
The sound is perhaps slightly warm for close-up vocal work, so for that you might want to roll back the lows on your eq just a tiny bit. But I find that bit of warmth very pleasant for recording acoustic guitar, dulcimer, flute, etc. If you're miking an acoustic instrument from 3 ft or further away, then the sound is crisp and has enough low end to just be pleasant.
I have microphones that cost more, but for recording this one would be my favorite. Amazingly good sound for the price.
Cheap and really not bad at all. Dec 14, 2007
Well, there's definitely some detail missing in the mids, but it has a generally pleasing "very fat" tone. I like it for drum overheads. Needs a bit of EQ for almost any practical application, but it's pretty good otherwise. I don't think I'd use it to track the vocals for my next album (next? where's my first?), but with some EQ it would be good enough for a demo. :)
For the price, it's freakin' awesome.
11 of 12 found the following review helpful:
 Mediocre Out of the Box, Great with Modifications Oct 14, 2007
The MXL 990 is one of many Chinese-manufactured condenser mics that suffer from two common problems - it is simultaneously ill-defined in the critical midrange and excessively harsh in the treble range. While the circuit used in the mic is quite clever and fairly well implemented, the sonic deficiencies lie within the condenser capsule and headbasket acoustics.
By and large, Chinese-manufactured mics use condenser capsules copied from classic Neumann designs. Unfortunately, these inexact copies fall short of delivering the magnificent midrange accuracy and smooth, sibilance-free top end Neumann capsules are known for. Most of the copied capsules deliver a sound that is often described as harsh, spitty, "eshy", sibilant or screechy. Poor headbasket acoustics compound the problems created by these capsules.
The MXL 990, like most microphones of its class, uses a multi-layer grille mesh headbasket. These multiple layers of mesh do protect the capsule from spittle and wind blasts - but at a cost. Multiple layer headbaskets have a very small percentage of open area in the grille. This means a great deal of sound is reflected back and forth between the capsule and headbasket. Cup your hands around your mouth or speak into a paper tube to get an exaggerated example of the standing wave artifacts caused by a restrictive headbasket.
What to do?
One of the great benefits of the MXL 990 and other similarly priced mics is low cost. With a very modest investment in the original microphone, it becomes an excellent platform for a microphone modification. The capsule can be upgraded and headbasket opened up.
With a suite of microphone modifications this mic, (as well as many other Chinese manufactured mics) can really become a solid performer that sounds much more like a professional tool.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Excellent for the Price Sep 25, 2007
I purchased the MXL 990 after being taken for what I believe are counterfeit Shure SM78's on eBay. The upgrade to a large diaphragm microphone was noticeable right away - just the weight and size made me feel like my studio had been upgraded.
The pickup pattern is great, and the sound is excellent for something so thrifty.
A pop filter is a must, and a noise/compression gate is recommended for best performance. If you are looking for an upgrade from your computer microphone or other cheapie, the MXL 990 will keep you going for a long time.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Nice Mic, Good Price May 07, 2007
I am overall pleased with this mic on quality and the price. If you looking for an upgrade from a computer mic, then this is the one for it. I have mine hooked up to my M-Audio USB Powered Preamp and I gotta say, it does the trick. It has improved my song quality as well as my overall quality. I would suggest getting this with a M-Audio USB Preamp, because of this amazingly clear quality.
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