Audio-Technica AT4050 condenser microphone: features and spec-based rating

Audio-Technica’s AT4050 is a switchable-pattern condenser microphone with XLR connection.

A condenser microphone records small sounds in fine detail. It is often used to record singing and narration.

In this article we rate it on 5 criteria using only the specifications the manufacturer publishes, and show how it ranks among the 32 microphones we compare.

Disclosure: This site takes part in affiliate programs. Specifications are as of the date we checked them and can change.

Figure: SoundBounty

Summary

Among the 32 microphones, AT4050 is rank B. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and B is third from the top. Averaging the scores for each criterion (out of 5) gives 3.2.

Strengths

• Handling of loud sound (149 dB, 5 points): Loud voices and instruments recorded up close are unlikely to distort.
• Features (3 of 3, 5 points): You can adjust to the sound you are recording with switches on the body.

Things to keep in mind

• Quietness (17 dB(A), 2 points): The microphone itself makes a little more noise, which can be noticeable in quiet songs.
• Lightness (510 g, 1 point): It is on the heavy side, so you need a sturdy microphone stand.

Who it suits: judging from the specifications, it suits people who record loud voices or instruments up close; people who want to adjust the recording with switches on the body, such as the pad and low-cut.

Main features of AT4050

Three pickup patterns you can switch between

You can switch between omnidirectional, cardioid and figure-8. It has a structure that combines two diaphragms, and is said to keep the chosen pattern from low sounds to high sounds.

A transformerless circuit and a gold-vapor diaphragm

The circuit does not use a transformer, which is said to eliminate distortion of low sounds and react quickly to the start of a sound. The diaphragm is a 2-micron gold-vapor film that goes through five stages of aging (a break-in process), which is said to keep its condition even after long use.

Low-cut, pad and a shock mount

There are switches for an 80 Hz low-cut and a -10 dB pad, and with the pad it handles up to 159 dB SPL. A dedicated shock mount AT8449a, an adapter screw, a dust cover and a case are included.

Where it is useful

• Recording a vocal and also conversations or instruments with several people using one microphone
• Recording an instrument together with the ring of the room
• Recording a loud instrument up close

Rating by criterion

Quietness: 2 / 5

How little of the small hiss the microphone itself makes (self-noise). The smaller the number, the quieter.

AT4050: 17 dB(A). That is a modest rating among the products we compared. The microphone itself makes a little more noise, which can be noticeable in quiet songs.

Sensitivity: 3 / 5

How large a signal the same voice produces (sensitivity). The bigger the number, the easier it is to get a good level from a quiet voice.

AT4050: 15.8 mV/Pa. That is a standard rating among the products we compared.

Handling of loud sound: 5 / 5

How loud a sound it can record without distortion (maximum SPL).

AT4050: 149 dB. That is a high rating among the products we compared. Loud voices and instruments recorded up close are unlikely to distort.

Features: 5 / 5

How many of the pad (lowers loud sound), low-cut (reduces low noise) and pickup-pattern switch it has.

AT4050: 3 of 3. That is a high rating among the products we compared. You can adjust to the sound you are recording with switches on the body.

Lightness: 1 / 5

The weight of the microphone. The lighter it is, the less load on the microphone stand.

AT4050: 510 g. That is a modest rating among the products we compared. It is on the heavy side, so you need a sturdy microphone stand.

The gray marks in the figure below (the dotted line on the pentagon) show the average of the 32 products we compared. Price is not part of the score.

How we score (Microphones)

Criterion	Basis	5 pt	4 pt	3 pt	2 pt	1 pt
Quietness	Self-noise	≤7	≤12	≤16	≤20	>20
Sensitivity	Sensitivity	≥25	≥20	≥15	≥10	<10
Handling of loud sound	Maximum SPL (without the pad)	≥148	≥144	≥140	≥135	<135
Features	Pad, low-cut and pickup-pattern switch	All 3	2	1	—	None
Lightness	Weight	≤300	≤350	≤400	≤450	>450

Scored only on the body specifications published by the manufacturer. Price and accessories are not part of the score. Items that are not disclosed are not scored, and the rank is based on the average of the remaining items. Where a model publishes only the signal-to-noise ratio and not the self-noise, the self-noise is converted as "94 minus the signal-to-noise ratio".

AT4050 connection and getting started

Connection	XLR (3-pin). Connect it to the microphone input of an audio interface or mixer (it cannot connect to a computer directly by USB)
Power	Phantom power (48 V, 4.2 mA) is required
In the box	Shock mount AT8449a, adapter screw, dust cover and case (an XLR cable is not included)

Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on September 27, 2026.

Compared with other microphones

Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.

Before you buy

• It needs phantom power (+48 V). This is an XLR condenser microphone, so connect it to an audio interface or mixer that can supply phantom power.
• Check what comes in the box. The manufacturer lists: Shock mount AT8449a, adapter screw, dust cover and case (an XLR cable is not included). Anything not on that list (a shock mount, a pop filter, cables and so on) you need to prepare separately.
• It has a pad and low-cut switch. When loud sound would distort, or when you want to reduce low noise (such as an air conditioner), you can adjust it on the microphone itself.

Read next

• TLM 102: features and rating (rank B)
• TLM 107: features and rating (rank B)
• C414 XLII: features and rating (rank S)
• C414 XLS: features and rating (rank S)