The many years I spent in chorus, belting out countless do re mi’s and fa la la la la’s, could never have saved me from the dulling effect of my inexpensive designed-for-screaming-not-singing dynamic microphone. In fact, the “good as a condenser mic” mic that my local music store “audio guy” sold me was far from “dynamic.”

I practically killed myself, attempting to make use of the thing, even hoping to do some phat magic using an ART pre-amp—which helped with, but did not cure, the problem.

Then, the Old Soundman and I were chatting online one day, and he suggested that I check out something from Audio-Technica’s handheld condenser series. He enticed me with one simple mouthwatering sentence: “The sound quality on these Audio-Technica mics is as good as the Neumanns.”

I quickly put in my order to review the A-T AE3300. And I was not disappointed. The mic showed up on my doorstep, and I quickly checked out the specs and put that puppy to the test. Recording straight to hard drive at 48K, I quickly saw an immense difference. All of the sudden, I was no longer losing the little intricate vocal flutters and rhythmic inflections that make singing so much fun.

The signal was much stronger, purer, and smoother. There wasn’t any harsh high-mid overdrive, like you get with some condenser mics. The frequency response struck my ears as being pleasingly wide, especially compared to the limited range of my old mic.

The AE3300 provides a well-tempered cardioid pattern with outstanding rejection qualities, while providing a high level of exacting detail, exceptional clarity and a clear representation of the sound, without any coloring of the signal. Like the AE5400, the AE3300 has a switchable 80 Hz high-pass filter to help eliminate background noise, and a 10 dB pad.

It features superior anti-shock engineering, for when you’re really getting into the recording moment, and a multi-level windscreen—so you can often leave your popper stopper to the side. It also includes a stand clamp, the AT8470.

To sum up, I would say that the AE3300 cardioid condenser microphone offers outstanding performance. Judging from the way it performed in my project studio I believe it can also be successfully used in many types of venues. I know it will be going with me to my next gig!

Steph Jorgl is the author of the “Girl Thing” series on women engineers, for PSW, and an active songwriter.

AE3300 Specifications
Element: Condenser
Signal to Noise Ratio: 75 dB, 1 kHz at 1 Pa
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Dynamic Range (Typical):128 dB, 1 kHz at Max. SPL
Frequency Response: 30 - 18,000 Hz
Phantom Power Requirements: 11-52V, 3 mA typical
Open Circuit Sensitivity: -42 dB (7.9 mV) re 1V at 1 Pa
Switches: 10 dB pad; roll-off
Impedance:150 ohms
Low Frequency Roll-off: 80 Hz, 12 dB per octave
Max Input Sound Level: 147 dB SPL, 1 kHz at 1% T.H.D.
Weight: 10.6 oz (300 g)
Noise: 19 dB SPL
Output Connector: Integral 3-pin XLRM-type
Accessories Furnished: AT8470 Quiet-Flex stand clamp; 3/8"-16 threaded adapter; protective pouch