Audio Technica 4041

Success on a stick? Paul White studio tests a new back electret that would appear to combine strength with sensitivity.

Mics tend either to look large and exciting or thin and anonymous, but you should never judge a mic by the shape of its packaging. If any generalisation can be made, it is that small‑diaphragm mics tend to sound more accurate than flattering, and because of their capsule geometry, they're often better at dealing with off‑axis sounds than large‑diaphragm models. However, having said that, there's a surprising amount of variation between mics that look very similar.

A good many mics look quite similar to the AT4041, which follows the traditional 'stick' format. Housed inside the black, turned‑brass housing is an extremely sensitive back‑electret capsule capable of outputting 15.8mV/Pa. Its frequency response is nominally flat from 20Hz to over 20kHz, with just a hint of an 'air' peak at around 12kHz, and its dynamic range is quoted as 121dB, the maximum sound level for 1% distortion being a hefty 145dB. If you don't have a head for numbers, this tells you that you're dealing with a reasonably honest microphone, with just a hint of top‑end flattery, that can tolerate high SPLs and won't present you with a battle against noise when it's faced with quieter acoustic instruments, even if you're using a fairly modest mixer.

The 4041 runs from phantom power only (there's no provision to use batteries), and the electronically‑balanced output is DC coupled, to preserve clarity under high‑output conditions. A switchable 80Hz, 12dB/octave low‑cut filter helps takes care of very low‑frequency background noise in speech, or for other applications that don't require an extended low‑frequency response, and the filter switch is recessed to prevent inadvertent activation.

There's little to say about the construction of this mic, other than that the capsule — which, apparently, is artificially aged to ensure consistent performance — is actually mounted inside the removable head of the mic rather than fixed to the body. A fine wire mesh protects the capsule, and a simple foam windshield is supplied by Audio Technica, along with the obligatory mounting clip and a sturdy plastic carrying case.

In Use

This is one of those mics that doesn't have much in the way of a 'sound' — instead, it delivers a faithful rendition of what you feed into it, with almost ruthless accuracy. Compared to some other mics, even quite expensive ones, the Audio Technica 4041 delivers an amazingly high output signal, and that means you can work with quiet acoustic instruments or fairly distant sound sources without noise becoming a major concern. The impression is of a very fast transient response — enhanced, no doubt by the slight top‑end response rise — but the low‑frequency end of the spectrum is handled equally proficiently, resulting in a well‑balanced, revealing sound that literally shimmers with detail.

An accurate mic such as this can turn its hand to just about any job, even vocals, though whether you prefer the slightly more comfortable, rounded sound of a large‑diaphragm mic is purely a matter of artistic choice. For acoustic guitars, drum overheads, assorted ethnic percussion or plucked instruments in general, the Audio Technica 4041 works equally well, and there's sufficient dynamic range to allow it to cope with brass or sax.

Summary

Once again, Audio Technica have come up with a sensibly‑priced mic that could be used successfully in a number of recording, broadcast, or even live sound situations. Though not an obvious choice as a vocal mic, it may well suit singers who normally have difficulties with clarity — all that's needed for this application is a pop shield. Furthermore, because of its very high output, the mic is sufficiently sensitive to record choirs and small acoustic ensembles.

As an instrument mic, the 4041 can be used on virtually any source where a cardioid‑response mic is required, and providing you have a suitable phantom power source, it would also make an excellent location mic for gathering sound effects and similar applications. No mic built has ever been a true jack of all trades, but his one comes pretty close. A useful addition to any mic locker.