This is, for me, the best budget mic ever. I bought one in 2001, I still have it, and use it once in a while for voice over, even though I have much more expensive mics. It's obviously not a Neumann, it will never sound as one, but some EQ, de-esser and compression do the trick.
@Pepe in space If you watch my videos I use the MXL 990, it sounds very good besides the hiss. Usually I go to EQ in post and lower the treble a lot, that seems to get rid of some hiss for me.
I also have an older 990 that I like very much. Recently I bought a second one (because, why not :-)) but the electronics seem to bee completely diffderent, and the grill isn't as sturdy... It still sounds reasonably good, but it's too bad that there's such a big difference in build between the two... Using them as a stereo pair will be out of the question I guess...
I previously had my heart set on the MXL 550/551 but over the past month that I’ve been making my slow ass decision, this thing has grown on me. Sounds like I’m gonna be going with the 990.
It’s really cool to go back and see how much Bandrew has honed his mic review craft over the last 7 years. I bought this mic for $50 new on Reverb and plan to mod it but wanted to watch some reviews before it arrived. Glad I did.
Yeah these early reviews were pretty rough, but we've fine tuned them thanks to awesome feedback from people. Hopefully in another 7 years I'll cringe about my current reviews knowing that I've improved. Thanks for watching and best of luck on the modding.
I've used this for streaming/recording for like 3 years and it's worked great it's been beat to shit. it's caved in and falling apart and still works. 👍
I have their MXL 990 ribbon mic. It opened up a lot and sounded great after I removed an internal blast shield and replaced the original transformer with a Cinemag CM9887.
I gave mine away about 12 years ago...just too bright and thin for my taste. Lacks balls for vocals. Don't regret my decision, I bought it when I didn't know what I was doing. So glad to have a humble but effective mic collection.
If you buy this mic, buy a shock mount as well. It's an extra $25...but worth the investment because the standard mount is crapppp. The mic has quite a bit of brightness in the high frequency range, but that can be fixed with some basic EQ'ing and De-essing. Also, take note that if you want a quality sound for singing/voice overs....Any mic will require some EQ'ing/de-essing. So don't let that be a deal breaker!
Wow, I'm only 3 years late. Anyway, I bought this 990/991 combo back in 2001 and it even came with a (crappy) shock mount. I believe the set was $69. The 991 is a POS which failed in just a few years, but the 990, which has been dropped several times and has a huge dent in the grill, STILL works and is in the favorite of all my mics! It seems to need a little more gain than others, but it is very good for vocals even in a noisy room. With increased gain, some mild EQ and compression, and properly placed, this mic is killer on acoustic instruments. It's an absolute bargain even at $100. I'd say this is the Squier of microphones - cheap and effective.
I think this channel is the best of microphone review for me. I've watched a lot of your videos and decided to buy the MXL990. Thanks for the good information and hope you will get more and more sups in the future. I do not use English in everyday life. Sorry for my bad English skill.
Please tell me whether this road NT 1 is much better than And audio technica AT2020 ( 1 ) Road NT-1 ( 2 ) audio technica AT2020 ( 3 ) MXL 990/ 991 Which of the three is good🤔 😒 Please sir
All three are good. They’re also all in incredibly different price ranges, and better for different uses. NT1 for vocalists/voice actors/podcasters, AT2020 for podcasters and vocalists, and 990 for vocalists and musicians.
I had this mic sitting in a box for... well, seven years or so, and I just rediscovered that I owned it. So I watched this video about it. I kind of like this mic, and this video was really very direct, very real, very honest, and saved me from some ADHD paralysis by analysis! WELL PLAYED, GOOD SIR, WELL PLAYED!!!
They're pretty close in terms of performance, with the 990 having perhaps a slight edge. There's a 770 review by Podcastage already done. MXL 990s are selling brand new on ebay right now for $60 and free shipping by musiciansfriend. Really good deal.
Speaking from many years of recording experience, if you want a great mic for rap, you should strongly consider a large diaphragm dynamic mic. Yeah, most of them are not really within your budget. But if you can stretch for one, you might find it well worth it. I have used the MXL BCD-1 with rappers and gotten great results. At around $170, it is one of the more budget friendly LDD's on the market. But remember, you MUST use a pop filter if you want to rap into ANY mic. Spoken word recording is filled with plosives. On the other hand, if you really prefer/want a condenser mic, then you will find that $100 is the sweet spot, with literally dozens of options to choose from. However, at that price point, most of them sound more alike than different. They will almost all be of Chinese manufacture and will have a slightly bright character due to a rising peak in the top end centered around 15-17khz and a bit of hash in the upper mids due to low quality caps and filters on the circuit board. There are a few notable exceptions to that rule however. For example, the MXL 2003a has a filter in the electronics which smooths out that high frequency bump, making it almost ruler flat on the top end.
This is my podcasting/radio broadcast mic. It is very good sounding, especially when you talk close to the mic with a pop-filter. I also have it connected to a Focusrite, but i also have a TC-Helicon compressor and it makes it sound amazing.
It's very handy and good sounding. Easy to use: One knob for compressor, one for adding more highs to the sound and one button for boosting bass. It sounds better than my Behringer MDX4600 Multicom Pro-XL that just makes weird noises sometimes.
Thank you for the video, I'm so done with budget mic's, I was worried about investing just in case I would have the same problems. Also, is that Carl Sagan behind you?
Love the videos and they've really helped to figure out what to use for my work. 1 request and a question: 1) Could you review the Ammoon F4 or F7 USB mixer? Looks great for a multiple mic podcast setup but the price looks too good to be true. 2) I notice that there are a lot of BM-700/800 mics out there (Neweer, Excelvan BM-MIC, MyAmour etc) - Are these the same mic with a different name slapped on it, or are there significant differences between them?
1. Added it to the voting poll. 2. That's my understanding of the situation. Same mics produced in the same factory and then sold to different companies to put their name on it.
I know this is an old video, but I felt validated. I’m working on self producing an album in my basement and at times deal with some outside noise because it’s not the ideal space. but I have to say it’s handled it really well and clean
Can you please do a direct comparison, or just tell me what you think, between this MXL 990 and the Focusrite Scarlett CM25 microphone? I can't find any direct comparisons anywhere! It would be for recording singing, acoustic guitar, and electric guitar in an untreated room. Thanks alot!
Hey, back to the mic placement technique, I see! Good job on the spot, but you forgot then to tilt towards the sound hole. The angle has a huge impact on the sound, think of the microphone as a flashlight - you aim at what you want to capture
Dear Sir, May I use my MXL 990 micorphone for recording a Dholak (an Indian beating instrument)? I have already an MXL 990. Should I necessarily buy an XML 991 for recording the instrument? Please suggest me.
How do u guys get rid of white noise? I don’t know how to get rid of it but it sounds so good when I hear other ppl do there review. Is it my audio interface? I don’t really know about this stuff but I’m tryna learn
+Podcastage So, it would appear that you required the 5/8" to 3/8" adapter because apparently your microphone didn't come with any shockmount, which can normally be mounted to a boom arm, correct?
KillTheMethod It comes with a microphone mount and no 5/8 to 3/8" mic stand adapter. It does not come with shock mount. Mic mounts & Shock mounts both require 5/8" to 3/8" stand adapter. Some packs provide it. Some do not.
I use the same microphone and I guess it is ok. The thing is that I have to use music under when I talk on my podcast radio because the noise in the background gets in. Even though I have acoustic panels.
I of course can't speak for bandrew, however the mxl 990 sounds tremendous and you can get it for $75 in some cases. There are some other nice ones but I have always liked this one. CAD gxl 2200, 2400, and 3000 are also really nice. If you needed an interface a behringer um2 is really nice and cheap.
That audio technica's that +Cobra Gaming mentioned are great. The 990 is a good options as well. This all require interfaces. Audio Technica ATR2100 USB is a great option as well.
Paid $40 at a pawn shop for this it was brand new still wrapped and sounded pretty good compared to my others. I must say it looked and felt slightly more quality than the sound
All these companies need to pay you - I can only imagine how many 990's sold after you put this video up.... I bought one recently and came to see your test of it.
Hey Podcastage! A couple days back I told you my Nw-800 would keep crackling well now that is fixed. It had nothing to do with the microphone, it was the recording software I used. But I just want to ask you what is the gain on your Nw-800 normally?
My microphone sounds like it disassembled from the inside. I definitely don’t think there should be a rattling thump sound inside. I think it something detached from the inside of the microphone cage. Do you know how i can fix it? Or if this is normal?
What kind of post-processing or filters/effects do you apply on this audio? Can you post a sample of the raw sound that you get when you record without applying any filters, compressors, high/low pass, noise removal, etc? I am having trouble with my Shure SM57 mic, to get proper quality output and instead my recordings sound canned, like recorded in a claustrophobic space. Would love to learn how to do it right.
Your mic comparison videos are the absolute best out there. You have helped me learn so much. Thank you!
Thank you so much!
This guy is awesome. I sort of feel like I'm being yelled at but I don't mind it.
thats just the vlogger vibes
This video came at a perfect time. There's a music store in my town that is selling them for $50 with a shock mount.
Well, just the 990.
@@TeknokaiSipesProductions yeah on Amazon, the microphone itself is like $69.99 right now
Yeah does MXL think their mic’s gone down in value or something? It’s a treasure XD
This is, for me, the best budget mic ever. I bought one in 2001, I still have it, and use it once in a while for voice over, even though I have much more expensive mics. It's obviously not a Neumann, it will never sound as one, but some EQ, de-esser and compression do the trick.
@Pepe in space If you watch my videos I use the MXL 990, it sounds very good besides the hiss. Usually I go to EQ in post and lower the treble a lot, that seems to get rid of some hiss for me.
I also have an older 990 that I like very much. Recently I bought a second one (because, why not :-)) but the electronics seem to bee completely diffderent, and the grill isn't as sturdy... It still sounds reasonably good, but it's too bad that there's such a big difference in build between the two... Using them as a stereo pair will be out of the question I guess...
@@AllthatSam
it would be interesting for you to make a video comparing the new and the old.
I previously had my heart set on the MXL 550/551 but over the past month that I’ve been making my slow ass decision, this thing has grown on me. Sounds like I’m gonna be going with the 990.
It’s really cool to go back and see how much Bandrew has honed his mic review craft over the last 7 years. I bought this mic for $50 new on Reverb and plan to mod it but wanted to watch some reviews before it arrived. Glad I did.
Yeah these early reviews were pretty rough, but we've fine tuned them thanks to awesome feedback from people. Hopefully in another 7 years I'll cringe about my current reviews knowing that I've improved. Thanks for watching and best of luck on the modding.
I've used this for streaming/recording for like 3 years and it's worked great it's been beat to shit. it's caved in and falling apart and still works. 👍
I need help connecting mines bro plz help me text me on Instagram
I have their MXL 990 ribbon mic. It opened up a lot and sounded great after I removed an internal blast shield and replaced the original transformer with a Cinemag CM9887.
I gave mine away about 12 years ago...just too bright and thin for my taste. Lacks balls for vocals. Don't regret my decision, I bought it when I didn't know what I was doing. So glad to have a humble but effective mic collection.
If you buy this mic, buy a shock mount as well. It's an extra $25...but worth the investment because the standard mount is crapppp. The mic has quite a bit of brightness in the high frequency range, but that can be fixed with some basic EQ'ing and De-essing.
Also, take note that if you want a quality sound for singing/voice overs....Any mic will require some EQ'ing/de-essing. So don't let that be a deal breaker!
Wow, I'm only 3 years late. Anyway, I bought this 990/991 combo back in 2001 and it even came with a (crappy) shock mount. I believe the set was $69. The 991 is a POS which failed in just a few years, but the 990, which has been dropped several times and has a huge dent in the grill, STILL works and is in the favorite of all my mics! It seems to need a little more gain than others, but it is very good for vocals even in a noisy room. With increased gain, some mild EQ and compression, and properly placed, this mic is killer on acoustic instruments. It's an absolute bargain even at $100. I'd say this is the Squier of microphones - cheap and effective.
This is one of the finest and best microphone I’ve used so far . It works perfectly for me. It has a low noise reduction
Thanks man, I just ordered this one, your review really helped out
Surprised and ecstatic to hear you singing new found glory!!! Great mic review!
I think this channel is the best of microphone review for me. I've watched a lot of your videos and decided to buy the MXL990. Thanks for the good information and hope you will get more and more sups in the future. I do not use English in everyday life. Sorry for my bad English skill.
Happy to hear I was able to help you decide what mic to buy. Have fun with it.
mee to..
Please tell me whether
this road NT 1 is much better than
And audio technica AT2020
( 1 ) Road NT-1
( 2 ) audio technica AT2020
( 3 ) MXL 990/ 991
Which of the three is good🤔
😒 Please sir
All three are good. They’re also all in incredibly different price ranges, and better for different uses. NT1 for vocalists/voice actors/podcasters, AT2020 for podcasters and vocalists, and 990 for vocalists and musicians.
Brian Farndon i seem bad reviews about the 990, is it that crappy?
I had this mic sitting in a box for... well, seven years or so, and I just rediscovered that I owned it. So I watched this video about it. I kind of like this mic, and this video was really very direct, very real, very honest, and saved me from some ADHD paralysis by analysis! WELL PLAYED, GOOD SIR, WELL PLAYED!!!
Wow! Thanks so much for watching. The video is quite old, but I’m glad that it helped. Hope you get years of use out of the mic. Happy recording.
This mic sounds so good.
If I want a good under $100 microphone for vocals espcially rapping, which should I buy? MXL 990 or MXL 770??
They're pretty close in terms of performance, with the 990 having perhaps a slight edge. There's a 770 review by Podcastage already done. MXL 990s are selling brand new on ebay right now for $60 and free shipping by musiciansfriend. Really good deal.
Speaking from many years of recording experience, if you want a great mic for rap, you should strongly consider a large diaphragm dynamic mic. Yeah, most of them are not really within your budget. But if you can stretch for one, you might find it well worth it. I have used the MXL BCD-1 with rappers and gotten great results. At around $170, it is one of the more budget friendly LDD's on the market. But remember, you MUST use a pop filter if you want to rap into ANY mic. Spoken word recording is filled with plosives.
On the other hand, if you really prefer/want a condenser mic, then you will find that $100 is the sweet spot, with literally dozens of options to choose from. However, at that price point, most of them sound more alike than different. They will almost all be of Chinese manufacture and will have a slightly bright character due to a rising peak in the top end centered around 15-17khz and a bit of hash in the upper mids due to low quality caps and filters on the circuit board. There are a few notable exceptions to that rule however. For example, the MXL 2003a has a filter in the electronics which smooths out that high frequency bump, making it almost ruler flat on the top end.
This is my favorite comment I've read in months! Thank you so much for sharing your expertise man! I really appreciate it!
DID HE JUST CALL ME A BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!1
Red Megaman yeah. For me too..
I think bustard means Friend...
English is changin so quixk
yea he call beautiful bastards 😂😂😂
Its a phillip defranco reference.
What is the best between the MXL 770 or the MXL990 ?
770
why
770
WHAT IS BETTER FOR RAP VOCALS
Please do a review video for MXL770X
Would you consider the mic that comes with the Scarlet 2i2 bundle similar in quality as compared to the MXL 990?
Dude what kind of coating or gradient do you have going on on your glasses. I like that.
Hey! Great vids! would you choose MXL990 or 550 for music recording?
Watched this just to see what you had on the 990. Boy have you grown and improved over the years :)
can you use a audio interface with this mic ?
This is my podcasting/radio broadcast mic. It is very good sounding, especially when you talk close to the mic with a pop-filter. I also have it connected to a Focusrite, but i also have a TC-Helicon compressor and it makes it sound amazing.
That's a nice set up. How you like that little compressor?
It's very handy and good sounding. Easy to use: One knob for compressor, one for adding more highs to the sound and one button for boosting bass. It sounds better than my Behringer MDX4600 Multicom Pro-XL that just makes weird noises sometimes.
I have the combo pack too and dig it !
It would be nice to hear your opinion about this microphonte today! after 4 years of experience would you be giving the same recomendations?
Intro was a combination of DeFranko and kyle (Awesomesauce)
yep
I've never watched Awesomesauce. But you're right. Defranko for sure!
defrakno.....
Reminds me more of Peter McKinnon.
Thank you for the video, I'm so done with budget mic's, I was worried about investing just in case I would have the same problems. Also, is that Carl Sagan behind you?
You are the best reviewer bast So far!!
Love the videos and they've really helped to figure out what to use for my work. 1 request and a question:
1) Could you review the Ammoon F4 or F7 USB mixer? Looks great for a multiple mic podcast setup but the price looks too good to be true.
2) I notice that there are a lot of BM-700/800 mics out there (Neweer, Excelvan BM-MIC, MyAmour etc) - Are these the same mic with a different name slapped on it, or are there significant differences between them?
1. Added it to the voting poll.
2. That's my understanding of the situation. Same mics produced in the same factory and then sold to different companies to put their name on it.
would this be a good mic for vocals and my travel kit?
this told me everything i needed to know. big thanks from florida, you helped me to decide on my purchase
Thanks for your reviews!
Between this one and the Akg p120, which one is better?
I know this is old but i did find this mic in a kit that also comes with a shock mount.
This microphone records cleanly and with high quality? does not have any noise?
I know this is an old video, but I felt validated. I’m working on self producing an album in my basement and at times deal with some outside noise because it’s not the ideal space. but I have to say it’s handled it really well and clean
Can you please do a direct comparison, or just tell me what you think, between this MXL 990 and the Focusrite Scarlett CM25 microphone? I can't find any direct comparisons anywhere! It would be for recording singing, acoustic guitar, and electric guitar in an untreated room. Thanks alot!
Been waiting for this one! Thanks!
To say your reviews are helpful would be an ... understatement.
Hey, back to the mic placement technique, I see! Good job on the spot, but you forgot then to tilt towards the sound hole. The angle has a huge impact on the sound, think of the microphone as a flashlight - you aim at what you want to capture
There’s also the one directly for instruments too to fix your guitar gripe. The MXL 991
great video thank you! just ordered mine- my first mic, can't wait
Do you think one of these mics would be good for recording a cello?
Dear Sir,
May I use my MXL 990 micorphone for recording a Dholak (an Indian beating instrument)?
I have already an MXL 990. Should I necessarily buy an XML 991 for recording the instrument?
Please suggest me.
Thanks. It helps to see the specs and a demo of the cardio pattern. This is a great review.
Love your reviews and editing and humor! Got me as a subscriber.
Thoughts on recording simultaneously with acoustic & vocals if mic is placed a foot away? Thank you
How does the MXL-990 XLR compare with the Audio Technica AT2035 owing to the fact that the AT2035 is not available in most sites in India
do you think it is better than behringer C-3?
Which microphone is best for me as I have a deeper voice?... like James Arthur and Ed Sheeran kinda texture
Hello 👋 I want to know what do you think between 990 and Sterling SP150
Thanks and 👍 video .
@podcastage does this mic still hold value in 2024 ?
@Podcastage does this mic still hold its value in 2024 ?
can i use my neewer amp that has the same vl?
Bro do you recommend use the 990 and the 991 together to record vocals at home and have a more rich frequency range?
Thanks for the review, you do real nice work.
Thank you very much. Happy to help.
How do u guys get rid of white noise? I don’t know how to get rid of it but it sounds so good when I hear other ppl do there review. Is it my audio interface? I don’t really know about this stuff but I’m tryna learn
Sir Which one is the best At 2020 vs Mxl 990 770
that distance test left me stunned. it didn't even sound like he backed away from the mic until 4 ft. H O W
I have this mic now. I make music and thinking of upgrading my equipment, should I upgrade to an Audio-Technica AT4040, or should I be fine?
I love the MXL 990 and I love podcastage 😂 always a blast
Do you think this mic is better than AKG C3000b?
Would this mic reject more background noise than a dynamic or at least as much?
hey Bandrew Which one you think is better mxl 440 or mxl 990???? please suggest!!!
this has to be the best microphone review video
+Podcastage So, it would appear that you required the 5/8" to 3/8" adapter because apparently your microphone didn't come with any shockmount, which can normally be mounted to a boom arm, correct?
00:59
That didn't address the question, but I'll assume that means yes. Thank you.
KillTheMethod It comes with a microphone mount and no 5/8 to 3/8" mic stand adapter. It does not come with shock mount. Mic mounts & Shock mounts both require 5/8" to 3/8" stand adapter. Some packs provide it. Some do not.
Podcastage Thanks!
I use 4 of these for my DND podcast and they do wonderfully.
Hi for you for the 770 or the 990? What is the best for the games
For vocals, which would be better, the mxl 990 or mxl 770? thank you
Which should I buy akg p120 or mxl 990
i'm between this one and the at2020 for online radio station and podcasting... leaning more to the 2020...
I use the same microphone and I guess it is ok. The thing is that I have to use music under when I talk on my podcast radio because the noise in the background gets in. Even though I have acoustic panels.
+Podcastage Which sounds better for vocals MXL 990 or AT2020?
I prefer at2020
Which mic do you mostly recommend for Gaming/Let's plays?
I of course can't speak for bandrew, however the mxl 990 sounds tremendous and you can get it for $75 in some cases. There are some other nice ones but I have always liked this one. CAD gxl 2200, 2400, and 3000 are also really nice. If you needed an interface a behringer um2 is really nice and cheap.
That audio technica's that +Cobra Gaming mentioned are great. The 990 is a good options as well. This all require interfaces. Audio Technica ATR2100 USB is a great option as well.
I am a rnb and rap artist I am in the process of starting my own home studio.Would you prefer this mic or the at2020 for vocal recording??
I would personally probably pick the at2020. The 990 looks like it scoops out some of the mids which are important for vocals.
I need a mic for radio broadcast. Would you choose the RE320 over this? thanks!
I'm choosing between this and the Audio technica at2020, any thoughts which one is better?
Which one do you think sounds better?
I feel like the MXL sounds better?
Then you have your answer right there.
I'm also using it for gaming as you talked about with the AT2020 it seemed to pick up more sound like the keyboard etc.
Thanks, man. I'm looking into getting a better condenser mic. Maybe do the MXL V57G at some point?
Paid $40 at a pawn shop for this it was brand new still wrapped and sounded pretty good compared to my others. I must say it looked and felt slightly more quality than the sound
Thomas Morris -what other mics?
Is it a large diaphragm Microphone?
All these companies need to pay you - I can only imagine how many 990's sold after you put this video up.... I bought one recently and came to see your test of it.
Hey man what would you say you like more, the mxl 990 or the audio technica at2020? ( sorry if anyone has asked that already )
hey @podcastage, ignoring prices, how do you think it compares sonically to the bm800 mic?
Hey Podcastage! A couple days back I told you my Nw-800 would keep crackling well now that is fixed. It had nothing to do with the microphone, it was the recording software I used. But I just want to ask you what is the gain on your Nw-800 normally?
It's different depending on what interface I'm using or how I'm connecting it and how much phantom power it's receiving.
when you connect it to the old sabrent usb adapter what is the gain?
The old sabrent. I think it was like 1-2%.
okay thanks
Akg p420 vs mxl 990 which one is better?
when I got this mic about 10 years ago, it came with a proper shock mount. I just needed to get a pop filter.
is this mic good for recording singing vocals
I think im going to buy this for commentary's on my channel.
My microphone sounds like it disassembled from the inside. I definitely don’t think there should be a rattling thump sound inside. I think it something detached from the inside of the microphone cage. Do you know how i can fix it? Or if this is normal?
What kind of post-processing or filters/effects do you apply on this audio? Can you post a sample of the raw sound that you get when you record without applying any filters, compressors, high/low pass, noise removal, etc? I am having trouble with my Shure SM57 mic, to get proper quality output and instead my recordings sound canned, like recorded in a claustrophobic space. Would love to learn how to do it right.
How do you connect the Mxl 990 microphone to the computer to record video?
Is this mic good for singing?
Strange, I have this mic. I have a Behringer UMV22, which I tried connecting to a Neewer Phantom, but it didn't work in Audacity.
What kind of audio interface do a mxl 990 need
Anything with xlr inputs and +48v phantom power.
Hi! Can you review this very low cost condenser microphone, Boya BY-M1000? Thank you!