Audio-Technica AT2040USB
Audio-Technica | microphone | $159
Dynamic USB microphone optimized for speech intelligibility and broadcast-style voice tone.
Key Specifications
- Connection Type: usb-c
- Sample Rate: 96kHz
- Bit Depth: 24-bit
- Frequency Response: 80Hz-16kHz
- Polar Pattern: Hypercardioid
What These Specs Mean
Sample Rate: 96kHz
On USB mics, the internal sample rate affects recording quality.
Bit Depth: 24-bit
On USB mics, higher bit depth gives more dynamic range.
Frequency Response: 80Hz-16kHz
Wider frequency response captures more of the audible spectrum, from deep bass to airy highs.
Polar Pattern: Hypercardioid
Polar pattern determines where the mic picks up sound from. Cardioid rejects background noise; omnidirectional captures the full room.
What You Need To Run This
Audio-Technica AT2040USB connects straight to a computer over USB-C, so no audio interface or mixer is required to record with it.
Price Position In This Category
At $159, Audio-Technica AT2040USB is the 16th cheapest of the 35 microphones we list, which puts it in the middle third of the category by price. In the rest of the category the cheapest is Amazon Basics USB Condenser Microphone at $40.84 and the most expensive is Shure SM7B at $439; the median microphone price is $169. That is $280 below the most expensive option and $118.16 above the cheapest in this category.