AudioChainsDB

Audio-TechnicaAT4040

microphone

New retail price (MSRP)

$349

Used market: $270*

Check price at ThomannManufacturer datasheet

Specifications

5 of 8 values have a recorded source
Connectors
XLR 3-Pin Male·
Built-in converter
no·
Transducer
Condenser True✓
Sensitivity
-32✓
Output impedance
100✓
Phantom power required
yes✓
Connection
XLR-Only✓
Indexable Locales
·

Expert Audio Engineering Commentary

Tonal profile

Externally polarised cardioid with a nickel-plated brass element baffle, a 10 dB pad and an 80 Hz high-pass; 12 dB SPL self-noise and 133 dB of dynamic range.

Gain staging

-32 dB (25.1 mV) re 1 V at 1 Pa - the two halves agree to the decimal, which is rarer than it ought to be. That is 27 dB above an SM7B and 10 dB above its own AT2050 sibling. Unlike the 20 Series, this one wants a real 48 V: the datasheet says 48 V phantom, not 11 to 52 V, so a bus-powered interface with a weak phantom supply is a genuine risk here in a way it is not on the AT2035.

* Estimated with the depreciation fallback (~77% retained value).