- Anthony
The MXL 770 Cardioid Condenser Microphone Review is a great microphone for those looking for a quality microphone on a budget. This microphone is great for use in a home studio or live performances.
The MXL 770 has a cardioid pick-up pattern which helps to reduce feedback and noise from the sides and rear of the microphone. The microphone also has a low-mass diaphragm which helps to produce clear and accurate sound reproduction.
Contents
MXL 770 Pros
1. Price And Value For Money
One of the most significant advantages of the MXL 770 is its low pricing. The MXL mics 770 cardioid condenser microphone review is readily within most beginners’ budgets, often selling between $50 and USD 80.
At this price range, it’s difficult to find a microphone that can perform as well on various sources. The MXL, on the other hand, accomplishes just that, and you won’t be sorry if you pick one up quickly.
2. Versatility
Another advantage of the MXL 770 is its adaptability. The MXL 770 review has a FET preamp, enabling it to record a large dynamic range. The MXL 770 works well with a wide range of instruments, including voice, piano, strings, and guitars.
The mic also has a switchable bass cut and a -10db attenuator, which may help capture particular instruments.
The MXL 770 is a great microphone for capturing the instruments above and handling everything you throw at it.
3. Noise Isolation
Because it has a narrow diaphragm, the MXL 770 reviews may not be able to record the whole frequency range of your voice or instruments. When recording, it will, however, create substantially less noise.
This is perfect if you don’t have an acoustically treated area or recording near your vocalist, speaker, or other performers. It also has a reduced footprint, making transporting and installing it much easier.
4. Comes With Necessary Accessories
The MXL 770 has its casing and shock mount. Many other condenser mics lack this functionality at this pricing range, even some more pricey ones.
Condenser microphones are more sensitive than dynamic microphones and can pick up even the smallest noise. Breathing, mic stand bumps, and vibrations may all generate such sounds.
In this situation, the shockmount is employed to reduce the bulk of these sounds, which is an added advantage of this mic.
5. Design
The MXL 770 looks amazing, which is important since we all value style as much as quality, especially when buying.
The MXL 770 is available in two variants. There are two versions: normal and midnight. The ordinary version has a black body with gold writing, while the midnight variant is completely blacked out.
Because they are almost the same price, picking one over the other will not break the bank.
MXL 770 Cons
1. Favors High Frequencies
Although the MXL 770 has a large dynamic range, it prefers higher-end frequencies. Depending on the source, it may also provide a scooped mid-range.
If you want maximum performance with a natural, broad dynamic range right out of the box, this is not your favorite mic. You’ll be looking at some quite pricey options to get there.
The MXL 770 is an easy-to-eq microphone that lets you adjust frequencies and remove high-end sounds you don’t like.
If you want a warm bass end and a clean midrange, you may accomplish that using post eq.
2. Sensitivity
The MXL 770, like other condenser mics, is highly sensitive and is prone to picking up harsh T’s and P’s while recording voices. This is readily remedied by using a pop filter, but the MXL 770 does not have one.
This may be a minor disadvantage for most people, but a few mounting and angle options may assist with this. However, if you have a few additional dollars to invest, you should consider purchasing a pop filter and your MXL 770.
MXl 770 Cardioid Condenser Microphone Reviews
It’s the heyday of low-cost big diaphragm condenser mics. When microphones like the MXL 770 sell for approximately $70, affordable might be a bit of an understatement. There’s no reason why your home studio can’t use a condenser microphone.
Single Pattern, Multiple Applications
The MXL 770 (Amazon) is a budget-friendly microphone with a stylish matte charcoal finish with gold writing and trim. Some may identify the MXL brand as a low-cost microphone supplier, but this is not a device you’ll be embarrassed to show off.
The MXL 770 looks like a real big-cap condenser microphone, with a stylish, low-profile spider shock mount. It works well with voices, acoustic stringed instruments, pianos, and percussion.
It’s hardly unexpected that a mic in this budget range only has one polar pattern, which is cardioid. After all, single-pattern cardioids may be purchased for ten times the price.
MXL might beg pardon for neglecting the bass roll-off and -10 decibel (dB) attenuation pads. Still, there’s no need to hold them responsible because both switches are on the back of this studio-style side-address mic.
Like other condenser mics, the MXL 770 employs 48 volts of phantom power to generate a 150-ohm signal at 137 dB SPL. The MXL 770 is probably not the ideal pick for a kick or snare, but it has enough power to succeed at overhead drum chores.
A Little Less Large Diaphragm
The Neumann U87, the closest thing to a Swiss army knife of microphones, is the gold standard studio condenser mic. It’s possible that comparing the $70 MXL 770 to the $3,600 U87 is a bit of a stretch.
If you’re willing to accept the price/performance trade-offs, you may learn a lot about the cheaper relative and how they affect you while using the microphone.
The reduced size of the MXL 770’s diaphragm is perhaps the most noticeable change when comparing the MXL 770 specs sheets of both microphones.
It’s still a big diaphragm mic, but its 0.87-inch capsule is smaller than the U87’s one-inch capsule. This might explain why the MXL 770 has a frequency response of 30 hertz (Hz) instead of U87’s 20 Hz response.
Similarly, the MXL 770 falls short in signal-to-noise ratio, hitting 74 dB vs. the U87’s whisper-quiet 82 dB. These aren’t awful figures, and the MXL remains a fairly good performer for its price tag. It just sounds much superior to the usual $70 condenser.
Condenser sparkle
Large-diaphragm microphones are becoming well-known for the larger-than-life sound they can provide to voices. Not every large capsule mic can accomplish this, and even fewer can do it as well as the U87. A high-frequency boosting adds shine to the greatest microphones, but weaker rivals frequently snap, crackle, and pop.
The frequency response chart of the MXL 770 shows a considerable high-frequency hump beginning at about 5,500 Hz and peaking at around 9,000. The straight-line slope between 5,500 and 8,000 Hz suits the MXL 770 for vocals.
If the MXL 770 has that crystalline clarity for voices, it will naturally excel at sound sources like strings and acoustic guitars.
A mic with this presence boost allows a full-range instrument cut through a mix with qualities that can only be described conceptually. No audio engineering guideline requires these sound sources to be grouped by mic type.
The MXL 770 has a sound that is airy, clear, crisp, and, of course, sparkly and crystalline. It does this without having too much sibilance, which is a common problem with otherwise good budget condenser mics.
The U87’s quality is described poetically as smooth. The MXL 770 isn’t as smooth as the famed German microphone, but it’s very close. It’s also much more than $70 smooth.
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FAQs
Is MXL 770 a good mic?
The 770 is a high-quality condenser microphone that can be used for many different things. Singers love it because it has a strong low-frequency response and a clear high-end. We employ a high-quality FET pre-amp and a transformerless balanced output for a broad dynamic range and low noise.
Are MXL microphones any good?
The MXL 990 strikes a good mix between quality and price. It gets mostly good reviews from expert and amateur users, and it doesn’t sound any worse than any other mic in its price range.
Does MXL 770 need phantom power?
Each 770 comes in a tough hard shell case with custom foam and a strong shockmount. All you need to record like a pro is a mic stand and an XLR cable. Please remember that the MXL 770 needs +48V phantom power (+/- 4 volts) from your interface or soundboard.
How do I connect my MXL 770 to my computer?
It’s important to note that the MXL 770 microphone has an XLR cord, which means it can’t be plugged straight into your computer like a USB mic. You’ll need a USB audio interface into which you’ll plug the microphone before connecting the interface’s USB wire to your computer.
Is XLR better than USB?
A USB microphone connects directly to your computer’s USB port, but an XLR microphone needs an additional recording interface or digital I/O. Neither choice is necessarily superior to the other. In fact, the sound quality is the same since many USB mics use the same parts as their XLR counterparts.
Conclusion
The MXL 770 is a cardioid condenser microphone that is designed for a variety of recording applications. It features a gold-sputtered diaphragm and a low-noise FET preamplifier. The 770 also includes a -10dB pad and a low-cut filter. Thanks for reading!
