Screw the 'vibe'! The AT will do a better job, no matter what you throw at it. Better quality, better engineered, better sound. The MXLs are all about hype...fancy cases, flashy hardware. Nothing more than a cheaply-built mic marketed by the geniuses at Yamaha. ATs are proven professional tools.

heard neither of them. Respect AT. Heard surprisingly good things about the MXL's. Try n try before u buy

Go with the AT they are reliable I was a AT 3035 to do vocals at my place and I think it sounds good. I looked into the MXL but I talked to my guy at sweetwater and he said MXL makes a great dynamic mic which i cant remember the model of but it is like the hot mic for guitar cabs in nashville. I would also look into the AKG perception c100 or c200 mics they are cheap but I hear good things, I have a c200 sitting in my room, but I have no cables to hook it up right now :( but int a couple days I will be back home with new mics and various other goodies

No offense guys, but I'm hearing (err, reading) a lot of...

"Well, I've never tried "x" or "y" but I'd go with...."

This just isn't good advice. Sorry.

To the original poster -

I've used both (I own 2 4040's and I've tried a friend's V6). My personal use leaned me towards the AT's. They both sounded good - the ATs had a clear, open sound whereas the V6s sounded much thicker. If I want thick, I tend to rely on preamps or a tube/ribbon mic to get me there. That's just my preference.

J.

Cucco has THE point here. Unless you have a pair of both mics and you have compared them on overhead drum placement, you have zero qualifications to answer the question accurately.

This said..as others have, get both pairs, listen, sell the pair that you feel yourself...did not do the job as you like.

You may end up pleased with one of each..who knows??

Cucco,

I've used both (I own 2 4040's and I've tried a friend's V6). My personal use leaned me towards the AT's. They both sounded good - the ATs had a clear, open sound whereas the V6s sounded much thicker. If I want thick, I tend to rely on preamps or a tube/ribbon mic to get me there. That's just my preference.

Yesterday, I had the chance to demo a pair of MXL V6's on drum OH. Against my KM 184's, the V6's sounded much larger and more exiting. I know you don't like KM184's...what is it specifically?

I'm a little leary of being smitten by the high-end hype of a mic like the V6, only to develop a disdain for it later. (Kind of like what I went through with the SP C1).

Still need to round up some AT4040's.

How about the Rode K2 or Beyer M130 you've been talking about? How do you think those would compare on OH to the AT 4040? (Rock genre).

BlackSoul wrote: How about the Rode K2 or Beyer M130 you've been talking about? How do you think those would compare on OH to the AT 4040? (Rock genre).

The M130s would be beautiful! Though, I think they would need a little eq - boost the highs just a tad. The K2 would be fine, but hard to manage (even with my huge stands and 40lb sand bags, they would be cumbersome.) The K2 would make a beautiful room mic for drums though. Oh - and a beautiful tom mic too! (If you don't mind having your tube mic getting the shit beat out of it from time to time...)

For overheads, I've been using the Audix SCX25. They're small and very sensitive. They pick up EVERYTHING and have a bit of brightness built in.

J.

hi

I have At4050s, 4040s and MXL V67s here. No comparison.. Even the 4040s are much better than the V67s if this is the model you folks are evaluating.

The 4040 does not have such a good off ais response as the 4050s at cardioid pattern, but they are pretty good mics. In some voals we have even preferred the 4040s (cardioid only) over the 4050 at cardioid.

If you have a chance, test the 4047s. diffrent design, people are really enjoying this mic.

Th MXLV67 Gols is a so-so mic, in the same league as AKG C2000Bs, C3000Bs.

Re: hi

Alécio Costa - Brazil wrote: I have At4050s, 4040s and MXL V67s here. No comparison.. Even the 4040s are much better than the V67s if this is the model you folks are evaluating.

The 4040 does not have such a good off ais response as the 4050s at cardioid pattern, but they are pretty good mics. In some voals we have even preferred the 4040s (cardioid only) over the 4050 at cardioid.

If you have a chance, test the 4047s. diffrent design, people are really enjoying this mic.

Th MXLV67 Gols is a so-so mic, in the same league as AKG C2000Bs, C3000Bs.

The 67 is actually a different mic. I'll agree, it is at best a "so-so" mic. The V6, however, is their new "tube simulator" mic. As I understand it, the drive the transformer pretty hard to get a saturated, mildly distorted sound reminiscent of tubes. In general, it's a warm sounding mic. However, it is no tube mic.

I'll second the 4047 - it is a great mic too!

J.

Listen to Jeremy...he knows of what he speaks.

I will also add my own .02 worth of info on both mics, as I own both. The AT 4040 is one of the best, all-round workhorse microphones out there, and is a fantastic "bang for the buck." For all-round usage (including many acoustic instruements and voice), it's a great mic. The only AT mic I prefer over it is the 4050, but that's another story altogether. For the $$, you'd be hard pressed to find anything better. It's wonderful for a variety of purproses, and I'd go as far as saying that if you're having a problem with something while using the 4040, it might be something other than the mic. Buy two of them, and you'll always have use for them, in stereo pairs or as solo-spot mics.

As for the V6, I am biased here, having reviewed it professionally after getting an early demo production model. I love it, and haven't stopped using it since, whenever I can. It's indeed a thicker, warmer sound, without a hyped high end. (It's designed that way, and the circuitry is tweaked to emulate tube warmth.) It's great on things like Saxophone (downright fantastic on tenor sax, really), brass (trombone & trumpets), upright bass, even harp. It's become my go-to mic for a lot of special things (esp sax!) after I've used all the traditional mics in my locker.

FWIW, the V6 is "built" in the USA (LA to be exact) although I suspect it's got a lot of chinese parts. So what, though...the thing lists for something like $249.00. Hardly a huge risk if you're not happy with it. I can tell you I've had it out on remotes as well, as often as 2 gigs per week, in jazz and classical recordings; it's a solidly built mic, looks great (gold grill, etc.) and hasn't failed yet - not even close; no loose connectors, no bent grill; it's solid as anything else I own, and it's seen a LOT of use in the last year. The cool thing here is you can risk a mic like this in riskier situations a lot more than something 10 times the price, with arguably that much better sound for the $$.

I wouldn't consider them to be equally matched; they're like apples and oranges. Each one is suited to its own jobs better than the other. Consider the V6 for "Special" situations - soloists and the like, that need more warmth and "spot" details, and consider the 4040 for all-round, clear, solid, no-hype articulated recording. (Including percussion overheads).

It's probably an emotional viewpoint, but I consider the V6 a "thicker, slower" mic for a more vintage/classic sound, and the 4040 a "Faster, hotter" type mic for more modern sounds.

Hope that makes sense and is some use to you.