if this is your first LDC then i would reccomend the 4047 it has a more grittie but not dirty sound to it great on male vocals bass/bass drum and stit out about 3-4 feet from a 4x12 cab and mix it with a close mic to really capture a great half stack sound. also if you look around you can get one for under 400US.

Heck they're all good. The 4033 is, IMHO, something akin to an SM57. It'll do most everything well, nothing spectacular, but always dependable and at times the only mic that'll do the job. The 4040 is not as versatile and tends to have more of a 'sound'....the 4050 is a great mic...patterns....presence...really good on acoustic instruments and vocals. The 4047 is a very nice vocal mic...good on acoustic guitars...nice and warm...has that 'grit' that Frob talked about.A person could do worse stocking their entire studio with 40 series Audio Technica. In fact most of the AT lines are really solid,good mics. I use an ATM25 on kick drum and bass amps, a 4033 on lots of stuff, an ATM HE61 for live vocals(it KILLS), a secret weapon ATM63 on hihats, and I'm really liking the 2020 as a great little utility mic for toms.Listen to both and make your choice....you really cant go wrong.

i think the AT 4000 LDC line is a perfect combination of sound, looks, versatility and overall bang for the buck. The cost of any of them is quite reasonable compared to some of the more exotic mics out there.

Granted, an AT-4050 built in 2001 isn't going to have the same cache as a 1960's Neumann, but not everyone can afford that, and even if you could, the mic may be too valuable to risk in day to day use. For me, they're rugged, look great on camera, and their sound is second to none. I have a lot of them, (4033's, 4040's, & 4050's) and I'm always interested in picking up more. I can't ask for better value than these mics.

Don't think twice, it's alright; get one, you'll love it.

I'll 3rd the 4050, very versatile. nice to have multi pattern ability. Also, a plug for the 3035, incredible mic for the money. I'm glad to see davedog 's using 2020's too, I just picked up a pair. Fine OH's, surprised me on piano, good all purpose stuff.

I have a pair of 4050's, which I bought about 5 years ago. I've used them on almost every session Ive done since then. I chose the 4050 over the 33 and 47 for the multi paterns, and havent felt even a bit of remorse.
I've used them on everything to pleasing results. They also handle upto like 159db(I think) with the pad, so I've used them on guitars a lot.

The shock mount sucks, though. It's easy to fix with a new rubber band.

Utility is really important.

Jon

Mainly I'll be using it to record vocals and acoustic guitar, and I want something that has a warmth and clarity to it. I mic'd my guitar with an SM58 for laughs and it sounded like I was inside a box. So, I want a mic that will represent an acoustic guitar fairly well.

Otherwise, there'll be a bit of standup bass, percussion, the usual. I'm leaning toward a 4040 (right price, used it before), but I have no sense of how it stands up against the others. All your posts are rockin'. Keep the opinions rolling in!

PS (thanks for repeating yourselves. I know that this topic has been discussed a lot.)

Dave

i would go with the 4047 with what your aplications are. also ive hear its great for a double bass, though ive not used it on one yet myself.

The 4033 has outshot my Rode K2 and Gefell M930 on many occasions 0 it is just perfect for some voices.

Dave where did you find the HE61 - I believe it is the same model the vocalist from Embrace uses and my vocalist is very similar; I'm desperate to try it out but can't find it anywhere.

I might be confused though.....

Jeemy......The AT61HE is a regular item at a local dealer here in town. Both of my bands have been turned on to it (its all my fault!!!)and we've bought 6 of em collectively. They are so so good. I use em in the studio for a guide vocal track and sometimes when I'm engineering I use em for my backing vocals right at the board... and a lot of times ,especially on demos, I'll wind up keeping the track. They're a hyper-cardioid and when every ones playing at once they reject a lot of stuff off of side spill. So if you place em right theres very little 'other' instruments in these live tracks. They list for around $200US but our local dealer buys em by the case and discounts them to $99US. With a bag and a clip. For those who have not experienced the AT clip, its on a level with the AKG rubberized ones.

when doing a search on google it is important to write out "audio technica" or else you will get a bunch of nonsense results.

it aint googling, all i get is the Pro 61. dave whats your retailers name??

jamie