Audio-Technica ATR2500 Review – Portable Condenser Experience

Design:
Features:
Performance:
Value:

• Check Price

As any modern vocalist or producer knows, recording vocals and music is no longer limited to a studio – sometimes it happens on the road. Audio-Technica is one of the few brands that is fully aware of this, which is why they have released the ATR2500 – an intriguing USB-compatible budget condenser microphone that’s built for recording on the go. Time to take a closer look at this one…

Design

The ATR2500 uses a design that is pretty common with many Audio-Technica budget condensers, with a simple metal body boasting a matte satin silver finish. Aside from the plastic controls on the front of the mic, there isn’t much to disturb what is essentially a very clean design. It isn’t the sturdiest in the budget range – not flimsy, but doesn’t feel built to take a lot of abuse.

It features a side-address configuration with a large three-piece grille. Mobility was one of the main aims for this model, it succeeds in feeling quite portable – it’s not a tiny device, but it’s not too cumbersome either.

Features

As we have touched upon, what differentiates the ATR2500 from most other condenser microphones is the fact that it uses a USB connection instead of the standard XLR layout. While this isn’t the optimum configuration for studio use, it is the best way to have access to condenser performance on the go. The added bonus of this is that no phantom power is necessary. All you really need is a laptop and some recording software.

This side-address mic features a large low-mass diaphragm with a fixed cardioid polar pattern. The specs reveal a frequency response range from 30Hz to 15kH, while the A/D converter built into ATR2500 supports a 16-bit, 44.1/48kHz sampling rate, which is pretty solid.

The ATR2500 ships this mic with a small, compact tripod which screws to the bottom of the microphone, as well as a very basic mount and a cable. The handy addition of a built-in headphone jack on the front of the mic allows for real-time monitoring. Ultimately, the ATR2500 may be a niche condenser microphone, but definitely one that has a lot to offer at under $100.

Performance

Performance-wise, it’s easy to recognize that the Audio-Technica ATR2500 is aimed more for use with vocals than instruments. Considering it’s a USB condenser mic, the recording quality is pretty good – it’s extremely clear, well defined and transparent.

It’s not completely flat, but it’s as close as you’d want for a mic build to deal mainly with voice, while recorded voice requires very little cleanup. The only thing that is missing is a pop filter of some kind. Other than that, the tripod included in the package works well, although vibrations can be an issue.

Conclusion

It’s not perfect – the build isn’t as good as others and there’s no shock mount included – but ultimately the Audio-Technica ATR2500 shows off excellent sound quality, while the USB functionality keeps it versatile for traveling. For podcasting on the go and on a budget, it’s hard to think of a better option.

For more info about the Audio-Technica ATR2500, click here.
For more Condenser Microphone Under $100 you might like, click here.