Audio Technica mic question
drichard
I bought a bundle of several microphones off my local Craigslist for
quite a nice price. Included with the bundle were a couple of Audio
Technica ATM21 dynamic microphones. My first impression of them is
postive, but I don't know much about them.
Presumably this model is discontinued. Does anyone know the
approximate vintage of these mics, or how much they might have cost
when new? Any recommendations on how they might best be used? I'll
experiment, of course, but it helps to know how others have used them
in the past.
Thanks in advance,,
Dean
Mike Rivers
> Included with the bundle were a couple of Audio
> Technica ATM21 dynamic microphones.
> Presumably this model is discontinued. Does anyone know the
> approximate vintage of these mics, or how much they might have cost
> when new? Any recommendations on how they might best be used?
I don't have a data sheet on it, but I have an Audio-Technica slide rule
"Vocal/Instrument Microphone selector" dated 1979 that includes that mic.
Their first choice applications for it are organ (Leslie), toms, bass
drum, and
instrument amplifier.
The only technical specs on it are:
Freq. response: 50-15,000 Hz
Pattern: unidirectional
Impedance: 600 Ohms
Sensitivity: -55 dBm
Curve: a little slope down at the low end, fairly smooth in the middle,
a little
ragged near the top (no scale either horizontal or vertical)
drichard
the ATM21 a "large-diaphragm dynamic". Not sure what "large diaphragm"
means in terms of a dynamic mic, exactly, but it sounds like that
would make it better suited for things like drums, bass, and organ.
The person selling it said he liked it on snare. I'm curious how
expensive they were originally. I got the two of them with several
other mics for a pittance.
Thanks again,
Dean
Mike Rivers
> Thanks for the info Mike. I found a description on the web that called
> the ATM21 a "large-diaphragm dynamic". Not sure what "large diaphragm"
> means in terms of a dynamic mic,
Larger than a 1/2" condenser mic, which was the basis for another series
they were making at the time.
> The person selling it said he liked it on snare.
If you like an SM57 on snare, you'd probably like the ATM21 about the same,
I'd guess. I have an AT812, which I think is essentially the same mic
but in a
different series. The capsule assembly is almost exactly the same size as an
SM57. It's my workbench mic that I plug into mixers and preamps to see
if they
work. I can't recall ever using it in the studio because I have enough
other
mics. Nor am I sure why I have it. It probabyl came in a pile of other
stuff.
> I'm curious how expensive they were originally.
They were making under-$100 mics back then, so I'm sure it cost a little
less
than whatever an SM57 did at the time.
Gary Louie
Pretty close to Mike's data, take with some salt:
Freq response, 50-15,000
Sensitivity, -60dBm (odB=1mW/Pa)(-154dB EIA)
Open circuit sensitivity, -0.16mV (-76dB re 1 V/0.1Pa)
Output, matches 150-1000 ohms (600 Ohms nom. imp.) phased and balanced from
integral XLRM-type connector
There's a few paragraphs of sales prose. I could scan it if your address is
real.
The price sheet says they sold for $150 USD in 1984.
in article
3c150ed4-4e61-4908...@o23g2000vbi.googlegroups.com, drichard
at DRic...@wi.rr.com wrote on 11/24/09 7:02 AM:
drichard
know what I have. If it's not much trouble to scan the descriptive
info that would be great (the address is correct), but what you've
given is already very useful. And knowing the original price tag at
least helps me get some sense of where they ranked in the A-T lineup.
Again, thanks,
Dean
On Nov 25, 8:27 pm, Gary Louie <g...@glouie.com> wrote:
> I have a catalog from 1984 with a data page.
> Pretty close to Mike's data, take with some salt:
>
> Freq response, 50-15,000
> Sensitivity, -60dBm (odB=1mW/Pa)(-154dB EIA)
> Open circuit sensitivity, -0.16mV (-76dB re 1 V/0.1Pa)
> Output, matches 150-1000 ohms (600 Ohms nom. imp.) phased and balanced from
> integral XLRM-type connector
>
> There's a few paragraphs of sales prose. I could scan it if your address is
> real.
> The price sheet says they sold for $150 USD in 1984.
>
> in article
> 3c150ed4-4e61-4908-bbc7-2e0aeda34...@o23g2000vbi.googlegroups.com, drichard
> at DRich...@wi.rr.com wrote on 11/24/09 7:02 AM:
> >> ragged near the top (no scale either horizontal or vertical)- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
drichard
It does seem likely that the AT812 and ATM21 were essentially the same
mic. The specs are identical, as is the apearance, and the windscreen
is recommended for both. You might find it interesting that someone on
Ebay thinks an AT812 might be worth $375 (or best offer). That, with
what appears to be a Hi-Z cable.
I doubt it sold for that much new, even if it was in a different
series than that ATM21. Gary mentioned the ATM21 sold for about $150
back in 1984.
The bottom line for me is that I feel like a got a pair of very
respectable mics for next to nothing, so I'm very happy.
Dean
Mike Rivers
> It does seem likely that the AT812 and ATM21 were essentially the same
> mic. The specs are identical, as is the apearance, and the windscreen
> is recommended for both.
Actually, in this "slide rule" thing that I have, it's listed as the
ATM21SM and it's
shown with a shock mount (which is probably what SM stands for). I also
have an
AT813 which I actually bought (at the same store as where I bought my
vacuum
cleaner). Their ad for this showed the mic in the shadow of something
that looked
a lot like a U87 with the question "Can you tell the difference?" It
wasn't long after I
bought the AT813 that I bought a couple of U87s.
They used the same guts as the AT813 in a "professional" mic of about
the same
period (1980 or so), maybe it was the ATM13R, which was phantom powered as
opposed to the 1.5V batter in the AT813.
> You might find it interesting that someone on
> Ebay thinks an AT812 might be worth $375 (or best offer).
I'm always amazed at what some sellers think things are worth, and just
as amazed
that some buyers agree. I love this country! <g>
Gary Louie
This 1984 Artist Series catalog shows the ATM31 (battery operated electret,
$145) vocal mic and the ATM31R (phantom powered version, $200).
Dunno about other models, all my (incomplete) files are at the office and
I'm not until Monday. Too bad A-T doesn't keep this legacy stuff on their
website. I can find E-V data sheets from 60 years ago, it seems.
in article helu5n$3v4$1...@news.eternal-september.org, Mike Rivers at
mri...@d-and-d.com wrote on 11/26/09 5:00 AM: