Microphone

Styled in a champagne finish, the MXL 990 is a large-diaphragm condenser mic made to give home-based producers, musicians, and vocalists a cool, vintage-looking mic that sounds good and sits comfortably below the triple-digit price point. It includes a vibration-absorbing shockmount and a space-saving stand adapter, allowing professional and flexible mic placement. Plus, the supplied carrying case is perfect for safely transporting the mic and its accessories to a different recording location.

Inside the vintage-style body are quality components—a 6-micron, gold-sputtered diaphragm and an FET preamp with a balanced output. These allow the MXL 990 to impart tight lows and mids along with sweet highs. The mic's directional response helps reduce the background noise that plagues many home recordings. Unlike battery-powered miniature mics, the MXL 990 needs to be plugged into the XLR mic input of any audio interface, mixing board, or microphone preamp that can supply 48V phantom power.