MXL 2001 Review: The 1st MXL Mic That Changed The Market Forever
The Marshall MXL 2001 large diaphragm condenser microphone was the first MXL microphone and one of the very early inexpensive condenser microphones to be available for the consumer market.
When it first came out back in 1999, it changed the common conception that a large diaphragm condenser mic costs a lot to get.
Although this mic is hard to find now, you can still get its very similar brother MXL 2006 for about $80 as a kit which includes a shock mount and a hard carrying case.
The affordable price and very good sound made the MXL 2001 the first choice for many performing musicians, home studio owners and voice over talents.
Big studios also have a use for this mic. They use The MXL 2001 in various applications without the fear of breaking expensive studio condenser mic.
Performance:
It’s cardioid pickup pattern and wide range frequency response (30-20,000Hz) produce rich midrange and a detailed top end sound.
The MXL 2001 has a specially designed 1″ gold-sputtered diaphragm that keeps it’s sound out in front of the mix which makes it perfect for vocal recording, drum kit and guitar cabinet and general room miking.
It has a high-quality FET preamp and its output is transformer balanced.
Watch this video for a male vocal demo of this mic
Bill DeWees, one of the most popular voice over talents, says that this mic was his very first mic with wich he recorded hundreds of commercials and audiobook narrations for big companies.
The MXL 2001 comes with a screw-on stand adapter. The MXL-56 shock mount is a high isolation shock mount for this mic and can be purchased separately.
Features:
- The first MXL mic but still a favorite among musicians.
- Large diaphragm condenser mic that captures performers’ nuances.
- Cardioid pickup pattern.
- Wide range frequency response (30-20,000Hz).
- Rich midrange and a detailed top end.
- FET preamp with a transformer-balanced output.
- Ideal for vocals but also great for acoustic guitars.
- Also used by voice over talents.
Applications:
- Vocals
- instruments
- general room miking
- podcasting
- voice over
Technical Specs:
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Type:
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Condenser pressure gradient mic with large 25mm diaphragm capsule |
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Frequency Response:
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30Hz – 20kHz |
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Polar pattern:
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Cardioid |
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Sensitivity:
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15 mV/Pa |
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Output Impedance:
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200 ohms |
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S/N Ratio:
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80 dB (Ref. 1Pa A-weighted) |
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Equivalent noise:
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18 dB (A-weighted IEC 268-4) |
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Max SPL for 0.5% THD:
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130 dB |
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Power Requirements:
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Phantom Power 48V ±4V |
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Current Consumption:
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<3.0mA |
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Size:
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50mm x 190mm |
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Weight:
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470g |
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Metal Finish:
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Black |
Frequency Response & Pickup Pattern:
MXL 2001 Price and availability:
Although this mic is hard to find now, you can still get its very similar brother MXL 2006 for about $80 as a kit which includes a shock mount and a hard carrying case.
Do you know what the difference is between a MXL 2001-A vs MXL 2001-P?
Can’t find any info on the differences.
Thank you very much for any info.
Sorry for the very late reply as I have been on a vacation for a while.
The 2001-P is a little bit different from the 2001-A in that the “A” goes a little lower in its frequency response starting from 20Hz while the “P” starts from 30Hz. Also, according to MXL, the “P” model has less weight (470g) while the “A” is a little heavier (544.31g). I also noticed that both mics may have different capsule sizes but I can’t verify that.