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MXL 990 Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone

Large-diaphragm FET Condenser Microphone with Cardioid Polar Pattern
$99.95

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MXL 990 Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone
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The Perfect First Vocal Mic

Home recordists searching for a high-quality — yet eminently budget-friendly — condenser microphone will find exactly what they are looking for in the MXL 990. Centered around a gold-sputtered, 6-micron diaphragm, this mic employs all discrete components, which include a battle-tested, German-style transformerless circuit with a FET preamp and bipolar transistors. The 990 makes an excellent cardioid vocal mic, imparting a neutral and balanced sound with enough bottom end for radio-ready voice-overs and enough sizzle to make your tracks pop. It also lends a nice silky sheen to acoustic instruments. The MXL 990 vaunts a durable housing with vintage styling and an attention-grabbing champagne finish. Lest we forget, you also get a custom shockmount, mic stand adapter, and foam-padded case.

Renowned German-style transformerless design

Simply put, the MXL 990 is entry-level nirvana. This condenser microphone houses MXL's version of a tried-and-true, German-style transformerless circuit, which employs a FET preamp. The 990 includes a gold-sputtered, 6-micron diaphragm in a capsule with a predominantly flat response from 30Hz–20kHz. A gentle 8kHz-ish presence peak ensures articulate, intelligible vocals without harshness. At Sweetwater, we've found the 990 to be a worthy vocal microphone. In fact, it might be the microphone for certain voices. It also boasts enough low-end girth for radio-announcer-style voice-overs and handles acoustic guitars with aplomb.

MXL 990 microphone in champagne finish mounted to the included shockmount
The MXL 990 condenser microphone includes all you see here: a custom shockmount, a mic stand adapter, and a foam-padded hardshell case

MXL 990 Condenser Microphone Features:

  • High-quality — yet eminently budget-friendly — FET condenser microphone
  • Houses MXL's version of a tried-and-true, German-style transformerless circuit
  • Gold-sputtered, 6-micron diaphragm with a fixed cardioid polar pattern
  • Delivers a predominantly flat response from 30Hz–20kHz
  • Gentle 8kHz presence peak ensures articulate, intelligible vocals without harshness
  • Great for vocals, voice-overs, and acoustic instruments
  • Comes with a custom shockmount, mic stand adapter, and foam-padded case
  • Boasts a natural-sounding 20Hz–20kHz frequency response

Want to get the most out of your MXL condenser microphone? Check out our inSync article, "How to Take Care of Your Microphones."

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Tech Specs

  • Microphone Type: Pressure Gradient Condenser
  • Polar Pattern: Cardioid
  • Diaphragm Size: 0.78" (20mm)
  • Frequency Response: 30Hz-20kHz
  • Max SPL: 130 dB SPL (0.5% THD)
  • Output Impedance: 200 ohms
  • Sensitivity: 15mV/Pa
  • Signal to Noise Ratio: 80dB (A weighted)
  • Self Noise: 20dB (A weighted)
  • Connector: XLR
  • Color: Champagne
  • Power Source: 48V phantom power (±4V)
  • Dimensions: 5.11" x 2.36"
  • Weight: 1.2 lbs.
  • Included Accessories: Shockmount, Mic Stand Adapter, Hardshell Case
  • Manufacturer Part Number: MXL-990

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Customer Reviews

Write your review
Rated 5/5

Good workhorse

Bought one like 3 years ago.
Great on outside kick.
Great on vocals.
Great on acoustic guitar.
Well i just bought another one.
Really good as overheads for drums.
Has a small boost around 4-5k from what I can hear.
I just dip that down a little , use a De-esser.
Fantastic.
This mic has a lot of uses. I bet it would be great on horns (brass , woowinds , etc) as well.
Rated 4.5/5

Mic is Great! The included parts on the other hand...

Having recently bought this mic it sounds great for the price its being offered, however, with this price the peripherals are expected to take a toll. This mic comes with 2 mounts: a shock mount and a plastic mount. On adjusting just the shock mount the fastening bolt snapped off so be wary if you were looking forward to the included shock mount.
Overall if you need a budget mic, this sounds great just be careful when handling the included accessories.
Music background: Audio Engineer
Rated 3.5/5

Good Value

The usual reviews of the 990 are about right. It's a good microphone, well built, and the case and accessories are a great bonus. The two mic mounts--shock and hard mount--work well. The mic is a little on the bright side, which is typical of Chinese mics with the Schoeps circuit, apparently. Haven't tried it on acoustic guitar yet, but I suspect it'll sound great when paired with a darker mic. The mic picks up a lot of the room acoustics, so it would not be a good choice for a live rock band situation, but should work well for an acoustic ensemble where a little "bleed" can be pleasing.
Music background: Pro singer-songwriter, composer, guitar instructor
Rated 5/5

Excellent mic

It meet what i was looking for..
Music background: Professional saxophone player..
Rated 5/5

Best budget priced mic you can get

This microphone sounds amazing. It requires phantom power, just so you know ahead of time.
Sounds awesome on anything, can take any amount of sound punishment and make it sound great, and is now my go to microphone for most anything to make stuff sound almost as natural as possible. Especially at this price point.
Comes in a carrying case with a shock mount and a regular solid base mount, which is insane at this price.
I've even used this as a live drum overhead with just a kick and a snare mic accompanying it and the live recordings I got with this setup was incredible.
Music background: Lifetime Musician
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