<b>Studio Vocal Microphone</b><br />Audio-Technica's premier studio vocal microphone, the <b>AT5040</b> represents a milestone in condenser design, offering remarkably musical high-fidelity performance, with profound realism and depth, presence and purity of sound. </p><p>Designed as a first-choice vocal microphone, the AT5040 cardioid condenser features an extremely smooth top end with controlled sibilance. Large-diaphragm characteristics and fast transient response also make it ideal for recording acoustic instruments such as piano, guitar, strings and saxophone. </p><p><b>Four-Part Rectangular Element</b><br />The first of our design criteria for the AT5040 was purity of sound. To achieve this, Audio-Technica engineers developed a four-part rectangular element, the pinnacle of our recent breakthroughs in sound-capture technology. Four exquisitely matched ultra-thin diaphragms function together (with outputs proprietarily summed) as Audio-Technica's largest-ever element, providing combined surface area twice that of a standard one-inch circular diaphragm. </p><p>By using four diaphragms in a single capsule, the AT5040 delivers the benefits of an exceptionally large diaphragm--along with an extremely low noise floor--without increased weight, decreased transient response or other drawbacks that typically restrict diaphragm size. </p><p>Another key AT5040 design feature is advanced internal shock mounting that effectively decouples the capsule from the microphone body. For additional isolation, each AT5040 is also provided with Audio-Technica's innovative new AT8480 shock mount. </p><p><b>100% Quality Control</b><br />Every AT5040 is hand assembled and individually inspected for 100% quality control. Each microphone is enclosed in an elegant housing of aluminum and brass with high-quality gray finish for durability and low reflectivity. </p><p>Discrete components have been selected for optimized capsule performance; in fact, every aspect of the microphone has been carefully considered to minimize any effects on the audio signal.</p>