MXL 990 Condenser Microphone for Podcasting, Singing, Home Studio Recording, Gaming & Streaming | Red LED lights | XLR | Large Diaphragm (Blaze)

Great sounding small diaphragm mic, surprisingly good! Blaze edition did not come with a case or shock mount, maybe that’s why it’s a little cheaper. tacky LED’s produce a strange red glow around the inner capsule. Amplifier has SM components so not easy to mod. Pretty steep pres. Rise centered at 10khz but it works, not harsh like the 770 and not as aggressive as a TLM 103. Aimed at the podcasters but is great for home studio shiz.

I'm sure this mic is great, had no problems with function or quality, not to mention a great price - but unfortunately the lighting on the Blaze/Blizzard versions is positioned in such a way that it is visible in your peripheral vision without ability to dim or turn it off, so you basically have LED lights shining directly into your eyes the whole time while using the mic. Because the lights are inside the grill, you also have no access to the lights to physically reduce the brightness by taping over them or something either. It would be nice if there was some sort of diffuser in front of the lights so they were more like a glow rather than the piercing light of individual LED diodes. Maybe it's not as bad if you have a foam windscreen.

I have used a couple of different MXL microphones, but this one stands out as my favorite so far. Aesthetically, I like it the most, and it also sounds the best to me. What really stands out is the way it captures my voice. It has that natural MXL character I already liked from other models, but this one gives my voice a little more punch and presence while still sounding smooth. It makes recordings feel more alive without sounding harsh or forced. The design is also a big part of the appeal. It looks great on the desk, and the red lighting gives it a distinctive style without feeling overdone. Overall, this has been my favorite MXL microphone that I have used so far, both in how it looks and in how it sounds.

It condenses. It listens to my problems, and is pretty attractive. Even the packaging is nice (they give you a sweet MXL sticker). Something about the menacing red glow is actually quite calming, and mine, and my girlfriend's voice come through quite clear when recording videos for YouTube. This is your entry level XLR that does the job right. Reverse preface: I'm not ad-vanced enough to get in to the nuances of why my previous SHURE mic was "better" in the eyes of critics, or why a Rode ABCDEF can condenser better highers/lowers. This is a layman's review. I just love music, and media. Ease of setup, Durability (is thick), Compatibility with most DAWS/Interfaces that support XLR. See pictures for detailed explanation of how to plug it in.

This microphone sounds fantastic and looks really cool when it is in the shop of a streaming setup. The biggest thing to remember with this microphone is that they require a 48V power to run them, so it needs an audio interface if used on a PC. The sound quality is rather good, and I have not had any problems while running this microphone and the red accents from the lights within the mic give it a nice glow that adds to the aesthetic. The only downside I have for this mic is that it doesn't have a pop filter made specifically for it (at least that I could find) which can easily be remedied by a pop filter that sits in front of the mic instead of over the housing. I would definitely recommend this mic to anyone looking to upgrade from a USB mic or a headset.