Written by: Mark Abell

Photo courtesy of Marshall

Marshall MXL770 Condenser Microphone

$99.95

Right out of the gates the sound reproduction I was able to achieve inside of Garageband with Marshall’s MXL770 was extremely impressive.

Whistles were captured with clarity and neutrality; warm but also lacking overt brightness. In addition, this occurred without tweaking the settings for the basic Narration Vocal, which is classified as an instrument within the app. Once your microphone interface is set up—I use the Avid Fast Track Duo—use of this mic is completely plug-and-play. What made me happiest about this is that I achieved a recording of my whistle rendering of a French love song that sounded sweet and lacked the distortion, graininess, and audible hiss that some microphones project onto a whistle demo.

In short, the recording came out at the quality level I wanted within minutes.

I like that the orientation of this cardioid mic–the sound can be captured at any place a performer performs without the need to project into a specific area of the mic.

This is a capable performer and is likely to ruffle some feathers, especially because it sounds far better than its price point. It sounds like a $300 or $400 mic yet only costs a fraction of that wad—a steal at $100, and can be had for four Jackson’s from some retailers.

Consequently, the hard-shell plastic case which includes a handle for carrying and foam cutouts to cradle the head of the mic as well as the insert for wall mounting. This mini briefcase can be considered thoughtful design because it simultaneously protects and organizes your investment. The iconic Marshall brand has again done us another favor. You are now ready for an impromptu band practice as well as for the life of a recording musician on the road with this set-up.

Highly recommended.