The AT2050 Condenser Mic from Audio-Technica is designed for use in home studios, project recording, and live sound reinforcement applications. It can be used for capturing vocals, general instruments, and speaker cabinets. The side-address condenser microphone features user switchable cardioid, omnidirectional, and figure-8 polar patterns for versatile operation. The element and output stage combine to produce a smooth yet natural audio quality with low noise. An 80 Hz high-pass filter switch minimizes low-frequency hum and other associated noise and a -10 dB pad switch provides more headroom when capturing transient signals that may otherwise cause peak distortion.