Audio-Technica AT 2035

I am a musician and a producer and own a recording studio for almost 10 years already. I wanted to get a cheap condenser for everyday use in the studio - voiceovers, vocals, acoustic guitars and stuff like that.
I narrowed my options down to 3 microphones - AT2035, NT-1 and P220. I knew that they all are quite similar sounding and I just had to pick one. I picked this and have been very happy with my choice!
First of all - it is a solid microphone. The build quality is great, it is heavy, feels durable and looks professional. Soundwise I feel like this microphone gives me relatively flat representation of whatever I record with it. It doesn't have that boominess and uncontrolled bottom end that other cheap microphones do. Since I bought it I have had a chance to record some stuff with the Rode NT-1 too and I have to say - I feel like I made the right choice buying this. To me the bottom frequencies sound much better on the AT2035 so that the NT1 sounds a bit unnatural and glassy in comparison.
But let me tell you - whatever microphone you choose to buy - just buy it and don't look back. You can do wonders with any decent sounding microphone as long as you know what you are actually doing. In this price category every microphone I've tried sounds more or less similar and lets be honest - you can't expect this or any other 150$ microphone to sound like JZ Blackhole, Neumann u87 or stuff like that. Every microphone in this category will have its limitations and flaws that you have to learn to work around. Learn about microphone placement, position, recording techniques and you will get great results no matter what you use.

The AT 2035 is a step up from the very popular low price AT 2020 from Audio Technica. I read quite a number of online reviews comparing both and was swayed towards the 2035 for its slightly warmer low end and cleaner top end. It also includes a low cut and pad switch which I don't think you get on the AT2020.
The mic is supplied in a cardboard box with a simple but effective padded zip carrying case, a plastic suspension mount and a mic stand adaptor. The mic itself is of excellent build quality and although a bit lightweight, the supplied suspended mount works well and provides a snug fit for the mic. One of the advantages of the AT2035 is its realtively small size and lighter weight which makes it great for positioning infront of a keyboard player as myself. Using a K&M mic stand I am able to extend the boom fully with the mic horizontal and it remains steady without falling.
Sound wise I connected the 2035 to a Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP which also provides the 48V phantom powering. Immediately I noticed the extremely low level of background noise and warmth to the mic, despite it not having the common 1 inch diaphragm of similar studio type mics. The sound is clean and smooth, a step up from my previous tbone mic. I've also tried it with a few percussion instruments including a shaker (always a good test for splashiness) and it performed extremely well. The mic handles high volume levels and despite not using a pop filter screen with it, I didn't notice any plosive interference.
I would definitely recommend the AT2035 to anyone looking for a decent all purpose small studio mic and not wanting to break the bank. Its key feature I would say is its small form factor and low mass, making it very flexible for use on extended booms and lighter mic stands. The low cut filter and pad are useful extras to have on hand should you need them. I can also vouch for it working extremely well with the Saffire Pro 24 DSP interface.