Audio Technica AT-4050CM (1994)
The AT-4050CM (sometimes written AT4050/CM5) was Audio Technica's top-of-the-line studio condenser when it launched in 1994. It's a dual-element, multi-pattern design with cardioid, figure-eight, and omnidirectional settings. It is not a minor variation of the standard AT-4050. It's the full-featured flagship of the 40 Series. EQ Magazine (August 1994, p.24) listed the price at $995, which included the AT8441 shock mount.
Specs were serious for the era. Frequency response is 20 Hz-20 kHz, output impedance is 100 ohms, A-weighted noise is 17 dB SPL, and signal-to-noise ratio is 77 dB (1 kHz at 1 Pa). Maximum SPL before clipping was 149 dB at 1 kHz with 1% THD. Engaging the 10 dB pad pushed that to 159 dB. Phantom power was standard 48V DC, drawing 3.2 mA. Mix Magazine (June 1994, p.131) noted the mic weighed 16.9 ounces and was about 7.5 inches long - substantial, but not cumbersome on a studio boom.
The CM5 picked up an endorsement from Alan Parsons. He said his experience with it and other 40 Series mics convinced him Audio Technica "now ranks as one of the very best manufacturers of high quality microphones," and that the CM5 offered "incredible performance for much less than its competition" (EQ Magazine, June 1994, p.31). That quote appeared in multiple trade ads. The mic was never cheap, but it undercut the usual high-end suspects by a meaningful margin.
The exact production run is harder to pin down, and so is how the CM5 differed from the standard AT-4050. Period sources treat the suffix as significant - it wasn't just a badge variant - but detailed circuit-level documentation is thin. The model got a dedicated field test in Mix and a full spec page in EQ, which suggests Audio Technica positioned it as a separate, higher-tier product rather than a retail-channel alternative. Beyond that, the collector record is sparse.
Known Specifications
- Type: Dual-element condenser
- Polar patterns: Cardioid, figure-eight, omnidirectional
- Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Output impedance: 100 ohms
- Noise (A-weighted): 17 dB SPL
- Signal-to-noise ratio: 77 dB (1 kHz @ 1 Pa)
- Dynamic range: 132 dB (1 kHz @ max SPL)
- Max SPL (without pad): 149 dB @ 1 kHz, 1% THD
- Max SPL (with 10 dB pad): 159 dB
- Power: 48V DC phantom (±4V), 3.2 mA typical
- Weight: 16.9 oz
- Length: ~7.5 inches
- Original price: $995 (includes AT8441 shock mount)
Similar items on eBay
No exact Audio Technica AT-4050CM listings are live right now — these searches show current Audio Technica and similar vintage audio gear on eBay:
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.