I don't write a lot of reviews, but felt inclined this time because this is one seriously useful microphone! I play several instruments - guitar, Irish bouzouki, mandolin, bass... The thing about acoustic instruments is a magnetic or contact piezo pick up never quite sounds right. Sure they'll amplify but even my tin ear notices frequencies that are lost in translation.
I'm also an instrument builder - ok they're cigar-box and whiskey box guitars and ukuleles, but they're fun! I make my own pickups too but sometimes a microphone works best. I began experimenting with permanently-installed mics underneath the box lid - or resonator cone and had a lot of success.
The bottom line is - a mic works best for acoustic instruments. The Audio-Technica PRO70 is a great mic and the most massive benefit is versatility. You can slide it off your guitar and slide it on your octave mandolin or bouzouki - even your fiddle - during a gig. And you'll get great sound, too.
Is it the best mic out there? Probably not, but it's good enough for so many applications it's a bargain at twice the price. And you don't have to be rooted in front of a mic-stand!
Soooo
Build quality: Seems solid. Battery pack is sturdy and the cable connection between the pack and mic wire is stout.
Sound: On my Irish bouzouki/octave mandolin it sounds great. That instrument doesn't have a lot of bass frequencies and if you use a mic on a stand or a piezo disc they are virtually lost. By putting the mic on the instrument all the precious few bass waves are caught. I tried putting the mic inside the body of the instrument and got more feedback when I cranked it up and lost some treble. On the outside it sounds great. Sound reproduction seems dead on. Granted I've never used a $1000 mic for a live performance, but I wager the difference between this mic and a top-end mic is little enough as to not matter for the vast majority of players.
Value: A bargain. Cost-to-benefit ratio is huge. Glad I picked a winner this time. I would (and will) buy more.
Craig Mayhem · 2015-03-13 · via amazon
★★★★★Best amplified sound I've gotten on an acoustic guitar!
This mic is amazing! It gives you the true acoustic sound of your guitar with no feedback issues. I used it in a live performance, plugged into a soundboard. It sounded wonderful, I got several comments about how great the guitar sounded. No feedback, even when using monitors. It can run off phantom power, you don't have to use a battery with it. Just clip it into the sound hole of the guitar. I located it on the bottom of the sound hole, close to the neck so it was out of the way. I don't know how well it would work in a loud band, but for solo use it is perfect. I also tried it with my Fishman Loudbox Artist and it sounded great.
W. Bendler · 2025-11-06 · via amazon
★★★★★AT Pro 70: Works great in various applications
I'm currently using the Pro 70 in four applications through a Roland AC 60: attached to the lapel (or somewhere on my shirt) to amplify chromatic and diatonic harmonicas, lapel attachment for vocals (singing), attached to a coordinator rod of an open back banjo (under the head), and dropped inside a wood-body single-cone resonator guitar. The harmonicas sound just like they do when I play without a microphone, just louder. The sound is very natural. Same goes for the singing, though it's strange not to have an SM-58 pointed at my mouth. At first with the banjo, I thought, oh my, this thing is too "hot". But with some experimenting with the mike's location and dialing in the AC 60, my banjo's true sound came through loud and clear. My resonator guitar has two f holes. At either end of the f shapes, there is a round hole, which is slightly larger in diameter than the Pro 70 mike. I inserted the mike into the body of the guitar through one of those holes. Again, with some dial-in of the amp, I got very nice amplified sound for the slide and finger picking. I've read that you should not put a microphone into the body of a guitar. I did it because I saw it done with the PRO 70 in a Youtube video by a traditional Mexican band and heard the results.
Note that I've not performed with this setup yet in the real world, which for me is in a small bar or on the street. I've only done tests in my small "music room". After I've played "out", I may have to write another review. But for now the PRO 70 gets five stars.
DPS · 2012-11-12 · via amazon
★★★★★Great Sound and Even Better Priceeeee :D
Great product and the price on Amazon was about sixty bucks cheaper than Guitar Center. Item was brand new in the box. The only bad thing about this is that the clip and foam cap is ALWAYS coming off. So you have to be very careful not to leave it behind. The sound quality is pretty good. I'm using it for my DSLR camera and the quality with the mic is WAYYY better than without the mic. Overall I would recommend this to anyone wanting great sound with a low budget.
Yvonne · 2013-11-09 · via amazon
★★★★★A good entry-level microphone
I got this microphone (actually, two of them) because I wanted decent sound, but I don't have $400 to spend on a lavalier mic (or $800 to spend on two). For the money, the sound is great! No, it's not $400 sound, but it's reasonably close, and it is several cuts above the sound from a $25 cheapie. If you've got the $400 to spend, don't scrimp on a microphone--get the best one you can. You will never regret it. But if you are on a budget and are forced to compromise, this is a good unit.
