Any USB microphone experts here?

hypnotic

hypnotic

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I am looking for a good quality mic for a video tutorial project I am working on. My webcam mic just does not cut the mustard ... :D

Am I right in thinking that I should get a condensing microphone for voice work?

I have looked at the Rode Podcaster USB (£135)

As you can tell, I know nothing and need some advice please.
 
I've got a Zoom H2 which is a self-contained recorder, too.
 
Get a Blue Snowball or Yeti.

The Snowball is excellent, I use if for loads of work, and it's only about £75 from play.com.

The Yeti is a step up again and is around £100. I know a couple of people who use snowballs for commercial video work in the US, and they're very happy with the results.
 
JasonRS said:
Get a Blue Snowball or Yeti.

The Snowball is excellent, I use if for loads of work, and it's only about £75 from play.com.

The Yeti is a step up again and is around £100. I know a couple of people who use snowballs for commercial video work in the US, and they're very happy with the results.
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I did look into the Yeti ... It was quite impressive.

The Youtube clips on the Snowball made it sound a bit tinny to me.
 
hypnotic said:
Have you used it for podcasting etc and how do you find the sound quality?
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Not for podcasting, no, but an advantage there could be minimizing ambient noise by not requiring a computer to be running.

Sound quality can be absolutely fine, but some experience is required, and so is a windshield, outdoors (there's a guy on eBay who makes them to cover the whole unit, for best results).
 
Needed to make my mind up before my head exploded ... :D

So ... Have just ordered the Yeti from Amazon for a bargain £98

Also bagged a 6" microphone pop shield for less than a tenner.

I'm hoping that this kit may help to make some money over the next few years, so investing in good kit now seems the best way to go.
 
Reviving an old thread here...

My son wants to do more podcasts and is looking for a better microphone for his macbook air. Is there anything besides the ones listed here that he should be looking at?

Thanks for any help

Ian
 
Hi Ian,

I would consider another route, which I feel will get better results and allow more flexibility.

I see in one of the old posts above that a Rode podcaster mic was being considered for £135.

Personally, I would get this: -

http://www.dv247.com/computer-hardware/tascam-us122-mkii-and-free-headphone--103982

Audio interface, headphones and Cubase recording software all for for £69

And also: -

http://www.thomann.de/gb/the_tbone_sc400popkiller.htm

Large diaphragm condenser microphone, with shockmount and pop killer - £49

This set up will allow you to capture high quality vocals, plus the ability to connect a whole host of other devices (instruments, such as guitars and keyboards, DVD's, iPods/MP3 players, an additional mic, video / DSLR etc).
 
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Thanks guys. He was asking about connecting his keyboard to his mac so he is investigating Marc's idea. But I suspect simplicity will win out so I'll point him at the Behringer mic too.

Thanks again

Ian
 
I didn't click on Marc's link until now. That looks like a really top little idea, might get one of those too. I currently use the Behringer and I have an IODock for the iPad3
 
ianmarsh said:
Thanks guys. He was asking about connecting his keyboard to his mac so he is investigating Marc's idea. But I suspect simplicity will win out so I'll point him at the Behringer mic too.

Thanks again

Ian
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If he is looking to connect a keyboard too, he is highly likely to want to connect other items in the future as well. He should definitely be looking at an audio interface instead of a USB mic.

Unlike a traditional studio microphone, USB mic's have to have special electronics built in to allow an analogue signal (vocal) to be converted into a digital signal. This is called an analogue-to-digital converter (A/D). Some models also sport a digital-to-analogue (D/A) converter to allow the digital signal coming out of the computer to be monitored through a headphone socket built into the microphone itself. To keep costs down, USB mic's are likely to have inferior quality A/D and D/A circuitry, amongst other components, which is one of the reasons I personally would always opt for a dedicated mic + audio interface.

Another thing to consider is that the headphone amplifier build into the Tascam (and almost all other dedicated audio interfaces) will be far superior to the one on the Mac (this is true of practically all built-in headphone sockets on computers). The Tascam will therefore provide a more accurate representation of what is being recorded and what has already been recorded.

I should point out that Behringher have a somewhat sketchy reputation in pro audio circles, although later products are receiving more favourable press.

By the way, that T-bone microphone I linked to is manufactured for Thomann.de. and the range have a good reputation for the low price. They are as far as I know Europe's largest pro audio and musical instrument retailer and I have bought £1000's worth of products from them over the years (also from DV247, who I have no complaints about). You also get a three year warranty on any product you purchase from them, which I have used in the past and the service was A1.

Hope this helps.
 
Just to add, if your son is looking to connect his keyboard as well, it will almost certainly have a MIDI out socket. This is a round DIN socket about an inch in diameter.

If you go for the Tascam, it has got MIDI in and MIDI out sockets, so you just need to buy a cheap MIDI cable to connect them up, then he can use his keyboard in Garageband, Cubase or whichever program he chooses.

MIDI cables only cost a few pounds:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/midi_cables.html
 
My non USB mics have been SM57 and 58s but both have gone walkies! This is also my first foray back into recording etc. The Behringer is actually pretty good for the money but clearly as Marc has said there have to be compromises when you consider that the Behringer costs half what the cheaper of my two non USB ones cost but it includes D/A conversion and USB interfacing!

Marc, do you know of a good 4/6/8 input version? I could get away with 2 by mixing before the interface but being able to mix later and keep all the channels separately would give more options.
 
cowasaki said:
Marc, do you know of a good 4/6/8 input version? I could get away with 2 by mixing before the interface but being able to mix later and keep all the channels separately would give more options.
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There seems to be more options than ever out there. What sort of budget?
 
I'm recording my vintage violin, my viola, my wife's violin and cello, our guitars (mostly straight acoustic but we do have a couple of semi acoustics), possibly soon an electric violin plus piano and a midi keyboard PLUS we are also connected with a string orchestra and it might be nice to make some recordings of the whole orchestra at some point in the future! Budget is probably £250 and then I will need to look at replacing the mics as I have not seen them for 3-4 years so no idea where they are. I am forever lending things to people and forgetting (worst one was a hand built guitar amp and enclosure) so I've probably lent it to someone.

I have an IODock for the iPad3 at the moment which will record two channels but still trying to decide on the best software for it. I'm also waiting for logic pro x to come out rather than getting 9 and being disappointed! I opened a thread here.... http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=459329 yesterday so might be worth switching to that one rather than take this one further off topic.
 
My pleasure to have helped out Ian!

Hope your son gets on well with it all.
 
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