I've reviewed various travel sized speakers here in the past and I really like the ones I've already reviewed. However, my buddy Bruce Mandel was raving about a pair of "pop-up" speakers that he had gotten and he was so sure that I'd like them he loaned them to me. He said, "you have to try these." So i did. The funny thing was that my first experience with them was a test of my AirPort Express and using AirPlay to send music from my office to my studio. These speakers were the most accessible at the time and I decided to plug them in the AirPort Express mainly to see if my AirPlay would work in that location (very far from the main AirPort Extreme up stairs). I Turned on the speakers after plugging them in and walked all the way to the other end of the building where my office is located. When I fired up iTunes and selected those speakers (AirPort Express) I actually didn't expect to hear them until I got back into that area of the studio. I was blown away to actually not only hear them from such a great distance, but to actually hear that they sounded pretty good. 

Pop them up for more bass

During my initial test I hadn't even popped them up yet. When you do you actually get more base response than you do when they're closed. They definitely sound great for speakers this size. The two speakers magnetically attach to each other for travel/storage. When you pull them apart you can then pull out the audio cable from one to plug into the other for stereo sound.  They come with a separate cable for charging and of course there is a cable to plug in to your audio source. The speakers charge via USB. 

What I dont like

You've already heard all the things that I like about them. Small, good sound, battery powered. As far as what I don't like it's really more about the design of the cables, ports, switches, etc. While you certainly need the cables that are supplied, it just seems that they could have done a better job in the way the cables attach. Also I find the audio cable to your computer/iPod, etc. to be a bit short. I'd like the cable be about 6 inches longer. When I tested these the cable was so short that I had to put the speakers on the floor in order to reach the AirPort Express that was plugged in the wall.

While I'm not sure that I'd give up my previous Bluetooth speaker recommendation, these definitely have a better sound to them and I really like the magnetic coupling. I also really like that the cords are retractable right into the unit.

You can get a pair of these here for $49.95 or you can just get one here for $29.95.

Now the question becomes do I give these back to Bruce or not?

I've been watching the Bluetooth Wireless Speaker revolution from the sidelines now for several months. I've reviewed a few different sets of travel speakers in the past but they were all wired. While I have wanted to try out some of the new bluetooth wireless options such as the Jawbone Jambox, I couldn't get past the asking price of $199 retail ($179 street) for a speaker that would spend the bulk of its time in my suitcase. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the Jambox is fantastic, sounds great and is worth the money if you plan to use it regularly. I also certainly don't have a problem spending money on something of good quality. It's just that my need for a travel speaker is for those occasions when I'm traveling and want to hear my music, videos, etc. on something better than the speakers in my laptop or iPad. 

IPEVO Tubular Doesn't Break The Bank

This is actually my second IPEVO product. You might remember my review of the IPEVO P2V webcam for doing mobile device demos. Again, it's a product that solves a specific need that I have at a reasonable price. The IPEVO Tubular Speakers are exactly what I was looking for. They are small enough to stick in a suitcase or laptop bag, yet the sound good enough to compete with most "small shelf" speakers. They are designed for travel. The two speakers connect together in a "tube" fashion when not in use. When you're ready to use them you untwist the tube to separate them out. They connect to each other via a single built-in cable. That's the only "wire" you have to deal with during normal operation. You can play your music to them via Bluetooth. iOS 4.x supports stereo bluetooth music playback. So your iPod touch, iPhone or iPad can stream music to these speakers wirelessly. I also had no problem pairing them to my MacBook Pro. They showed up immediately after pairing as a an Sound Output Device. 

There is a power button and volume control right on the speaker itself. Not to mention a small LED status indicator to let you know that they are on or in pairing mode.

How are they powered?

This is both a plus and a minus. The speakers have their own built-in rechargeable battery. There's a USB connector on the bottom of the main speaker that you can plug into any USB power source. It takes 2 hours to charge for 6 to 8 hours of playback. While it's great having a built-in battery, it also means that if you forget to charge them you can't simply pop in a set of AA's. 

Room for improvement

The speakers work and sound great. I've had zero problems with connectivity or playback. My only issue is that the cable under the speaker for connecting to the second speaker simply wraps around a circular section in the base of the speaker. I would have preferred this to be a retractable cable as it sometimes takes 2-3 tries to get it wrapped around just right so that the end of the cable fits in the holder for storage. Otherwise I have no complaints.

The Bottom Line

These speakers are a great alternative to the more expensive options out there. While they perform well, the best part is the price. The IPEVO Tubular Wireless Speakers go for a mere $59.95 (list price $79.99). That's less than half the price of other speakers in the category and they sound as good if not better than any other travel speakers I've tried.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpOWqDH7SzY

In this episode I'll show you how to remove unwanted noise from the audio track of your video. Using Adobe Soundbooth CS5 I can roundtrip the video over, take out the annoying hum and bring it right back to the timeline in a non-destructive manner.

See more of my Adobe Creative Suite Videos on my Adobe Creative Suite Podcast and get the App here. It features EXCLUSIVE CONTENT that no one else gets to see. This episode has a BONUS CLIP that is available only in the App:

It's what many of you have been waiting for. Get started here:

We're on the verge of seeing several new wireless speakers enter the market place. The question though is which wireless technology is going to be right for you? The two formats that will likely be competing for our attention (and dollars) are Bluetooth and Apple's New AirPlay technology found in iDevices running iOS 4.2.

When AirPlay was first announced iHome teased us with a pre-announcement of an AirPlay speaker iW1 they were going to release. No real details were given at the time. So we continue to wait.

In the meantime Jawbone just announced their new Jambox Bluetooth wireless speaker. This one got my attention because in the iOS 4 Apple finally brought "full" Bluetooth Stereo support to iOS. You might remember my review of the Sony Bluetooth Stereo headset and using it with the iPhone. Back then I was able to use it to listen to music and make/receive calls, but the skip forward/back buttons on the headset were non-functional with the iPhone. Now they work fine with the latest iOS.
 

Advantages of Bluetooth Speakers

Bluetooth has been around a lot longer and is built-in to lots of devices. If you get a Bluetooth Speaker chances are you'll be able to use it with more than just your Apple gear. Bluetooth is also peer to peer which means you don't have to be on a network to use it. Once your device is paired to the speaker you can just use the speaker wirelessly anytime you're within 30 feet of it regardless of whether or not a Wi-Fi network is within range.
 

Advantages of AirPlay

AirPlay is new so the performance is yet to be seen. However, seeing how it's built on AirTunes that has been around for a while I'm not expecting any major issues. Video performance will be the only unknown factor at this point. AirPlay has the advantage of distance. While Bluetooth has a limited range of about 30 feet, AirPlay is based on Wi-Fi and therefore can go several hundred feet. You could fire up your iPad that is docked in the living room and pump music out to a speaker on the deck. AirPlay is also not limited to just audio. With AirPlay in theory someone could build a speaker with an LCD in it to be able to watch video content on, in addition to listening to audio content. I don't think we'll see a lot of devices in this category because in order to make sense the device would have to be the size of a TV. However, that does beg the question: will we see big screen TV's with AirPlay built-in? Now that would be cool! Lastly AirPlay has the advantage of being able to stream audio to more than one AirPlay speaker at a time. With AirTunes the current limitation is 3 devices. I use this ability now all the time by sending music from an iMac to the stereo in the living room and the Bose speaker in the Kitchen.

The Bottom Line

While I'm tempted to get the new Jawbone Jambox Speaker just to play, the $199 price tag is a bit of a show stopper for me. While I'm sure it sounds great, I just don't have enough of a need for a "Bluetooth" wireless speaker to drop $200 on it. However, if an AirPlay speaker hits the market soon I'd be more willing to spend the money on it to replace my current setup in the kitchen (a Bose SoundDock connected to an AirPort Express). While the Bose SoundDock has amazing sound, I'd replace it for something that was self contained. (Bose are you listening?) The only reason I have an AirPort Express in that room is to drive that speaker. We should also see some Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi devices in the coming months that will allow streaming without the need of a Wi-Fi hotspot. Ultimately this technology may surpass Bluetooth if it catches on because of the increased range. Things are going to heat up soon and you're going to have lots of choices. Stay tuned!

To all my Audio loving Mac buddies, Adobe's Worldwide Creative Suite Evangelist – Jason Levine gives us a special Technology "Sneak" Preview of Adobe Audition for Mac. Check out these two videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRc49EKb9VY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1AblAwOpSA

Signup to be notified of the Public Beta here.

I recently spent a lot of time reviewing various desktop USB microphones for podcasting. Recently I've been traveling a lot for business and I'm not always able to use my favorite desktop mics on the go. Although I've had the Blue Snowflake mic for a while now, I've really been using it a lot lately and I'm reminded of just how great of a Mic this is. I recorded my last two episodes of the Adobe Creative Suite Video Podcast with it while on the road right in my hotel room. As a matter of fact this Mic lives in my suitcase. That way I know I always have a great mic with me when I'm on the go. 

The Bottom Line

If you're looking for a great portable USB microphone I can't think of a better choice. It's small and compact, yet great sounding. My only complaint is that the mount/hook is very loose. I haven't really found a great way to mount it on the lid/display of my laptop without it tending to fall over. The picture below is the way it's supposed to go, but mine won't stay on that way.

So most times I just prop it up on the desk. Other than that this mic is a real winner.

You can get the Blue Snowflake here on sale for about $45 (List price $79). 

Although I've been a huge fan of the V-Moda Vibe Duo headphones, I actually kinda went back to using the headphones that came with my iPhone 3GS. It certainly wasn't because of sound quality or comfort, it was solely because of the integrated remote. The iPhone 3GS and the latest iPod touch models allow for volume controls on the remote and the Vibe Duo was lacking this function. That all changed last week when I got my hands on the NEW V-moda Remix Remote Headphones. This redesigned headset has an integrated Mic for handsfree phone calls, play, pause and skip controls for your iPod and YES volume up and down controls. 

Wow!

I put them on just for a quick test to make sure the controls worked, and I had forgotten how comfortable these were in my ears. I ended up listening to music for the next hour. I just didn't want to take them off because they felt and sounded so good. Speaking of comfort and fit, I don't think I've ever purchased a set of headphones with this many options for different sized ears. Although I will say that I liked the original carrying case better than this new cloth one:

They even include "sport clips" for joggers and working out so that they don't fall out easily. I'm very happy with the New V-moda Remix Remote Headphones and as much as I love the Bose Quiet Comfort 2 Noise Canceling Headphones, this V-modas fit in my pocket and are with me on my current trip instead of the Bose.

The V-moda Remix Remote Headphones retail for $99.

I went in search of something that I thought would be pretty easy to find and that I would have a ton of options to choose from. Boy was I wrong! All I wanted was a simple wired stereo lavalier style microphone to use when traveling with my Kodak Zi8. I wasn't looking for anything super expensive since the camera itself was less than $200. Should be easy right?

The first Mic I tried was the Audio Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Omnidirectional Condenser Micrphone and while the sound quality was OK, I hated two things about it. First and most important is that is wasn't stereo.  So I was only getting sound on one channel and while I could fix that in post using Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 it would mean doing it every time I used it. The second thing was just bad design of the battery compartment. There is an On/Off switch, but no LED light to tell you if it's on or not or the status of the battery. So you could start a recording and have the battery die half way into it and never know until it was over. 

The Sony ECM-CS10 Stereo Microphone

This is the Mic I was looking for. It's a stereo wired lavalier mic that doesn't require a battery, sounds good and just works! I plugged it into my Zi8 and did a quick test. I brought the video clip into Premiere Pro and low and behold I had stereo audio. That's all I wanted from a travel Mic. 

The only thing I would ask for now is slightly longer cord. It's a minor thing, but it would be nice to have to interviews where I want to have the subject a little further away from the camera. So if you're looking for an inexpensive stereo mic that just works without any fuss, this is it! It's "plug-in power" based and therefore it may not work with everything. The cord length (which I dare you to find listed anywhere on Sony's site) is approx. 1 m (39 7/8 in.)

Get it here for about $31 (list price $50)

Quick samples here from that first recording. Nothing special just wearing the mic on my t-shirt and speaking at a normal tone:

MP3 sample here. AAC sample here.

A couple of weeks ago I did a review of my NEW Rode Podcaster microphone and while I've been enjoying the mic there was one thing that stuck with me from the comments section. It was the fact that a couple of people commented that they actually thought the MKL Studio 1 mic sounded better! What was funny is that was my least favorite choice. I didn't think it was bad, I just thought the Rode sounded better. This got me thinking that maybe it's not my ears that matter. After all YOU'RE THE LISTENER! So what sounds best to you is what really matters. 

Since that time I came across a deal on the Blue (another favorite brand of mine and many of yours) Yeti THX certified mic and I couldn't resist and rather than do another simple review talking about what I liked and what I didn't like (by the way I like it a lot), I thought it would be even more fun to let YOU decide which one sounds best?

Your vote matters

I put together a quick test. I wanted to compare the Rode Podcaster against the MKL Studio 1 (that many of you thought sounded better) and my NEW Blue Yeti mic. I thought it would be fun to have a blind taste sound test where I would record the exact same thing (my voice) using all 3 mics and put the sample recording here for you to judge. Whichever one that you pick as the best sounding one will determine which mic I use from here on out. I'm making this a blind test so that brand loyalty doesn't enter the equation. Next week I'll reveal the winner from your votes and which sample belonged to which mic. 

My Testing Setup

At first I thought about simply plugging in each mic one by one and recording the same thing. However, I knew that I wouldn't be able to say the exact same thing the exact same way 3 times in a row. So instead I connected each mic to a different computer and placed all 3 mics as close as I could distance wise from me. I used the exact same software, input levels and settings running simultaneously on each intel Mac. Then I hit record on each Mac and spoke (that's why there will be a couple second delay in at least one track as I only have 2 hands.) After I recorded each movie, I brought all 3 clips to the same computer and opened them up in QuickTime. I extracted the clips as Audio Only AIFF format. I then brought all 3 clips into iTunes to convert them to .MP3 (160kbps) and AAC (iTunes plus). This way it's as fair as It could be given my setup. 

Sound off challenge! Which one sounds best?

Take a listen to each sound clip, then vote for your favorite below. 

Sample 1 MP3    Sample 1 AAC

Sample 2 MP3    Sample 2 AAC

Sample 3 MP3    Sample 3 AAC

Since some of you are really into audio I've also provided the uncompressed AIFF files for download here.

See the Results on Monday, February 22, 2010

Check back next Monday for the results and I can't wait to see which one wins!

Links to the 3 mics (in no particular order ) Rode Podcaster, MKL Studio 1 and Blue Yeti THX Certified

I'm always recording video reviews and tutorials and it seems like I'm now doing more than ever. So I started looking at my equipment and looked for things that could be improved. While I didn't really have any complains with my Blue Snowball mic, I just wondered if there was something better? Like anything you can spend a little or a lot, but the real question is "does spending a lot on a USB mic get you any better results?" As I've said in the past, I'm not really an audio expert and have been feeling my way through this stuff for years. So I decided to test out a couple of new Mics to see which one I liked best.

The Rode Podcaster USB Mic

Well it has "Podcast" in the name, it must be perfect right? All kidding aside one of the things that drew me to this setup was not only did it look like a more professional solution, but it came with an adjustable arm that clamps onto my desk. This way I can easily position the mic where I need it and move it out the way when I don't need it. There's enough crap on my desk already, so this was a big plus. The Sound quality seemed really good, but honestly to my ears it didn't really seem any better than the Snow Ball. Again I'm not an audiophile so YOU may be able to tell a big difference, but I couldn't. However, the design won my heart and I knew that anything else would have to compete with that!

Hear it for yourself. My latest episode of the Adobe Creative Suite Video Podcast was recorded with this mic:

The MXL Studio 1

This was another Mic I bought at the same time as the Rode Podcaster. Honestly it took me several weeks to even take it out of the box because, well I was satisfied with the Rode Podcaster. However, I needed to record a video on my MacBook Pro instead of my Mac Pro desktop so I decided this was a perfect opportunity to test out the MXL Studio 1. Now this one comes with a table top stand. It seems to be more geared towards picking up more ambient sound and guess what? It does! It almost seemed too sensitive and I ended up lowering my input level quite a bit. However, in an interview situation or panel discussion or any situation where I would have more than one person talking, this would be my choice. 

Hear it for yourself in this video I recorded for BestAppSite.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpVtgKaM8qQ

The Bottom Line

All of these mics are good! I can't say that one significantly outperforms the other. So it really comes down to the setup and how you plan to use them. I will tell you this and that is that the Rode Podcaster is going to be my first choice for my regular recordings. The MXL Studio 1 would be my least favorite choice for regular use.

The Rode Podcaster goes for about $290 here.

The Blue Snowball (still an awesome choice) goes for about $126 here.

The MXL Studio 1 goes for about $80 here.

So there you have a good, better, best choice/price range.

When Apple introduced the 2nd generation iPod touch one of the features was built-in Audio In support. However, even with the current (3rd generation) iPod touch there is no built-in mic. So you have to get a 3rd party microphone if you want to use Apps that bring audio in. One of my favorite apps is Shazam which can listen to a song that's playing say at a party or on the radio, or even in a movie and then "Tag" it via the internet and tell you what the name of the song, artist and even provide a link to buy it right in iTunes. Well now this kind of app can be used on the iPod touch.

I found this great little Mic 

This mike looks like a push pin that goes right into the bottom of your iPod touch. That's it. No software to install or configuration necessary. At this point you can use any 3rd party app that allows you to bring in or record sound. The protective cap is a nice touch and there's also a small loop so that you can string this on a key chain or other type of strap like a Thumb Drive.

What's even more amazing is the price! You can get these for just a couple of bucks here.

What about VoIP Apps?

This mic is not really suitable for VoIP because while it's a great Mic (I just tried a Skype call with it using the Skype App), because it plugs into the same port that the iPod uses for headphones you can't hear the person on the other end of the conversation. It's a mic, not a speaker. Also while it's plugged in it disables the internal speaker. So if you want to do VoIP you're better off getting Apple's Headphone, Microphone and Remote combo here.

I have been doing still photography and motion video/graphics for years now. Although I feel pretty comfortable making hardware selections when it comes to DSLRs and HD Cameras, I know very little about Audio equipment. I know the importance of good audio. As a matter of fact (rule) you can't have good video without good audio. People are forgiving when it comes to marginal video quality, but if the audio quality is bad people will stop watching. Since it was time for me to invest in a decent wireless mic system for doing video work, I turned to my buddy Bruce Mandel of Mandel Video for some recommendations. After I got the links that he sent me I quickly learned that you can spend a little or a lot for audio equipment just like you can for camera gear. I already had a low end $100 system that I wasn't really happy with. I also knew that I didn't want to spend a ton of money either. So I guess I was looking for something in the middle of the range. After looking at my options, I decided to go with Sennheiser Evolution G2 100 Wireless System. I knew that basically I was buying the older model since the Evolution G3 was out. However, since the G2 was going for about $300 less, I went for it.

Getting Started with the Sennheiser Evolution G2 100 Series

When the box arrived, I was able to get it setup without ever touching the instruction manual. Again, I'm not an audio expert, but it was pretty easy to figure out the setup for the transmitter and receiver. I put the supplied camera mount on the receiver, put the batteries in both units and attached the supplied lavalier mic. After turning on both units I could see the level indicator moving on the receiver indicating that it was picking up sound from the mic. Cool! Next I plugged the mic into my Sony VX2000 DV camera and recorded a short clip. I walked around and spoke at different levels to see what the sound quality would be like. I was pleasantly surprised by the pickup that it had from the mic being located relatively center of my chest. 

What you get

You of course get the UHF based Wireless Receiver and Transmitter including a Lavalier mic. In this kit you also get a wireless transmitter for a standard XLR based handheld mic. This will be great for me when I'm on the road doing video interviews. As an added bonus you get the cable that allows you to plug the transmitter into a XLR based house audio system found in most meeting/conference rooms. This way the presenter would only need to speak into the standard PA system mic and you would be able to wirelessly record any of the audio going through that system. I was also happy that this system uses the 3mm type plugs for the cameras instead of XLR since I don't have any cameras with XLR inputs on them and adding an adapter just complicates things further.

Field Tested and Terry Approved

I just used this system for the first time during my MacGroup Users Group Meeting. While I haven't edited that video yet, I have listened to the audio from one of the clips and I'm quite pleased. However, there was one problem that wasn't the fault of the mic. The audio input levels on my camera were up way too loud. We knew that they were too loud while testing and listening with a set of headphones. However, every attempt to lower the input level on the camera failed. It wasn't until after I got home and did some digging, that I found the menu option to switch from Auto to Manual input levels AND then you can control the volume using the dial (that we were trying) on the back of the camera. Lesson learned and next month's recording should be much better. Luckily I was able to tweak the sound in Adobe Soundbooth CS4 by Equalizing and Normalizing the audio levels.

Distance from the stage to the camera was about 35 feet.

B&H sells the Sennheiser Eveolution G2 Wireless Series for $499 ($150 off the list price of $649) here. If you want to step up to the current model, they sell the Sennheiser Evolution G3 100 Wireless Series for $799 here.