Category: Audio

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Which USB microphone sounds best?

blueyeti

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.

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Good, Better, Best Podcasting Microphones

Rode Podcaster in my studio

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!

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Great little mic for your iPod touch

ipodmic

 

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.

miconiPodtouch

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.

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Sennheiser Evolution G2 100 Wireless Mic for Video Review

G2100

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. 

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