Should I Buy a USB Microphone?

Many/most condensers will work with 15 volts but frankly, for live karaoke, I'd just get a cheap dynamic. Thomann have their T.bone range starting at under 10 Euros. Note that I wouldn't recommend this for recording or even live work with a band and an audience but for playing at home, it'll be fine.
 
Well...I BLOODY TOLD YOU DINT I! The closest you will get to RME latency under $400 AFAIK is the KA6. Mine will run at 32samples (that is better than the already V good 2496 which is 64samples min') That is at 44.1kHz (never use anything else, not being a bat)

Dave.

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I wouldn't use a condenser mic for "live" karaoke. The sensitivity of a condenser mic may make it more prone to feedback which may not be a good thing on a consumer stereo system.

I have two setups I use for karaoke that my wife and I use to practice singing. One is a desktop PC that the audio from the soundcard Line out is fed to the stereo in of a small mixer which has effects. A condenser mic on a stand with a pop filter is used with phantom from the mixer and we use headphones to monitor a mix of the music tracks and vocals. The karaoke lyrics are displayed on the PC's monitor. A couple outputs from the mixer can be used to record to a Tascam recorder if we want (recording to a hardware recorder is easier for the wife, rather that her trying to figure out a software DAW). This setup yields fairly good quality for recording to at least listen back and get an idea of how good or bad your singing is :)

The second setup which is "live", is an old laptop used in a similar way to above. The laptop is set on top of a tripod PA speaker stand to which a small "table top" is mounted to a height to read on screen lyrics and easily use the keyboard to select songs. Again the audio line out of the laptop goes to the mixer. As this is "live", a dynamic mic is used which is connected to the mixer with effects. The output of the mixer goes to a powered PA speaker.

Both these setups are latency free and easy to setup.
 
Mark, the BM-800 is about 10dB more sensitive than an SM57 and so 10dB lower S than most cap mics.

I found this was just about Goldilocks for a laptop mic amp! And sorry to bang on but I can't get over how GOOD they are for under 20 quid!

Dave.
 
Mark, the BM-800 is about 10dB more sensitive than an SM57 and so 10dB lower S than most cap mics.

I found this was just about Goldilocks for a laptop mic amp! And sorry to bang on but I can't get over how GOOD they are for under 20 quid!

Dave.
How would it be for a typically "handheld" karaoke mic?
 
Ok Guys, I'm looking for second hand devices, so far I've found :

- Behring Xenyx 302 USB 25€ (Asio4all only, but you said that I don't really need a full +48V power and that this model is enough)
- Presonus AudioBox USB 50€ (Asio driver) which has 2 mic inputs
 
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For simple live Karaoke, my advice would be the Behringer (and, for the record, if you were recording rather than just performing live, my advice would be different. The USB should work fine but a second option is a lead from the computer's headphone out to the line in on the mixer. This would be a simple 3.5mm stereo jack to two Phono/RCA plugs. Last time i bought one of these it cost about $3 Australian.

Don't forget the need to by a new mic, probably a cheap dynamic with XLR out. Your existing USB mic won't work with a mixer.
 
End of the story : finally bought from a neighbor the Presonus Audiobox :thumbs up:

AudioBox_USB-02.png

Asio drivers intalled and finally perfect setup, no latency, let's have fun !

So far I've tried 2 mics :

Philips SBMCD650 requires high gain values, hard to tell if it's good enough to use it easily for a kid
SP B3 borrowed from my friend with the Fireface UCX :spank: So easier to use

So next step, I may consider the BM-800 which is a cheap option but some said condenser mics don't really suit the basic karaoke use

BTW, BIG THANKS TO ALL OF YOU
 
"I may consider the BM-800 which is a cheap option but some said condenser mics don't really suit the basic karaoke use"

If she wants a mic to hold and gyrate about the room with then no. But then a cheap dynamic is going to suffer from handling noise and a good one such as the Shure SM58 will be $100+

If she is content to back off the mic 100mm or so (the BM comes with spit/pop gag BTW) the lower sensitivity of the capacitor compared to others should give good results without undue "room effect" that can afflict capacitor microphones because they are not intended for intimate operation.

The BM-800 will still give you a good deal of the smooth, flat frequency response of the capacitor together with lower overall system noise than you would get from a dynamic and the pre amp in a "low end" interface.

Dave.
 
I'm going to have to disagree with Dave on this one. The BM-800 is a large side address condenser and is unsuitable for any use other than on a mic stand (which is pretty unusual for karaoke). It's also going to be far more prone to feedback problems since you're using this with a home audio system rather than a true PA system

Go with a cheap dynamic like a Thomann T.bone. Handling noise won't be THAT bad (and way better than the BM-800 if she tries to take it out of the shock mount and hand hold it) and it will be much better for feedback rejection while your daughter rocks it out in typical karaoke manner.
 
I'm going to have to disagree with Dave on this one. The BM-800 is a large side address condenser and is unsuitable for any use other than on a mic stand (which is pretty unusual for karaoke). It's also going to be far more prone to feedback problems since you're using this with a home audio system rather than a true PA system

Go with a cheap dynamic like a Thomann T.bone. Handling noise won't be THAT bad (and way better than the BM-800 if she tries to take it out of the shock mount and hand hold it) and it will be much better for feedback rejection while your daughter rocks it out in typical karaoke manner.

Yes, totally agree, (but she MIGHT want to look like Maddy Bell?) the LDC is impractical for this use (don't get me started on PA feedback tho! BIG subject and there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about it)

I still say the BM-800 is a nice mic, stupidly cheap and vastly more useful than a USB type, but maybe not suited to karaoke!

Dave.
 
I've never heard a BM-800 for real but in the demonstration videos I've watched it seems like pretty good value and sound for the money. However, this would be in a recording situation, not live (karaoke) sound.

My studio mics and my live sound mics are pretty different beasts, only meeting in the middle with my collection of SDCs.
 
Sorry J, my French is virtually non-existant, is that a conventional dynamic mic and if so what are you plugging it into?

Dave.

Dave : BIRD SM1 - VOCAL - HANDHELD DYNAMIC | Woodbrass.com

Specifications:
- Unidirectional dynamic microphone
- Cardioid polar pattern
- Frequency response: 50Hz - 15kHz
- Sensitivity : -53dB +/-3dB (0dB = 1V/Pa @ 1kHz)
- Output impedance: 600 Ohms @ 1kHz
- Steel body and grille, 3-pin male XLR output
- Clamp in unbreakable nylon included
- Zippered pouch included

Plugged into the Presonus AudioBox USB bought for $50 = great
 
Dave : BIRD SM1 - VOCAL - HANDHELD DYNAMIC | Woodbrass.com

Specifications:
- Unidirectional dynamic microphone
- Cardioid polar pattern
- Frequency response: 50Hz - 15kHz
- Sensitivity : -53dB +/-3dB (0dB = 1V/Pa @ 1kHz)
- Output impedance: 600 Ohms @ 1kHz
- Steel body and grille, 3-pin male XLR output
- Clamp in unbreakable nylon included
- Zippered pouch included

Plugged into the Presonus AudioBox USB bought for $50 = great

I'm obliged. Decent sensitivity will probably get son to order a couple (after I send him the dosh of course!) .
Good to know the AudioBox has usefully low latency, I shall add it to my budget "reccy" list!

Dave.
 
I began engineering when only analog was alive! Now though there are some really cheap usb mics that just don't have the friendly usability with them. Cheaper yes but quality, no! Get a mixer and only use a pc for overdubbing alone. Has worked for me for more than 30 years+ now!
 
Small Addition

the only thing missing in the thread is a list of best usb microphones.

1 Blue Microphones Yeti
2 Audio Technica At2020 USB +
3 Rode Podcaster
4 Blue Snowball
5 Samson Meteor
6 Cad U37
7 Rode NT USB
8 Shure PG42
9 Samson Go
10 Apogee Mic 96k
 
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