Shure PG 42 USB

[P.LAB'97]

Should I get this microphone? Yes I'm only sticking to USB microphones I do not want to buy an interface at the moment I rather just put out my music first and if i start getting attention i'll buy an interface with a XLR microphone. But at the moment I'm using a Blue Yeti and feel like it's not the greatest, I feel like it's mainly for podcasting and the vocals aren't coming out that great. Have to do quite a bit of mixing when I record with it. So Yes I was looking at the PG 42 and it seems like it was reccomended by a few people saying it's the top quality most profesional USB microphone. What's your opinions on this?

 

[Bobbsy]

Don't by a USB microphone on the assumption that it's simpler and will allow you to just put out your music.

Yes, you can plug it in and record a track. However, as soon as you want to record a second track while monitoring the first, the fun and frustration will begin. You'll have latency issues. You'll have to plug your headphones into your basic computer sound card while recording from USB, causing all sorts of routing fun in your DAW. And, when frustration (or the desire to improve quality) pushes you towards an interface and an XLR mic, the money you spent will have been wasted.

A simple interface (an Alesis i02 for example) and a basic XLR is cheap as chips but it will be a good start as your needs and expectations grow. Also, despite the apparently simplicity of "plug and play" you'll quickly find that for music recording having things like direct monitoring will make your efforts 10 times easier--and let you think about your music, not find bodges around the limitations of your mic.

If you wanted to do a simple podcast, the usb mic could be for you. However, you want to make music so buy the right tools.

 

[mjbphotos]

If you're not getting a 'good' (whatever that is) sound from the Blue Yeti, I doubt a different USB mic will help. As one Sweetwater review says: "Possibly the best USB mic you can buy for podcasts or voiceovers" - in other words, not for singing.
Chances are the sound (you don't like) that you are getting is partly due to your recording space - do you have any acoustic treatment in the room?