Should I Buy a USB Microphone?

I'm using a Blue Snowball through USB into Ableton using core audio and out through my Mackie ONYX Blackbox to both monitors and headphones without noticeable latency. I guess it depends on what kind of setup you have, mostly the audio interface...
 
I'm using a Blue Snowball through USB into Ableton using core audio and out through my Mackie ONYX Blackbox to both monitors and headphones without noticeable latency. I guess it depends on what kind of setup you have, mostly the audio interface...

The "Blue" range are some of the more acceptable (and good sounding) USB mics out there.

As for latency, it depends on how critical timing is to you but monitoring the voice (or whatever you're recording) via a computer round trip is enough to cause most people problems, hence the preference for direct hardware monitoring.

My personal home set up goes off in a very different direction to yours: Yamaha DM1000 digital mixer (set up for 32 channels in and 32 channels out) via ADAT and a Profire Lightbridge. I'm running Adobe Audition as my DAW. In my case, all monitoring is handled within the mixer (max 2ms latency and I can create up to 8 separate headphone feeds plus control room monitors) and nothing (in monitoring terms) runs via the computer.
 
Unless it has its own monitoring out, it still suffers from one of the biggest drawbacks of USB mics no matter how good it sounds.
 
To USB or not to USB? That is the question.

For the most part I would tend to say "No". I feel it's almost like buying a hardware recorder (I have an old Roland V-studio/doorstop). I find a USB mic to be a limited use product. If you're just doing podcast/Youtube stuff they're fine, however once you start looking at recording for real, chances the USB mic wont come out of the closet.

By going with an XLR mic, you can use that thing forever, in any situation, whether live or in a pro studio. While a USB mic may be a cheaper initial investment than a standard XLR mic, you're almost throwing away your money. Get an SM57 for $50 used and you'll always have a use for it.

As for needing an interface for an XLR mic, you can get an interface like the Presonus AudioBox for $150 with Studio One recording software. They're not that big of a deal to get or make work.
 
Agreed. While there are applications (like podcasting) where a USB mic might be appropriate, they're rarely the best option. The supposed plug and play simplicity tends to evaporate rapidly when you have to consider things like monitoring.
 
OK. so here's my deal.

I had a USB AT2020. sold it. miss it.
Love the mic.
LOVE the sound, for a few different applications, mostly vocal and horn players.


Loved it because of it's lack of a "presence boost" in the 2K to 5K range. it is flat on up there. I love that, and for my purposes, which include recording mellow vocals in light textures, and saxophones that are often too bright anyway - it sounds good to my ears, and lets things lay more naturally in a mix without me having to start dropping EQ's left and right to get things to behave and sit deep enough.

The XLR version AT2020 has a different curve and a different sound.

The USB records 16 bit. is that worth being concerned about?...

I truly love the USB version of this mic, and just want to know if I need to just let it go, abandon ship and move on...
and if so - where should I go?....
Wondering if there's ANY future in using this mic alongside tracking and mixing in Pro Tools MP.
 
just noticed the usb+ (plus) version of the AT 2020...I think I'm gonna have to make a run at this one!....very similar curve as the original usb 2020, and with monitoring on deck from the mic, and some nifty volume controls...and a 10 foot cord...

Bobbsy - is there a MAJOR reason I'm missing as to why I shouldn't do this?
 
If all you ever want is a single mic no more than 5 metres from your computer AND if you're as happy with the sound as you say, then USB might be fine.

The trouble only starts if you get deeper into home recording and want the ability to use more than one mic at a time (or even just use a different mic for different things). Or if you want more complex things in terms of monitor mixes or whatever. That's when any USB mic becomes a dead end street.

I'm afraid that present and future needs are a dilemma only you can answer.

There certainly are non-USB mics that also offer a flat frequency response...the CAD M179 springs to mind for example...but you'd need to find a place to audition them to see of the sound suits your preferences. Or, have you tried EQing the presence peak out?
 
Errrr...maybe. But it can also be a financial dead end street. Sometimes spending an extra $50 or so for an expandable system can be a far better investment.
 
One of my recording clients brought me a AT2020USB years ago and I was pretty surprised at how good it sounded. What I don't really like about them is that you can't plug them into most preamps which to me is essential. I personally would look for a mic that I could stick with for a while and not want to upgrade. My first really nice mic was the Mojave MA2 kit where you modified an MXL2001, although they're no longer offered Mojave offers great mid price mics which are all top notch.
 
Hey there. Great thread (and one I wish I read about a month ago).

I'm a total noob to home recording, and I've recently purchased a basic USB mic for podcast recording (T-Bone SC450 USB, yes price was the main concern). It works fine through Propaganda (podcasting software) on my sony vaio laptop, with none of the major issues noticed above (again, simple and cheap are what I'm going for).

The only real issue is that I'm considering adding a second USB mic (my friend owns one from a previous thing, an older model T-Bone) and can't work how to do it.

Basically, am I fucked? Is there possibly a way to sum the inputs using an outside program? Does anyone know of any programmes that might support multiple USB inputs by sorting out the issues described above?

If anyone has any insights I'd be grateful. Like I said, I wish I'd seen this a month ago and I would have just gotten a decent interface!
 
The only real issue is that I'm considering adding a second USB mic (my friend owns one from a previous thing, an older model T-Bone) and can't work how to do it.
Centrance Universal Driver says it offers device aggregation for Windows, that might work. I've never used it, I just ran across it and thought of this thread.

centrance.com/downloads/ud/
 
I've never had occasion to try the Centrance Universal Driver either but, as there's a free demo, it's worth trying. Let us know if it works because "can I use two USB mics" is a very common question on every sound forum I visit!

If it doesn't work, you're probably f****d as you say :)
 
Centrance Universal Driver says it offers device aggregation for Windowa, that might work. I've never used it, I just ran across it and thought of this thread.
I got around to trying it out on a Windows machine and a couple Samson Go Mics, and it didn't recognize them. So I apologize for suggesting something I hadn't actually tried myself. Maybe there are some USB mics it works with, but I suspect it only works with their hardware.
 
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