USB Condensors?

[gloobygloob]

I ma looking into purchasing a USB condensor and i was wondering what you guys thought of these for some home recording endeavors. and also do they all have phantom power? any recommendations? Thanks for your time.

 

[TimOBrien]

Really depends on what you're going to use it for.

Most of them are really only made for people who do podcasts.

You would be much better off getting a decent external interface and some proper mics.

Here's a good starter guide:

http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_and_audio_interfaces.htm

 

[dgatwood]

And to answer the other question, no, they don't have phantom power. They use your USB port for power. Phantom power means running power on an audio cable. USB mics don't involve an audio cable in any way.

 

[recordinghacks]

I have no personal recommendations; I opted for a handheld digital recorder rather than trying to lug my laptop and external mic around.

But if you're looking for a place to start your research, here's a collection of USB microphones with specs and reviews.

Note that most USB mics are currently 16-bit devices. That is "CD quality" audio, but it seems to me most people run their DAWs at 24-bit, which affords significantly greater headroom and lower noise. To my mind, USB mics are more about cost and convenience than pure audio quality, but YMMV. The good news is that you could probably mail-order a couple of these from the big catalog sites, test them for a weekend, and return the ones you don't like -- just be sure to check the seller's microphone return policy, because vocal mics sometimes are exempt from normal return policies. (Just like swimsuits and underwear.)