USB Microphone Feedback

[Plutie]

Hello there, i'm looking for a USB desktop microphone, i will use it mainly for light studio work and record speech.

So far i've looked at Blue Yeti and the LSM, does anyone have any experience from these microphones?

I prefer the looks and portability of LSM but then again the sound quality is most important to me.

Do you know any other prefered mics in the same price range?

Thanks, Dan

 

[Gmok Bonecrusha]

I own the Yeti. It is HUUUGE and heavy. Be warned ye of little space!

It is by far the best mic I have owned. Voice and music recordings are absolutely amazing. I originally purchased it to record my father-in-law, and son, play guitar and drum...Pops, who has been recording for close to 40 years was in awe how clear it was.

Multiple settings for however you wish to record from whatever direction.

Scale 1-10? 9.5.

Never even heard of the LSM, sorry.

 

[Plutie]

Thank you for the reply , i'm now convinced that Yeti does the job when it comes to recording.

The only thing i'm worried about is the size of it, you wouldn't carry it around as you would with the LSM... quality wise the Yeti may be superior but I also think the LSM is better looking. This is hard...

Unfortunately I don't have any shop to try them out here in Sweden, but I do hope some of you guys have tried the LSM!

Still open for more suggestions!

 

[Xolos]

There are ton of mics that will do what you're asking. The issue is many aren't USB based but rather XLR. So, it would almost be advisable to have an audio interface with a decent preamp and phantom power, but I don't think that is what you're after. So, on that behalf Shure offers the X2u which is simply a XLR to USB deal with Phantom Power and a little preamp. I don't have any experience with it, but hey the option exists. It would certainly open up your choices for Mics.

With that being said some mics to look at. Audio-Technica AT2020 USB. I personally have the AT2035 which is almost the same thing (it has a 80Hz roll off and -10dB pad) and it sounds pretty good IMO, but it is what they call an unflattering mic. Pretty much what comes in is what comes out.

You should also look at the offerings from Shure in particular the SM58 and SM57. You can get either with the X2u and it does add to the cost, but let me say this about the mics even though I've never used them. The SM58 is pretty much a gold standard for performances. It takes a lot of abuse and keeps coming back for more. The SM57 on the other hand is a gold standard of a mic. It can be used on just about anything and get passable results without too much issue. Even in the professional music realm this mic is used all the time just because they work. They will take a beating in SPL, highly directional, and have a nice little bump that gives vocals a nice little bit of character. Seriously, you've probably heard the SM57 on more songs than you'd care to think about. Regardless of all that though Shure has a lot of mics to choose from.

Some others in particular are the M-Audio Nova or the Behringer C1. Other companies to look at would be AKG, Samson, Rode, Beyerdynamic, and MXL from off the top of my head. Mind you there are a lot of mic companies and it will really just come down to choosing the one that has the features you want. Also, a lot of mics are sensitive to plosives so you should invest in a Pop Filter. You can Google something like "how to make your own pop filter" or you can buy one. They aren't very expensive, but can make a world of difference on the recording.