But musicians recording vocals with a pure signal are then likely to mix the recorded vocals in a multi-track scenario, applying EQ, dynamic compression, and perhaps reverb. Gamers who want to record or livestream their gameplay would appear to need the same things musicians who want to record clear vocals need. Now that we've got that all out of the way, let's break down the three most typical uses for a USB mic, and discuss the various options, characteristics, and needs in each realm. You can search for "aggregate device USB mic Pro Tools" to get a better handle on that. Perhaps most surprisingly, Avid Pro Tools, which is more or less the industry standard for music recording software, requires a somewhat tedious workaround to enable the use of most USB mics. But not all recording software plays nice with USB mics. Apple GarageBand, for instance, will typically recognize a USB mic immediately and ask if you want to use it as an input (if you want to use it as a headphone monitor, as well, set it for both input and output). Among USB mics, it's mostly (but not always) condenser mics, and mostly (but not always) cardioid patterns.įinally, most USB mics are plug-and-play ready. Outside of the USB mic world, there are several styles of microphone (condenser, dynamic, ribbon) that, combined with the various microphone polar patterns (cardioid, hypercardioid, omnidirectional, figure-eight), produce a wide range of options for the recording engineer. Typically, most of the mics with heavy DSP are geared toward gamers, though that's not exclusively the case. And some mics not only employ DSP, but glob it on in thick coats that offer anything but a pure signal (and that can be fine, too, if it serves your intended purpose). Some mics avoid DSP completely and offer you the purest high-bitrate signal they can.
The biggest differentiator between USB mics themselves is how they use digital signal processing (DSP). USB mics also often have headphone jacks, which is another anomaly compared with the analog studio mic world. Each USB mic is essentially its own analog-to-digital converter (DAC), and often with its own gain knob built in (in the analog studio world, that gain knob is often on a different piece of gear entirely, usually referred to as a Mic Pre). Any editing you do at the computer is being done to a signal that has already been digitally processed, with the maximum sampling and bitrate dictated by the microphone. The audio is processed and digitized through the microphone itself instead of at the other end of the cable. The signal from the mic should be more or less pure, with EQ, dynamic compression, and reverb added later in production.ĭigital mics that use USB cables are a totally different beast. In a typical recording studio scenario, a microphone is an analog piece of gear that sends a signal to a console or computer through an XLR cable (often through a mixer that can handle multiple microphones at once). To start, you should know how most professional microphones function. But before we get to that, let's talk a bit about microphones in general. Here you'll find the best mics we've tested, along with a guide to their various uses. We've tested a number of USB microphones to determine which ones work best for different scenarios, not to mention different budgets. So no, not all USB mics are the same, which can make buying the right one for your needs a little tricky.
What works for livestreaming games might be a musical disaster, and the pristine signal you get from a top-flight mic aimed at musicians might provide far more fidelity (and far less convenience) than you need for a podcast. If you're in the market for a USB microphone, you probably have a specific use in mind for it. How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication.How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.
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