The Direct Connection

Apr 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Gino Robair

Six USB microphones that make recording easier.

Stop Your Whining

There is quite a bit of online discussion and marketing hype about the self-noise in a USB mic, which is often described as a high-pitched whine. In fact, a representative from Marshall Electronics told me that the company has worked hard to eliminate this annoying artifact from its USB mics using proprietary electronics.

However, the MXL USB.006 was the only mic in the roundup to have a noticeable high-pitched noise artifact (a B-natural, in fact). The noise was very quiet and was perceptible mostly at the beginning and end of the recordings.

The Samson mics, on the other hand, had a bit of hiss that was evident on exposed or low-level sources, with the Q1U generating the highest level. The self-noise of the Snowball and Podcaster were negligible.

Word

Because USB mics are primarily designed for Podcasting and songwriting uses, the majority of my testing was with voice and acoustic guitar at 16 bits, 44.1 kHz. However, I also subjected the mics to the shaker test to see how they would respond to a high-frequency source. And although the performance of the dynamic microphones would differ greatly from that of the condensers, all of the mics received the same treatment in this roundup.

In my spoken-word tests, I stayed about four inches from the mics. Overall, intelligibility and clarity were not a problem with any of the mics. The Snowball's cardioid pattern emphasized the upper frequencies of the voice, with minimal chest tone, even up close. The omni pattern was slightly brighter, and as I got closer, it emphasized sibilance too much.

The MXL USB.006 added more of the lower tones I expected when speaking close to a cardioid condenser. Although it picked up less sibilance than the Snowball, the MXL USB.006 emphasized lip smacks slightly.

The CO1U didn't have the sibilance problems and retained a nice balance of vocal tone. There was more self-noise evident in the track, but it wasn't high enough to render the track useless. The CO3U had a rounder, tighter sound, with the directional patterns yielding more satisfying lows as I moved closer to the mic.

The Q1U also sounded good with spoken material, although the noise floor was more noticeable. Sibilances were downplayed, but when they got through, they sounded a bit crunchy.

On voice, the Podcaster delivered as promised, excluding environmental noise and room reflection nicely, while giving a robust vocal sound (even with a thin voice like mine) that is free of annoying sibilance. To get the most out of it, I had to get right up on it when speaking.

Strummin'

To record a Taylor 110 acoustic guitar, I placed each mic a distance of 12 inches from the instrument, pointing where the neck attaches to the body. This guitar sounds particularly bright, and it is always interesting to see how much of that brightness a mic picks up.

The two Snowball patterns yielded bright, jangly, and somewhat bass-lean tracks, with a perceptible hole in the lower mids. Of the two patterns, the omni version was a little peakier and not as satisfying on its own as the cardioid version.

By contrast, the MXL USB.006 track emphasized the guitar's upper mids, making the instrument sound a bit throatier but very pleasant. Compared with the other condensers, it seemed to compress the guitar a little.

The CO1U sounded somewhat similar to the MXL USB.006 but wasn't as dark. It offered a bit more of the welcome jangly high end.

Of the condensers, the CO3U captured the nicest overall tone in cardioid and figure-8 modes, and I took advantage of the proximity effect to get a beefier sound along with a +10 dB gain boost using SoftPre. In contrast, the mic's omni pattern was a little thinner sounding, although that could help the guitar fit nicely into a crowded mix.

The two dynamic mics yielded a nice punchy sound, with the Q1U being a little meatier than the Podcaster. The greater directionality of the Q1U sensed the subtle movement of the guitar as I played it and resulted in a bit of phasing.

Shakin' All Over

For the shaker, I recorded at distances of 2 and 4 feet from each microphone but moved closer when required. I even played behind the mics to see how much rear rejection or pickup each one had.

At 4 feet, the shaker was more than the Snowball's omni pattern could handle in high-gain mode. So I installed the low-gain applet, which reduced the level dramatically, allowing me to get a nice signal level and tone from the front. Playing to the side and behind the mic, the timbre shifted and the output level was reduced, however. When I used the CO3U in omni mode, the rear and side results weren't as dramatically different than the sound from directly in front of the mic.

The Snowball and CO3U in cardioid mode, the MXL USB.006, and the CO1U captured quite a bit of room tone at 4 feet but yielded good results right away. At 2 feet, the shaker timbres were more defined yet still pleasant. Also at a distance of 2 feet, the Podcaster and Q1U gave me the clear and direct sound I was looking for.

Give Me Convenience or … Overall, I was surprised at the sound quality of the six USB mics, and at how much my preconceptions changed after spending time with them. They are, indeed, easy to use, and I grew to enjoy the luxury of needing only a mic and a USB cable whenever I felt the urge to record an idea while it was still fresh.

I would characterize the Blue Snowball as having the brightest reproduction of the bunch. It has excellent clarity, and its dual capsules, two polar patterns, and pad setting are a plus. The rear coloration in omni mode was a minor annoyance. The Snowball is spherical and intentionally the size of a softball, which is something you should take into consideration if you plan to travel with it.

The Marshall Electronics MXL USB.006, on the other hand, had a darker quality that was very pleasing on voice and guitar. The two pad settings are a good selling point, although I didn't use them. The self-noise was the biggest issue for me with this mic.

The heavy-duty Røde Podcaster excels at what it was designed for: voice-overs. But it performed admirably with instruments and singing, and I found the direct headphone output and level control to be very useful. It's also the most expensive mic in the roundup, and because of its size and weight, it wouldn't be my first choice for traveling. But for studio use, it feels like it will last a long time.

Each of the Samson microphones has its own sonic personality, and I happen to like the sound of the CO3U the best. Having three patterns, as well as low-cut and pad switches, also works in the mic's favor. The CO1U and Q1U, however, have a lower price point working for them. My only gripe is that these three have a higher noise floor than the other mics.

One thing worth noting is that despite the popularity of the USB format today, it won't be around forever. Unlike a tube mic from the '50s or '60s, a transducer with a built-in A/D converter (whether it is 16- or 24-bit, or 44.1 or 48 kHz resolution) is not futureproof and is going to have a relatively short life span. When it comes time to upgrade your studio and/or computer, you're stuck with the resolution of the A/D chip, not to mention the USB interface. (If you have a SCSI peripheral collecting dust in your studio, you know how quickly computer products drop support for data protocols.)

On the other hand, you can always mate a better preamp and converter to a standard mic. Consequently, if you're looking at a USB mic as a long-term investment, a product such as the USB2200a (see the sidebar “sE Electronics USB2200a”) will leave you with a traditional microphone long after USB ports are no longer supported by computers and their operating systems.

In the meantime, if you simply want an inexpensive microphone for a few years of Podcasting or songwriting that lets you leave your preamps, interfaces, and XLR cables behind, then any of these USB mics will be a worthwhile investment.

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Gino Robair is a senior editor at EM.

Go to the next page for sidebars and USB mic comaprison chart