Members gardo Posted May 8, 2017 Members Share Posted May 8, 2017 Looking for a USB mic for home use. Nothing too serious mostly just for fun. I have Audacity on a laptop and would hope to use it to record directly..My daughter uses Smart Music and just about any mic would be better than what she uses now.. Is a Snowball worth considering? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bucksstudent Posted May 9, 2017 Members Share Posted May 9, 2017 I have a Yeti, which is also Blue. It's good for vocals and acoustic guitar, but not amps in my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted May 9, 2017 Author Members Share Posted May 9, 2017 Thanks for the response. Is there a decent low cost mic ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted May 9, 2017 Members Share Posted May 9, 2017 I have a Samson C01U that I use for vocals and acoustic guitar, also with Audacity. Never tried it for miking an amp. I bought mine used but they're not horribly expensive, maybe $80 or so: https://www.amazon.com/Samson-C01U-Studio-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B00HXE4BYW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted May 9, 2017 Members Share Posted May 9, 2017 I suggest you stay away from a USB mic. They're only good for vocals and pod casting, You can buy an interface like this for $30 and use any mic you want. http://www.fullcompass.com/prod/243150-Behringer-U-PHORIA-UM2 It has phantom power for condensers and should work fine with any dynamic mics you have. The good part is you don't always have to use your amp. You can plug your effects straight in and record direct through the instrument level input. I used to use the acclaimed SM57 mics for my guitar cabs till I picked up a couple of these. https://www.ebay.com/p/?iid=322430880060&lpid=82&&&ul_noapp=true&chn=ps They are not only built better and much less expensive, they even sound better recording. Not bad for vocals either. I've done several recordings and live shows with them. Total for the two is $68. A little more then the Blue snowball you listed but way more flexible when it comes to recording. You don't want to be tethered to a 10' USB cable believe me. You want to use a long mic cable so you can keep the amp out of your face recording so you can hear it in the headphones. If you use a USB mic you'll have a hard time hearing the tracks playing back over the amp being recorded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Blue also makes a mic called the Spark Digital - it is a higher-quality USB mic that would be a very good general purpose recording mic. Cost is about two hundred bucks new IIRC. Gardo, what kind of a budget are you working with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted May 9, 2017 Author Members Share Posted May 9, 2017 My middle name is cheap. I can spend what I need to but it's all likely to change if I ever get serious., So my thinking is to get something cheap to start out and then see if it ever goes anywhere. I hope other family members will want tp try recording voice,woodwinds,piano ,accordion, ect...but if it gets complicated no one will use it. We're not looking for professional results just having a little fun. Plug in a mic ,push record, done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bucksstudent Posted May 9, 2017 Members Share Posted May 9, 2017 I suggest you stay away from a USB mic. They're only good for vocals and pod casting, You can buy an interface like this for $30 and use any mic you want. http://www.fullcompass.com/prod/243150-Behringer-U-PHORIA-UM2 It has phantom power for condensers and should work fine with any dynamic mics you have. The good part is you don't always have to use your amp. You can plug your effects straight in and record direct through the instrument level input. I used to use the acclaimed SM57 mics for my guitar cabs till I picked up a couple of these. https://www.ebay.com/p/?iid=322430880060&lpid=82&&&ul_noapp=true&chn=ps They are not only built better and much less expensive, they even sound better recording. Not bad for vocals either. I've done several recordings and live shows with them. Total for the two is $68. A little more then the Blue snowball you listed but way more flexible when it comes to recording. You don't want to be tethered to a 10' USB cable believe me. You want to use a long mic cable so you can keep the amp out of your face recording so you can hear it in the headphones. If you use a USB mic you'll have a hard time hearing the tracks playing back over the amp being recorded. You don't know much about USB microphones, huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted May 9, 2017 Author Members Share Posted May 9, 2017 I had to google pod cast to even know what it is. As it turns out that's just about what I have in mind that and listening at home to evaluate the song.. The key is keeping things as simple as possible so people might actually try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted May 9, 2017 Author Members Share Posted May 9, 2017 I've been using a Mustang amp so micing isn't a big concern unless I wan to use a different amp. Mostly use for vocals and non-electric instruments. I'm looking at the Samson. it seems mics are like everything else you can get cheap and you can get good but the prices go up pretty quickly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted May 10, 2017 Members Share Posted May 10, 2017 IK Multimedia has some mics than can plug into USB ports and Lightning ports. http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigmichd/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted May 10, 2017 Members Share Posted May 10, 2017 I see it from a practical view as being restrictive. USB cables maximum effective working length of 5 meters / 16.5' Then you have to connect your monitors and/or headphones to the mic itself so it can act as an interface multitracking. If you need to set the mic on the floor in front of the amp you have the cable to the computer, and another to your headphones. One tug on the headphone cable (which happens often when recording) and you flip the darn thing over. My post was simply to point out some of the advantages of using a separate interface. Two channels to record with at the same time, direct recording capabilities, better cable management, flexibility to use any mic, stuff like that. If those aren't things you think you'll need, then go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted May 10, 2017 Author Members Share Posted May 10, 2017 IK Multimedia has some mics than can plug into USB ports and Lightning ports. http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigmichd/ Looks pretty interesting Somehow I have this mentality that a mic as to be bulky to be good. .( the old does size matter question) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 IK Multimedia has some mics than can plug into USB ports and Lightning ports. http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigmichd/ If you're going to consider a USB mic from IK Multimedia, IMHO, this is the one to look into: http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigmicstudio/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted May 10, 2017 Members Share Posted May 10, 2017 It looks convenient to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted May 10, 2017 Author Members Share Posted May 10, 2017 so...It's somewhere between this and this Somewhere between $10 and $180 The real question is where? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bucksstudent Posted May 10, 2017 Members Share Posted May 10, 2017 Depends on the quality of sound you're looking for. I wouldn't be surprised if you forwent all of our suggestions, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted May 11, 2017 Author Members Share Posted May 11, 2017 Depends on the quality of sound you're looking for. I wouldn't be surprised if you forwent all of our suggestions, though. I'll consider all advise . I'm most interested in the 2 from IK Multimedia right now, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted May 11, 2017 Author Members Share Posted May 11, 2017 This brings up another point I hadn't considered. Head phones , I don't have any and they seem somewhat important for any multi-track workHere we go again,maybe I can just get a cheap set to start out, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 This brings up another point I hadn't considered. Head phones , I don't have any and they seem somewhat important for any multi-track work Here we go again,maybe I can just get a cheap set to start out, Whatever you get, make sure they use a circumaural, closed-back design. No open-back headphones with holes or vents on the back. You want the ones that encircle your ears, not the ones that sit on top of them. Both of those are for combating leakage, which can bleed into the mic while you're recording and ruin a take, or at least compromise the sound you're recording. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bucksstudent Posted May 11, 2017 Members Share Posted May 11, 2017 Sony makes great noise cancelling headphones in the $100 to $200 range, and Audio Technica makes them in the $60 range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 11, 2017 Moderators Share Posted May 11, 2017 MF was blowing out Tascam TH-200x headphones for ~$40...they street at $100 normally. Not the best in the world, but absolutely serviceable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted May 11, 2017 Members Share Posted May 11, 2017 Whatever you get, make sure they use a circumaural, closed-back design. No open-back headphones with holes or vents on the back. You want the ones that encircle your ears, not the ones that sit on top of them. Both of those are for combating leakage, which can bleed into the mic while you're recording and ruin a take, or at least compromise the sound you're recording. Phil. I'm in the market for a decent set of headphones to track with as well. Anything decent in the sub $80 range? I have the reference listening covered for mixing etc. so accuracy isn't required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Phil. I'm in the market for a decent set of headphones to track with as well. Anything decent in the sub $80 range? I have the reference listening covered for mixing etc. so accuracy isn't required. I tried to answer this earlier, but had a browser crash and lost it. At $80, I don't really have any recommendations. The stuff I like / use / recommend starts at about $99 and goes up from there. At the lower end of my price range, I'd suggest checking out the Sennheiser HD280 and the KRK KNS 6400. I prefer the KNS 8400's over the 6400's, but they're a bit more expensive. All three are very good for tracking, with good sound and outstanding isolation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted May 12, 2017 Author Members Share Posted May 12, 2017 good thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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