Choosing between 4 USB mics

[kozikowski]

That "frying mosquitoes" noise clip I posted? That was from a USB MicPre.

Koz

[Mecharon1]

Unfortunately, I have no idea how to remove a forum moderation/gain access to immediate postings.

Blue's website lists the Icicle as being a mic preamp, USB converter, and 48V phantom power supplier. all rolled into one device. It also has a diagram that looks like this: mic, XLR cable, Icicle, USB cable, computer. Website is here: http://www.bluemic.com/icicle/#/specs

Still haven't decided between the AT2035 and the Blue Spark.

[kozikowski]

Supposed to be if you post enough times without trying to sell us anything, moderation drops away by itself.

Blue's website lists the Icicle as being a mic preamp, USB converter, and 48V phantom power supplier. all rolled into one device.

Perfectly correct, but your posting suggested you were considering a MicPre as a separate thing. Yes, the above is how it's all intended to work.

I have no preferences between those two microphones. Do either of them have any serious posted complaints?

My experiences with XLR to USB converters (two so far) has not been completely satisfactory. Because permanent overload damage is a constant threat, they tend toward low gain and restrained volume. Both of them ran full up on their volume controls in normal operation, and it's just barely enough. You can enlarge the Audacity sound meters and use them for setting record levels. This pix is an example of perfect recording levels: Sound meters at about -6 and the blue waves peaking about 0.5.

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/Audacity1_record.jpg

Contrast the USB converter with a small sound mixer with three independent places to set volume and sound meters to help control the system operation (attached). The need for that kind of control didn't go away with the Icicle. They just left two of the three controls out, lowered the overall volume and hoped to goodness users were careful during recordings.

Have you addressed the room? That generally defines the sound quality.

Koz

[Mecharon1]

Alright, more research has been done. Here's what I've found out.

Blue Spark
Sound: Fairly flat frequency response, but a little wavy to subtly enhance vocals
Features: (Probably useless) Focus Mode, comes with shockmount and potentially sub-par pop filter
Build: Pretty well built, good materials
Price: $200, $50 more than the AT2035
Looks: Looks amazing, might even be able to get the gold edition

AT2035
Sound: Also fairly flat frequency response, but a little bumpy, especially near the top end
Features: Very low noise, comes with a potentially sub-par shockmount
Build: Very durable, tough materials
Price: $150, $50 less than the Spark
Looks: Not fantastic, but not ugly at all

Still at a loss. Didn't see many recurring and/or glaring problems with either, so they seem to be evenly matched. Right now it's just whichever frequency response is better for voice. If neither, then the AT2035 for the lower noise and cheaper price.

[kozikowski]

Correct me, but this time your posting was immediate? The forum has decided you are unlikely to try to sell us new kitchen cabinets.

I was going to ask you if you would share your research with the forum. It is a multiple-contributor forum and not a Help Desk.

My experiences with Audio Technica are of slightly lower quality knockoffs of more expensive products. This has been a while now.

You should inspect directionality characteristics. I keep dragging this back to your studio. If you have a live room with echoes or other uncontrolled recording environment, having a microphone with good directionality characteristics will go a long way toward good sound.

Attach-1. This is a typical rock band microphone and its directional characteristics. Cardioid, heart-shaped or kidney. The microphone is most welcoming to sound arriving from the top and more and more hostile to sound arriving from the the sides until sound coming from the rear is almost entirely ignored. If you have a reflective wall or other source of bad sound, you would place the microphone so that sound arrives from the rear.

There are four different variations: Cardioid, super-cardioid, hyper-cardioid and shotgun. The acceptance angles of each one get narrower and narrower as you go up allowing the microphone to ignore more and more of the room and environment noises. Please note that the Samson G-Track mentioned above is a supercardiod (attached-2). It has two nulls for incoming interference or echoes.

The microphone requirements have to do directly with your studio. It isn't good to buy a microphone in a vacuum.

Koz

[Mecharon1]

Yes, that post was immediate (as this one will be).

My pathetic excuse for a studio is the upstairs room of my house, complete with wooden walls, thin carpet floor, the sitting in and facing basically an alcove. This will be my first real mic purchase, besides the Blue Nessie, so I'll get the necessary sound foam along with it. And yes, I know the difference between polar paddles, and I'm definitely going with cardioid. It's why I say the AT2035, not the AT2050 (cardioid and dynamic respectively).

Yes, I know it's not a help desk. I do want somebody else to contribute.

[kozikowski]

My pathetic excuse for a studio is the upstairs room of my house, complete with wooden walls, thin carpet floor, the sitting in and facing basically an alcove.

Acoustic Notes:
Parallel walls kill you much faster than hard ones do. We had a "Sound Room" in an old building whose claim to fame was non-parallel walls and ceiling. Intentionally designed that way. Not acoustically treated, either. Many sound shoots went through that room as well as band practice, which I believe the room was designed for.

I made a sound booth with furniture moving pads and thin wooden lumber. Used it a number of times for voice shoots (each wall is double padded).

http://kozco.com/pix/oneWallKit.jpg
http://kozco.com/pix/partiallyConstructedWall.jpg
http://www.kozco.com/pictures/boothFini ... op-mic.jpg

Also with respect to this shot:
http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/ ... dShoot.jpg
This is a sound proofed room, but I put a multiple layer furniture moving pad on the table to cut down on "slap" in the sound.

You said one dangerous thing. A deep alcove may give you "honk" or boosting of some vocal tones far higher than others. "Talking into a wine glass" effect only lower pitch. Put up hooks and hang all your heavy winter clothing in there. As a fuzzy rule, you only have to kill echoes on one wall. A completely dead room isn't natural, either, although you should keep trying different configurations until you get what you want.

I bet you can get many moving pads for a small fraction of the cost of Acoustic Foam®. Some new ones might have fire retardant, so leave them out in the sunshine for a day or two.

I do want somebody else to contribute.

Actually the idea is for you to contribute to somebody else.

Koz