Why Aren't USB Mic's Any Good?? Please Answer

i'm even considering straying away from the whole usb route and going analogue with a pre-amp and xlr mic
 
~X~ said:
There's no cheap way to get good quality, just a smart way. It doesn't matter what mic you use it all depends what you know how to do with it. The same ways some people can use regular bookshelf speakers and create amazing mixes; while some ppl with monitors create ugly ones. You can take these claimed 'shitty' usb microphones and record in a good room and have a good engineer do the production. You'll get a DECENT track, you just have to know exactly what your doing. Yes its always better to get better equipment, but if you cant at the moment, learning how to use what you have properly is your last and best choice.
Click to expand...

That is what I would say....
 
Here is a good run down of why you should stay away from usb mics and a few alternatives to them...

Alternatives to USB Mics | ObiAudio

---------- Post added at 07:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:40 PM ----------
deanlofts said:
Don't forget a USB Mic is good for on the road type projects. You can just plug a USB Mic into your laptop and your good to go.
Click to expand...

Yup but now that the new Macbook pros accept the 3 ring inputs for microphone you can use an iRig Mic with your laptop or with your iPhone, iPod or iPad for on the go. :)
 
I used to record (and still do quite often) using the sh*tty microphone on an old IBM thinkpad and various cheap headset microphones. My main mic is a Samson CO1U usb mic and I can easily say that I'm very happy with it so far. The portability of a usb microphone is quite nice as well as you don't need to carry around an interface to plug the mic into. Just plug it into the laptop and go from there.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I use a USB mic, but its really just so I can get my voice onto the computer. It sounds like crap and I know it, but it helps me tweak a beat when I can hear my vocals over it.
 
Alright, y'all. Microphones are meant to transfer a vocal signal onto a recording device (digi or analog).

USB mics are made to take an analog source (vocal or instrumental) and THEN transform it into digital information, which is then to be recorded.

In the signal transformation, you have an entire new dynamic that has to be overcome before the recording even happens. An extra step.

Ideally, a microphone should transfer signal. If you have a microphone that not only carries a signal, but converts it into binary information, do you really Think that for $130, you can have a tool that can viably carry out both functions? The cheap components are what make USB-mic recording disagreeable for me.

And the difference IS noticeable. How many of your favorite artists have recorded on a USB mic and set a standard that you're actually working to achieve?
 
Agreed! If yo uwant to record your home podcast fine, but USB mics do not really compare to quality mics/pres/conversion yet. They may one day but not yet.
 
Don't waste your $ on a USB mic unless you really don't have a dime to your name. The Presonus Audiobox studio is only $250 and comes with an Audio Interface, Condenser Microphone, Headphones, Presonus Studio 1 Artist software (like cool edit pro/audition on steroids) and all of the cables you need to hook everything up. Sweetwater lets you do 3 monthly payments with 0% interest.

AudioBoxStu-xlarge.jpg
 
i wanna hear vocals mixed on a song , one being usb, the other being the pro mic, and compare, becuz i listen to my vocal mixes, and they come out close to the songs of pro artists i listen to, unless my ear is hearing wrong.
 
YOURBEATSSUCK said:
i wanna hear vocals mixed on a song , one being usb, the other being the pro mic, and compare, becuz i listen to my vocal mixes, and they come out close to the songs of pro artists i listen to, unless my ear is hearing wrong.
Click to expand...

That'll all depend on engineer experience, the space the mic was used in, the actual usb mic, and configuration.
 
Exactly, plus each performance can be different so its harder to compare different set ups like that.
 
I think usb mics better.

all the new up and cummer rappers havin no probablem gettin thousands of fans listenin and radio play wit usb mics.

soulja boys shit still sound like he usin usb mics in his new songs , so im good wit my 25 dollar mic thank you :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top