November 2012

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The first condenser mic was invented in 1916 by E. C. Wente. Microphones have remained analog since then until recently with the popularization of USB-enabled devices.

Although it’s an exciting innovation, USB options aren’t for everyone or for every situation.

While USB mics have much to offer in the area of plug-and-play convenience, the trend hasn’t taken over the high-end market. For the time being, USB mics are intended for musicians with a limited budget, frequent travelers, and podcasters.

The first advantage of USB microphones is price. You don’t need an audio interface that essentially transforms analog XLR input into a digital signal. While most musicians would want this anyhow for instrument recording, podcasters, vocalists and casual tinkerers don’t necessarily.

USB mic’s greatest advantage may be portability and ease of use. For people that prefer to work on a laptop, mobile device and on the go, the ability to plug in directly without dealing with external gear is a big plus.

Where most USB mics fall short is sheer sound quality and technical limitations. Don’t give me wrong, a Blue Yeti sounds great for the price. However in higher price brackets, classics like the Pearlman TM-1 or L47MP MKII are on a different level. Although Blue has attempted to appeal to the pro market with the Yeti Pro, USB mics still have a long way to go before they can compete with the best XLR mics.

The vast majority of USB mics are 16-bit (CD quality) which by today’s standards is adequate but far from cutting-edge. If you’re doing a YouTube video, a podcast or even a vocal track on a home demo it’s more than good enough. However it’s a noticeable notch below the sound you’d expect from a pro studio.

The good news is it’s only a matter of time before USB mics have made the jump to 24-bit en masse. The Yeti Pro has set the stage as one of the first. The issue is high resolution is to some degree wasted when the microphone capsule isn’t detailed enough to fully take advantage of the high spec. It’s akin to point-and shoot cameras with high megapixel counts but mediocre quality lenses.

For many the best option is to have both USB mics and analog XLR mics on hand. Big name artists are fully taking advantage of USB devices when on the road. However when in the studio you’d better believe they’re reaching for a vintage Neumann or SM57. It’s all about choosing what is best for the job, and considering external factors.

If you’re curious about the best USB microphones, read my roundup of the top 5 models.

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Not long ago the idea of home recording was revolutionary. For the first time ever musicians were able to make impressive recording sans the hourly studio fees.

The latest step in this revolution is increased interest in maximum portability. Why chain yourself to your desk at home when music can be captured virtually anywhere?

Leading the trend Apogee has released JAM, and MiC: a guitar input and digital microphone, respectively, for iPad, iPhone and Mac. Before that the Duet and ONE made strides in the direction of increase simplicity and travel-friendliness.

When I first got into recording over a decade ago I was bamboozled into believing the more flexibility and features the gear had the better. Experience has taught me just the opposite is true.

Apogee’s choice to make drivers only for Apple operating systems is a plus rather than a minus. In practice company’s have big challenges in keeping up with driver updates, and more supported operating systems leads to software development efforts being spread too thin.

The Jam and MiC are incredibly specialized in their configuration and applications, taking this Zen-like product philosophy even further.

While I love the Duet and originally picked it up to strip down my setup, ironically I’ve found it’s often more than I need for on-the-fly recordings and overdubs. The ONE concept is fantastic but again if I plan on spending an afternoon on overdubs the built-in mic is a wasted feature.

What’s really great about owning both JAM and MiC is you can travel with only the tool you need to get the job done.

For me, the more I can minimize production concerns, the better the performances are. Having only the features you need at your fingertips and eliminating the ones you don’t helps achieve.

As multitudes of people carry an iPhone with them everywhere, the ability to pick up the JAM or MiC at the last minute is a groundbreaking possibility. In addition, the use of the touch screen on the iPad is amazing in a rehearsal situation while a guitar is strapped to your shoulder.

Finally next-gen devices can be used to produce professional-quality recordings. As this is just the beginning it will be fascinating to see where this leads Apogee and others.

Pictured: Apogee MiC with Zacuto Zgrip.