Best/cheapest option for mic/line input?

billjobs_in_space

Hey everyone,

So thanks for all your suggestions — I went a head and spent a little extra to get the Steinberg UR 22 mkII, and I'm pretty happy with it so far. I'm a bit disappointed that I have to get the camera connection kit + 5V adapter extra but it's no biggie as I was looking for something for my mac too anyway.

Cheers!

Matthew

I had a UR22MkII for a while. I now have a Behringer UMC204HD which is cheaper and has more features and I'm very happy.

acidalex

@Bootsy said:
The zoom h1 has a line in and can be used as a USB mic/interface as well a handy portable recorder

Now you got me looking at these too LOL

How do you use this as a USB mic? Can you just plug it into your phones lightning port? Then you can use a non-USB mic with it?

Bootsy

@acidalex said:

@Bootsy said:
The zoom h1 has a line in and can be used as a USB mic/interface as well a handy portable recorder

Now you got me looking at these too LOL

How do you use this as a USB mic? Can you just plug it into your phones lightning port? Then you can use a non-USB mic with it?

If you buy one of the new ones it should already be updated to use as an interface.
So basically u hookup from the USB on the h1 to a cck on ipad or iPhone. When you turn on the h1 it will ask you to pick usb or the h1. Pick USB and can use the condenser mics on the h1. Or if you use the line in u can plug an instrument in or a dynamic mic, with a conversion to the 1/8 inch jack of course. Outboard condenser that need phantom power wouldn't work.

acidalex

@Bootsy said:

@acidalex said:

@Bootsy said:
The zoom h1 has a line in and can be used as a USB mic/interface as well a handy portable recorder

Now you got me looking at these too LOL

How do you use this as a USB mic? Can you just plug it into your phones lightning port? Then you can use a non-USB mic with it?

If you buy one of the new ones it should already be updated to use as an interface.
So basically u hookup from the USB on the h1 to a cck on ipad or iPhone. When you turn on the h1 it will ask you to pick usb or the h1. Pick USB and can use the condenser mics on the h1. Or if you use the line in u can plug an instrument in or a dynamic mic, with a conversion to the 1/8 inch jack of course. Outboard condenser that need phantom power wouldn't work.

So if you had no mic yet, what would you buy - a Zoom H1 or a Rode NT USB? I want it to sample my voice and record singing. Looking for better audio quality than the iPhone mic.

Telefunky

I'm a sh*tty singer, but that's what an iPad mic can deliver

it's slightly post processed, added 'color' by a mic modeller, but dynamics and reverb are exactly what I'd apply with a proper setup (ID22 and a quality mic)

@billjobs_in_space do yourself (and the SM58) a favor and add a FetHead (as suggested before) - that mic benefits a lot from this circuit.

Bootsy

@acidalex said:

@Bootsy said:

@acidalex said:

@Bootsy said:
The zoom h1 has a line in and can be used as a USB mic/interface as well a handy portable recorder

Now you got me looking at these too LOL

How do you use this as a USB mic? Can you just plug it into your phones lightning port? Then you can use a non-USB mic with it?

If you buy one of the new ones it should already be updated to use as an interface.
So basically u hookup from the USB on the h1 to a cck on ipad or iPhone. When you turn on the h1 it will ask you to pick usb or the h1. Pick USB and can use the condenser mics on the h1. Or if you use the line in u can plug an instrument in or a dynamic mic, with a conversion to the 1/8 inch jack of course. Outboard condenser that need phantom power wouldn't work.

So if you had no mic yet, what would you buy - a Zoom H1 or a Rode NT USB? I want it to sample my voice and record singing. Looking for better audio quality than the iPhone mic.

I think the Rode is quite a step up from the h1. But not as portable. It's pretty beefy

mistercharlie

I love my Mackie BlackJack

Proto

https://www.gearnews.com/zooms-new-u-22-small-mighty/

79,- euro/dollar if your looking for a decent and cheap solution

acidalex

@Bootsy said:

@acidalex said:

@Bootsy said:

@acidalex said:

@Bootsy said:
The zoom h1 has a line in and can be used as a USB mic/interface as well a handy portable recorder

Now you got me looking at these too LOL

How do you use this as a USB mic? Can you just plug it into your phones lightning port? Then you can use a non-USB mic with it?

If you buy one of the new ones it should already be updated to use as an interface.
So basically u hookup from the USB on the h1 to a cck on ipad or iPhone. When you turn on the h1 it will ask you to pick usb or the h1. Pick USB and can use the condenser mics on the h1. Or if you use the line in u can plug an instrument in or a dynamic mic, with a conversion to the 1/8 inch jack of course. Outboard condenser that need phantom power wouldn't work.

So if you had no mic yet, what would you buy - a Zoom H1 or a Rode NT USB? I want it to sample my voice and record singing. Looking for better audio quality than the iPhone mic.

I think the Rode is quite a step up from the h1. But not as portable. It's pretty beefy

Thanks for the advice. I just ordered the Rode :-)

[Deleted User]

My iRig HD does the job nicely, comes with a whole bunch of cables too.

Telefunky

@5pinlink said:
The cheapest preamp you find may be the perfect amp but only if it has enough boost, the suggestion of the fethed is just that, if you have a fethed, pretty much any preamp will sound good.

to be a bit more precise: the FetHead has 2 advantages: it provides 20dB of very(!) low noise gain and it improves impedance matching (a serious issue) on the input side.
But this is a concern ONLY with dynamic mics, either ribbon or coil, condensor microphones are a completely different story.
That's about it regarding clean tones.
If you want 'color' (as in many vintage preamps), there's a lot in transformers and specific circuit design - and it's a serious investment.