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Stick or twist? (Microphones)
I bought a Rode NT-USB condenser microphone not too long ago and the few tests I did with it seemed pretty good plugged straight into iPad Air. BUT........I do feel like I could be missing out on something. Would I be better off getting a different condenser (not USB, maybe AKG C214 or Rode NT2a) and running it through a preamp like the Focusrite itrack solo.
What I'm asking is, would the overall audio quality improve by using a preamp? Or would it be a lot of money for a small improvement? A difficult question to answer. Hopefully somebody will have had experience with both setups. Thanks.
Comments
Yes. Stay away from usb mics if good sound is important to you. USB mics (to me) are mainly for podcast use. The AKG or Rode will definitely give you better frequency response and much better depth.
I only bought the USB mic because it seemed so convenient and it was made by Rode. I thought I'd give it a whirl.
JG Looks down sullenly at himself (and his USB Mic). Resolves to do a podcast for this month's SOTMC. Sighs.
As @martygras said, you will be much better off with either of those. That said, your interface needs to support phantom 48v power. And, just like mics, not all preamps are created equal - each has a bit of it's own sound. Focusrite is known for theirs, but depending on what instruments you are recording/style of music/what you want to hear, perhaps poking around on boards related to your musical interest may inform on the best preamp, and mic, to suit your needs. (Altho I've heard great things about that Rode!)
@AndyE, @JohnnyGoodyear don't feel bad, your mics are easily good enough to record vocals. JGY, I've always thought your vocal recording was high quality and I know several others have commented likewise.
I bought the NT--USB recently too and it's a great sounding mic. Sure there may be much better professional studio mics but, as @LostBoy85 has proven, you can get great results even with the built-in mic.
@Jocphone Very kind. And I am more than happy with the Apogee 96. Travels well, suits up and is ready for action super quickly. Works. I also have no problem with the idea that if a song I write needs the star-spangled treatment one day there will still be lots of room for improvement etc.
My guess is that most of the things I work on could be improved far quicker and more dramatically by some decent production/mixing before I need to reach for another mic.
I had the Yeti USB mic for my Mac/PC but didn't get on with it at all so sent it back and bought a standard Shure mic instead. Just put an iRig Pro on order so I'll use that for phantom power with the Shure mic so I can start recording into the iPad.
Took a group from work to see an Opera recently (The Magic Flute by the Welsh National Opera Company). Was fully expecting it to be a load of odd operatic warbling that I wouldn't understand and took my 12 yr old daughter along in case I needed an excuse to make a quick exit. Never really understood or had any compulsion to get into Opera really, but in the words of S.P.M. "I'll try anything twice".
Turns out I needn't have worried. The singing and music was unbelievably good. There were a few bits where it sounded like 'that opera noise' and the acting was a bit 'am dram' at times but the singers really gave it there all. There is a song called the 'The queen of the night aria', which you might recognise, but hearing it in full flight live on a stage was incredible. It was difficult to believe that a person could generate these sounds!
And the point of this story? Singing is supposed to sound great. Get even half way there and the choice of mic, the production etc.. won't seem quite so crucial.
Firstly, I would say your existing mic is actually OK, it's a decent condenser mic with a USB interface. Obviously with these mics they have to put the microphone, the pre-amp and the analogue to digital conversion all into a small package, the upside being that these mics are really convenient to use.
Something like an AKG C214 with a Focusrite interface is going to cost a lot more (in the UK you would be looking at £400 for this combo). It probably will sound a little better, but the thing about microphones is that they all sound a little different from each other.
In my opinion the pre-amp isn't going to make that much difference, because designing good amplifier circuitry isn't really difficult - and really these days even cheap amps and pre-amps sound good. Same goes for AD conversion. Transducers though are a different story, and there are always differences between different mics, headphones, and speakers - each has its own character because it's very hard to design transducers with truly flat responses.
So my advice would be to check out some shoot outs between different mics on Youtube and the internet and try and listen to the differences, and see if these matter enough to you to spend that kind of money. You might find that your existing mic is fine, or you might find that there is another mic out there with a different character that you like better.
I have an Audio-Technica AT2020 USB and it is superb. I agree a proper mic with a proper preamp is superior but the AT2020 is so nice it often beats out the alternative by being so convenient, for voice and instruments.
Thank you all so much for your help and comments. Just bought a SE electronics reflexion filter Pro. Also recently had some Primacoustic panels fitted to improve my room acoustics. Gonna now do some extensive tests with my Rode NT-USB. Apparently it's quite highly regarded so I'm a bit reluctant to ditch it without giving it a fighting chance. But I'm so tempted to go a spending!!! Will take the advice of richardyot and watch some mic shoot outs on YouTube. As you said Richard, I may spend another £400 to get only a little improvement. I've already read reviews and watched videos on so many mics. Still sitting on the fence. But I feel better informed after all your comments. Thanks for taking the time you good people.
I think Richard's advice is good, but his example is also; the best thing he's doing to improve the sound of his recordings is practicing his singing
Preamps are a minefield to me. Just haven't had enough experience with them. I'm worried that £100 for the Focusrite solo would be a waste of money. Surely £100 can't buy a decent preamp? But what could I step up to that would be iPad compatible?
Why not? The electronics in even the most expensive pre--amps are cheap. Amp design really is something that is not difficult in this day and age. The expensive amps often use the same components as cheap ones...
However in your shoes I would get a Focusrite 2i4 rather than the Solo - mainly because it's much more versatile and has really good monitoring options.
So true. I spent many years singing in a band here in Liverpool. But I stopped a long time ago. I'm now frequently horrified with the sound that comes out of my mouth. So I need all the help I can get.
Richard, would I need a powered hub with the 214? Is it iPad compatible? The spec says PC and MAC.
You could try the iRig Pro I mentioned earlier, that has a pre-amp, and only costs about 80 quid.
I do wish I had time to practice vocals. Back in the day I used to practise three or four times a week and it all seemed so effortless. But I'm older and everything is an effort. Throw in working full time and piano/guitar practice and I'm done. But I will try to do some vocal exercises at least.
I recently bought an NT-USB mic because I'm generally attracted to portable solutions. But I returned it because I was kind of disappointed by its sound and signal/noise ratio. It didn't sound bad but I was surprised how much better my "studio setup" Rode NT1000 through RME Babyface sounded in comparison.
I don't think expensive preamps are necessary but I'm suspecting having enough power to amplify would be important. So my guess is that one problem might be the fact that the ipad doesn't provide quite enough power for a decent preamp so in designing a USB mic that works with an ipad out of the box one has to make compromises.
The other factor that hasn't been mentioned yet is that the built in converters in USB mics are usually cheaper than the ones in a decent interface. I've owned about 10 different audio interfaces over the years and imo quality differences in the converters are often very noticable.
Bottom line: I think running a good mic through a good interface (most of which will have decent preamps already built in) will be a big improvement over any USB mic.
The best tip however is indeed to be(come) a good singer. Taking care of room acoustics might even be more important than the mic choice.
It needs a powered hub (I power mine with a mobile battery) and a camera connection kit.
The iTrack dock is made for iPad and connects with a lightning connector, and charges the iPad. However the 2i4 is the only one that allows you to blend the monitoring via a dial, for me this feature is worth the extra inconvenience of the hub.
Richard, I did consider the itrack dock but was put off by reports of crackling and pops in the audio. Couldn't be doing with that. Two things, the 616 has an AC out to plug into a wall socket, leaving the USB out for connection to the iPad. So simple, I like simple ideas.But it doesn't have the monitor blend facility that you mentioned. Also, you said you powered your 214 with a mobile phone battery. How do you do that and how long will it power the device for? Thanks Richard, I'm really picking your brains!
The battery setup is explained here:
http://auriaapp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=11150
It's unfortunate that there is always a compromise involved whichever interface you use, but for what it's worth I am happy with the 2i4. The extra setup time isn't really an issue once you factor in that you need to get the mic and the stand as well.
Appreciate all your help, Richard.
Dost thou not shower? :-D
Ha ha...........sometimes!