I think it's pretty obvious that I couldn't be more pleased with this mic. Whether you just want to make podcasts, record band practice, or make track-by-track songs this is well worth the money.

Sound
I use this mic in all kinds of recording situations. I use it mainly for recording electric and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, and vocals, but I have also used it to record full musical ensembles (including drums) and it reproduces the sound with amazing clarity. There is no background noise. This is the BEST usb microphone on the market. It is a condenser mic so it will pick up sounds accurately without coloring them. Another feature about condenser mics is that they are very sensitive; they don't "normalize" sounds like dynamic mics do. So recording with one is more difficult because you will have to keep constant volumes. You'll have to set the input volume on your computer very low if recording something loud, or else it will peak and sound broken and distorted; this is normal with all condenser mics. If you try to use a dynamic mic to record, it will have a "live" kind of sound to it (listen to Blink-182's self-titled album). Some people like that, but for a professional sounding recording condenser is the only way to go, and even though this one is most expensive one I tried (at $150) it was by FAR the best.

Features
Comes with a small tripod desk stand, the USB cable, and a carrying pouch. I don't trust the stand;… read more it is small and flimsy. If you don't set it just right, the mic will fall over. If you do set it just right, it won't fall over unless you touch the cable with a small amount of force. In all it's just not trustworthy. I am going to get a new stand. You'll also want to buy a hard case for the mic. Condenser mics are much more fragile than other mics and much more sensitive to moisture. I keep mine in the hard case whenever I'm not using it. It has paid off tremendously. No buttons, knobs, or dials to speak of. I wish it had a volume control on it. It is cartoid (as opposed to unidirectional or omnidirectional).

Ease of Use
Just plug it in and use it. I have two computers; one with Windows XP and one with Windows Vista and they both immediately recognize the mic. You'll need to set the input volume via control panel, and set it LOW for instruments.

Quality
It has a metal casing, but as with all condenser mics, the insides will break before the outside if you don't take proper care of it. I treat mine with more care than any of my stuff; keep it in a safe place, away from moisture and risk of getting knocked over or hit. Use a pop filter when recording vocals to keep moisture away from it.

Value
You could spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on a "pro setup"; get a mixing board, preamps, dedicated instrument mics, etc or if you just want to record one track at a time and have it sound great, get this for a fraction of the price. I would speculate that if you got multiple of these you could record multiple tracks at once.

Manufacturer Support
Comes with a 1-year manufacturers warranty; pretty standard. Never had a problem with it.

The Wow Factor
It has a sweet looking LED inside it which tells you it's on. The metal casing is black. It looks pretty cool I guess. As good as any other pro mic anyway.

Musical Background:
Professional musician

Musical Style:
Alternative, Emo, Acoustic, Rock read less