Feature:
I had decided that I wanted a high quality USB-based microphone. The extra features this Mic was not important to me when making my purchase. However, I've since found the built-in mixer and headphone monitoring capabilities invaluable.
It's great to have the mic gain control directly on the microphone, as opposed to having to load up a special driver on the computer to control this.
Quality:
Excellent build quality. This mic feels very substantial; not at all plasticy.
However, the one problem I've had is that sometimes partway through a recording the audio switches from being clear to being all garbled and distorted. Unplugging and re-plugging in the Mic resolves this, but it's definitely disappointing.
Value:
What you get is in line with what you pay for it. A separate condenser mic and external audio interface would be more expensive, but I understand this would avoid the low level background noise issue that people have discussed with this mic. For me, that background noise is minor enough to not outweigh having everything in one package that is provided with this mic.
Desirability:
As mentioned above, it's very solid feeling, doesn't look at all like a toy.
Sound:
A lot of people have commented on the background noise level on this mic. The thing I found is that this is affected by what USB cable you use with it. With the cable I was using at first, it was pretty bad. When I switched to a higher quality cable, it made a substantial improvement.
The noise is still detectable in some circumstances, but for a lot of what I do (vocals), the noise is not noticeable. What you do notice is how great the mic sounds. A lot of presence, with both highs and lows clearly present without being overblown. Even using it without a pop filter, pops haven't been a problem for me.
In a side by side comparison with Samson's C01U, this mic clearly sounded better, mainly I think because the rolled off the way they are with the C01U.
The audio interface is also quite good in quality. Working with headphones, the audio output is noticeably better than plugging the headphones directly into my MacBook.
Ease of Use:
Simply plugged it into the USB port on my Macbook, and it worked immediately. No need to install any drivers or do anything special. The controls on the mic itself are simple and intuitive to use.
Overall:
Aside from the slight background noise, it sounds fantastic.
The convenience of having everything integrated into one package - no need for separate external audio interface and mixer boxes if you just need to record a single mic and optionally a single additional instrument.
It's not intended for everyone, and many people will still want the flexibility and benefits of separate audio interface, mics, etc. However, for a singer-songwriter, electronic music person, or someone wanting a recording studio on-the-go, it's hard to beat this product.
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