Podcastage

Video & HQ Audio: https://podcastage.com/rev/lv1 Today I review a $13 lavalier microphone kit. This seems to be a similar built to a mic I reviewed 7 years ago and it has the sam functionality. The sound is tolerable but leans towards muddy in the bass and congested in the mids. It also has a low sensitivity and sounds like it has a high self noise so if you're looking for noiseless recordings...

Video & HQ Audio:  https://podcastage.com/rev/micreator Today I review a new USB mic from Austrian Audio; the MiCreator. This is a USB mic that also expands to allow you to add an additional input (instrument, second mic capusle, or lav mic kit). The sound is fairly balanced with a controlled low end a slightly more midfocused sound due to no significant cuts, and then a relatively smooth...

Today I review new Shure SM7dB. Does this improve the noise floor of your recordings? Is it worth the money? Should you buy it? In this review I compare it to the SM7b as well as a bunch of other microphones so you can hear it. Other than that it sounds like an SM7b just with a hotter output, so if that's something that sounds appealing it may work for you, but keep your expecations on low noise r...

Video & HQ Audio: https://podcastage.com/rev/yetigx Today I review a new USB mic from Logitech the Yeti GX. This is an USB supercardioid dynamic mic with RGB lighting. The software is pretty good but has a few faults, while the sound of the microphone is bested by every other microphone I compared it against; this sounds similar to the mic on a headset. Buy the Logitech Yeti GX (Affiliate Link...

Video: https://youtu.be/wnEGw0_zjGc Today I review a handheld condenser mic from Electro Voice the RE520. This thing sounds like a brighter RE20 with a bit of heft in the bass, relatively neutral mid section and then a bump in the top end which offers some nice clarity without sounding too overboosted. It does great with handling noise rejection and pretty well with background noise. It suffers fr...

Video: https://youtu.be/Rbr_A3Pqj4E Today I walkthrough, explain, test and review the budget Behringer MIC300 tube preamp. This offer +60dB of gain with +10dB on the output stage, and the main thing that drew me to it, an analog limiter (which is fine, but not great). If you're looking for a fantastic sounding preamp with tons of clean gain, this is not for you. It's a relatively distorted, slight...

Video: https://youtu.be/EaEf2YX_tnU Today I walkthrough, explain, test and review the new Shure MVX2u. This is the smallest interface I've reviewed and it offers +60dB of gain as well as Digital Signal Processing such as EQ, Compression, and Limiting. The preamp is on the noisier side of things and as of early-September 2023 there is an issue with low frequency sounds increasing the noise floor of...

Video & HQ Audio:  https://podcastage.com/rev/ at2020usbx Today I review a new USB mic from Audio Techncia, the 2020USB-X. This is an update to the 2020USB+ and it's offering higher conversion 24-bit/96kHz and it adds a new mute button. It comes with a desktop stand as well which the original did not, but it abandons the standard 2020 mount that the original USB+used in lieu of a 1/4" thr...

HQ Audio Of Review:  https://podcastage.com/rev/ sev2 Video: https://youtu.be/EomPiDMrbFg Today i review the sE Electronics V2 Switch, a new budget dynamic mic that comes in at around $50. This thing has a great sound that is controlled in the lowend, forward in the upper mids but not overdone, and somewhat tame in the treble and air. The one big draw back to this in my opinion is the handlin...

HQ Audio Of Video:   https://podcastage.com/rev/xliivsxls Video: https://youtu.be/eNod6LYwqtQ Should you get the C414 XLII or the XLS? In this video I provide spoken word samples on every single polar pattern, background noise tests, distance tests, as well as electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and singing tests, and then I share my opinions. Buy the AKG C414 XLII Affiliate Link) Amazon: https...

Video & HQ Audio:  https://podcastage.com/rev/profileusb Today I review a new USB mic from Sennheiser, the Profile. This thing offers an inoffensive sound that will work for people who don't want to think about audio, but I don't think it sounds amazing. The low end is controlled, the mids are a bit forward but not overly nasally, and the top end is a bit relaxed compared to USB condenser...

Today i review the sE Electronics sE7, a small diaphragm condenser which offers a nice low end, neutral mids and a lifted top end which gives you some liveliness but it's not overdone. Like most SDCs it doesn't do great with plosives, but does pretty well with off axis coloration. I also think this mic can exagerate a little bit of sibilance. RECORDING SETTINGS: Interface: Focsurite Scarlett 18i20...

DSP Processing Walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkad9b5173s Rode Connect Walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDNlC19uUIc Today I review a new XLR & USB Dynamic Mic from Rode, the PodMic USB. This mic has a controlled lowend, a mid forward sound, and a little bit of grain on the top end (mainly in XLR mode). This offers Digital Signal Processing that is stored on mic so you...

Today I review a budget dynamic mic which costs only $37, the Fifine K669d. This is a very basic microphone with no switches or buttons, and a single XLR port on the rear. It offers a very bright sound which can come across a bit too boosted and a bit sibilant. It doesn't do a great job with shock rejection, plosive rejection, or keyboard rejection, but for the price it's acceptable. Buy the Fifin...

Today I review a new USB dynamic mic from Audio Technica, the AT2040 USB. This is a plug and play device with a great mute button, a headphone volume control, mix dial to mix zero latency monitoring and computer playback, and a high pass filter. It offers a very upper mid/presence forward sound that can sound a bit artificial. It's not my favorite sounding, but for plug and play simple to use devi...

Today I review a budget dynamic mic which costs about $60. It has so much in terms of low mids that it makes ribbon mics sound weak. It has an inverted polarity on the USB output and it makes the audio sound bad. The headphone amp is noisy if you're monitoring yourself. It is not a good mic and I do not recommend it. DON'T Buy the Tonor TD510 (Affiliate Link) Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same...

Today I review the new Pure Tube from Lewitt. This thing offers a tamer top end compared to Lewitt's solid state mics and more detail and articulation than a lot of other tube mics. The studio set also comes with one of the best shockmounts I've ever used, and it has a self noise of only 7dBA which is crazy for a tube mic. Buy the Lewitt Pure Tube (Affiliate Links) Amazon:  https://geni.us/pu...

Today I review a budget broadcast dynamic microphone, the Mackie EM99b. This is an XLR dynamic mic which offers a great build quality, a nice set of accessories, and very clear presence and treble region. Buy the Mackie EM99b(Affiliate Link) Amazon:  https://geni.us/em99b Sweetwater: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/em99b B&H Photo: https://bhpho.to/3p3N2XB Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same...

Today I review a budget dynamic mic which costs between $70 and $80, the Fifine K688. This is an XLR & USB mic with zero latency monitoring and it offers a pretty decent sound. The main draw back to this is how resonant and hollow sounding it is. Buy the Fifine K688 (Affiliate Link) Amazon:  https://geni.us/k688 Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link) A...

Today I review a tube mic from MOJAVE, the MA-200. This is a cardioid only condenser mic and it has a sound that seems fitting for modern pop with a clear mid section and airy top end. It is very sensitive to low end rumble and it picks up a lot of the room you're recording in so you'll need to be aware of that. Buy the Mojave MA200(Affiliate Link) Amazon:  https://geni.us/ma200 Sweetwater: h...

Today I review a budget dynamic mic which costs only $50; the PD100. This comes with a mic, stand, and xlr cable as well. It offers a V-shaped sound with a dominant bass and low mid section, scooped mids, and a aggressive boost in the presence and treble region. Buy the Maono PD100 (Affiliate Link) Amazon:  https://geni.us/pd100 Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affi...

Today I review a brand new handheld condenser microphone from Earthworks, the SR117. This mic has a controlled low end, a neutral mid section, and a bit of extension into the treble, but it has a bit of a roll off in the air frequencies. Buy the Earthworks SR117 (Affiliate Link) Amazon:  https://geni.us/sr117 Sweetwater: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/sr117 Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Pe...

Today i review the Beyerdynamic MC930 which is a $600 small diaphragm condenser mic which has a thick lowend, a neutral mid section, and a slightly elevated treble and air region. RECORDING SETTINGS: Interface: Focsurite Scarlett 18i20 2nd Gen Conversion: 24-bit / 48kHz Gain: ~2:00 Boosted in Post: +4dB SPECS: - Polar Pattern: Cardioid - Freq Response : 40Hz - 20khz - Sensitivity: -30.5dB - Self N...

Today I review one of the cheapest mics I've covered that sounds fantastic. This thing is small, portable, affordable, and feature rich. It may be out dated and have a number of flaws, but if you're able to get this at a good price, and you don't have the budget or desire to go above this, I think you'll be fine. Buy the Samson Go Mic (Affiliate Link) Amazon: https://geni.us/goomic Sweetwater: htt...

The Austrian Audio OC16 is a worthy competitor as an all rounder studio workhorse mic. It uses the same capsule as the OC18 which is 2x the price and uses different electronics and is made in China instead of Austria. Buy the Austrian Audio OC16 (Affiliate Link) Amazon:  https://geni.us/aaoc16 Sweetwater: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/oc16 Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i2...