These are not USB mics, so we used the Mackie Onyx Blackjack, an affordable 24-bit mic pre and audio interface that performed well in our Budget USB audio interface shootout. To that mix, we added two high-end broadcast dynamics.
Best usb mic for podcasting audio technica plus#
We tested three moving-coil USB dynamics, plus a hybrid USB/analog condenser that shined in our shootout of $200 condensers for podcasting, the Studio Projects LSM. How do they compare to the industry standards? Let’s find out. This means podcasters can plug these mics directly into their computers and get all the benefits of a dynamic voice mic with none of the hassle of needing a separate preamp and converter. Recently, we’ve seen a couple intriguing new podcast mics come on the market: dynamic mics with onboard amplifiers, ADCs, and USB output. (For the record, we made a couple great recommendations in that piece, so if you’re shopping for an inexpensive signal chain for your broadcast dynamic mic, click that link to find our picks.) We reasoned that most podcasters can’t afford a high-end analog preamp and separate analog-digital converter, and would benefit from knowing that there are affordable USB audio interfaces that have enough gain to drive a low-output dynamic.
That problem was precisely the reason we tested all the leading USB mic pre’s with the Shure SM7B in our Budget USB audio interface shootout. They tend to have low sensitivity levels, which means they require preamps with a lot of clean gain. My preference for dynamic microphones for podcast and broadcast use is well-established see the Ultimate Podcast Mic Shootout, in which I tested every great dynamic mic the broadcast industry has been loving for 50 years.īroadcast dynamic mics aren’t necessarily friendly to beginners, though.