Today we are doing a test to see if the hype is true about high quality podcast microphones: is there really a mic out there that can make your voice sound amazing, if so, which one is it and is it worth the cost.
This test is for pro podcasters who care about both sounding great and not needing to take out a loan to buy the necessary gear.
I created a video for the test which you can watch here:
Table of Contents:
- Test Criteria
- How to Judge Audio for Yourself
- Test Files
- Background Noise Results
- The Multifunctional Winner (to my ears)
- Further notes
- So, What Should You Buy?
- Grow Your Show
- Your Questions
Test Criteria
A note about the test author: I've been working with audio in professional and hobby environments for about 15 years. I don't know it all, but I know what it's like to produce a #1 podcast every week for a few years.
So in this test I focus on what I think is most important for real podcasters. This is for us, the new kids trying to make the best possible show we can (often times out of bedrooms and basements).
So here's the criteria I'll judge these microphones on:
1. Background noise sensitivity.
We run a podcast here called The Fizzle Show. Four of us on the show, often at least 3 in the same room. It can lead to a lot of background noise in the podcast, which sounds unprofessional.
Background noise is important for ANYONE podcasting. When someone gives your podcast a shot, you DO NOT want to sound like you're in your mom's bathroom (even if you are). Some microphones are more sensitive to reverb, room noise and off-mic sounds than others.
So one of the things important to all of us is a mic's sensitivity to background noise. I'll be testing for that.
2. Vocal tone.
I'll obviously be testing for general quality of vocal tone coming from these mics, not just from my voice, but from a lady, and another man with a deeper, more bass-heavy voice as well.
3. Price.
And finally, of course, price. We can't all afford a $500 microphone. We're here' to discover if the price of some of the renown podcasting mics are WORTH IT or not.
The mics I've chosen all fall in the $100-500 range. These are just about all microphones that use XLR cables, though I did include 1 USB mic in the test for good measure.
How to Judge Audio for Yourself
Use some good headphones.
Your ears are sensitive. To get the most out of this test you should have headphone monitors that can reproduce the sounds with enough resolution for you to tell the difference between the microphones.
A/B the recordings.
Your ears are also relative. The best way to judge these mics and pickup the differences between each is to go back and forth between the different tracks. It's like A/B testing; you can listen to track A, then B, then A, then C, then B, then C, then A, etc. In the youtube video above you can hover and skip around on the timeline to compare.
With great microphones what you can look for is the balance of WARMTH and DETAIL. The way a microphone handles this balance can sometimes feel smooth or harsh or gritty or crunchy {insert another weird adjective sound people use when they talk about this stuff}.
Make your own opinions.
Each of the mics changes the tone of the voice. Sometimes it's dramatic, other times it's subtle. Some you may like, some you may not. You should feel encouraged to make your own opinions on which ones sound best to your ears.
A note about the recording process: Each mic was carefully situated about 1.5 to 2 inches away from the subject, pointing directly at the mouth. The mics were set to as close to the same exact level as possible using a Motu 828 and a Motu 4 Pre (industry standard high quality audio interfaces and preamps). Then I added some extremely light compression and a very subtle limiter to the master output track.
Test Files
I obscured the names of the mics, calling them simply A B C D E F G, so you can listen without any bias. Below I'll share a link to the key so you can tell which letter corresponds to which mic. You can also download all the files to listen to the highest quality version (download button on each track).
And in the rest of the article I share my take on how these mics performed, a few surprises, and which mic is the best to go with.
Microphone A:
Female 1
Male 1
Male 2
Background
Microphone B:
Female 1
Male 1
Male 2
Background
Microphone C:
Female 1
Male 1
Male 2
Background
Microphone D:
Female 1
Male 1
Male 2
Background
Microphone E:
Female 1
Male 1
Male 2
Background
Microphone F:
Female 1
Male 1
Male 2
Background
Microphone G:
Female 1
Male 1
Male 2
Background
The Mics in This Test (in order of price):
(Note, links to equipment on this page use an amazon affiliate code so if you buy any of the mics through these links you support this blog.)
Telefunken M82 ≈ $400 — requires: $100 XLR audio interface, pop filter.
Shure SM7B ≈ $350 — requires: $100 XLR audio interface (but likely needs higher quality preamp to avoid hiss).
Heil PR40 ≈ $330 — requires: $100 XLR audio interface, pop filter.
Shure Beta 87a ≈ $250 — requires: $100 XLR audio interface, pop filter.
Rode Podcaster ≈ $230 — requires: nothing.
Audio-Technica AT875R ≈ $160 — requires: $100 XLR audio interface, pop filter.
Shure SM57 ≈ $90 — requires: $100 XLR audio interface, pop filter.
When you're ready, here's the key to which microphone is which.
Listen to the tracks or video above to hear for yourself before moving on to the rest of the article. Spoilers!
Introductory Thoughts
Depending on your experience, it can be very hard to tell the difference between all these recordings. Each microphone shapes the sound in unique ways. Good monitors and experienced ears can hear those differences.
That said, the differences can be subtle and it can feel like all these mics are pretty damn similar. These are all high quality mics and they perform better than your standard cheap USB mic (with the exception of the Rode Podcaster).
However, this test is for those of us who want to sound excellent, and to my ears there's a lot to talk about here. Let's start with background noise.
Background Noise Results
I was very disappointed in the off-mic noise sensitivity of all three of the spendy, sexy, often recommended mics. I'm talking about the Heil PR40, the Shure SM7B and the Telefunken M82. They were all much more sensitive to background noise than I hoped they'd be.
In fact, all of the mics (except for one) performed effectively the same on the background noise test. To my ears, each allowed the same amount of room bleed.
I expected the SM57 and the Rode Podcaster to perform poorly here. They did. But I was surprised to hear that EVERY MIC performed about the same here… except for one.
The one mic that performed better than the pack on background noise is microphone D in our test, Shure's $250 Beta 87a.
I picked up this mic because Marco Arment liked it so much in his great mic review. And I am glad I did. It sounds really good, very rich and smooth, striking a good balance of warmth and detail. I do find the treble/presence to be a little harsh on, but nothing that can't be fixed with a little EQ and/or de-esser.
Besides sounding great on each of the voices, the 87A is FAR LESS sensitive to off-mic sound. That means there's less room reverb, less dogs barking outside, less background noise overall. If you use this mic in your mom's bathroom it will have noticeably less room-noise. (Please don't record podcasts in bathrooms, you guys.)
But this is bit of a double edged sword. This microphone is very sensitive to how near/far you are to the mic. Moving just a little off mic will be noticeable and annoying to listeners, so you'll need to keep your face right in front of the mic, not moving around very much when you record.
I definitely recommend Shure's $250 Beta 87A for podcasters because it sounds better than more expensive mics and cuts out background noise better than any other mic I've tested.
Sidenote: thinking about background noise made me realize some folks are using the wrong mic on their show. For example, Jason Calacanis uses SM7Bs in his studio for This Week In Startups. They talk a bit off mic, don't monitor themselves on the headphones, and subsequently the listener hears a lot of the room sound in the recording. They'd do better with more of a shotgun mic like the Audio-Technica AT875R.
The Multifunctional Winner (to my ears)
The microphone that sounded consistently great across all the voices, to my ears, is microphone A in our test, the Audio-Technica AT875R.
This is the only shotgun mic on the list, and it's a small diaphragm condenser you can find for around $160.
I first purchased this mic for use as a video microphone (which it's great as). Then I tried it up close on a voice and was blown away by how good it sounded. But surely, I thought, It can't compare to the mic's I've always dreamt about, like the legendary SM7B, right?
Not only does it hold up, I like it better! The SM7B sounds dull and it's hard to drive well without a spendy pro preamp, the Heil PR40 — a so called "necessary purchase" from many podcast pundits out there — adds way too much crunchiness in the high mids on every voice I tested. the Telefunken M82, the most expensive mic of the pack, was just… alright.
I'm actually really sad to say that because I wanted to get in front of these mics and fall in love, regardless of price. But it didn't happen.
To be clear, every one of those mics I just mentioned are amazing. You can easily correct any issues with each in post production. These are professional mics, capturing a ton of the frequency spectrum.
But why pay $500 for a setup like that when you can get better sound for less?
(By the way, I'm currently making more videos about how to do much more professional post production on your podcasts. Signup here to get on the list and get those when they come out.)
So, the multifunctional winner, for me, is the Audio-Technica AT875R because it sounds literally excellent on all the voices and it doubles as a great mic for off-camera video use. (We use this for all our video use.)
With this mic you'll definitely want a pop filter. We use this this shock mount and pop filter. It’s cheap,
so I recommend getting a few in case one breaks. We’ve used these for over a year now and haven’t had any problems with it. Fits multiple mics, easy to adjust and cancels out all those pops and plosives.
Further notes
1. It's a bummer the best mics look so dumb.
One of the biggest pains about this for me about this test is that the best sounding mics look really dumb. I wanted the excuse to keep one of these big, professional looking mics like the Telefunken M82 or Shure SM7B. Oh well. We didn't exactly get into podcasting to look cool.
2. All of these mics are excellent, you just don't have to spend as much as you think for great sound.
I want to say this again: all of the mics I tested are high quality, professional, great sounding mics (the one exception would be the Rode Podcaster which I think sounds real bad for the price). You can capture and sweeten great sounding vocal content from all of them. It's just nice to know you don't have to drop a bunch of cash on some of the $300-500 mics.
So, what should you buy?
OK, so I'm going to share the gear I recommend you should buy based on a few different segments.
1. If you haven't launched your podcast yet:
What are you doing here? You should be getting your episodes out and building your audience. Pick up a $55 Audio-Technica ATR2100 USB mic and start recording episodes in your closet where there are lots of clothes to deaden the sound. Come back here and decide if you want to spend more when you've published your 50th episode.
2. If you want great sound for recording one person:
I recommend the Audio-Technica AT875R, and a shock mount + pop filter. You'll need an XLR audio interface to connect the mic to your computer. A solid choice would be the $100 Mackie Onyx Blackjack or the Focusrite Scarlet 2i4. (Note, the Audio-Technica mic does require phantom power and both the Focusrite and Mackie's listed have it.)
3. If you want great sound for multiple people in the same room:
For the microphone I recommend the Shure Beta 87A with a pop filter. If you only need 2 mics, the two audio interfaces mentioned above would be fine. If you need more, I highly recommend the MOTU 4 Pre, which we use and love on our show.
Grow Your Show
Hey, since you're researching how to make your podcast sound excellent, you may also want to learn how the pros grow their audience, setup interviews, and get their shows to flourish in iTunes. If so, checkout the Advanced Podcasting Course we've made.
(I think I'll get fired from my own company if I don't mention this here.)
Our Advanced Podcasting Course is taught by John Lee Dumas of the MASSIVE podcast Entrepreneur On Fire, so it's not just theoretical information, it's real training from someone who actually knows what they're talking about.
You'll take this course for free if you give Fizzle a try. Access to all our courses and the community Q&A is free for a few weeks, then it's only $35/month.
Your Questions
Alright, this was such an enlightening test for me. I've dreamed of using some of these mics for almost a decade, but could never justify the price. Now, after running this test, I realize I don't need to justify the price.
If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below and I'll do my best to answer them. Cheers and happy casting.
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Really enjoyed this post. Yea it’s a shame the best sounding ones look so dumb, we all wanna look like a pro with the Heil and shock mount. (First thing that comes to mind)
Gonna come back to this later when I go from my Blue Snowball to one of these. Thank Chase.
Thanks for the great info!
For the recommended set-up with the AT875R, what would be the mic stand we should get with it?
I use regular floor stands. If you need a desk boom, those’ll work as well.
Cool! Thanks Chase.
Ah, finally, the mighty Heil PR40 has been knocked off it’s lofty podcasting perch. So many so-called podcasting gurus recommend this mic. It’s not a bad mic, but I think the recommendation has been largely because the gurus saw someone else using it and decided to copy that.
As an old rock and roll guy myself, the venerable, built like a tank, Shure SM58, is an affordable, great sounding dynamic mic that will last for years, no, make that decades, and keep on sounding good. It’s the mic I often chose years ago for the rock bands I worked for. Few people realize just how much that mic has been used on some of the top recording acts.
Kudos on the Mackie Onyx Blackjack interface recommendation. That thing is built like a tank, too, and the preamps are sweet and clean. I’ve tried a bunch of USB interfaces but keep coming back to the Mackie Onyx Blackjack.
Great post Chase. Being a fellow audio engineer myself, there are 2 more extremely popuar mics that are industry standards in broadcast and radio, guessing podcasting would share the same mic demands. The Electrovoice RE-20. and the Sennheiser 421. These 2 mics have been around for decades and have been proven to be spectacular in radio and broadcasting. Similar to the Sure SM7 these mics have a very warm and big tone, perfect for all voices. If you’ve ever listen to the radio, you’ve heard these mics. Important to note that room noise or ambience can easily reduced by a mic isolation shield (more used for condencer mics) or by even a cheap acoustic tile kit. If your going to be podcasting on a regular basis, spending a few hundred $ on a acoustic tile kit can make a world of difference. Even just a few tiles on the back wall the mic is facing, can reduce sounds reflection by a huge amount. Cardiod mics reject noise from behind, so always acousticly treat the wall the mic is facing for the most ambient reduction. Check out readyacoustics.com if your looking for some great acoustic panels, you can buy kits and easliy build what would be $300 panels yourself for much less $.
Wow! Chase, you are in your element teaching this way. I’m no audiophile but this was entertaining. Barrett’s sentence was also one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard.
I’m guessing all of this perform way better than something like a Blue Yeti USB mic? That’s what Abby and I use for recording screencasts but I have absolutely no clue what to do with the little dials on the back. I’m not super impressed with the audio quality.
Isn’t the AT875R the mic Pat uses on his show? I seem to remember he recommends some Audio Technica mic but I don’t know which one. His voice always sounds great.
I recently purchased the Blue Yeti as well because Leah & I can both talk on it at the same time. I’m not proud of the quality, but also wonder if there is a way to make it sound better with dials or in post.
I’ve had an Audio Technica at2020 for years. It picks up everything and makes it a nightmare to edit.
I also have an at2020 and yeah… It does picks up alot of background noise.
@donnielaw:disqus and @jasonloveslife:disqus, yes you can get better sound from other mics. But the Yeti will carry you plenty far. Stick with it and upgrade the sound when you feel ready for it.
I love your recommendation to just grab a USB mic and get going when you’re starting out. Fretting over decisions like this paralyzes people from action. I’ll be checking back into this article once I’ve wrapped my first 50 episodes.
Just started podcasting again. Will have to make some money with it first, but now I want to buy more equipment!!!
P.S. I love the Advance Podcasting Course.
And your Podcasting Beginners course mentions ID3 editor. Which is going to save me hours of adding meta data every day… Thanks Fizzle!
Thanks for putting this together Chase! 👊 Ever since you first mentioned you would be doing this, I was looking forward to hearing the results. I personally upgraded to the SM7B with a Cloudlifter (from the ATR-2100) to help compensate for the low volume output. It really helped, but I’ve never done a side-by-side comparison like you’ve done here. I probably won’t be selling my SM7B just for this, but I will come back to this post in the future if I’m needing additional mic’s for some reason. Really surprised by the shotgun mic recommendation. That’s crazy! I just put together a post with the podcast ‘stack’ that we use. Your post may or may not have been an inspiration for this 😉 https://thepitch.vc/b/the-podcasting-stack-used-by-the-pitch-mic-recording-gear-editing-software/
Some good stuff from Ron below. To add yet another perspective, with so many mics on the market it can at first appear a little daunting to pick the right one. Having worked in recording studios for over 15 years I can attest that different mics will sound different for literally everybody. So while you can get a rough idea on what mic might sound best with you, if you can, then try them out. I’m about to geek it up, so bare with me!
You probably really want a mic that has a cardioid or hyper-cardiod pattern, this is just the shape around the mic that will pick up sound, cardioid mics will help limit noise from behind the mic. However if you want just one mic for maybe an interview, then look for an Omni patterned mic which picks up sound equally all around. Even better, kill two birds with one stone and you can get microphones that have switchable patterns that will mean you can change it from interviewing everyone in the room, to solely being on you and rejecting all the room noise – a win win!
Also, you’ve gotta choice between what are known as dynamic and condenser mics. Think of the dynamic mics as the ones you’ll see singers using on stage, the old classic Shure SM58, they’re robust and don’t require power (from Phantom power). In a studio though, I can honestly say I rarely ever used a dynamic mic on singers, instead we tend to opt for condenser mics that will require a bit of power from what is known as phantom power, and as a sweeping statement I would say condenser mics will have a nicer, warmer sound.
But equally important to choosing a mic and rarely is it mentioned in the podcasting world, is the choice of pre-amp which can be 50% of the sound. With condenser mics, you’ll need a pre-amp. Admittedly audio interfaces will power these mics with their internal preamps. You mentioned the Motu’s audio interface in this post, I’m not a fan, they’re good at what they do and in fact this is what I started out on, but they’re like a ford car, useful in that they get you from A to B, but not the best in class. And we’re not talking big bucks here either, you can start with the awesome little Apogee Ones if you’re using just one mic and don’t wish for an external preamp. The sound you’ll get from any audio interface is going to be clean and transparent, so you’re relying on your mic to deliver any warmth or depth to the tone. If you add in an external preamp, something like a Warm Audio WA12 which admittedly isn’t the cheapest option but it’s damn cheap in the world of studios, you’ll change the tone even further. So you might find if you have a mic that’s ok already, and you don’t wanna waste money buying another mic, try adding in a pre-amp instead. Heck, head down to a shop with your mic, and test a load of pre-amps and see if it does the job for you.
One last thing, if you want to make your voice sound deeper and fatter on what ever mic you already have (not omni-patterned mics though), just get closer to the mic, it’s what’s know as the proximity effect, and is an instant and cheap way to add some depth to your sound.
After this, it’s time to add compression and some limiting, but that is a whole other blog post for Chase to divulge.
Keep up the great work chaps!
Great roundup. Glad to see a shotgun in the mix. Instead of upgrading my mic, I picked up a dbx286s and couldn’t be happier! It let me color my voice a bit while really cutting out the sibilance. I also used the gate function to cutout the noise from outside my windows.
Hi Chase – thanks for this shootout. This is a ton of work! (I’ve done one myself)). Also thanks for testing the AT875R – definitely a great sounding mic; much better than expected.
I have a question about your SM7B test…
I’ve recorded and produced over a dozen studio albums over a 20 yr career in music, and dozens of mobile podcast interviews, so I’m very familiar with pro audio, and pro mics, interfaces, and mixers. I’ve recorded with the SM7B extensively on both male & female voices, and in your tests, the SM7B sounded thinner than normal to me in (especially in the bass response). I have to ask you:
For your tests, did you have the switches on the back of the SM7B flat? Or did you have bass rolled off and/or presence boost engaged? (One of mine was shipped with the bass roll-off switch engaged). Like I said, it sounded thinner than normal to my ears. Were the switches set to flat response? (see attached photo)
In my testing, the SM7B always sounds best when the switches are flat – especially for male vocals. I know lots of engineers like the bass roll-off switches, but I believe they color the sound, and the presence boost punches the mids far too much. Again, it’s a matter of taste, but in my experience, flat sounds best.
Also, you mentioned the SM7B needing a higher-end pre-amp, and it’s true, the SM7B is very gain-hungry. However, spending $150 on a CL-1 CloudLifter, or $80 on a FetHead, will raise it’s gain +20db, and allow you to use it with most any preamp or mixer (it even sounds great on the $100 preamps you listed – I’ve tested them both with the SM7B + CL-1). If $ is no object, the CloudLifter is my choice – much more rugged, and better electronics.
I know it’s more $ on an already expensive mic. But if someone’s going to spend $ to make the SM7B sound better, I highly recommend spending it on a CloudLifter, not a high-end preamp.
Thanks again for your testing, Chase!
Hi Chase – thanks for this shootout – great stuff. This is a ton of work! (I’ve done one myself)). Also thanks for testing the AT875R – definitely a great sounding mic; much better than expected.
I have a question about your SM7B test…
I’ve recorded and produced over a dozen studio albums over a 20 yr career in music, and dozens of mobile podcast interviews, so I’m very familiar with pro audio, and pro mics, interfaces, and mixers. I’ve recorded with the SM7B extensively on both male & female voices, and in your tests, the SM7B sounded thinner than normal to me in (especially in the bass response). I have to ask you:
For your tests, did you have the switches on the back of the SM7B flat? Or did you have bass rolled off and/or presence boost engaged? (One of mine was shipped with the bass roll-off switch engaged). Like I said, it sounded thinner than normal to my ears. Were the switches set to flat response? (see attached photo)
In my testing, the SM7B always sounds best when the switches are flat – especially for male vocals. I know lots of engineers like the bass roll-off switches, but I believe they color the sound, and the presence boost punches the mids far too much. Again, it’s a matter of taste, but in my experience, flat sounds best.
Also, you mentioned the SM7B needing a higher-end pre-amp, and it’s true, the SM7B is very gain-hungry. However, spending $150 on a CL-1 CloudLifter, or $80 on a FetHead, will raise it’s gain +20db, and allow you to use it with most any preamp or mixer (it even sounds great on the $100 preamps you listed – I’ve tested them both with the SM7B + CL-1). If $ is no object, the CloudLifter is my choice – much more rugged, and better electronics.
I know it’s more $ on an already expensive mic. But if someone’s going to spend $ to make the SM7B sound better, I highly recommend spending it on a CloudLifter, not a high-end preamp.
Thanks again for your testing, Chase!
Hi @disqus_VClyjuo9H6:disqus, I had the SM7B set to flat. Wanted to make sure all the mics gave me as many frequencies as possible.
The Motu 4-Pre handled the gain of the Shure totally fine without heavy hiss on the noise floor.
I’m familiar with the CloudLifter. Thanks for reminding me about it. Thanks, Shawn!
Thanks, Chase, really appreciate your response. I’m still surprised you didn’t get better bass response with the SM7B. Again, I’ve used this mic extensively.
Is it possible the mic was more than 2″ away from the mouth of the narrators? (It looks like it might be in the photos).
Although the SM7B does better-than-most with very little proximity effect, and change in tone as you move around it, if it gets more than about 2″ away from the sound source, the bass response drops dramatically. (see attached photo)
Is it possible the SM7B was more than 2″ away from the sound source?
Here’s a definition of Proximity Effect for those who are interested. With cardiod patterned mics, it’s very important to have your mouth as close to the mic as possible, to pick up the full range of bass response. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proximity_effect_(audio)
The true cause of this is by something called the Inverse Square Law (for the science geeks and audiophiles out there!): http://www.sweetwater.com/insync/inverse-square-law/
The distance to mics, though I worked hard to get them all the same distance from the sound source, could never be exactly the same on all of them and still have it be the same source. I wanted to go for the “here’s all the mics on the exact same source” over the “here’s all the mics used individually so there may be differences in the voice or how the mic is used, etc.”
That’s a decision I made because its something I’m always a little weird about in all the mic tests I’ve seen and I wanted to try to do it differently. Marco went the other way in his test (linked above) and his results are similar to my ears.
Of course, with the SM7B if I got a little closer, then added some heavier compression and some EQ you’d hear all the low end in there. I agree with you completely that the SM7B is sensitive to those frequencies and would recreate them as good as any.
But with all the necessaries on that mic (good preamp, possibly cloudlifter as well, and that all on top of the $300 price tag) I was glad to put my own mind at ease that I didn’t need to fill the studios with those to find great sound.
Thanks, Shawn!
Thanks, Melvin.
Thanks for doing this awesome shootout — great info. Quick question — I’m going to start doing a podcast with a friend of mine, but was wondering if using two Audio-Technica AT875R’s (instead of two Sure Beta 87A’s) would have too much background noise and would pick up each other’s voices too much. I’d love to be able to use the AT875R as a mic for video recording as well, so I like the multi-function aspect of it.
Thanks!
Just stumbled upon this post as I was waiting for my PR40 to come in the mail. A little too late to change my decision, but at least it didn’t make me regret my purchase. I was quite surprised that my favorite clip came from the 2nd cheapest mic on the list, one I’ve never heard being used for podcasting, and yes, one I ALREADY HAD sitting on the shelf right behind me. Still keeping the PR40, but the AT875 will come in handy for in studio guests.
Thanks for the review shoot out! It was great hearing the clips side-by-side
Chase, I have question that’s a variation on the topic. My partner and I host a live webinar each week which also provides the content for our podcast. Obviously this isn’t an ideal sound situation so my question may be moot.
But, is there some kind of PRE-processing you’d recommend for making mics sound better for live webinars? Hardware or Mac software?
Hey Tony, you could do the very same thing I talk about in the post above… good mic, good preamp, then into the computer. If you get the hardware right you shouldn’t need any software. Many people in broadcasting swear by this guy if you need some more firepower: http://www.amazon.com/DBX-286s-Microphone-Pre-amp-Processor/dp/B004LWH79A
Ah, perfect. I picked up the Onyx Blackjack you recommended and it seems to be a cleaner signal than the Edirol UA25 I was using. So that helped.
Got a tip jar somewhere? :)
Thanks, Tony! No tip jar, but you could check the video here to see if what I’ve built here would be useful for you: http://fizzle.co
I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: This is an awesome review BUT nor the Audio-Technica or the Blackjack ships to Europe!! Grrhh
Have you heard of Thomann from Germany? They have everything!
http://www.thomann.de/dk/index.html
On my crappy computer speakers, the Shure SM57 was the clear winner, with the Telefunken coming in second and the Rode in third. Everything else sounded very tinny, treble-y or else like it was being phoned in! I’ll listen again on better speakers to see what the difference is.