OT: USB condenser mics

[picker]

|A friend of mine has recently given me his Roland VS880EX multitrack recorder. So, I'm looking at microphones. I've noticed a lot of large diaphragm condenser mics with USB connectors. I have no idea of their sound quality, but the price on them is attractive. But, the VS880EX doesn't have USB mic inputs.

Does anybody know if there is a way to adapt one of these mics USB port to XLR or 1/4"?

[KuruPrionz]

There probably is but why? The cost of adapting a USB mic would probably be better spent on getting a nicer quality XLR mic. FWIW, most of the time cheap mics are cheap for a reason.

 

If you can answer a few questions we can help more specifically, it's hard to say what you need with what you've posted so far.

 

There are lots of things to consider when building a "mic locker". First off is "maybe you only need one mic."

 

What is your budget?

Where will you be recording?

Are there volume restrictions due to neighbors?

Is the room sonically lively and/or small?

 

What do you need to record?

 

Do you have any mics already? If so, try them and see what they sound like. I've often found in my own environment that a dynamic mic will deliver a better signal to noise ratio since it doesn't have as much sensitivity to background noise (some of my condenser mics can pick up the refrigerator in the kitchen or a car horn honking 100 yards away outside). A foam windscreen can work wonders on any mic, it can also be not so good. Cheap and worth having in any case.

 

If you don't have any mics, buy a used Shure SM57 from a reputable seller, get the foam windscreen and see what you can do with it. It will always work and it will always be worth at least what you paid for it. There are LOTS of decent dynamic mics selling used on eBay and Reverb for very little money - I've got a CAD D-90 that I paid under $30 for, an EV PL95 that somebody gave me and an EV ND767 that was $50 on closeout at Guitar Center. All 3 of those mics are very usable for recording all sorts of things.

 

The biggest advantage I see of the Roland unit (besides yours being free!!!) is that it is an all-in-one solution and mobile. You could record just about anywhere if you wanted to.

It doesn't appear to offer much solace for the "computer-reluctant" as it has it's own deep dive into a tiny screen with many buttons that will need pushed to go much farther than just laying down 8 tracks and calling it good.

There is nothing wrong with 8 tracks, don't get me wrong - there is much that can be done with it.

 

On the other hand, it's 20 bit which didn't become a standard. And I searched but could not find out if it has 48v phantom power available. The images of the interface both top and back in the Roland manual indicate that it does not have phantom power. So you will need dynamic mics unless you purchase a separate 48v phantom power unit. Fortunately, those are not rare or super expensive.

 

You might find this thread interesting... https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/3027793/mics-you-i-own-whats-good#Post3027793

[picker]

Firstly, yes I am aware that the Roalnd is obsolete technology. No, it doesn't have phantom power, or any sort of USB port. It's a long story, but the guy who gave it to me believed he was doing me a favor, and I'm not interested in disabusing him of the notion. He's a nice guy, a talented musician and songwriter, and I love him dearly.

 

As for the four questions, my budget is such that I won't be purchasing a Neumann U87, or even an MXL990. I already have an MXL 990, by the way. I was considering the possibility of using the Roland for live remote recordings, and wanted to use two mikes on opposite sides of the room for stereo. Ideally, I'd want two of the same mics for that, but I'm habitual about going as low-priced as possible from years of being a broke-a$$ musician. When I started looking at mics, I saw all these large diaphragm USB webcasting jobbies going for like $40, and wondered. Yes, I am aware that very often, you get what you pay for, but I have also found that sometimes, you CAN get away quite well with bargain basement gear quite nicely. I've done it before.

 

So, to continue my budget is whatever I can get for cheap. I'll be recording either in my apartment, at gig sites, or anyplace else nobody is watching too closely. There are volume restrictions in my apartment, elsewhere who knows? That being the case, the sonic qualities of the rooms involved might vary widely. As for my apartment, where most of the recordings will be made, it's a bedroom with a bed, desk, and boxes of stuff along the wall. So. somewhere between lively and dead, and most likely sonically kind of meh.

 

What I need to record are demos of songs I write, and maybe some live bands, as a favor to friends if they want it.

 

Yes, I do have some mics from live performances with my band; a couple of SM58s, and SM56(SM57 with a shock mount), and I think an SM57. I also have an EV PL5, and a few no name cheapies that had a few uses for live work. And, I just picked up a phantom power supply for $30, so I will be able to use the MXL990.

 

Yes, the rigors of using a small screen with multiple functions to access from it are daunting. It's not the first time to the stand-alone 8 track digital recorder rodeo, and I never did master all the quirky possibilities of the Fostex I had. But like I said, not only was this one free, but I feel a sort of obligation to my friend to use it, however minimally I am able to.

[KuruPrionz]

^^ Great information, thanks!!!! ^^^ I've been a "bottom feeder" all my life and I've done well with it too. So I get where you are coming from.

 

There are a variety of options here: https://www.amazon.com/usb-xlr-converter/s?k=usb+to+xlr+converter

Disclaimer, I've never used any of these widgets and have nothing to say about them other than that they exist.

 

Not sure if you could hook up a stereo mic for Android or iPhone and take the headphone out to your recorder. Might be another option if you own the phone already.

Or one of those video/mic all in one goodies run into your home computer and out the headphone jack into your recorder, that might work too. Latency could be a problem with any and all of the above options.

 

"Good enough" is a personal decision. I've owned and tried all sorts of cheap mics through the years. Most of them sound "pretty OK" but the noise floor is always higher than with even an inexpensive but decent dynamic mic like an SM57.

 

No matter your choice, for close up vocals (better signal to noise ratio), a foam windscreen is your friend. That and singing from an angle can pretty much eliminate plosives and sibilance.

Cheap condenser mics are ready willing and able to provide all the pops and hissing spitting sounds one could ever wish for, the foam takes that edge off by diffusing the air stream.

Foam windscreens are very affordable too and you really only need one for one mic to get that part of the work done.

 

Carry on, have fun!!!!!

[desertbluesman]

I have a Studio Projects C-1 condenser Mike https://www.amazon.com/Studio-Projects-C1-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0002FOJEG it was purported to be Neumann U 87 Ai Set Z | Multi Pattern Condenser Microphone knockoff. https://en-de.neumann.com/u-87-ai (which is $3650 on Sweetwater). I had the Neumann at one time in my analog studio and it's accuracy was astounding. The Studio Projects C-1 condenser mike Never did match up to the Neumann, but it is fairly decent for the price I paid back in the day (about $199) .