Digital Education Podcast

The USB Microphone Wrap-Up

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 18:53:10 -0800

Well, here it is! My final thoughts after working with some different USB Microphones. I tested out a basic Logitech USB Headset (the 250) as well as two studio-quality USB condenser microphones (the Samson C01U and the Snowball by Blue). I found some pretty surprising results. As I used the microphones more, I ended up liking the Samson the most, but the Snowball is definitely a high-quality mic as well.I’ve also posted some test recordings with each microphone for your listening pleasure. The Snowball was recorded three times because it has a three-position switch. Take a listen to my thoughts. Enjoy!

The Samson C01U

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 17:14:45 -0800

This offering by Samson was the first studio-quality, USB condenser microphone to actual be released. It gets the phantom power through the USB 2.0 connection. It’s all plug-and-play and does a good job of making recording with a mic very easy. In this sound sample, we only decreased the sensitivity by a little bit. As you’ll hear, it has a nice mellow sound with a great range, and it sounds similar to my studio set-up.

The Snowball by Blue (3rd Position)

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 17:09:32 -0800

Here’s another sample of the recording quality from the Snowball by Blue. This recording is with the microphone switch in its third position. It was the first announced studio-quality condenser microphone powered by USB. It’s unique because it has a three position switch. Again, this is Position 3. In this position, it sets the microphone so that it records in an omni-directional pattern. With this Podcast, you actually get two samples for the price of one! We record from the back and front so that you can hear how it records on both sides. Theoretically, it gets equal input from all sides. This would be good for recording a round-table discussion.

The Snowball by Blue (2nd Position)

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 17:03:13 -0800

Here’s another sample of the recording quality from the Snowball by Blue. This recording is with the microphone switch in its second position. It was the first announced studio-quality condenser microphone powered by USB. It’s unique because it has a three position switch. Again, this is Position 2. In this position, it sets the microphone so that it records at -10dB. This is great for louder environments because it will reduce the ambient noise a bit.

The Logitech USB Headset 250

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 16:57:00 -0800

Here’s a sample of the recording quality from a Logitech USB Headset 250. Logitech makes several different headset and external USB microphones. I included this in the report so that listeners can get an idea of what an inexpensive microphone is capable of.

The Snowball by Blue (1st Position)

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 16:52:00 -0800

Here’s a sample of the recording quality from the Snowball by Blue. This recording is with the microphone switch in its first position. It was the first announced studio-quality condenser microphone powered by USB. It’s unique because it has a three position switch. Again, this is Position 1. In this position, the microphone records “normally” in a cardioid pattern.

The Dark Side of the Internet

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 20:21:09 -0800

Whether it’s cyberbullies, Internet predators, online plagiarism, or a plethora of other negative things, there are lots of dangers to be found on the Web. It’s important that we don’t try to put blanket bans on anything because the goal is to educate kids, teens, and adults so that they understand the dangers that are out there and become savvy users who can avoid them.