EQ Magazine - August 2008 - (Page 52)

MARSHALL ELECTRONICS (WWW.MXL-USB.COM) MXL’s USB mics were some of the first models that made people realize they were for more than just, say, podcasting. The USB.007 ($219.95) is a stereo, gold large diaphragm condenser mic with two capsules (identical to the ones used in their 990 mic, in an XY pattern). It comes well-accessorized: Rugged travel pouch, desktop mic stand, mic stand adapter, 10' USB cable, wind screen, manual, applications guide, and (how’s this for a bonus?) free downloadable stereo recording software. Using the mic is straightforward. Set the low/medium/high switch for the corresponding level you expect to record, plug in the USB cable, and go. You’ll find the USB.007 sounds really good—at least on a par with any other mic in the same general price range, and it can withstand seriously high SPLs (they spec it at 137dB). What’s more, the stereo image is impressively convincing—much more spacious and realistic than I expected. Like most other mics, it’s 16-bit resolution but handles both 44.1/48kHz natively. Overall, this is a very sweet mic that offers really good value and smooth sound quality—I wouldn’t hesitate to use this for “keeper” takes with serious portable recording. Yes, it’s that good. USB MEMORY STICKS: YOUR EXTRA HARD DRIVE USB memory sticks can serve as solid-state drives that hook right into your computer. This is particularly good with laptops, which typically have only a single, 5400 RPM internal drive. If you store your project on a USB drive, it will play back tons of tracks without hard drive issues like seek times. USB sticks don’t record as fast as they can play, but still, I’ve been able to record a couple dozen simultaneous tracks to a USB 2.0 stick (and a hard drive would have given up sooner). To back up the stick data, just bounce it over to your hard drive. Another good application for USB “drives” is with samplers that stream samples from disk, like TASCAM’s GigaStudio 4. Although USB memory stick capacities still haven’t reached the point where it’s practical to store your beloved 60GB orchestral library, 4–16GB is still a lot. Besides, the way memory capacities are going, just wait a year. . . . AUDIO-TECHNICA (WWW.AUDIO-TECHNICA.COM) Audio-Technica’s AT2020 needs no introduction: This side-address, cardioid condenser mic with a low-mass medium diaphragm has become a mainstay in project studios, both for its reasonable price ($169) and high performance. It also handles a quoted 144dB SPL. So it’s no wonder that A-T adapted the 2020 for the USB world with the AT2020 USB ($249). Why the heftier price? Well, it sure sounds like they put some serious effort into the electronics, because the USB version has the same kind of “open” quality and low noise as the non-USB version (as expected, the output is 16-bit/ 44.1kHz). It also has a relatively “hot” output that will let it drive anything within reason, and the bass is tight, solid, and defined, with what sounds like just a bit of a high-end lift for added intelligibility. Accessories include a tripod desk stand, pivoting stand mount, threaded adapter, 10' USB cable, and storage pouch. You won’t find any additional applets or software, but the AT2020 USB works out of the box seamlessly with XP, OS X, and Vista. In use, the AT2020 USB feels solid, sounds very quiet, and has the same quality of sound associated with the AT2020. It’s great for when you want to go beyond podcasting into the world of quality recording. 52 EQ AUGUST 2008 www.eqmag.com http://WWW.MXL-USB.COM http://WWW.AUDIO-TECHNICA.COM http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - August 2008

EQ Magazine - August 2008 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Lyrics Born, Fink, David Kahne on Working with Paul McCartney, What a Future with no Record Industry looks like Tool Box ?uestlove Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Cakewalk Sonar 7 Apple Logic Pro 8 USM Mic Round-Up USB Mics Chameleon Labs 7720 Sounds Room with a Vu

EQ Magazine - August 2008

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