The Heil PR-30 Mic Review

The PR-30 is the perfect replacement for 30-year-old condenser technology

There is no doubt Bob Heil makes quality mics and having shared air time him I know he is committed to customer satisfaction. That being said I will admit that my choice to use the PR-30 included not only my personal tests and review but also the fact that it just is one cool looking microphone. Given that the PR-30 was the winner I had no issue spending a little more money. The majority of what we do is all about the audio. Too many of us spend a lot of time and money on the rig, amp and antenna and then end up using a stock microphone. This is truly an area where we should spend more time. Tailoring our audio should perhaps constitute our greatest effort. So I conclude by saying that I love my PR-30 yet depending on your voice you may well likely do better with some other mic.

The Heil Sound PR-30 is a professional dynamic microphone designed for applications that require a smooth, flat output from a wide frequency response (40Hz-18kHz). Whether it's commercial broadcast, studio recording, or live sound reinforcement, the PR-30 mic can handle it. A specially designed magnet structure and large, aluminum 1-1/2" low-mass voice coil assembly make this possible. In addition to a carefully wound and placed humbucking coil, the components of the PR-30 are engineered to minimize external noise and provide pure articulation. A unique dual pop screen design ensures that breath blasts never hit the diaphragm directly. The result of all this is a perfect representation of the voice that is virtually unpolluted by external noise.

Heil PR-30

FEATURES

Large 1-1/2" aluminum diaphragm
Wide frequency response
End fire, cardioid pattern
Low handling noise
Natural articulation
SPECIFICATIONS
Generating element: Copper-wound dynamic with neodymium magnet structure
Body: Steel body with zinc die-cast bottom ring
Frequency response: 40Hz to 18kHz
Impedance: 600 ohms balanced
Output level: -52.9dB @ 1,000 Hz.
Polar pattern: End fire, cardioid, uniform front to back discrimination
Diaphragm: Large diameter, low-mass quilted aluminum
Finish: Anodized champagne matte
Net weight: 15 oz.

Pros

◾Broadcast ready sound, with an extended low frequency response.
◾Extremely warm, intimate sound. Clear and articulate representation of your voice.
◾Superbly flat frequency response.
◾Easy to EQ with.
◾Bright and rich like a condenser, but controlled and soft like a dynamic.
◾End fire pattern rejects side and rear noise. Excellent noise reduction overall.
◾Nice foam/plush/leather case.
◾Built rugged, with a beautiful and flawless finish. It’s heavy, with everything being metal.
◾Comes with clamp that has an adapter that screws in to allow the clamp to be used on different sized stands and boom arms.

This is a smooth mic, if you are a musician who grew up in live situations and prefer a dynamic microphone which performs at the quality level of a Condenser or Ribbon. This is a good choice. You can mike your bass drum, Stand up bass, Cello, Acoustic guitar or vocals with quality results. I have an assortment of vintage and new microphones and I am glad I got this mic. The only thing I do not like about it is that it does not come with a case or mic bag.

Who this mic benefits?

Endorsed for all of the following:
Audiobook
Podcasting
Voiceover
Ham Radio
VOIP applications
Narration
Screen recordings
Youtube
Skype
Kick Drums due to that deeper low end response.
Lectures
Female voices
Live vocals

At first sight of the PR 30 in your hand, you see a pleasing professional looking broadcast studio mic. The soft gold color is not too flashy. The mesh screen over the mic element is tight and straight. The entire mesh screen inside is lined with a foam rubber type filter, so an external foam pop filter is not required at all. And it just looks so pretty hanging on the shock mount and boom. Let's just say it looks very impressive.

The PR 30 is very directional and you need to be within 8 to 9 inches from it to have a normal amount of audio pick up, which I like. I usually stay 3 or 4 inches away from the front end. Just move a few inches to the left or right, and your audio is cut in half. We hams know that our radios will not transmit the full 40 to 18,000Hz range of the PR 30, but you can be sure that what ever the frequency response range is on your radio, this mic will cover it with a full flat response and no fall-offs.
The responses I have had on FM simplex is "great" to 'HOLY GRAAL'. I am told the audio is super clear, strong, and no fuzz around the edges. Everyone hears a nice normal amount of bass response for warmth, and just enough highs to be clean and crisp, but not tinny. The entire voice range is very articulate. Even SSB has a nice warmth with plenty of drive power without any distortion.

I run the PR 30 on my Icom IC-746PRO. For use on all Icom's and many Yaesu's, you must make a small modification to the PR 30. Icom and Yaesu insert 5VDC on the mic line to power the electret mic elements in their hand and desk mics. But the Heil PR 30 is a dynamic mic element, and that 5VDC will change the sound quality of the PR-30 for the worse. It makes the mic sound tinny and adds a hum. The 5VDC can also damage the PR 30 element.

To prevent this you need to do a simple modification. Removing 3 little screws allows you to remove the case off of the PR 30. You will see the dynamic mic element on the top with 2 wires coming off the bottom of the element. One is red (-), and the other is white (+), Un-solder the white wire from the element. You then need a 1uF electrolytic capacitor, any voltage above 15VDC. Solder the (-) side of the cap to the mic element where the white wire was. Then solder the white wire to the (+) side of the cap. There is plenty of room for the cap. Then just put the case back on the mic, and you are done. The cap blocks the 5VDC to the mic, but has no effect on the audio quality.
Now you can use the PR 30 on any radio with phantom power on the mic line, without any harm or effect to the mic. My PR-30 sounds fantastic on my 746PRO. I get nothing but high praise and compliments. And there is plenty of audio to drive the power on SSB.
Heil PR 30 is highly recommended for any radio old or new. And makes the best quality recording mic you can get. It beats a ribbon mic in every way. Heil did it again, and you would be wise to use the PR 30.

If you want to save a bit of moolah and still have as good a dynamic mic as any out there, get the PR30. Some may wonder why the PR-30 instead of the Heil PR-40? I liked what I read in reviews of both mics and decided I wanted to be different. I haven't regretted it.

The physical shape of the PR30 is slightly different from the PR40 and the response on the bottom is 40Hz instead of 28Hz. You will never miss 12Hz.

I think it looks fine business. Fit and finish is as good as I've seen. It comes in a cardboard box and includes mic and tough all metal mount.

The screen around the element is double thickness and has foam all around the inside. Right behind the front the foam looks to be about 3/4 inch thick. I don't have 'pop'problems and don't use any other 'pop' filters.

As a test I installed a foam surround - big foam ball type pop filter on the mic. All this did was drastically change the frequency response as heard in my monitor so it was removed permanently.
Like most any wide response mic this one benefits from mic equalization. If your radio has some internal eq and or some high and low transmit frequency adjustments you will still be able to get good sound.

As with most mics the PR30 exhibits proximity effect as you get closer to the front of the mic. I don't see this as a drawback though. I use it as a tool to change my low end at will.

The mic has an articulate and smooth sound. I have yet to hear it muddy up in my monitor. No one has complained of harshness in my audio. I use it with a channel strip that contains a preamp, eq, and compressor and the result goes into the front of my stock 950SDX.

A nice thing about this mic is the reduced sensitivity compared to most condenser mics. Less sensivity equals less mic pickup of shack noise. So far I've been able to get by without any noise gate or expander. This may change if I get a noisier amp though.

Heil PR-40 Mic Review

Heil PR-40 Mic Review

While appearing on a couple of radio shows at two different studios, I found myself amazed by the sound of my voice through a well-known broadcast mic: the Shure SM7. It sounded full and rich on my voice, without a hint of boominess. I was well aware that these stood in high regard in the pro audio world as well, and figured that one of these days, I’d have to get one for my home studio.
It was while trying to decide between the two that I found out about the Heil PR40. Heil’s answer to the SM57 has gotten some positive attention from the online recording community, and I wondered if the larger mics in the line might sound good too.

The PR40 is good. It arrived in a small cardboard carton; inside was the “beautiful cherrywood box” Heil promised the mic would ship with. As it happens, this box arrived in pieces courtesy of UPS. (New mics are now sold with a sturdy aluminum flightcase.) Luckily, the mic itself is extremely sturdy and heavy, and is around the size of an SM7b. It looks a lot like a large-diaphragm side-address condenser. It comes with a basic mount, which I swapped for a shockmount I already had.
Heil makes some pretty extreme claims on their website — one is that the mic is “the absolute quietest microphone... ever.” I don’t know about that, but the mic’s self-noise is indeed outrageously low. Any noise you hear is likely to be from your preamp, as the mic does require a fair amount of gain; 40 dB or so did the trick for me.

Another claim is that “the dynamic Heil PR40 looks like, feels like, and acts like a condenser in every respect.” Well... it doesn’t. That’s why I bought it! It does, however, sound great. The party line on this mic is that it has an unusually rich low end for a dynamic, and so I expected the lows to be hyped. They’re not. But they are there, and they are clear and musical. The mids are thick and accurate, and the highs, once again, are unhyped but present. Overall response feels almost totally flat, but not at all dull. I’ve tracked several songs with it, the vocals ranging from hushed and close to quite loud, and they really do sound drastically different from the ones I tracked with a condenser; it’s more of a “vintage” sound, strong in the mids, and not crowding out the entire spectrum the way a lot of modern rock vocals seem to. I also did some handclaps, and they sound awesome - meaty and crisp. You might like to try this mic on high transients - tambourine, maybe - and though I haven’t given this a shot yet, I think it would flatter the hell out of a guitar cab.

Heil PR-40 Microphone

At the moment, the PR40 is my main vocal mic; nothing I have sounds better on massed, multi-part harmonies. I’ve also recorded some spoken word stuff I was doing, and as you might guess, it really excels there too. If you’re in the market for an SM7, RE20, or MD 421, definitely consider the Heil as well… it’s right in that price range and should give them all a run for their money.

Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Microphone for Podcasters Review

Based on Audio-Technica's hugely popular AT2020 XLR microphone, this USB version has the same outstanding build quality, high SPL handling, and unique low-mass diaphragm as the original, with the addition of a USB output for connecting directly to your computer -- no audio interface or preamp required. With its built-in analog-to-digital conversion, this mic delivers 44.1 or 48 kHz 16-bit audio directly to your recording software. There's a headphone jack directly on the front of the mic, with a Mix knob so you can monitor your performance blended with playback from your recording software.

With the cardioid Audio-Technica AT2020 USB+ mic, you get plug-and-play USB functionality and studio-quality articulation and sound all in one affordable mic. Drawing on the design of the much-loved AT2020 cardioid condenser mic, the AT2020 USB+ has the same killer transient and frequency response, ranging from 20Hz to 20kHz. Though there is an AT2020 USB mic, the + designates an additional headphone jack that comes with monitor control as well as no-latency monitoring.

Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Microphone

Features

•Experience AT2020 USB. Plug it in and transform your sound.
•Side-address studio condenser with USB digital output (Windows and Mac compatible)
•Crystal-clear, natural sound for podcasting, home studio recording, field recording, and voiceover use
•Custom-engineered low-mass diaphragm provides extended frequency response and superior transient response
•Cardioid polar pattern reduces pickup of sounds from the sides and rear, improving isolation of desired sound source
•Low self-noise - perfectly suited for sophisticated digital recording equipment.

Specifications

•ELEMENT Fixed-charge back plate, permanently polarized condenser
•POLAR PATTERN Cardioid
•FREQUENCY RESPONSE 20-16,000 Hz
•POWER REQUIREMENTS USB Power (5V DC)
•WEIGHT 13.2 oz (374 g)
•DIMENSIONS 6.38" (162.0 mm) long,
•2.05" (52.0 mm) maximum body diameter
•OUTPUT CONNECTOR USB-type
•ACCESSORIES FURNISHED Pivoting stand mount for 5/8"-27 threaded stands; 5/8"-27 to 3/8"-16 threaded adapter; soft protective pouch; tripod desk stand; 10' (3.1 m) USB cable
•BIT DEPTH: 16 bit
•SAMPLE RATE: 44.1 kHz
•Stand and USB cable included

The AT2020 USB Plus Mic: Audio-Technica Quality For Your Desktop
Plug the Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Plus condenser microphone directly into your computer, and capture your performance with Audio-Technica quality. With this USB mic, there's no need for a separate preamp or audio interface - the microphone records directly to your recording software at 16-bit, 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz resolution. A built-in 1/8" headphone jack lets you monitor your performance, with a Mix knob to blend the signal of the microphone with pre-recorded audio in your headphones. With a cardioid pickup pattern and 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response, this USB condenser mic is a great choice for narrating YouTube videos, recording podcasts, or capturing quick demos of your music.
Extended Frequency Response and High SPL Handling

Audio-Technica's original AT2020USB microphone had a more limited frequency response, but this "Plus" version extends the highs to 20 kHz, allowing you to capture more detail and accuracy from vocals and instruments. And with a maximum sound pressure level rating of 144 dB SPL, the AT2020 USB is a solid choice for tracking loud sources, like drums or guitar amps.

What makes the AT2020 USB microphone such a solid choice for home needs? Flexibility is key. Audio-Technica's innovative back-electret capsule design means an exceptionally thin, responsive diaphragm that's great at capturing the fast transients of acoustic guitars or cymbals. Of course, as a cardioid large-diaphragm condenser, the AT2020 USB wouldn't be the home-studio hit that it is without the ability to deliver detailed vocals. Add in the USB output, and this mic's flexibility makes it a serious value.

Podcasters love AT2020 USB for it simplicity in connecting and ease of use. It doesn't need a mixer or DAC so just plug in and there you go. Great sound for Skype talks - every listener will experience that WOW emotion when hearing you via AT2020 for the first time. It outperforms jsut about any headset, including pricey gaming headsets that cost twice as much yet include cheepish low quality mics.

Behringer QX1002usb Desk Audio Mixer Review

The Behringer XENYX QX1002USB mixer is made to handle live gigs, and provide you with the tools necessary to capture professional-quality recordings. Along with its built-in USB/audio interface, "one-knob" mono channel compressors and KLARK TEKNIK FX engines, the XENYX QX1002USB mixer comes with enough recording and editing software to turn your computer into a complete recording studio. The QX1002USB is a 10-input, 2-bus mixer with XENYX mic preamps and compressor, and a range of built-in FX, it's just the right size for medium-sized gigs or home studio applications. RCA CD/Tape I/O comes standard on all XENYX mixers.

KLARK TEKNIK FX

BEHRINGER  is proud to incorporate custom-engineered  KLARK TEKNIK  effects into the QX1002USB. Featuring 100 world-class presets to choose from including reverb, chorus, flange, delay, pitch shift and many other amazing effects,  KLARK TEKNIK  created the 24-bit, studio-grade effects engine for  BEHRINGER  – to give your performance that truly professional finishing touch.

XENYX Mic Preamps

All XENYX mixers have one thing in common; great-sounding, high headroom XENYX mic preamps. XENYX preamps offer 130dB of dynamic range with a bandwidth that extends from below 10Hz to well above 200kHz. As a result, XENYX mixers can reproduce a cleaner, transparent performance.

British EQ

The British consoles of the 1960s and ˜70s changed the sound of rock and roll. Without them, the British Invasion might not have even happened. Those legendary mixing desks soon became the envy of engineers and producers all over the world. The channel EQs on all XENYX mixers are based on that very same circuitry, allowing you to saturate signals with warmth and character. Even when applied generously, these equalizers exhibit forgiveness and superb audio quality.

USB Audio Interface

Modern technology has put personal recording well within the reach of virtually anyone with access to a computer. But how do you get all that music flying around your brain into a computer? Thanks to the built-in, bi-directional stereo USB audio interface, you can connect directly to your PC or Mac computer via a single USB cable. Now any signal source connected to the mixer can be recorded straight to your hard drive.


Features

• Analog mixer
• 10 channels - 2 mic/line, 4 stereo
• 2 XENYX Mic Preamps
• Compressors with easy one knob control and led control indicator
• KLARK TEKNIK FX processor with 100 presets including reverb, chorus, flanger, delay, pitch shifter and various multi-effects
• Built-in stereo USB/Audio Interface to connect directly to your computer. Free audio recording, editing and podcasting software plus 150 instrument/effect plug-ins downloadable at behringer.com
• Neo-classic "British" 3-band EQs for warm and musical sound
• FX send control per channel for internal FX processor and/or as external send
• Main mix outputs plus separate control room, phones and 2-Track outputs
• 2-Track inputs assignable to main mix or control room/phones output
• FX to control room function helps to monitor effect signal via headphones and control room outputs

Shure SRH-940 Hi-Fi Headphones Review

The SRH940s ship in a smart, padded case. Both cable and earpads are detachable, and the package includes spare earpads and a choice of straight or curly cables. These terminate in a 3.5mm mini‑jack with a screw thread allowing a quarter‑inch adaptor to be fitted, while the other end uses a smaller, 2.5mm mini‑jack with a plastic barrel that twists half a turn to lock into place. The phones themselves appear to be solidly built from a firm grey plastic, and the frame and earcup mountings incorporate plenty of flexibility, allowing the cups to be rotated in every conceivable direction, and probably some directions that are not readily conceived of.

The construction arrangement means that the cups exert slightly more pressure on and around the ear than some phones, but they are well padded and comfortable enough for long listening sessions, and this pressure ensures that isolation from external sounds is pretty good. For me, the only suggestion of discomfort came from the top band, which has a tendency to load the entire weight of the phones onto a small point on top of the head instead of spreading it out, but I suspect that has as much to do with the shape of my head as with the design of these phones. With an impedance rated at 42Ω and a sensitivity of 100dB SPL/mW, the SRH-940s shouldn't require any sort of esoteric headphone amp to drive them.

Shure SRH-940 Headphones

Shure SRH940: Sound quality. The first thing that strikes us about the SRH940s is their immediate fidelity.

They’re a fast, energetic listening session, and open and revealing with it too – which goes slightly against the grain of their closed-back DNA. The rich synths of the track are conveyed explicitly, and there’s oodles of detail in the low-fi hi-hat part.
The mellow melody is nicely rounded, and the whole frequency range sits together really well, with nothing standing out too far or sitting too far back in the mix.

Shure SRH940: Verdict

Cons? Only a minor one: there’s a very slight spike near the top of the treble, which can occasionally stray into thinness during lean-sounding recordings, but it’s not a deal-breaker by any means.
Various adjectives come to mind to describe the sound preciseness of the SRH-940's, among them 'beat', 'crystal clear' and 'well-projected'. They seem to have a broad lift in the mid‑range, from perhaps 1‑3 kHz, which brings out the snarl of an electric guitar or the ring of a snare drum without over-emphasising sibilants or making crash cymbals leap out of the mix. They're perfect for rock music, or indeed anything else where the main focus is mid‑range impact and excitement. Transients are well represented, and the high frequencies seem balanced.

If there's a down side, it's that the bass is arguably a bit too tight. Whenever I turned to electronica, or indeed any mix that leaned on a heavy bottom end, I was struck with a gut feeling that something was lacking. It's not that bass and low mids are absent or inaccurate; rather, they are slightly overshadowed by that prominent mid range, in a way that sometimes robs them of 'oomph'. If you like bass to be an emotional experience, these are not the phones for you.

Shure SRH-940

The SRH-940 will play at reasonable volume levels with portable devices such as most cellphones, iPods and so on. The straight cord feels strong enough to withstand some abuse, and with the earcups pulled all the way down and rotated against my chest, I can have the headphone around my neck all day long without it getting in my way when I'm not listening to it. It also comes with a coiled cord. Neither cord has an angled plug unfortunately. The other good news with the cord is that it's detachable. The other less-than-good news is that the detachable end is partially proprietary. The detachable plug is a standard sub-mini plug (next size smaller than a 1/8 inch mini-plug), but the plastic fitting behind that plug locks into the jack on the earcup in a way that would require DIY'ers to take the earcup apart if they want to use a different cable without the proprietary connector.
The earcups of the SRH-940 completely surround my ears, and it's a close fit. The internal space for ears in each oval earcup measure 2-5/8 by 1-7/8 inches. I find the fit very comfortable, but people with much larger ears may feel very cramped. The carrycase that comes with the SRH-940 is fairly large, and would take up a lot of space in a carry-on bag for airline travel. If this is your situation, I'd recommend carrying the SRH-940 around your neck when boarding, or just wrap it in something thin to place in a suitcase, to give it minimal protection. The entire headphone seems to be plastic except for the velour earpads, and Made In China means they optimized the SRH-940 for lowest production cost. The good news is that it seems to be very well made, and given the sound quality, a real bargain at the usual prices. Isolation from external sounds is good even when not playing music. When playing music, I can't hear the telephone ring from 3 feet away, and the ringer is the old-fashioned kind - very attention-getting.

The SRH-940 have an extended high-frequency response with incredible detail - so much so that upon first listen, you might think their response puts too much emphasis on the highs. For example, one of my colleagues commented that the SRH-940 were too sibilant when he first listened to them. On the contrary, I feel that the high-frequency response is actually exceedingly smooth. Yes, there is a small bit of high-frequency lift to my ears, but it's a very smooth rise, and to me, what I hear is the opposite of sibilance. There isn't any harshness in the 7-12 kHz range, which is where I find the most offensive energy in regards to sibilance. Moreover, the SRH-940's midrange is as neutral as any headphone I've ever heard. Vocals, for example, translate well between the SRH-940 and various listening-environment and speaker combinations throughout my studio and home - in terms of both relative level in the mix and harmonic content.

Compared to the Sennheiser HD800, which up until now were my favorite studio headphones, the SRH940 actually have less sizzle at the very top end, but the SRH-940's upper mids are a little more prevalent. The gentle lift in the HD800's lower mids isn't there in the SRH-940, so if you're using the Shure headphones for mixing, you might not try so hard to clean up what "muddiness" might be in your recording. And perhaps because of the more clinical-sounding lower mids and upper lows, the SRH-940 seem to exhibit less bass in general during casual listening, but the extreme lows are definitely there when you are listening critically, with a tightness that is astounding. With that said, I think that listeners who are accustomed to an overabundance of bass volume in their cans will definitely find the SRH-940 inappropriate for their needs, but I find the low-frequency clarity refreshing. Plus, transient response throughout is amazing.

The SRH940 come with a semi-rigid, multi-compartment carrying case that's too large for carry-on air travel, but it does protect the headphones well. The SRH-940 have hinges in all the expected locations, and they can fold up asymmetrically such that one earcup backs into the other (as opposed to the earcups facing each other). Once collapsed, they take up as much room as any other full-size folding headphones, but one advantage to this asymmetric arrangement is that there's less likelihood for pressure on the cable where it exits from the earcup. Speaking of the cable, you'll find two in the case - one straight and one coiled. Thankfully, the straight cable is just the right length for working at a console; you'll need to extend it if you plan to hand these headphones to a guitarist during tracking. The cables lock into the left earcup with a twist. You'll also find a second pair of velour ear cushions in the case.

The headphones are surprisingly light, and they're comfortable for extending wearing. The only caveat worth mentioning is that I found that the orientation of the SRH-940 on my head had a greater effect on the sound than with other headphones. For example, I can hear the bass levels go up when I rotate the earcups a bit so that the headband is just above my forehead - in fact, I get the most neutral-sounding response with the headphones positioned this way. Also, if I take off my glasses, the ear cushions seal better, and again, I get better bass response.

That said, we all know that reproducing sound to give maximum enjoyment is a very different business from reproducing it in a way that is useful to the mix engineer. And for most studio purposes, I think the frequency balance of these phones, with its ruthless absence of hype at the low end, is much more a blessing than a curse. Most mixes stand or fall on the mid-range, and you quickly appreciate the detail and clarity that these phones bring to that region. After a lot of listening, I even began to feel that my beloved Sony's V-150 were sounding muddy and veiled by comparison. I wouldn't want to make dubstep on these, but for any sort of guitar‑based music, they're hard to beat, and the good levels of comfort and isolation make them ideal for tracking as well as mixing.  

The Blue Yeti USB Microphone Review & Specs

The Yeti USB Microphone is hinged, which means you'll be able to adjust the angle to find the best position to record, or folded out of the way when you're not using it.

The Blue Yeti Mic Specs

The Blue Yeti USB Microphone is a popular choice for home podcasters

When it comes to quality, Blue Yeti would be undoubtedly one of the first choices among any other USB microphones. The truth is, nowadays USB mics are being stamped by all and sundry manufacturers. Logitech would be an excellent example. Specializing in computer accessories, they produce great keyboards and mice, and even sound systems but when it comes to standalone mics, they simply don’t have enough expertise. The best what they can do is some fancy-looking devices, mainly oriented for gaming use and web-conferencing. For such needs, although a bit overpriced, they may indeed perform great, but that’s about it.

Blue Microphones, on the other hand, is the company that works on enthusiast-grade, quality mics. Blue Yeti is also such mic. Excellent sound pattern, with the only difference is that it’s being connected through USB unlike most high-end recording devices. For those who never held professional mics before, without exaggerating, this will be a sensation. The good news is it also has a very moderate price tag, comparable to more like computer accessories rather than a professional studio-recording device. The best price for the quality is what we believe makes Blue Yeti such a terrible rival.

The Yeti USB microphone from Blue may look like a whimsical toy, but it's actually a very useful tool for the serious home recording enthusiast. If you want to record voiceovers, podcasts, interviews, or even acoustic solo performances, the Yeti is an excellent way to capture high-quality audio with a minimum of fuss. Most computers will recognize this distinctive-looking mic right away, with no drivers to install. All you have to do is pop the Yeti on your desk with its custom stand, plug the included 10-foot USB cable into your computer, and start recording.

If you never had a studio mic before, this device may seem a bit large, and yet its dimensions are kind of fair: 4.7 x 4.9 x 11.6 inches for width, depth and height respectively. That’s including the stand. Contrary to what most users expect when they look at the pictures, Blue Yeti is made of a solid metal and has a very firm build overall. On the other hand, the control buttons have somewhat flimsy feel and should be used with caution. Looks like these buttons are the only things that can actually break or wear out, so in order to prolong the life of your device we advise to use them only when necessary.

Now it’s time to go deep in its specs. Blue Yeti has two ports. The first one is of course USB that powers the device and sends the digital signal to computer. This model has a standard sampling rate of 16 bit at 48 kHz. The USB cable of around 6 feet long is also included in the package. The other output port is a 3.5 mm headphones jack, allowing you to hear exactly what’s being captured. Both ports along with a shock mount thread are located underneath the device; however, the shock mount itself is not included in the package and we’ll get to that later.

At the face side, it has a mute button and a volume control. At the back, there is another control for gain and a four-position pattern switch. You may choose between cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional & stereo picking patterns. This is achieved by combining three condenser capsules, whose signals are processed in different ways. Considering that the vast majority of traditional microphones use only single capsule, Blue Yeti will and does sound different. This can be especially noticeable in the cardioid mode; however, it’s not a necessarily bad thing!

Using Blue Microphone's proprietary tri-capsule technology, the Yeti can record sounds that range from the barely audible to the deafeningly loud - all without a loss of fidelity. Depending on what kind of sound you are recording, you can choose from four distinct pattern modes:

Stereo mode: The stereo mode uses both the left and right channels, and is ideal for capturing a realistic, general sound image.Cardioid mode: Well-suited to podcasts, sung vocals, and other voice work, cardioid mode records sound sources that are directly in front of the microphone. It delivers a rich, full-bodied sound.
Omnidirectional mode: Omnidirectional mode picks up sound equally from all directions. It is best used in situations when you want to capture the ambience of "being there"--like a live recording of a band's performance.
Bidirectional mode: Bidirectional mode records from both the front and the rear of the microphone. It is ideal for capturing the nuance of a musical instrument, or recording an interview between two people.

Yeti sounds surprisingly rich for its cost. It is a sensitive mic so be prepared that it will be picking up both wanted and unwanted sounds alike. However, a proper positioning along with right picking pattern can help to achieve a good level of noise cancellation. For instance, if the source of noise is behind the mic, you may use a cardioid pattern; if the noise is coming from sides, a bidirectional pattern will be handy. This is where its functionality turns out very useful. If you play an acoustic guitar, you’ll especially like the stereo mode, which can make it sound much more natural.

The main advantage Blue Yeti boasts over its competitors is the THX certification. In fact, it was the first microphone that actually earned it. THX warrants for sound quality and guarantees the whole frequency range is delivered just the way it should – and this is indeed so. On the other hand, many other mics will often deviate from the natural pattern, coloring some frequencies and muting the others. Depending to the pitch of your voice or whatever you record those individual peculiarities can be both destructive and beneficial; however, any deviation greatly narrows the purpose of such device and more than often works as a disadvantage.

Although THX certification makes it hard to complain about Blue Yeti’s sound precision, this mic is still not devoid of some shortcomings. Condenser mics are generally capricious when it comes to environment noise, and even though this model offers a great deal of cancellation, for some uses this may not be enough. The thing is vibrations will also travel through the microphone stand, which you’ll hear, for example, if you place your mic at the table and try to do some typing. In order to eliminate such noises, people would usually use a shock mount. Yet, much to the surprise of the users, Blue Yeti has non-standard dimensions, thus many available shock mounts simply won’t fit.
To sum it all up, let us draw the line and say who and why should consider getting this particular microphone. Blue Yeti is made to handle things like podcasting & voiceovers, working great for any conference calls, and of course singing and playing instruments. You’ll get all that with near professional quality and simplest possible setup. Unlike other studio mics, you won’t need any special equipment like preamplifiers, etc. That makes it very easy to use with any computer or even laptop, as all you have to do is just plug it on and you’re ready to go.

Direct headphone output is also a very useful feature. It is still possible to hear yourself without it; that is by mapping the microphone through your PC back to your headphones or speakers, but that method is highly impractical. This seemingly unimportant feature will help you save from buying another piece of equipment that does exactly that. Then again, if you’ll use the pattern switch often, this will save you from buying three different mics. Overall, Blue Yeti would be both a great choice for any practicing singer and a perfect all-in-one budget solution for a home studio.
The Yeti requires no complicated drivers to operate; simply plug it into your computer's USB port with the included USB cable, calibrate it with your operating system, and you're ready to record. The microphone is compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Mac OS X, and requires a minimum of 128 MB of RAM.

Yamaha MG16Xu Mixer Series

The new MG series from Yamaha, feature their incredible sounding D-Pre's represent a very solid choice for even the most discerning live sound engineer.
The Legendary Yamaha durability and daily dependency combined with quality effects, fantastic sounding pre's in a 10 XLR (8 Mono, 2 Stereo Channels) format makes this an easy to justify mixer for small to medium sized gigs.

Yamaha always delivers with their mixing consoles and the upgraded MG series is no exception. The 16 channel format features 10 channels of XLR input with 3 channels of stereo 1/4". Onboard compression is a added bonus rarely seen on mixers is this price range, not to mention the built-in SPX digital effectsunit has been an institution in the effects processing game since the 80s. 4 band EQ and 4 AUX inputs really get you dialed in and rockin and rollin all night!
Equipped with a USB audio interface & state-of-the-art SPX Digital Effects, the Yamaha MG16XU gives you the tools you need to produce high quality sound that is uniquely your own.

When was the last time you heard a guitar without EQ or a completely unprocessed vocal on one of your favorite songs? Probably never. Yamaha mixers are famous for their flat response and sonic purity, but it often takes more than a perfectly-captured instrumental performance or vocal to achieve a professional-sounding mix.

24-bit /192kHz 2-in/2-out USB Audio Interface Function

MGXU Series mixing consoles feature flexible digital connectivity for quick and easy high resolution playback of digital content. Simply connect to your PC via USB, or to your iPhone / iPad (2 or later) using Apple's Camera Connection Kit / Lightning to USB Camera Adapter. The USB protocol uses asynchronous data transfer. Audio data is transferred based on highly precise audio clock signal from the MG, for high quality recording and playback.

Yamaha MG16Xu Live Mixer

Built-in SPX Digital Effects

For musical and non-musical applications alike, effects processing adds polish and professionalism to the mix. The MG16XU models feature Yamaha's acclaimed SPX digital multi-effect processor, offering a comprehensive suite of 24 editable digital effects perfect for enhancing your mix, whether adding depth to a speaking engagement or breathing new color and atmosphere into a live band performance. In particular, the high-quality reverb and delay expand the spatial quality of the sound with remarkable realism and naturalness. You can even connect an optional FC5 foot switch for effect on / off control.

D-PRE (Discrete Class-A Mic Preamps)

Delivering fat, natural sounding bass and smooth, soaring highs, with very low distortion, D-PRE preamps possess an impressively wide frequency range that allow them to handle signal from any audio source without overly amplifying any specific elements of the sound. Having such a pure sonic platform to build on will ultimately save you time and effort by eliminating the need for excessive EQing or additional effects processing in order to "fix" your mix.

EQ and High-pass Filters

The Yamaha MG16XU benefits from Yamaha's unparalleled experience in designing pro audio gear, featuring 3-band equalizers on all mono channels for precise control of your sound. High-pass filter allows you to eliminate unwanted low-frequency noise, for a smoother, cleaner mix.
Switchable Phantom Power & PAD Switch
The input channel with PAD switch accepts MIC to line level of inputs, PAD Switch attenuates high input signals that often accompany mic'ed instruments during performance, avoiding the clippingthat can seriously affect your mix.

Cubase AI

The MG16XU comes bundled with Downloadable Steinberg’s Cubase AI software. As one of the most advanced, comprehensive DAW suites available, Steinberg's Cubase has led the charge, providing users with a powerful and flexible platform for music production. Cubase AI offers these same core technologies and interface that have won Cubase worldwide acclaim.

Rack Mount Kit Included

Yamaha MG16Xu Mixer

Easily adaptable to a diverse range of installed and portable applications, the 16- and 20- channel models of the MG Series includes rack ears, giving you the option of a rack-mounted or desk-top configuration. Extremely durable, their sleek design makes safe, stable placement of your console hassle-free, keeping setup time and effort to a minimum.

Built to last

The Yamaha MG mixers feature a rugged, impact-resistant, powder-coated metal chassis, offering an unrivalled level of durability. With a sleek design contoured for optimal convection cooling, the internal layout separates the power supply from the analog circuitry for superior noise reduction, and further extends the life of the components inside. To further ensure reliable performance, knob control placement above the surface of the chassis diverts any impact or pressure on the knobs to the chassis itself and not the circuit board or components underneath.

Features:
•16-Channel Mixing Console
•Max. 10 Mic / 16 Line Inputs (8 mono + 4 stereo)
•4 GROUP Buses + 1 Stereo Bus
•4 AUX (incl. FX)
•“D-PRE” mic preamps with an inverted Darlington circuit
•1-Knob compressors
•High-grade effects: SPX with 24 programs
•24-bit/192kHz 2in/2out USB Audio functions
•Works with the iPad (2 or later) through the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit / Lightning to USB Camera Adapter
•Includes Cubase Al DAW software download version
•PAD switch on mono inputs
•+48V phantom power
•XLR balanced outputs
•Internal universal power supply for world-wide use
•Rack Mount Kit Included
•Metal chassis
•Dimensions(W×H×D): 444 mm x 130 mm x 500 mm (17.5" x 5.1" x 19.7")
•Net Weight: 6.8 kg (15.0 lbs.)

It's so convenient to have 16 channels that can be run via usb. I've seen this used for recording at a couple venues, and the recordings always come back on point. The built in effects also help you in trying to capture an array of sounds while recording. A great mixer that can capture alot and still maintain clairty while doing so.

When it comes to Yamaha mixers, there's no question as to the sound quality you will get out of it. The only question is "what options does this awesome Yamaha model come with?". Let me tell ya, the MG16XU has it all, especially when it comes to effects processing.
With 24 fully programmable digital effects, you have a lot of options in choosing what kind of sound you're looking for. You can add a larger tone and depth to a speaking voice, great sound effects to a band's live performance. The reverb and delay features are the best of the best, and can even be controlled with an optional foot switch. Professional made easy.