XLR vs USB Microphones, Which Should You Buy?
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- Опубліковано 19 січ 2017
- In today's video, I discuss which microphone you should buy; an XLR mic or a USB mic. I cover the Pros & Cons of each microphone ecosystem, and explain which mic is right for different situations.
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Usb could be for travel/take less space? Xlr is studio. It is professional quality.
True, but then again, you could just get a Blue Icicle. Sure quality isn’t a good, but it’s nice and compact
See the audio Technica USB Plus is studio quality to I just think it depends on the brand
Yes but you're taking a computer
That's incredible how you answered every single question I had just sequentially watching 3 of your videos! You saved me lots of time and helped me to buy exactly what I needed. I'm a subscriber now. Thanks a lot!
Have used XLRs for as long as I can remember. Recently got an AT2020+ USB and I was baffled.
There's one thing you missed. The most important bit: The quality of your condenser microphone itself is independent of the subsequent chain; be it the USB converter or the interface.
So with confidence: The *quality* is dependent on the microphone itself, because the upcoming chain is ALMOST NEVER the bottleneck in quality. Therefore, if a USB microphone is appealing to you; more power to you, get one! They're extremely convenient and much more portable, because you don't have to carry along the interface.
This was a lot of helpful information in a short amount of time. Love your channel!
"Age Old"
Even though XLR existed decades before USB
Shhhhhhh. Let me be hyperbolic. HAHA!
Haha! Spot the Shino fan :D
Hi
@@ajitvaaa8 Bye
XLR is good, but it's not. USB is good, but it's not.
Conclusion: idfk they are both okay
@@AntonSalzman wrong
Spoken like someone who's barely spent any time using XLR or USB.
USB is limiting, and audio interfaces have better ADCs than the internal ones in USB mics.
things tend to have weak spots nothing is perfect and its your choice
@@pip5528 Exactly!
Excellent presentation, as always. Glad you're going the tutorial route moving forward. You're very generous to share your expertise.
Thank you!
I feel like the rule of thumb is if you are doing anything production related, go xlr, if you want to skype or do very basic audio work go usb.
yeah whats with all these videogame streaming losers buying XLR and interfaces? theyre all over youtube. and theyre all braindead.
Best response I've seen on this video.
im getting a blue yeti soon cuz i need to grow ma channel a lil
@@LlfeMinecraft Blue Yeti is a terrible waste of money. The sound is just god awful. You can spend the same amount of money on an SM58 and a Behringer DAC and you'll sound like an actual professional. The Blue Yeti is a toy.
@@Thrashman138 The Blue Yeti is just fine although I don't think I'd buy it at full price.
Great video. I have to say that you are one of the most precise channels, I've seen a few regarding recording and production equipment, and I make up my mind faster when I see your video. So congrats on your videos man, appreciate it!!
This educational stuff as you call it, are great! I personally appreciate it. Please do keep it up from time to time :)
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS! Because I had no idea that I had to have an interface and other stuff for an XLR mic and I almost bought one!
I've just found you! I'm getting back into voiceovers and want to get a proper (but beginner) set up - this is an incredibly useful video and you have a new subscriber! I do hope that you do more of these educational videos! Thank you.
I bought a BM-700 just after looking at your video about it :D It's was the last year and THANK YOU I'm very happy with it :) all of your vids are great !!!
I just got my sound card you recommended in a previous video, my audio finally works and it sounds sooo crisp and clean and nice even with my cheap $20 mic. Thanks a ton :)
What microphone are you using? I also wanna start making covers and my budget is 100$
Never a dull moment on this channel. Subbed and keep it up
LOVE this video!!! Thank you sooo much. Short & sweet & not confusing at all. Very easy for a beginner like me to digest.
Thank you very much fam, clear and understanding.😊🙏🏾
Very helpful. I was looking for this exact info. Much appreciate!
Thank you, this was very informative. Well done!
"Be careful of recording on Windows 10" ... Be careful of what????
3 years later and were still pondering what it could be
Think he is saying windows 10 just came out and he doesn't know if it'll mess up any sound settings? Maybe?
Voicemeeter may help otherwise
@@TheChaosRay But Windows 10 came out years before that
U can’t monitor ur voice with a USB mic on windows without having a delay which is annoying afffff xlr is the way to go
great video! I am only using microphones in my computer... that why I am using the blue snowball and soon I will upgrade to blue yati or something similar.
Thank you very much. Excellent review which has answered many questions very clearly. Most grateful!
On being tied to a computer...
Android Lollipop and up can power and use USB mics fine (with an adapter, of course). Being able to just take your USB mic on the go and just record to something small like a phone you already have on you anyway is great. Added bonus, unlike your PC, your phone or tablet basically makes 0 noise, so it makes a good solution for those who want to get some cleaner recordings with their USB mic.
The multiple mic inputs seems like one of XLRs biggest strengths, in addition to being able to more readily use it in all the places where XLR is what they've got.
I mean, I don't think I've ever seen a device that was meant as a USB mic mixer,
Yeah. I've been thinking about that for the past few months. A device that would allow multiple USB mic inputs and had mixer functionality would be HUGE!
Phones and tablets do make noise and noise of a PC or any device leaking to your mic depends on how sensitive the microphone is and also how well the cable and connector are shielded against electric interfearance and radiation. Plug your phone to mixer or audio interface and crank up the volume on both devices high enough while not playing music, and hissing you hear is sound coming out of your phone or tablet.
Reason why you can't hear your phones amplifiers while they are connected to sound devices via USB, is because your USB mic (nor as far as I know any mic) doesn't have input. If they would, there would be damn much feedback or at least some type of echo.
Plain USB Microphones have 1 output, ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) and that's it.
Your phone has 1 stereo input and 1 stereo output in same connector.
When you connect USB mic using adapter to your phone, mic sends analog signal to it's ADC which is transferred to adapters DAC which converts it to analog signal and your phone receives analog signal (all mics be it XLR or USB send Analog signal, that's why you need audio interface, mixer or preamp with ADC and USB or spdif/ADAT preamp with analog outputs to connect your XLR Mic to a PC or sound systems).
Now when your phone plays music etc, it sends the signal as Digital signal to it's DAC which sends it to either to speakers or phones stereo output, but because Mics don't have inputs, your mic won't hear it. Reason why USB headphones won't hear it, is because USB is shielded against that sort of thing (also strenght of the interfearance signal usually is too weak to be audiable when it's converted more than once)
Now if you use minijack headsets, sounds like music, phonecalls and ringtones coming out of your phone is converted from digital to analog, but you will be able to hear interfearance and phone sounds (again as long as they are loud enough), because analog signal (which is fancy way of saying sound signal) isn't converted if you use analog output.
That's why quallity of preamps, converters and amplifiers matter, for example Audient iD4 MKII is damn expensive interface compared to Presonus Revelator io24, but honestly the quallity of Audient exceeds Revelator, especially if you have dynamic processor like DBX 286 S and effects processor.
Love your podcasts, very thought out, insightful and fun to watch. Decided to go with a XLR with power supply, could you PLASE do a dedicated review on the Zingyou ZY - 007 (it's supposed to be a "new upgraded microphone" or a versus against the BM - 800 or NW - 700 (or your choice). Looking forward to it
Thanks for enlightening me. Short but clear explanation
Thanks so much, really gave me a better view of USB & XLR mics and which ones suit your recording style. Think I am gonna stick with usb mics :)
thank you so much. this is really help me to decide which one i have to choose. thank you
Hello!
This video helped me figure out the problem.
Exactly what microphone to purchase has become clear.
I want to start with a XLR capacitor microphone.
Thank you for helping me make the decision.
Just bought an XLR. Glad I did!
Keep up your educational videos. Very useful for beginner or intermediate recordists like me.
Loved this video, please continue with the educational videos
this video made me decide to choose xlr over usb, although I don't have alot of knowledge about its complexity to set up. I hope to find a video for that
Thank you
Hey!
been a while! great video...as always!you probably don't remember me but I'm that guy who was stuck on buying Tempo KR VS RODE NT VS AT2020+...
I actually stopped back then and up until 2 weeks ago i was still going back and forth with a lot of options but when i saw this video of yours i finally jumped the fence and got myself a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 2nd Gen Bundle...Really happy with it!(except for the XLR cable that came with it...which acts up form time to time and it's not well shielded but i changed that)...I came back here to say Thank you!
But i was also wondering if putting a microphone Sponge on the microphone's head is beneficial in anyway?...I do have a pop filter but i just feel it is a good layer or protection...or is it actually bad for the mic?
that was really informative! thank you so much!!
hey man i really love your videos.they are short,informative and to the point.it's because of your reviews that a pecky picker like me has finally decided on a mic (mxl 770).
i was wondering if you could do a video on cables?
different qualities of them.diff budgets.whats the diff in a cheap and expensive one.
and mainly about if they result in capturing noise while recording and how to avoid that?
that would be great! thanx
Congrats on 21,00 subs!
thank you very much for making such an informative video so short and sweet without gimmicks and bullshits
been thinking about getting into podcasting, so I really appreciate your videos. I was looking into the XM8500 and I really liked it, especially for the price. The only problem is that it only has an XLR option. I think a USB option would be easier for me to use. Do you know of any mics that are similar to the XM8500 (Dynamic) but are USB? I'll copy and paste this onto your Dynamic vs Condenser video in case you don't see it here.
your videos are comforting
Awesome Video Man Keep up The Good Work
Looking at the podcaster. Found your vids. Nice work man
The best to the point video on youtube, thank you
Great plan to branch out. I love your channel.
Excelent subject! Watching now!
Maybe the XLR, considering that i want to record guitar tracks as well ?
Good Information. Thank you.
As someone who is on the fence about buying a new mic, this is a very informative video. What do you think of Audio Technica ATR 2100 (both usb and xlr). I think That would be perfect for someone who can't get all the necessary stuff right from the beginning ( like the audio interface, etc).
The 2100 and samson q2u are both EXCELLENT options.
Does anyone know if I need an audio interface if I get USB sound cards for each of my mics?
@Stick Anim Blue snowball is usb right?
On google it says it works, but there a lot of people with problems with it.
Also almost everyone says it's fixable, so if you don't mind troubleshooting (If necessary)
@@Terandium BLUE Snowball is USB, that's correct.
@@xHadesStamps I don't see how my comment made any sense? xD
I assume I talked to someone who removed his comment..
Awaome video man you really do great job but can you please do a review of the Behringer B-2?
Thank you. U are really helping me. Saludos desde Argentina. :)
Hey man. Your videos are soo helpful. But I just have an off topic question, I use a macbook pro and do audio stuff with garageband. What do you think is the best mic for it if it's for voice recording? I'd really appreciate your feedback. :)
again a very important subject with a great video.
Like you said for an home studio: an xlr mic is the right choice I need. Thank you for making things clear
Good review, I'm just about to buy a Mic and this was very useful
Very happy to hear that my friend. Good luck on the recording.
Good Job and informative topic.
I need a microphone for instructional video recording or twitch streaming on my windows pc, not much of voice over or music recording.
How is recording quality for Blue yeti usb mic, is it good for such stuff, i am liking it for simplicity of setup.
Well I don't know about the Blue Yeti but I've tested the Blue Snowball Ice and seen tests of the yeti and if you wan't an answer I wouldn't recommend the Yeti because you can get a microphone almost as tall and better for only 90$ the Samson CO1U Pro which is also USB Microphone and has amazing crisp quality just pick up a 10$ pop filter and you're good to go there is absolutely 0 static and it honestly sounds better than the Blue Snowball Ice and Yeti.
FINALLY SOMEONE DID A VIDEO ON THIS!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!! Why do you not have over 100k subs. People just sub him, this guy knows his shit! No, I am not being paid for this =P
Thank you so much!! This helped me a lot!!
Fantastic educational video, mate. Just got a question. Currently i bought a second hand USB mixer amp that takes an xlr mic as an input. But however i got a usb condenser microphone. Would the quality of the condenser microphone decrease if i use a usb to xlr adapter to connect to the mixer? Cheers in advance
Thank you, great video!
thanks for the subtitles
Very helpful, thank you.
good video my man. Really appreciate
Hello Bandrew - I'm setting up a home studio for video and audio (just a small setup for youtube videos). I'm looking at the Condenser mics - probably a new AKG P220 or AT2020 which I will not buy on eBay - and I just bought a used MXL 990 on eBay. There is also a new CAD M179 available on eBay for $149 which is tempting, but I don't think I can trust eBay for that.
I'm going to get an audio interface. I'm thinking the FocusRite 2i2 because it can take 2 mics.
I'm concerned that I will have trouble providing phantom power to two microphones at once if I just rely on the phantom power provided from the 2i2 because it is only getting its power from the USB connection.
So, my question is: Do you think the 2i2 can easily provide phantom power to two mics at once, or should I get 2 phantom power supplies (the kind that are powered from wall electricity) to put between the mics and the 2i2? My concern with that setup is a potential loss of quality from the mics due to the extra step through the phantom power supplies.
I've been watching hundreds of youtube videos about mics and audio interfaces, but none have really addressed the two mic question.
I'd appreciate any feedback you or anyone else might have. If you have a thought about which mic you like best between the AKG P220, AT2020 and M179, I'd love to hear that too.
Thank you.
Thanks for this!
Very useful reviews! I would like to ask, if its only for recording voice overs, a USB microphone could be good on the beginning?
A USB mic can absolutely be a great starting off point for beginners.
your videos are so damn succinct and helpful! thanks so much!
Dude, i did find this video helpful, and you basically confirmed my viewpoint: when "plug and play" is the plan, go with USB, when upgrading to more "serious" recording stuff, invest in XLR. I got it. BUT! Here is one question for you that I am struggling to find the solution to: I have an USB microphone, which I am happy with (performance-wise), and I would like to use this mic "on the road". I have a TASCAM D100 MK digital recorder, which I am also happy with. The big question is: how to connect the two? The microphone has a Type B USB input (female), and the TASCAM has two XLR output. The easy solution would be, one would think, to get a cable with a Type B USB male on one end and an XLR male on the other end. Yeah, one would think... But I can't find any of those cables. Please dont tell me I need to have an "interface" or "soundboard" or whatever between this USB mic and my TASCAM recorder to make the "system" work. Awaiting for your (male) input on this. Pun unintended.
thanks man very good content my friend
I'd really like to see you do a review on the Samson CS Mic. I just ordered this because I saw the video on SpectreSoundStudios
Already on the voting poll.
Thanks for the great video Bandrew!
I'd really like to hear your opinion on a question I have. I am a gaming youtuber, I am looking into buying a good microphone for commentary. The two options I am considering are - going with the Samson C01u Pro or investing into a more expensive XLR Microphone like the AT2020 with an audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 2nd Generation. My question is it worth it to go for the more expensive option with the XLR and Interface? Would you say the difference is big enough to justify the higher price?
I would personally go AT2020 & Scarlett Solo. But the c01u Pro would work fine for gaming if that's the only application. You're going to be at your computer all the time.
I found that very helpful , as someone who is not educated in media, I have no clue what I am looking at though I have found your videos are useful , I think I will go for a USB as I am wanting to start a UA-cam / Facebook channel after university of doing character voice impressions
If you're serious about voice acting, please, please, please avoid USB mics at all costs. I've worked in front of a mic as a musician and radio and TV news reporter for a combined 20 years. If you won't take my word for it, then please check this video out. It'll also give you some great tips for getting started. I have the video queued up to the section specifically talking about why USB mics are a very bad idea for recording professionals. ua-cam.com/video/_sjZJ9i_mH0/v-deo.html
Great video!
1 issue with any USB device that does happen is the device will stop functioning and
Windows will say that it has either malfunctioned or Windows cannot find the drivers
required to install and some people may need to troubleshoot the problem.
With XLR I have no prior experience with it but if I made a assumption then if people went
with the Phantom Power route then the Microphone will run a lot more optimized and you will never get any random disconnects so they are more power efficient and more reliable
since USB devices just randomly disconnect and if people are broadcasting then the last
thing a person will want is to troubleshoot their USB Microphone.
For ease of use XLR with Phantom Power seems way more of a better deal and option to me.
PS I will be buying a XLR mic with Phantom Power.
Do you have any audio software tip videos? For instance, the sorts of settings in a program we might use for noise reduction and general settings for vocals, instraments, podcasts, etc.
And dude, thanks for your help and reviews. Would've been totally lost otherwise springing for my first setup
I don't as of yet, but will definitely be doing some down the road.
Been using an MXL .009 USB, a bit pricey for a USB mic but it has a basic Interface built into it. Gets the job done.
I own a USB mic (an ATR-2500) for simple voice recording at my computer, and it works just fine for that purpose. If you're looking to get into multi-track recording and setting up a proper studio, that's when you want to start looking into XLR mics. I wouldn't recommend it if you're in my situation and just looking to record dialogue though.
l really love my NW-800. with some editing in audition, l make my voice sound like butter. l would have never found that mic if it weren't for this channel!
Super happy to hear you like it.
XLR better. but USB easy to use and portable
Sean Castelliens I can see XLR are a pain to setup. You have to buy phantom power supply if you use condenser microphone and then you get a mixer and then you need to get a certain adaptor. USB don’t need to use any of these.
@@alpzepta That's why the USB ones exist. Perfect-timed reply bcs I'm currently looking for a budget friendly usb mic and the award goes to FIFINE K669B. Man it's been a while since i last fantasizing about having my own microphone setup
Sean Castelliens yea... I brought a Marantz MPM1000 which use XLR connector. Pain to make it work On a PC but it’s better than their usb version which has 2000hz less frequency response than their XLR version. I want my video to sound clear and crisp because Apple EarPod‘s microphone are not good enough for me.
@@alpzepta Clearly you could've easily educate yourself by doing a research of the many, much better USB mics, which will work far better and more affordable, not to mention their portability which will guaranteed your life to be better and happier. But if you do have a whole theater studio and is working with big companies, involved in once in a lifetime project, partnered with important acquaitances under extreme supervision of the government then i can see that it is reasonable for you to have bought the XLR
Sean Castelliens I’m sorry, I’m new to the condenser/dynamic microphone.. I focus too much on the Great Sony ESHi-Fi speaker... I can certainly buy a Blue Snowball microphone but I probably want something better than that or something.. Marantz was a king of American Audio HiFi Equipment in the olden day.(other than Sony and Akai in Japan)
Good recommendations.
Yes! Thank you for the info!
great advice thanks! i'm actually down to snowball ice vs tonor xlr. My aim is just to do song covers. which one would you recommend i get?
Hey Podcastage, hopefully you see this on an older video. But I am currently using a Samson Q2U for my podcast. Each co-host also has one and we've just been using the usb directly into our own PCs. My question is, if I buy an interface and record all the mics into my own computer, will each mic still be on it's own track? Or does the usb connection from the interface make it all one single track? If so, that makes editing much more difficult.
Very helpful!
hey man! good to be back :D
can u plz do more reviews on headphones under and over 100$
and i dont just mean gaming headsets
i mean like actual audiophile headphones
I have a few headphones on the poll. There are just TOO many headphones on the market. It is so overly saturated with cheap knockoffs I could review a set of headphones every day and never run out.
LOOL
thats why we want you to filter them bad headphones out and bless us with your audiophile reviews lool
Thank you for your amazing video ! I'm about to buy Focusrite Scarlett 3rd gen , but i'm insecure about what i will get. I have watched few reviews of the Scarlett, and the sound quality of all of them was very good. So, i have a Shure PG27 USB microphone pluged direct into the usb port of the computer. The quality i get is not bad. So my point is will i get a better quality than what i have now and will i be able to connet my usb microphone through some kind of USB to MIC adapter and pluge it into this little Scarlett. And do you think that i will lost some quality because it's a usb microphone. Thank you !
great video!
The splendorous explanation, very well explained
Thank you very much.
i bought a behringer xm8500 and a xenyx 502 .man i can control the sound the gain the base the boost...its so much better to work with a console/preamp if you want the best results.Also that combo i used with the cables costed around 70euros.And a decent sounding usb mic cost around the same price...so i think its far better to go for xlr
USB mics are way cheaper. With that mic you brought. You probably couldn't even plug it in when you first got it. You have to go and buy certain mixers for it to work. To much hassle for a simple thing
@@dmagz0121 The most popular USB mic on the market is the god awful Blue Yeti and it's about $120, the same price an industry standard SM58 and an entry-level Behringer interface. Also, the latter set up easily sounds twice as good as any USB mic. They're garbage across the board.
XLR all the way!!!
i have a XLR setup on mine, (BM800) has good audio and isnt super hard to set up just needs a power source and a 3.3mm jack to plug into most pcs orr speaker setups
I bought a USB mic (E205U), and it has some electronics inside and I suspect that that generates a slight buzzing sound in the audio recording, whether I record on the PC/laptop/smartphone, the same :/ Do XLR mics also have electronics inside? Is my small buzzing sound coming from those electronics?? Thanks in advance!
About two years ago I was in the market for a good mic and then it came across a good deal for XLR. I'm pretty happy with purchase after almost 2 years I got the boom, mic, pop filter, and power supply all for under $50. I think it was a steal.
no they close to 30$
Very helpful.
How about snowball ice? I'm about to buy it,but your reply will help me to choose the right one.
Thankyou so much this video helping me
Absolutey.
You really helped me. I wish I could give you double like
this is very helpful!
Great video ! I'm thinking about getting BM-8000 mic and i want to ask what's the cheapest way to set it up on pc ?
SYBA STEREO USB SOUNDCARD
Good explanation!! Thanks!!
Thank you very much. Happy to hear that.
Thanks for this video!
You're welcome.