While launching the almost-ready-but-not-quite Matt Gordon Podcast, I had the opportunity to try out three USB podcasting microphones. If you are in the market for a USB microphone, I hope I can provide you with some guidance.
With a background in radio and some experience doing voiceovers and announcing at live events, I’ve had the opportunity to use plenty of microphones. So I know how my voice “should’ sound, and have the experience to know when a microphone is a good fit for my voice.
Which brings me to a crucial point: I probably don’t sound like you. Each of us has our own distinct sound, and the microphone that sounds best to me, for my voice, might not be the best one for you.
The three USB microphones tested were the Marshall Electronics MXL USB.008 ($199.95 list),RODE PODCASTER ($369 list), and the Audio-Technica AT2020USB ($249 list).
Notes on Each Microphone
MXL USB.008
The specs told me this might be the best microphone for my voice. A relatively flat response throughout the frequency range and a gold 32mm element (that’s kind of large), made this condenser my first choice. But when I got it, I was disappointed in the performance.
The MXL USB.008 had a very bright, and harsh sound. The audio equivalent of a room where the lights are turned up too high. The “ess”-es made me squint they were so piercing, and it just didn’t have the warm, resonant “presence” that I like in my vocal recordings. I couldn’t imagine anyone listening to me talk through this microphone for an extended period of time – it would just be too hard on the ears.
RODE PODCASTER
This microphone was initially my first choice, until I found the MXL. I like that it closely resembled the Electro-Voice RE20, which was the microphone we used in the studios at KTRS Radio in St. Louis (the microphones have since been changed out for another brand). I also liked that it hand zero-latency monitoring built into the mic, so I could plug my headphones in and listen as I recorded. Additionally, it was made to be used close-up to the mouth, much in the same manner I was used to from the old broadcasting days.
One thing that struck me was that RODE wasn’t trying to produce a microphone with a wide, flat response. They were clearly aiming at normal voices. After all, it’s cool that your microphone can pick up from 20 Hz all the way up to 20 kHz, but human voices only take up a fraction of that spectrum.
But for me, it just sounded dull. It’s strength was right down the middle, but lacked the crystal-clear highs and the rumbling lows. For many voices, this would be a good microphone, but if you have a bass or deep baritone voice, you won’t be happy with this microphone.
Audio-Technica AT2020USB
Another condenser microphone, but with a 16mm capsule.
Ahhh…. Audio Heaven. This is clearly the right mic for my voice. It has a warm, intimate sound when I get in close, and still does the high sibilants without sounding too piercing. Nice and silky sound to it.
Conclusion
The Audio-Technica AT2020USB is the best microphone for my voice. I’m just sorry I had to go through three microphones to find out. Your mileage may vary; definitely experiment with as many models as you can get hold of.
