record with a in high spirits - calibre microphone and a computer has traditionally been a mussy process involving a mixer or external adapter , and possibly an outside pre - amp . Blue Microphones ’ Snowball USB Microphone and Samson Audio ’s C01U USB Studio Condenser Mic are unique , mono condenser microphones that make computer recording simple by connecting via USB . plug away one into your Mac ’s USB port , and your computer will automatically recognize it as a novel input twist ; the USB port provides all the power these microphone ask , and no twist drivers are necessary . These feature make USB microphones ideal for electronic computer - base music transcription and podcasting .
You adjust each microphone ’s stage in the legal superman of OS X ’s System Preferences or by using the configurations in your recording software program , such as GarageBand ( ) . However , because these microphone are USB - only , you ca n’t colligate them to an analog mixing board , you ca n’t utilize traditional mike cables , and cable’s length duration is special .
The globe - regulate , retro - see Snowball microphone uses a dual - ejector seat plan that let you flip between cardioid ( guiding ) and omnidirectional modes . The former is useful for unmarried - somebody or individual - instrument recording , as it pick up sound like a shot in front of the microphone ; the latter is good for recording multiple voices or tool put at any location around the microphone . In my examination , the Snowball ’s omnidirectional modal value still favored sound reservoir in front of the mike , but it picked up enough audio from behind to make the Snowball useful for conducting podcast interviews or for other situations where author are positioned on paired sides of the mike . There ’s also a exceptional cardioid musical mode — called PAD by Blue — that lose weight the Snowball ’s yield when recording loud sources .
The Snowball ’s overall frequency response is passably smooth ; however , I notice the microphone ’s tonal counterbalance to be a piece bright ( tipped slightly toward the high frequency ) , thanks to slenderize tone arm at the humiliated end . The Snowball ’s overall output levels were also fairly low . However , Blue recently postedtwo firmware updatesthat tolerate you to adjust the Snowball ’s output to higher or scurvy levels ; you’re able to use these updaters to switch between the low- and gamy - output preferences — repeatedly , if necessary . ( One of the advantages of a USB microphone is the ability to easy update firmware . ) The Snowball ’s output is for good set to 44.1kHz , 16 - bit ; and Blue provides no computer software for customizing output signal .
A six - foot USB cable’s length is included with the Snowball , along with a hardy , telescoping mini - tripod that allows you to go around , argument , and raise the Snowball to optimize the transcription position . ( The Snowball is also uncommitted without viewpoint and USB cable . )
Samson ’s C01U , found on the company ’s non - USB C01 microphone , uses a 19 mm cardioid contraceptive diaphragm with a single transcription modality . ( Samson call the C01U ahyper - cardioidmodel , meaning that it is project to scorn even more audio from the sides and rear than a typical cardioid . ) Although this make the C01U less flexile than the multi - mode Snowball , the Samson ’s output sounded a piece more balanced than that of the Snowball — the C01U picked up lower frequence well — and its nonpayment output layer was significantly higher . The C01U provide 16 - bit audio at sample rates of 8 , 11.025 , 22.05 , 44.1 , and 48 kHz , as determine by the transcription app . In addition , you may utilise Samson ’s SoftPre utility , downloadable from the company ’s Web site , to monitor input level ( via a VU m ) and to adjust the microphone ’s gain , invert stage , and enable a high - pass / low - cut filter ; the latter can overlook all audio frequency below the frequency you choose . These options can significantly improve the quality of your recordings . Unfortunately , at this writing , SoftPre is not a Universal Binary ; more important , since SoftPre requires a core extension , it ca n’t run under Rosetta , so the options provide by SoftPre are unavailable on Intel Macs .
Included with the C01U is a 10 - foundation USB cable television service , a sparse - fabric carrying pouch , and a plastic stand mountain ; unless you plan on holding the C01U during use , you ’ll need to resile for a standpoint .
Both the hard - plastic Snowball and the die - cast - metal C01U are likely to stand up to the rigors of travel and longsighted - terminal figure use ; alas , both are also bulky and heavy — the Snowball is nearly two pounds with the stand , and the C01U is or so 1.2 punt without a stand — making them less than ideal for carry in a laptop computer cup of tea .
Macworld’s buying advice
For people who are serious about podcasting , or are looking for a way to record vocals or musical instrument with their Macs , these USB microphones are worth a spirit . Neither provides studio apartment - quality results — you’ll need a social and a high - end microphone for that — but their convenience and repose of use make them ideal for computer - based recording . The Blue Snowball ’s two-fold - ejection seat design and include stand make it a good option for recording multiple - beginning audio , with the option for single - source ; the Samson C01U ’s hyper - directional access makes it a good option for capturing a individual voice or official document . The C01U ’s more balanced frequency response and admit software package also produce recordings of slightly good quality .
EDITOR ’S NOTE : The first Snowball review unit we receive exhibited problems ; a later unit worked as advertised .
[ Dan Frakes is aMacworldsenior editor and the older reviews editor in chief atPlaylist . ]
