LAS VEGAS--USB mics aren't known for being fashion plates. Looks aren't tops on your list when you're Skyping or jockeying a teleconference. Blue Microphones is changing that with the new Tiki mic.
The Tiki portable USB mic has some pleasant specs like CD quality audio, a multicolored LED status indicator, and an extended docking cable. Also, it's less than 3 inches. … Read more
Having already conquered the world of virtual karaoke, I turned to the unexplored frontier of tablet karaoke. I got out my spandex pants, made the sign of the devil, and tested out the Soulo karaoke mic for iPad.
Rocking the mic Soulo sent along the $69.99 wired mic kit for me to embarrass myself with. A $99.99 Bluetooth mic kit is also available.
The mic itself has a pleasant heft to it and the cord gives you an opportunity to swing it around like Roger Daltrey (though this probably voids the warranty and could leave your iPad in ruins).
The mic works with the free Soulo iPad karaoke app. You can choose between songs in your iTunes collection or songs purchased from the Soulo Music Store.
Soulo has helpfully included a small external speaker to make up for the fact that plugging the mic into your audio jack cancels out the built-in speakers.
You may have to monkey with the iPad's volume switch before singing a song. A patch is on the way to smooth out the volume control.… Read more
Now that the iPhone 4S is rapidly becoming Apple's best-selling device, the rumor mill turns its attention to the forthcoming iPad 3, widely expected in the first quarter of 2012. Today's rumor offering comes from a part leaked on TVC Mall's site that reportedly is a replacement microphone unit for the iPad 3.
The unit (originally discovered by Cydia Blog), when compared with the iPad 2's current part, shows a major change in the shape of the device. With a change this major, one might assume that the entire interior of the iPad 3 could be … Read more
I'm occasionally a guest on WTOP-FM in Washington, D.C., and it's been trying to convince guests to upgrade to USB Skype microphones instead of using lower-quality telephones for future interviews.
To help us pick the right ones, the good folks at WTOP, an all-news station that also broadcasts in Maryland and Virginia, have spent a month testing the best microphones to use with Skype in different price ranges.
Here's what their engineers found, according to Ari Ashe, an evening producer and reporter for WTOP Radio. They rated the audio quality on a scale of 1, a cell phone, to 10, a high-quality ISDN link often used to transmit audio from one radio station to the other, which CNET uses as well.
Between $10 and $40, WTOP looked at the Griffin iMic+ and the Logitech USB H530, and concluded:
We highly recommend the Logitech USB H530 at this price point. It's a no-brainer. Logitech delivers a great pack for the punch at about $35. We believe if you're going to already spend $25, spend $35, because the the difference is that noticeable. The only shortcoming is that it is a consumer headset. A great one, but the broadcast gear is even better. On a scale from 1-10: Cell phone (1), Hard line phone (2), Logitech (6), ISDN (10).
In the $50 to $80 range, they evaluated the Beyerdynamic MMX2, Blue Microphones' Snowball, and the Samson C01U USB microphone. They concluded: … Read more
If choosing between the 18 different models of the iPad 2 wasn't hard enough, new findings suggest that the hardware differences between the Wi-Fi-only and 3G models of the iPad 2 lead to different audio recording quality, with buyers of the less-expensive Wi-Fi only versions coming out on top.
That claim, made by iLounge as a footnote to its iPad 2 review, centers on how the same microphone is placed in the two different models. On the Wi-Fi-only version, the microphone hole is simply carved out of the larger piece of metal that makes up the back of the … Read more
I don't normally cover accessory announcements for products that only work with a single manufacturer, but Canon's WM-V1 microphone sounds kind of neat. Because it doesn't require an accessory shoe it's suitable for use with the compact models that don't have one, which is generally the group that needs better sound the most. It mounts on the camera strap and can record sound up to 164 feet. You'll be able to find it in May for the steepish price of $250.
If you're looking for a quick, cheap, and easy way to dive into recording audio with Pro Tools, Avid has three new entry-level home studio bundles made just for you.
Each product includes a copy of Pro Tools SE software, which boils down the industry-standard recording software to 16 channels of audio, 10 virtual instrument tracks, one video track, and 3GB of royalty free audio samples and loops.
Depending on your particular recording interest (or budget), you can pick from three hardware options, including a Recording Studio USB audio interface for $119, a Vocal Studio with a USB microphone … Read more
Blue Microphones announced today a mic designed especially for Flip's digital cameras, called the Mikey for Flip. The company says that this external microphone will add professional-quality sound to videos captured by these cameras.
The new mic is compatible with all Flip camcorders that feature the FlipPort accessory connector. The mic sports Blue Microphone's premium capsules for enhanced recording that's supposedly capable of capturing everything from a whisper to a rock concert. Users can choose between "Loud" and "Automatic" sensitivity settings.
Mikey for Flip also features a mic input jack to support additional … Read more
Alarm clock. Metronome. Guitar tuner. TV remote. The list of real-world items the iPhone can replace just keeps getting longer. The latest entry: wireless headset.
Shape Services' Mobiola Headset app turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a wireless headset, suitable for use with Skype, MagicJack, or any other VoIP-powered applications. (I'm assuming it would work with games as well, though I haven't tried this myself.)
The 99-cent app works with all iPhone models and second-gen Touches (though the latter will need a plug-in headset, as it would for any kind of telephony).
On the PC side (Windows only, I'm afraid), you'll need to install the free Mobiola Headset utility, which connects your device to your PC over your home Wi-Fi network.
I tested Headset on an iPhone 3GS and a PC running Windows 7. The two apps recognized each other immediately (following a couple of firewall approvals), and from there it was smooth sailing.
The idea here, of course, is to avoid having to buy a wired headset for use with, say, Skype or Google Talk. And Headset gives you the freedom to mosey around the house while on a call--no need to stay tethered to your PC.… Read more
The FCC is coming for the schools and churches just like that crazy guy on the corner told you! On June 12, it'll require anybody using a wireless microphone that operators in the 700 MHZ spectrum to stop using that mic. That's right. The purge is coming! For microphones!. Actually, it'll affect Broadway shows, too. Will the FCC be able to round up the ne'er-do-wells? Will Google ruin U.S.-China relations? Well, that's another story. Literally.
Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 1150 … Read more
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