USB microphones are basically microphones that you can plug directly into your computer that basically work through the soundcard that already exists within your computer. Originally these microphones were originally developed for podcasting and you probably will not find these types of mics being used in a professional studio.
What makes them different is that they actually have the mic preamp already built into the microphone itself and then have a way of getting it directly into your computer via a USB cable. Some of these microphones are very good and some are not so good. You can usually find them a price ranging for as little as $20 to several hundred dollars.
Some of the major manufacturers of USB microphones are Blue, Audio Technica, Apogee, Shure and Logitech. You can also buy a USB adapter where you can use really nice microphones, plug them into the adapter and it will transfer the sound from the expensive mic directly into your computer.
At professional studios you usually going to find a very high recording chain such as high-end preamps going into Protools. But in most cases for most home users that are recording voices, demos, podcasts, Skype interviews or voice chat these microphones will adequately handle the job.
It’s also a great way for someone who is just starting out to learn how microphones work. Most of them are cardioid and very easy to run. Cardioid simply means the user needs to speak directly into the microphone as most of the sound is captured from the front and less from the sides.
It’s very difficult to make any mistakes with USB microphones because the truly plug and play. Even someone who isn’t comfortable with trying to hook up a lot of different hardware will have little trouble with getting USB mics to work right out of the box.
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