GEAR EXPO 2024: Microphones, audio interfaces and mixers are your studio sign chain necessities. Put merely, these are the objects that allow you to file, combine and hyperlink as much as your laptop, and lately many such gadgets can deal with a number of duties.
On this round-up we have now microphones that double as interfaces, and audio interfaces that double as mixers, so whereas they may appear to be completely totally different items of kit on paper, there’s a variety of crossover between them. And should you get the fitting merchandise in your studio, you could possibly be ticking off an inventory of must-have sensible use instances.
There’s every little thing right here, from easy mic/interfaces to full-on encompass sound interfaces designed for a number of speaker setups. So listed here are the interfaces, mixers and mics we’re gearing up for this 12 months…
MoTU 828
Are we actually at a degree now after we get all nostalgic over audio interfaces? Nicely, that is the way it feels after we focus on a product like MoTU’s 828, as a result of the unique interface got here out over 20 years in the past! So if there was such an interface that may very well be described as ‘classic’, this may very well be it. Nicely, apart from the truth that it has simply been utterly overhauled, that’s…
The all-new 828 is an entire redesign of the 1U rack-mount audio interface, now suitable with macOS, Home windows and iOS. The interface can now deal with a complete of 60 channels of I/O and 24-channel mixing, and options onboard results together with reverb, 4-band EQ and compression.
The brand new 828 presents a 3.9-inch full-colour LCD show, two front-panel combo mic/line/hi-Z inputs, and two headphone outputs. Across the again you get eight TRS analogue ins and outs, separate fundamental outs on XLR jacks, two banks of 8-channel ADAT optical I/O, stereo RCA S/PDIF digital I/O plus MIDI In/Out jacks.
All settings may be managed remotely from a pc or iOS system operating the CueMix 5 app. Naturally, loopback is current and proper for podcasters – the truth is the 828 boasts two such channels, so customers can simply route laptop output again to the pc, and blend it again dwell with something coming in on the inputs.
There is a first rate software program bundle, too: the CueMix 5 app in your Mac, PC or iOS system, MOTU Performer Lite and Ableton Dwell Lite workstation software program, plus over 6GB of free loops, samples and one-shot samples.
The all-new 828 is transport now priced at $995. There’s extra information on the MoTU web site.
IK Multimedia iRig Stream Mic USB
iRig Stream Mic USB is, in line with IK Multimedia, a extra accessible model of its iRig Stream Mic Professional, a combi mic and stereo audio interface. iRig Stream Mic USB nonetheless presents each interfacing and a microphone, however is a extra streamlined affair, designed for Mac, PC, iPad and iPhone 15 customers.
The microphone a part of the bundle is a condenser with a unidirectional, cardioid sample, so aimed instantly at audio system or singers, filtering out any background noise. It additionally has a selectable high-pass filter to eliminate any low-end rumble.
The interfacing a part of iRig Stream Mic USB comes by means of the three.5-mm audio enter on the microphone. It has a monitoring combine management so you may mix the direct or recorded audio through the headphone output. It will possibly take an enter from media gamers, keyboards, mixers, turntables, soundboards and extra.
iRig Stream Mic USB additionally has a Loopback characteristic so audio – backing tracks, sound results or a track – from a Mac/PC may be combined into any recording or stream.
iRig Stream Mic USB is powered by its host system – so does not require exterior energy – and in addition comes bundled with a number of software program titles together with iRig Recorder 3 LE (iPhone/iPad/Android), an audio and video recording app; and aMixBox CS (iPad) and MixBox SE (Mac/PC), a collection of results together with dynamics, EQ, and reverb.
iRig Stream Mic USB is obtainable now for $/€99.99 plus tax, and features a desk stand and USB-C cable for Mac, PC, iPad and iPhone 15.
Get extra data from the IK Multimedia web site.
Mackie ProFXv3+
It is a group of three mixers including to Mackie’s present ProFXv3 sequence. Every mannequin has three recording modes – Customary, Loop Again and Interface. The primary captures an ordinary combine via the mixer to your laptop, permitting you so as to add included results alongside the way in which, and is nice for dwell performances or podcasts.
Loop Again permits you to add laptop audio into the combination, so is nice for video gaming, streams or any form of music or dialogue performed over backing tracks. Lastly, Interface mode is designed to supply simply a few top quality, non-effected tracks for recording devices or vocals – similar to an ordinary audio interface, then.
There’s additionally a devoted Bluetooth channel, 12 preset GigFX+ results all visualised on a color LCD display, and Onyx preamps on each channel.
There are three mixers within the sequence, all with the above options however with 6-, 10- and 12-channel enter configurations. They’re priced at $249.99, £329.99 and $419.99 respectively. Get extra data from the Mackie web site.
They are going to take heed to the mouths
ORIA is Audient’s new audio interface and monitor controller designed for multi-speaker setups; that is every little thing from stereo to 9.1.6 setups “and every little thing in between”.
As such the interface gives 16 outputs (through TRS or AES), two switched stereo outputs, two headphone outputs, and BNC Phrase Clock out and in. It additionally options two Audient Console mic preamps, 16 ADAT inputs, and an optionally available 16 enter AoIP Dante card aimed toward giant studio complexes and schooling amenities.
In addition to being a USB-C audio interface, ORIA has been designed as a monitor controller through its ADAT Inputs or the Non-compulsory Dante Card. The unit contains Superior Speaker Processing to assist arrange and callibrate totally different speaker configurations in numerous rooms. You may create as much as 32 of those utilizing the 8-band EQ, Speaker Delay, Trim and Bass Administration instruments. Total the system is aiming to make sure that rooms keep calibrated when monitoring in numerous codecs resembling stereo, 5.1 or Dolby Atmos.
Audient has additionally partnered with Sonarworks to assist with this course of and guarantee that measurement and calibration may be performed in underneath an hour. And as soon as the room is calibrated, ORIA presents full management over the stereo, encompass or Dolby Atmos setup by means of its onboard software program or an iPad Distant app.
As you may count on, with such a variety of speaker purposes, ORIA may be overkill for a small setup and has a worth to recommend that, too. It can retail for £2,520/€2,885/$2,625, and the optionally available Dante Card is £600/€685/$625.
Get extra information from the Audient web site.
Audio-Technica AT2040USB
The Audio-Technica AT2040USB is a low-cost dynamic microphone designed for speech purposes like podcasting, streaming, vlogging, and voiceover work. The mic is the USB model of Audio-Technica’s AT2040, so merely swaps the XLR connection for USB. You may subsequently join it on to a laptop computer or pill with no need an additional mixer or audio interface.
The AT2040USB has a hypercardioid pickup sample, so is nice for rejecting background noise since you are mainly simply getting no matter you level it at. The mic’s construct high quality is sweet, too, with its black metallic chassis providing loads of safety in opposition to knocks.
On the underside of the mic, there’s a slider quantity management for the headphone out, and one other management for mixing laptop and mic audio via headphones. A small change prompts a low-cut filter and an extra button on the mic’s physique is for muting and unmuting your voice.
In our full overview, we discovered the mic to be nice at coping with background noise, and the low reduce filter and hypercardioid pickup make for an excellent mixture for speech recording. The mic provides each readability and weight to recordings and is a critically spectacular choice for the cash, and a simple advice for streaming, vlogging or podcasting.
The Audio-Technica AT2040USB prices £129/$149. Learn our overview right here or get extra data on the Audio-Technica web site.
sE Electronics Neom
Final up we have now one other USM contender within the type of the sE Electronics Neom, a condenser mic with a cardioid pickup sample and really first rate set of technical specs. Neom is designed as a flexible finances USB mic, aimed toward vocal recordists and people eager to seize acoustic devices together with pianos, percussion and guitars.
You get onboard achieve, mic degree and playback degree controls and, in an amusing nod to Spinal Faucet, the mic achieve does certainly go as much as 11. There’s a single 3.5mm connection for headphone monitoring, and a USB-C connection, and the bundle is full with a metallic stand and connectors for hooking as much as a increase arm or conventional mic stand.
We examined Neom by recording a wide range of devices like a Fender Jazz bass via a small solid-state combo amp, a kalimba and a dreadnought acoustic guitar and obtained excellent outcomes throughout the board. Add to the truth that it really works with out the necessity for a USB audio interface and we would fortunately take the mic anyplace and use it as a fast and easy recording answer.
Neom additionally does an excellent job of capturing the spoken phrase, so is an effective alternative for podcasters, voiceover artists, vloggers and streamers. sE has centered on delivering each high quality and compatibility, all whereas protecting the worth eager.
The the sE Electronics Neom prices £164 / €189 / $179 and you may learn our full overview right here. There’s extra data abut the microphone on the sE Electronics web site.
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