Audio-Technica AUD AT2005USB Cardioid Dynamic USB/XLR Microphone

I have been a professional syndicator for 20 years working out of Nashville, and purchased this mic to use with my iPad for field recordings. The mic sounds good with it's own built in pre-amps through the USB and frankly, was everything I had hoped for when doing work outside the studio. It even has a headphone jack for live monitoring with zero latency. Sweet.On a lark, I decided to swap it out with my Electrovoice RE-20 on air studio mic. For this test I used the XLR connection instead of the USB, and ran it through the same audio chain as the RE-20. WOW...was I surprised! I think most listeners would not be able to guess which is the RE-20 and which is the AT2005. In fact it sounded so good, I just did a full show with it. It has a pleasantly warm low end and a clean high end that isn't tinny or irritating. Well balanced and perfectly to my liking.Note, it will sound much better using the XLR connection with a good board and digital converter, than it does through it's own internal pre's with USB, but this mic is a tremendous value no matter how you size it up.If you want to use it on the iPad, purchase the Apple camera connection kit and use the USB connector to simply plug it right in. This is an undocumented feature of the new iPad 3 (haven't tested the iPad 2) but it works like a champ. I use an app called AudioMemos that has some nice audio boosting features which you will find handy, as the audio levels can be a bit low when recording through the USB port. That said, this mic works with all the apps I've tried so far, even iMovie. So yes, you could shoot hi-def video interviews with this mic and an iPad 3. Just add a mic flag and you're all set. The only other thing you may want for video interviews is a Tri-pod mount. I use the Tournez2 carbon fiber mount by Joy Factory, available here on Amazon for under $70 bucks, but there are cheaper options too.Lastly, the AT2005USB includes a long thin USB cable (which comes in handy when connected to the iPad for interviews), an XLR cable, a small folding stand and a zippered pouch. You will likely want to get a foam windscreen for it to cut down on "p-pops".Nice job Audio-Technica. This is my new favorite mic!

This mic is a game changer for me. I do a lot of social media and have been using my phone as a microphone. I've tried so many microphones and I just don't like the sound. I also don't want to have to go remix the sound. I was able to try this microphone and I was extremely impressed with the quality of sound. I don't have to remix or alter the recordings! You can't beat the cost either! You will not be disappointed.

Sound quality is pretty great to me. May be a tad bass-heavy but so are a lot of microphones from what I'm hearing on youtube. Very sturdy construction and nice heft, but the rubbery mic clip that is included doesn't hold onto it very well. It never falls out, but isn't super secure, either. USB convenience is nice, I can bring this mic to my friend's house and hook up to his mixer via XLR for our group Twitch sessions and then bring it home and use USB at my desk for myself. Output via USB seems pretty low but I believe that to be a Windows driver issue and adjusting mic gain via software isn't a big deal once you google for a minute. Sound quality is 9/10ths the same over USB as XLR with the last 10th going to the built-in compressor which you can not turn off, as it creates audible hiss if you fall silent for a few seconds. Again not a huge deal for me because for Twitch I am also outputting video game audio which effectively covers up any hiss.Included desktop tripod is OK but is impractical for me because you really need to be less than 10" from the mic to sound good.Included XLR cable is as good quality as any but 10' may be too short for some.Included pouch is a thoughtful addition but isn't very padded at all.I got a great 'crushed box' deal on this mic via Amazon Warehouse Deals! Steep discount and the box contents were still in perfect shape.

This mic is no Neumann KMS 104, but at seven times the price, you shouldn't expect it to be. What you get for less than $100 is a versatile handheld than can be used as an analog mic with an XLR connector or a USB mic connected directly to a digital recorder or computer. In my unprofessional opinion, the sound produced by either signal path is very similar, so you won't have to worry a lot about matching the sound if you mix different sessions.The output in analog mode is good, comparable to an SM58. In USB mode it's a little weak, but you can make up the loss in the mix or in post-production with no degradation of sound quality.It has a nice round sound, though it could be a bit boomy if you don't watch the proximity effect. Stay about 4-5 inches away from the thing and you're fine. I recommend a windscreen or pop filter if you're doing close mic'ing. It's sensitive to plosives. You can always record slightly off-axis, but go too far off and you lose some of the highs.I highly recommend it as an entry level mic. I use it to record newscasts that air on a SiriusXM channel. They do some compression on the file to save bandwidth, so even a high-quality mic will sound crappy on satellite radio. It's perfect for what I do, and if it gets hammered while I'm traveling, I'm not out much. It's good value for the money!