Why do usb microphones sound bad?

[Dahalabit]

Why is it that USB Microphones ( for the most part) sound really bad compared to regular XLR? I have seen really positive feedback about the atr2100 but other then that why do they sound bad? Shouldnt it sound better becasue its digital ?

[jamesdelfresco]

I have used the yetti from blue and it was ok. Nothing special. I think it has something to do with the Digital sound usb mic causes. I could be wrong.

[mcphillips]

The most popular USB microphones are the Blue Snowball, the Blue Yeti, and the Audio-Technica ATR2020. They're all condenser mics. In the right environment, they can sound great. The ATR2100-USB is a dynamic microphone. As far as sounding bad, can you provide an example? We use them on Computers 2K Now. Many people have bought them on my recommendation. I have GIVEN them away. Every person I know who has one has been thrilled with it. The fact that it is a USB mic is irrelevant.

Maybe I'll do a comparison with the ATR2100 used as an XLR mic into a Millennia Media TD-1 preamp (http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TD1) versus used as a USB mic directly into the computer. Unless you have really good ears, you will not be able to hear the difference on the Internet.

Please tell us more about bad sounding USB mics. Can you post links to some examples?

[andrewzarian]

Mike great reply. I have a Blue Snowball and it sounds awful. The ATR 2100 on the other hand is a great mic. Would you be able to tell us what makes one better then the other. I was reading the other day that it really comes down to the preamp. Many companies use cheapo parts.

[mcphillips]

Microphones are complicated devices. Sometimes the most subtle changes can make big differences. The thickness of the diaphragm, the material of the diaphragm, the circumference, the age, the position of the element, the baffling, and on and on. Preamps are important in recording studio environments. They don't make a lot of difference in broadcasting.

[Podnutter]

Mike would you say the audio from an atr2100 via XLR sounds better then USB?

[markinrussia]

I've got a couple of ATR 2100 mics and I can't hear any difference between USB or through a mixer. As far as condenser USB mics go, I have some good ones. The Blue Snowball, in my opinion is a toy. The ATR 2100 is less expensive and sounds far better. But, I also have an AKG Perception 120 USB and then, in my opinion, the best USB mic, the MXL 009 USB. These are both fantastic mics if you are limiting yourself to USB. I now use XLR at home since I picked up a mixer and USB on the road. If I had it to do over again, I would buy and use only the ATR 2100 via USB and then if I got a mixer I would still use it. (Although, I really like my Shure SM7B.)

[joedemax]

The basic issue comes down to the quality of the analog to digital converters inside the mics. Unfourtunately manufacturers tend to use cheap ADs similar to those seen in cheap USB headsets, resulting in poor quality audio.

[Podnutter]

Would we all say that the atr2100 and at2005 are two of the best USB mics?

[joedemax]

Would we all say that the atr2100 and at2005 are two of the best USB mics?

All things considered, Yes.

[andrewzarian]

I second that :)

[markinrussia]

I can't say that I agree. For nosier recording spaces I would agree, but my recording space is certainly not a sound treated studio and provided that the lawn is not being cut, the AKG Perception 120 USB and especially the MXL 009 USB sound superior to the ATR 2100, but we are also speaking about $150 for the AKG and $300 for the MXL. As I mentioned before, if I had it to do over again, I would have just bought the ATR 2100 USB/XLR. The reason I say this is not due to sound quality, which the ATR is actually surprisingly good considering the price, but because unless you have an aversion to mixers, there is no sense in investing $300 in the MXL, when you could buy a nice $100 Mackie mixer and have enough left over to buy 2 ATR 2100s, the digital converter and all of the cables you would need for the same $300.
So, I would not say anything bad about the upper end USB mics, which the original question in this post dealt with the quality of USB mics. The A/D converters are top of the line at up to 24/96. I will say that I can't understand why anyone would spend money on a snowball. I have one that I've used once and is now just decorative. Any of my other mics are superior.
While I wouldn't say that the ATR 2100 and 2105 are the best USB mics, I will say that they are great and in my opinion after collecting some USB mics, I would now, as both an economical measure and versatility measure, highly recommend these mics to anyone starting out in broadcasting, because they sound great and can grow with you.
For those of you who are not familiar with the MXL 009 USB, you can hear it here (http://markinrussia.com/?p=934) I'm using my MXL in this podcast where I'm interviewing Nick Dunkerley, co-creator of Hindenburg Journalist, my favorite DAW. My audio here is not treated at all.

[RRE]

As already mentioned the usb mics have built-in convertors and preamps which aren't really the greatest. However I know some shows with what could be considered low quality with huge followings and shows with superior audio but no real fanbase, it really comes down to show quality and entertainment value above all else. Not that you shouldn't go for the best audio you can, but it's really not worth buying 10's of thousands of dollars worth of mics, preamps, compressors, etc because the listeners don't care or fret about it as much as you or I would tend to do.

Oh and I should say any modern usb mic has good enough audio to do a quality show.