MXL Studio 24 USB Microphone

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $142.78
Today's Bonus:

• 22mm Condenser Capsule
• Cardioid Polar pattern
• Zero Latency monitoring with built in Headphone Outpu
• Software based GUI controls analog functions within microphone. Microphone will also work without GUI and requires no special drivers.
• 2-stage analog gain control before A/D: Physical rotary knob and software based control with Mute

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program

I make voice over videos for YouTube. The video you are watching was recorded with this microphone. Currently I use an Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Condenser USB Microphone for my business. I have had it for many years. Its a solid mic but showing its getting a bit long in the tooth in some ways. When offered this MXL 24 Bit USB Mic I was very curious how it would perform compared to my venerable AT2020. I recorded a few videos with it. The video I have uploaded was recorded with the MXL. The audio quality is really clear and crisp.

Pros:

+ USB

+ Easy to install

+ High quality mic

+ wonderful sound

Cons:

Premiere sometimes had issue recognizing AISO settings for this mic.

Overall this is a wonderful microphone.

Thanks for watching my video!

Buy MXL Studio 24 USB Microphone Now

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program About a year ago, I purchased the Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone. The Blue Yeti is a high-quality workhorse that I've used for numerous podcast, webinar and video voiceover projects.

Recently I received the MXL Studio 24, which is a similar microphone in some ways. For this review, I compared the two microphones side-by-side, recoding voiceovers for industrial videos on a high-end MacBook Pro. To perform this comparison, I set the two microphones next to each other in my home studio, and used the input selection on Audacity to switch between them. I used the on-mic gain controls to set my voice to the same level as measured in Audacity, near the mid-point of each mic's gain range. I monitored during recording using headphones plugged into the on-mic monitoring jacks, and also judged the recordings using headphones. The Studio Pro has a fixed cardioid pattern, so I set the Yeti on cardioid (the Yeti has other selectable patterns like omni and stereo). Later I used the MXL Studio Control software with the Studio 24, but not the Yeti.

SPECS:

The Studio 24 records at 48KHz/24-bit. The Yeti records at 48KHz/16-bit (the more expensive Pro version does 24 bit, but costs much more).

INSTALLATION:

Both microphones are plug-and-play. Neither required drivers or software, although MXL provides free, useful processing software (covered below).

VOCAL QUALITY & TONE:

To my ear, the two microphones are about as similar as any two mics from different manufacturers can be. I'm over 50, and don't have years of professional studio experience like some of my friends, so your mileage may vary. But to my ear, the recorded audio from both microphones is crisp, present, and quiet.

MICROPHONE NOISE:

One reason we purchase USB microphones is to minimize microphone and pre-amp noise. If you recorded audio before the digital era, you remember how much effort you put into eliminating noise at every stage. The Yeti is very quiet, recording a low hiss that is almost indiscernible using headphones cranked to maximum. Unfortunately, the Studio 24 is a bit more noisy, recording a variable noise level that increased with gain applied using the on-mic gain control. I experimented a lot with different gain levels, but the noise was always there. I also noticed that when I plugged the headphones into the microphone for real time monitoring, the recorded noise got a bit worse, as if the headphones were somehow introducing another noise source into the pre-amp. Please note that in every case, I am referring to noise recorded to the file, not just monitored through the headphones during recording.

Back in the analog era, I would have called the Studio 24 a quiet microphone/preamp combination. Unfortunately, we are in the digital era now. The Studio 24 introduces noise to your recordings that you will hear through headphones. To be fair, I was only able to hear this noise through speakers when the on-mic gain was set all the way to maximum, so I am deducting only one star.

ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE:

Using the included mounts, the Yeti is slightly more susceptible to picking up environmental noise from kicking your desk, touching the cable, etc. That said, neither microphone includes a shock mount, which is nearly mandatory in a busy studio with lots of cables, equipment and motion. Both microphones are amazingly sensitive, and will pick up all manner of background noise like air conditioners and computer fans. Don't base your decision on this issue-eliminate the environmental noise at its source and get a shock mount!

RECORDING PATTERNS:

Yeti wins here. It lets you choose between Cardioid (the most common mic pattern), Stereo, Omnidirectional, and Bidirectional. I have had great results using Cardioid and Bidirectional, the latter for two-person podcasts and live webinars. The Studio 24 has a fixed Cardioid pattern.

AUDIO PROCESSING:

Studio 24 wins here. The Yeti does not come with any audio processing tools. MXL makes a useful software utility called MXL Studio Pro available for free download at their web site. This lets you create a Noise Gate (a filter to eliminate noise below an adjustable volume level), a high-pass filter (a filter to eliminate low frequencies below 120, 235 or 465 Hz), a limiter (a filter to stop over-driving the microphone, which creates bad distortion), and more. I found the limiter useful with an inexperienced client who occasionally spoke too loud, too close to the mic. The Studio Pro software is quite useful, but remember that you are always better off eliminating noise at the source than trying to filter it out here or in post production.

ACCESSORIES:

Both microphones come with a pivoting desk stand and USB cable. The Studio 24 also comes with a padded carry case that holds everything and will protect the microphone well. Neither comes with a shock mount or a pop filter. For the best quality recording, you need to speak very close to the microphone, so a pop filter is absolutely mandatory. I use the Blue Microphones The Pop Universal Pop Filter, and it works well with both of these microphones.

MISC:

The Studio 24 will fit most shock mounts. The Yeti is physically larger in diameter, so you have to be careful to choose a shock mount that can handle it. Aesthetically, I like the Yeti stand better (it seems more stable), although you probably want to replace either stand with a shock mount. Note that the Studio 24 comes with the heavy round desk stand shown in some pictures, not the small, folding tripod shown in one picture. The Yeti has a mute button on the microphone, which I have used a couple of times, but it isn't important. Both microphones feature heavy plastic construction with stainless steel screens over the microphone capsules.

SUMMARY:

I am a noise nut, and I occasionally use the Yeti's bidirectional pattern, so the Yeti wins this comparison for me. However, the Studio Pro software makes the Studio 24 microphone more flexible for many purposes-I wish I had the limiter for the Yeti. Either microphone will be a huge step up from an internal microphone or cheap headset.

Read Best Reviews of MXL Studio 24 USB Microphone Here

Very sensitive mic. Do not need to be very close to pick up sound. Nice heavy body. Does not look or feel cheap at all. The inner power light is nice as well. Long USB cord and nice stand comes with it. Drivers worked perfectly with Windows XP. Only initially records on Left channel with Acid Pro, but a quick setting change in the program 'combines' Both left and right perfectly. You do lose some volume when you combine, but that's easily rectified as well. For the money this mic is the absolute best I've had. I used to own a Shure SM58 and feel this qualifies as the equal. I love this microphone. I would recommend it to anyone in need of a USB mic. Also comes with a nice and durable carrying case and a manual that I did not even have to open to get this mic working. It was that easy. Just 15 minutes and already recording with it. So happy I bought this.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This MXL Studio 24 USB Microphone is a decent choice for those needing a portable or a good quality studio microphone. We professionally produce instructional videos, both at our shop and at customer locations, and often need to voice over footage. This mic will replace the Blue Microphones Snowball USB Microphone (Textured White) we use in studio and also the MXL Mics MXL-STUDIO 1 USB Condenser Microphone, Cardioid we had previously used for off-site recording.

Pros -

* Good Voice Quality; cleanly captures spoken voices

* Good Physical Quality; this is beefy mic that feels very well made

* Looks Professional; while not important to the functionality, it makes a good impression on our customers

* Long USB Cord; allows for placement away from PC

* Headphone Jack; "real time monitor", handy to listen to live recording and playback

* Travels Well; includes a protective travel case that fits all of components

Cons -

* No Pop-Filter Included; normally I wouldn't mention this but the instructions include a warning the condenser mics are susceptible to water damage (like from breath moisture) and a pop-filter is "essential". We bought Nady MPF-6 6-Inch Clamp On Microphone Pop Filter

* Left Channel; only brings in audio on the left channel, had to compensate in my editing software

Misc -

* Since we do not do music recording of any type, I can't comment on the mic's performance in that area

* Software; Studio Control GUI (downloadable) can be launched to control some of the finer functions of the microphone, but the interface is not intuitive and my editing software (Sony Vegas Pro) gives me better control for what we do

The MXL Studio 24 mic more than meets our needs (which may be different from yours).

Recommended!

CFH

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program

I'm including a video review of the MXL Studio 24 USB Microphone shot on the spur of the moment sorry for the bad hair day. The main purpose of the video is to show you the sound quality of this mic. I recorded this in the "photo booth" application on my Macbook Pro using an external webcam. I'm obviously not an audio engineer or professional, simply a blogger and home podcaster who is looking for tools that are simple to use and don't involve a ton of setup. For me, the MXL will now be my go to microphone for podcasts, skype conversations and google+ hangouts. I love the handy carrying case, the easy setup and the fact that I can skip my mixer. My only recommendation would be that a pop filter or wind screen be included with the product a warning label inside the microphone's packaging recommends use of one, but it is not included with the microphone as shipped.

Edited: Sorry for the backwards video! Also, please note that the sound on this video is only coming through the left channel. Apparently, I need to study the Studio Control Graphic User Interface (GUI) to fix this. This video/audio was taken directly after unboxing the microphone. I'll update my review once I determine how to correct this issue.