Shure PG42-USB Condenser Microphone Review

Aloha!

I need to do a bit of voiceover work for my day job and my night classes, and it should be no surprise that the microphone in my laptop is not super-great. So, I have been looking around for a nice USB condenser microphone that will not break the bank, and I think I have found just what I was looking for: the Shure PG42-USB.

Shure has been around since 1925 and has been making microphones since 1931, so they probably have a good idea of what they are doing. Their SM57, SM58, 55SH, PG52, 520DX (Green Bullet), Beta Series, and wireless systems are all industry standards, and I own all of them. So, when looking for a USB mic, they were the first ones I went to. It was a wise choice.

The PG-42USB is a side-address USB microphone that was designed specifically for digital recording (there is also a PG-42 with a regular XLR connector). When you buy one of these it comes with a nice case, a shock mount and a USB cable – it really is a great set-up for the money.

This condenser microphone has a cardioid polar pattern to reduce background noise and feedback. It has a large diaphragm with and an inherently warm tone yet it is clear enough to be appropriate for lead vocal or solo instrument recording. There is negligible added noise, so it is perfect for choral recording, or better yet, voiceover work.

There are quite a few extras built into this mic, and if you look at it closely there are little knobs and switches all over it. There include:

-- A volume control knob.

-- A 15 dB pad switch to reduce distortion from loud sources, such horns or drums.

-- Low frequency rolloff to reduces floor rumble and low-frequency room noise from heating and air conditioning systems. It can also reduce low frequencies that can result in muddy sound.

-- Integrated pre-amp with microphone gain control to allow control of input signal strength.

-- 1/8-inch headphone jack for monitoring

--Monitor mix control for blending microphone and playback audio.

Set-up with the computer is easy. It has USB plug and play connectivity, and it works with Windows 7 or 8, XP and Mac OSX. The quality of the recording is top-notch as it is a 16-bit mic with a 48kHz sample rate. I used it with my fairly new Macbook Pro with no troubles at all.

I fiddled around with the best set-up and found that with a table-top boom stand and pop filter I was able to set it off to the side of my mouth (about 4-inches away), and it was still easy to see my computer to mess with the controls and see my script. The headphone jack was especially welcome!

With both Garage Band and Adobe Audition I had great results with my voiceovers. My voice did not sound harsh and it had nice warmth to it with no background noise once I got my hotel room air conditioner tuned out of the mix. It is very sensitive, of course, so if anything unexpected happened in the room a retake was necessary. You really have to have a quiet room to get the most out of this thing. But it was totally worth it because the overall sound was so much better than if I used the Mac’s onboard unit or my POS low-dollar mic I bought from Sam Ash in a pinch.

Looking the PG-42 USB over, it is a quality piece that is quite heavy and I a sure it will hold up for years to come. I really think it is the perfect voiceover or podcast microphone for the money. I cannot wait to try it out with my acoustic guitars and some of my mediocre singing to see how it fares.

The Shure PG42-USB is a very good vocal microphone, and it is also a terrific value. It carries an MSRP of $249, but sells for around $200 everywhere you look on the internet. That price includes the aforementioned case and shock mount, not to mention Shure’s outstanding warranty. If you have more than a little bit of voiceover work to do, it will do a super job and be a terrific investment in your work!

Mahalo!

The Difference Between Condenser and Dynamic Microphones

Howdy!

I used microphones for quite awhile before I figured out there are two different popular types of microphones available, plus I never knew why I would want to have phantom power on my mixing board. Now I know, and I thought I would try to summarize the differences between condenser and dynamic microphones for you all. Of course, a lot of my friends are smarter about these things than I am, so if I get something wrong here be sure to let me know.

The fundamental difference between condenser and dynamic microphones is the method in which they receive and pass on sounds:

∙A dynamic microphone operates via induction. This means that it uses a coil and a magnet to produce an electrical signal (inducing a voltage). The microphone has a diaphragm inside that is attached to a coil. When sound pressure waves hit the diaphragm it vibrates, and the coil moves back and forth across the magnet, producing an electrical signal which is sent through the microphone cable to the mixing board. This means that they do not require a battery or external power to operate. Dynamic microphones are the more popular option as they are generally not very expensive (many are under $100) and they are well-suited for most every task. They are not complicated and do not have many moving parts, making them durable and thus ideal for live sound applications. Also, due to their design they can cope with high volume levels, such as from brass instruments or when miking speaker cabinets.

∙A condenser microphone operates via conduction. This means that there are two plates (or diaphragms) inside the microphone, with a small space between them that acts as a capacitor (or condenser) that stores electrical energy. When sound pressure waves hit the front plate it moves, changing the distance between it and the back plate. This will allow the electrical current to charge or discharge the capacitor, sending an electrical signal to the mixing board. This process requires an electrical power source to be used, either in the form of a battery, or more commonly from phantom power that is supplied from the mixing board. Condenser microphones are very sensitive, making them ideal for the studio environment. Of course they are more complicated than dynamic microphones, which makes them more expensive ($300 and up) and fragile. If you combine this with their inability to handle high volume without distorting, makes them ill-suited for most live sound work.

This might be a good time to talk about phantom power. This is 48 volts of direct current (at 2 to 10 mA) that is applied through the two signal lines of a balanced XLR connector and referenced to pin 1, which is ground. This power is usually supplied the mixer, PA system or other recording equipment. Dynamic microphones do not use phantom power but are not damaged if phantom power is put through them (it may cause a hum, though). And always keep in mind that you should never ever turn phantom power ON before plugging a microphone in.

Anyway, I hope this explanation helps. Writing about things like this certainly helps me to collect my thoughts better!

Mahalo!