The best USB microphones

Let's say you need to record your vocals but you are on a tight budget. The best solution is to buy a good USB condenser microphone. The main advantage of an USB microphone is that you do not need extra equipment (such as preamps, mixer, additional cable). Just plug in the USB mic and start record your vocals.

Home Rec Studio Blog wrote that SAMSON SAC01PAK is one of the best USB mic for a cheap and simple home studio. I agree that this is an amazing mic and with proper mixing you can record amazing songs with it. The C01U is perfect for anyone who records audio--from journalists and students to podcasters and business people. 

AT 2020 USB is another amazing condenser mic. Audio-Technica brings amazing quality at pretty low prices and intelligibility with modern convenience. This USB condenser microphone features low-mass diaphragm, custom-engineered for extended frequency response and superior transient response.

My final choice is Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone. They say you can create unparalleled recordings with this mic. Blue Yeti is the first THX-Certified microphone and features a proprietary tri-capsule technology to produce crystal sounds and studio-quality recordings. Another cool feature of this mic is that it can record in stereo mode.


Learn more on how to build a cheap home recording studio here

What is this?

I just found this on reddit. Does anyone know what is its purpose? It seems to be some kind of old school radio from IBM. Is this right?

Traktor Pro futuristic emulator

Emulator Modular is the most flexible multi-touch software available to music producers and professional DJ’s. With this setup you can convert your multi-touch device into a powerful MIDI controller. The Emulator software can be applied on various multitouch screen projects.

more info on http://www.smithsonmartin.com

Control Surface for Your Home Recording Studio

I wrote last year on how to set your home recording studio. I will get into producing music today. Any producer needs a control surface when making his instrumentals.

There are multiple midi keyboards/control surfaces alternatives, but the best can be found in the following list: novation,m-audio,akai,cakewalk,edirol,korg.

M-Audio Trigger Finger

For low budget home recording studios I recommend m-audio and akai. In this video he presented M-Audio Trigger Finger Drum Pad Control Surface. The main features of this USB powered control surface are 8 assignable knobs, 4 assignable faders. You'll also find on this board 16 velocity and pressure-sensitive pads. You'll be able to assign individual pressure on each pad. The control board features pre-programmed maps for Reason, Live, GM Drum, XG Drum, iDrum, and more make setup a snap

You can read more on home recording studio blog.

iPhone 4 vs HTC Desire HD

Long story short. I was looking to buy a new phone couple of days ago, and after extended researched I decided iPhone 4 and HTC Desire HD were the best smartphones on the market.

Lets see a short comparison between these two "monsters". HTC has bigger screen, but iPhone's screen has bigger resolution.  

The operating systems are iOS4.1 (iPhone) and Android 2.2 (HTC). I really think HTC is a winner here again because Android features Flash 10 (which is not present in iPhone 4). Also, there is plenty free software for HTC. Apple has a history of charging for everything, so...

When it comes to the number of available apps, iPhone is the leader because iTunes has 250.000 apps available to download/buy, and there are only 80.000 apps available for HTC Desire HD. BUT, when it comes to free apps, HTC is the leader again, because you'll find out that 57% of the apps available for HTC Desire HD are totally free. And that's amazing!

HTC Desire HD's show is likely its Dolby Surround Sound and Dolby Mobile integration that grant you to watch movies in crystal clear quality with dazing sound.

When  it comes to camera, HTC DESIRE HD wins again because it features an impressive 8-megapixel camera and dual flash, and iPhone features only a 5-megapixel camera.

How to Build a Cheap Home Recording Studio

I'm reading more and more about people trying to setup a simple home studio in a budget around $300-$400.

Before starting to buy home studio equipment, you need to know what is the minimum requirement for a home recording studio:

* PC/Laptop
* Condenser Microphone
* Audio Interface / Preamp and Soundcard
* Monitors
* Headphones
* Mic stand, pop filter, acoustic foam
* Recording Software

One of the best condenser microphones out there is Rode NT1A Anniversary Vocal Condenser Microphone ($229). This 5/5 stars microphone comes with cables and a popfilter. The NT1A Anniversary Model is a fresh redesign of the legendary NT1 classic studio microphone.

This mic requires some sort of phantom power. I really recommend a good audio interface. M-Audio MobilePre USB Mobile Preamp and Audio Interface is pretty good, bears phantom power and it can be used with any laptop. That means more mobility for you. But if you want more, be sure to read The Best Audio Interface under $200.

Monitors are pretty important when mixing your songs. M-Audio Studiophile AV30 Professional Reference Speakers is a pretty good choice. The price is around $100. Headphones are not that important, so buy something that fits your budget. Don't forget to buy mic stand and some sort of acoustic foam. You can use a home made acoustic foam created from egg crates.

The cheapest recording software is Audacity. Check their website for more info.

The simplest and maybe the cheapest alternative to build a recording studio is to buy a good USB mic, and skip the audio interface/preamp equipment. If you want to go that road, I recommend AT2020 USB Version. AT2020 is a versatile mic and with the USB version you just need to plug it in your usb and start recording.





Learn how to mix your songs on Home Recording Studio Blog

The Greatest Gadget of All Time: Then and Now

You will never guess who won this competition. Everyone has a mp3 player these days, but is there everyone that remembers back in the days when they were luxury items and so widely desired. When the first Walkman (TPS-L2) debuted in 1979, no one had ever seen anything quite like it.



Do you remember the blue and silver colors? The $200 music player just about formulated the concept of "personal electronics." This amazing device was built in 1978 by audio-division engineer Nobutoshi Kihara for Sony co-chairman Akio Morita, who desired to be capable to listen to operas on his frequent trans-Pacific plane trips. Read the full story behind the Sony Walkman here.

Nowdays, Sony is up to date with the new Sony Walkman NWZE345BLK 16 GB Video MP3 Player. The features are way beyond what everyone has ever espected 30 years ago:

• 16 GB capacity for about 4,000 songs
• Up to 30 hours of audio or 4 hours of video on a single charge
• 2-inch, 262,144-color LCD with 240 x 320 QVGA pixel resolution
• Supports MP3, WMA (DRM), AAC, and Linear PCM audio formats; AVC, MPEG-4, and WMV (DRM) video formats; JPEG image files

The new Sony Walkman can be bought from Amazon for $89.00


See the full list of greatest gadgets of all time on PC World

Flip Mino HD Camcorder

They say Flip MinoHD is the world's smallest HD Camcorder and is a must-have for any video recording fan. You can record up to 120 min of stunning HD-quality video (1280 x 720 resolution at 30 frames per second; 16:9 widescreen) depending on the memory (4/8 GB).



The Flip Mino HD Camcorder is very compact, it has a super-slim, super-sleek design, and will fit into any pocket or purse. You can download, organize and share your photos and videos with the flip-out USB arm that plugs directly into your computer. You'll also find in the box a TV connector cable that allows you to watch videos directly on your LCD Screen.

Flip HD Camcorder Video Test:





Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black)


Technical Details

* Easy-to-use, pocket-sized HD camcorder featuring one-touch recording and digital zoom
* Simple user interface lets you start capturing video just seconds after powering on
* Captures 60/120 minutes of HD video on 8 GB of built-in memory; no tapes or additional memory cards required
* Convenient flip-out USB arm plugs directly into your PC or Mac to launch FlipShare software
* Built-in FlipShare software lets you easily email videos, edit individual clips, make custom movies, capture still photos from video, and even upload video to sharing sites likeYouTube and MySpace

Xtreme Ear Buds In-ear Design 3 Sizes Carry Case Short&long Cable

If you hurry, you can still buy these Xtreme Ear Buds for $24.99, and you'll save up to 50%. Man, that's a lot of money! A friend of mine bought this few days ago, and the shipping was very fast. He said these phones are great, comes with great sound quality. You'll find that design is different from whatever is right now on the market. Works great with any Mp3 Player!!!