Snowball Mic

[kingscast]

Has anyone used the Blue Snowball mic for podcasting? I was going for a very simple setup that would sound fairly professional. I've only been playing with it for an hour or so. Any reactions out there? I have 14 days before I'd have to take it back. Thanks!

[Reaching for Lucidity]

I do believe that mic is USB, correct? The one thing that I would say is, if you ever want to expand your cast, such as adding a mic for a co host, adding a mixer to your setup, or doing sound-seeing or mobile podcasting, then you may not want to limit yourself to a USB mic.

If however you are fine with doing your show as is and don't see yourself adding new eqipment or changing your format, then if it sounds OK, go with it. :D

[pwfenton]

I totally agree with Eban. I would avoid going the USB route. It's like buying a car with one seat because you don't think you'll ever need another one. Then you see that hot babe with her thumb out.

OK bad analogy... she COULD sit on your lap.

And you know what... theoretically... using an expensive software package like Adobe Audition... you could actually record from 2 or more USB mics at the same time. Audition has the means to assign different audio cards to different tracks.

But I wouldn't recommend it. Better off getting a normal microphone and a mixer.

[kingscast]

I'm really glad I asked now because my show will have a co-host. I have a the Belkin iPod mic for mobile stuff but I really wanted a good, professional but somewhat inexpensive option. So I'm better off with a mixer and two mics for this?

[kingscast]

i should also note that a firmware update was made available by Blue today which makes the mic less-quiet. Honestly, I'd like to keep the mic but am relying on my far more experienced podcasters to guide me toward the right setup. I do have a co-host but I am looking for simplicity too. Ideas?

[Reaching for Lucidity]

For low cost, ease of use, flexibility, and easy start up, there are several ways to go--Get an analog mixer such as those by Behringer, Alesis, or several other companies. Many offer decent boards for under $100. The Behringer UB 802 (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-Eurorack-UB802-Mixer?sku=631238) or the new Xenyx 802 (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-Xenyx-802?sku=631263), while not the quiestest, seems to be a favorite due to it's size, flexibility and low price.

You can go either dynamic or condenser on the mic. Some folks get by on Radio Shack models. I myself had some success with the MD-4000 from Stagg when I started out. Look at the shure models (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/rec/navigation?N=100001+304624+201163&page=1) as they do offer high quality without hurting the pocket too much.

If you go condenser, check out Behringer (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-B1-LargeDiaphragm-Cardioid-Condenser-Mic?sku=270405), Marshall (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MXL-MXL-990-Condenser-Microphone-with-Shockmount?sku=273156), and Samson as they all offer decent entry-level condenser mics starting at under $100. I use a Behringer. If you go condenser, you will need the phantom power, but the mixer will provide this for you.

With that kind of setup, along with learning the processing plugins on your software, you should be off to a running start. If I may add, I have used Audacity, Podproducer, and Castblaster at different stages of my shows life. The biggest and best change I ever made was going with Adobe Audition software. The proccessing in that program goes a long way to making up for any hardware gaps you may have. It is not the cheapest, but it is also not the most expensive, but it rocks!

Hope that helped.

[anotherquizshow]

I listen to a podcast where the host uses a Snowball mic. She chronicles how she chose it over other mics in her podcast and blog (snownotes) in Jan and Feb. Here are the links. Search for Snowball to find the exact show.
http://talkitup.typepad.com/weblog/2006/01/index.html
http://talkitup.typepad.com/weblog/2006/02/index.html

She does a demonstration of the different settings of the Snowball and pros and cons relative to her use. I think there's a "conference" setting where you can easiliy record several people sitting nearby. The Snowball definitely sounded better than her previous mic.....a regular USB mic.

This Snowball USB mic is an easy solution because it works well and is not expensive. You don't have much to carry around or clean up.
Because I usually have at least 2 people recording at the same time, I went for the mixer and 2 condenser mics route. I do have the option of having up to 4 mics. It works fine for what I use it for. We do have lots of gear sitting on our dining table though....mixer, laptop, external sound card, two microphones with floor stands, and I'm considering getting a hardware condenser! It's a real mess, and my wife doesn't like it. Oh well.