Customer Reviews

MXL Studio1-USB USB Desktop Recording Kit

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

If you're looking for a good sounding microphone that is far superior to any standard PC microphone, this is a good choice. However, the most unique feature that set's this microphone apart - the headphone jack - is a real disappointment. It is *NOT* a realtime feed from the mic. Rather, the headphone jack is the output of a USB sound card that is integrated into the Microphone. There is significant latency between the microphone input and the audio output, so much that it really is useless as a recording monitor. This feature doesn't allow this microphone to be distinguished from any other USB condenser mic that lacks an audio output.

The headphone jack is possibly useful for setting levels, etc., when you're working with a PC that lacks a sound card, or need to have the microphone a significant distance from your p.c. or laptop. If you have a long USB cable and need to roam, maybe the headphone jack is useful.

There are many good points about this mic - recording is warm and full sounding; you do get that 'NPR' sound. While the mount is light, it's adequate. The 10' USB cable is quite generous, and the hard plastic case has pre-cut foam and is a nice touch.

Overall, I am satisfied with the product, but I am disappointed that the promising feature - the headphone jack for real-time monitoring, is not what it is implied to be. It is a USB sound card and suffers all of the latency of your internal sound card.

I'm disappointed. I'd read good editorial reviews about it on other sites, but neglected to read the user reviews here on Amazon -- the latency issue with the headphone jack would have been a deal-breaker for me. The sound quality of the mic itself is nice for the price, but I found there was a background hiss possibly due to the inexpensive USB interface; I've noticed the same problem with other sub-$100 USB interfaces, and suspect they all use the same chip/circuitry. Acceptable for podcasting, interviews, etc. in the field where the built-in USB interface is less cumbersome, but not for serious voice work in a home studio. You will definitely want a shock mount if using a floor mic stand, as it's very susceptible to picking up stand thumps.

This microphone is as described, and I highly recommend it for the home-studio enthusiast. It was completely "plug & play" on my XP laptop and I was recording immediately with no hang-ups or need for extra hardware drivers. The mic picks up high and low frequencies nicely, but I recommend buying a windscreen to cut down on "P- pops." The carrying case is durable and the foam inlay protects all the components in seperate compartments. A well-designed package, overall.MXL Studio 1 USB Microphone with Headohone Jack, Desktop Stand, USB Cable, and Carrying Case

This microphone is very easy to use (just plug and go!). Some of the extras that come with it are not the greatest including the desktop stand which is pretty cheap and so small that it isn't even that practical. The microphone itself, though, works fine and is worth it for the money if you aren't looking to record at a very high level. I used it to record voice overs for a play and it worked just fine.

I bought this product hoping to create nice quality sound on my Macbook Pro running Snow Leopard. Because the description said that it could run on Mac. But after reading the comments I found out that this microphone does not work on Snow Leopard or Leopard. I then decided to use it on my PC that I rarely use. And when I recorded sound. It made a hissing and popping noise even though I was three feet away. I then tried to email customer support. But I sent them an email 2 weeks ago and they haven't replied.

Do not buy this product. It is a waste of money and time.

super good look and hig quality, hig recomended for singers, radio man, and others, the price is very good for the good and accesible

I has better gain than I thought a usb mic would. Headphone jack on the front is misleading, it's not a live monitor. (still handy for short headphone cords)

The Microphone is and excellent product, that is easy to use and easy to setup. This is a steal at this price for a condenser Mic. Works like a Charm for recording Vocals, Voice Overs and some instruments. I will definitely be buy more MXL products

I bought this mic to record my music the first 2 days it worked great. After that the 3rd day when i was done recording and put it in the box the next i started recording my computer couldn't see it. I returned it!

We bought this "MXL Studio1-USB Recording Kit" for use in our small business making instructional videos. We have a Blue Microphones Snowball USB Microphone (White) we use in our shop studio, but wanted a smaller mic that was easy to transport for use on remote shoots. Here are my observations:

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; not a "real time monitor", but still handy to listen to playback
* Travels Well; includes a protective travel case that fits all of components and MXL WS-001 Foam Windscreen

Cons -
* No Windscreen Included; normally I wouldn't mention this but the instructions include a warning the condenser mics are susceptible to water damage (like for breath moisture) and a windscreen is "essential". We bought the one linked above.
* Weak Stand; the included stand is somewhat anemic for the size of the mic, I will likely replace it in the near future with a "shock mount"

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

The MXL Studio-1 mic more than meets our needs (which may be different from yours) and we were lucky to catch it on a Gold Box "Lightning Deal", so think it was also a good value.

Recommended!

CFH