MXL USB006 USB Cardioid Condenser Microphone

by MXL

Product Features

• Sampling Rate: 44.1kHz and 48kHz^16-bit Delta Sigma A/D Converter with THD+N - 0.01%^No Special Drivers Required^Supplied with Carrying case, desktop stand, USB cable, and manual.
• Sampling Rate: 44.1kHz and 48kHz^16-bit Delta Sigma A/D Converter with THD+N - 0.01%
• Ideal for broadcasting, narration, field recording, podcasting & more
• No special drivers of software required
• Comes with carrying case, desktop microphone stand/adapter & 10' USB cable

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7 x 12 x 3 inches ; 2.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000JUFEDO
• Item model number: MXLUSB006
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,641 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #18 in Musical Instruments > Recording Equipment > Microphones > Condenser Microphones > Multipurpose

Product Description

Designed with ease-of-use in mind, the new MXL.006 features a large gold diaphragm that delivers a big, rich sound characteristic of studio and broadcast microphones. Unlike most studio condenser microphones, however, the MXL.006 is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) instrument that connects directly to a computer without the need for external mic preamps. Now, anyone requiring high quality, professional sound on their computer can record music or dialog by simply connecting to a standard USB port. Featuring support for USB 1.1 and 2.0, this exceptionally easy-to-use microphone even includes gain adjustment settings via the built-in three position attenuation switch.

Working with the new MXL.006 is a pleasure. As a plug and play device for both Windows and Macintosh, it requires no special drivers whatsoever. Simply connect the microphone’s USB cable to a computer’s USB port, and installation is quick and effortless. In addition to recording instruments or voice for home recording applications, the new MXL.006 is the perfect microphone for podcasting or adding dialog to presentations and other multimedia projects. It is also the perfect solution capable of opening new possibilities for radio and news broadcasters and for location recording.

Unlike electrets or dynamic microphones typically used for computer work, the MXL.006 has an extremely smooth, natural sound typical of what one would hear on a professionally produced CD or radio show. The analog section of the new MXL.006 microphone features a 20 Hz-20 kHz frequency response, a large gold diaphragm, pressure-gradient condenser capsule, and a 3-position, switchable attenuation pad with settings for Hi (0 dB), Medium (-5 dB), and Lo (-10 dB), making it easy to configure the microphone to virtually any sound source. The digital section features a 16-bit Delta Sigma A/D converter with a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz. Protecting the instrument’s capsule is a heavy-duty wire mesh grill with an integrated pop filter.

To make recording a trouble-free process, the new MXL.006 features a red LED behind the protective grill. This LED informs the user that the microphone is active and correctly oriented toward the user. To complete this terrific package, the new MXL.006 ships with a travel case, a desktop microphone stand, a 10-foot USB cable, windscreen, an owner’s manual, and an applications guide.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great sound! ... except for the high-pitched self-noise, June 5, 2007

By 

vlotty "Tech Dabbler" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: MXL USB006 USB Cardioid Condenser Microphone (Electronics)

I got this microphone to record voiceover narration for a video. There are points where there will only be narration, and no music or background audio.

Although it sounds pretty good for a USB mic, in that it gives a rich, faithful reproduction, there is a noticeable pitch generated by the microphone itself. This self-noise is audible during quiet moments or even when speech is recorded, if you listen carefully. On the plus side, it does come with a nifty case, desktop tripod and has hardware gain control with three settings. It worked right out of the box with my Mac, so no problems in the compatibility department.

I was poking around to make myself feel better about buying this microphone over the popular Samson C01U and Snowball, and came across a review of all of these microphones, including the new Rode Podcaster, pitted against each other. The reviewer noted a distinct B-natural pitch from the MXLUSB.006, though it did have less self-noise than the Samson. Check out the review at Emusician, search google for Samson, MXL, Podcaster and you should find it.

Wish I saw that review before I bought the MXL, since I experienced the same thing. Though the MXL has a rich sound, the noise is unacceptable for my application and I'll be returning it.

Although USB mics are notorious for noticeable self-noise, I went ahead and got the Rode Podcaster, and have not noticed any significant self-noise.

If a faint high-pitched noise is not a big deal to you, this is a pretty good condenser microphone. I would be all over it if it weren't for the fact that I need a really quiet mic.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Convenient and flawless performance on a Mac - truly plug and play, November 16, 2008

By 

A. Cheng "Just the facts" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: MXL USB006 USB Cardioid Condenser Microphone (Electronics)

I've been a home recordist for about 30 years. I've owned a variety of mics, from old Crown PZMs to higher-end Audio Technicas and a few exotic Germans. These days, I don't do as much recording as I did when I had dreams of becoming the next Nils Lofgren, but I occasionally like to doodle with music. These days, I'm a great believer in the ease and rock steady performance of Garageband on the Mac. I honestly much prefer working with it, rather than many "better" programs out there. It's just so solid on the mac. The reason for this long intro is just to introduce my approach to recording. I want stuff that works, and that works with little muss or fuss. When I sold of my last AT stereo mic and E-MU 4040 preamp, I thought I was done with wrestling with wires and recording. Well, I caught the bug again lately and felt guilty about ridding myself of all my equipment. But I wanted ease and convenience and I started researching the USB mics out there. I listened to about every sample available, and I was fairly sure the MXL mic were worth investigating further. They have a rich, full-bodied sound which I like. They also seemed to suffer less from ambient noise than the Snowball and Sansom mics. The MXL sounded a little darker, which some might think meant a bit deader, but I was sure that wouldn't be the case when it came down to recording. And I was right. First of all, the .006 works flawlessly. I plugged it it. My mac recognized it and I was up and rolling without latency. Occasionally you'll get hit with latency in Garageband -- but that usually just requires a restart. Then it's gone. The MXL was up and running in less than a minute. No problem getting enough power from my USB port, something I even had problems with with an old Belkin USB mic adapter. No, the MXL worked great. It's fairly well made, the only "suspect" component being the gain switch, which is pretty inexpensive and felt a little unsure. But it works fine, so I wasn't too worried about it. Plus, look at the price of this mic. The sound? Well, I would rate it an 8.75, which I think is quite flattering. I was able to mic myself singing with my guitar amp about 8 feet way and achieve a nice mix. And it recorded my 5-year old's faint, faint whisper (too shy to talk into the mic) perfectly. Stunningly, actually. So this mic is actually capable of great detail and sensitivity when your hitting it within its working range. Not dead sounding at all. I really like it's balance and design which make for quick and easily recordings without a whole lot of tweaking. As far as vocals, my teenage daughter voice sounded fantastic. Very nice with female vocals. I really like my "voiceover" sound with this mic. Rich and fully, but not over bloated. As far as my singing, it handles dynamics great and, as I said, it will handle a whisper to a shout without blinking. It's not a 100% 3-dimensional and rounded like a great Neuman Old Blues Eyes mic, but it's excellent for male vocals when doing home recording. I think I got my best take (of a male vocal) when I was cranking up my delivery a bit. A little R&B shouting, and it was as good as any mic I've played with for a long time. So consider that my take of it's vocal abilties for the male voice. It's less a Leonard Cohen mic and more of a John Lennon mic. And, as I said, I really think it shines with female vocals. I didn't hear the whine as described by the other reviewer. But my recording room wasn't dead silent and the noisest thing I heard was the fan from my mac. I think you're more likely to be bugged by uncontrolled sound in your environment than any noise inherent to the mic -- if there is any. I wrote MXL and they said poor power supplies and likely user error is probably behind the claimed noise. I just know, recording music, that you just aren't going the hear it in the mix even if it does exist. I did some dead silent voiceoever again tonight, and I still didn't hear a whine. So overall, I'm very happy to recommend this mic. Make sure you get a pop screen, it helped alot. I really, really like this mic for both its performance and especially its fantastic convenience. If you don't feel like dealing with the time (and expense) of rigging up a mic and preamp and just want to "plug and play", well, I don't think you can make a better choice than his MXL .006 mic or one in its USB line. And I look forward to hearing more of the mics in their USB line.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond impressed with its ease of use and value..., March 19, 2009

By 

M. Laws "Mrs. Laws" (Oswego, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: MXL USB006 USB Cardioid Condenser Microphone (Electronics)

When it comes to recording, I pretty much know nothing. And I have no problem being the first to admit that. Anything technical has never really been my forte. But when I decided to go pro with my humor blog and as an added bonus for my readers, offer an audio mp3 of me reading each post aloud, I realized real quick that not just anything will do.

Three years ago, I developed a cyst on one of my vocal cords. We didn't get to it fast enough and when it burst, it managed to permanent damage my voice when a piece of the left cord went AWOL; it's been MIA ever since. Seeing how my vocal cords cannot ever completely close, I constantly sound hoarse; as if I have a cold. Some days are worse than others. I needed a microphone that could compensate for this as well as my simplistic technical skills and short attention span. A great guy down at The Guitar Center recommended this microphone to me.

I read the owner's manual immediately. It was the least I could do after all of the goodies Marshall included (cool case, desk stand, etc). Amongst the advice, they mentioned how dropping the microphone or even bumping it can damage it enough to cause what I see other reviewers tend to complain about. It's always easier to blame to manufacturer than admit you're a klutz, I suppose. But at the same time, the reviewers very well could've taken perfect care of the microphone as instructed-- but the 18 year old playing with it at the store it came from didn't. Who knows.

All I know is this. I followed the instructions and suggestions (i.e. purchasing a pop filter, placing the mic in the middle of the room, and everything else) and within seconds of USBing it into my PC, it was ready. My voice sounds ridiculously damaged as it should. And I'm as happy as a lark.