tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post4862628702185263246..comments2024-03-19T13:29:04.853-04:00Comments on David Alison's Blog: The Snowball: a high-end mic for my MacDavid Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14134311846576585532noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-36832159208253116272010-12-15T04:34:18.862-05:002010-12-15T04:34:18.862-05:00Each time I entered your blog, I can learn somethi...Each time I entered your blog, I can learn something from it. There are many useful and professional articles for us to read. They are worth for us to read. I have fallen in loving with this blog!It's really a good blog.ScreenAid laptopshttp://digg.com/news/technology/ASUS_U35Jc_Notebook_Review_Blog_ScreenAid_comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-21428079666471978042010-10-19T03:08:35.206-04:002010-10-19T03:08:35.206-04:00I have visited your blog three times,each time I r...I have visited your blog three times,each time I read your article, you can give me a surprise and I can learn a lot from it, The article your wrote are very professional and useful to readers.I'll still pay attention to your blog, I like it!Headphones reviewshttp://www.gadgettown.com/Headphones/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-68140687004099264802009-11-07T21:57:05.627-05:002009-11-07T21:57:05.627-05:00No, I never found a way to increase the gain. I ju...No, I never found a way to increase the gain. I just did it in post-processing and the quality was still fine that way. <br />I recommend the free Levelator tool for post-processing voice recordings. It is completely automated and gives good results.Hendrikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00440554493209332488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-72305776926243552702009-11-07T19:20:06.030-05:002009-11-07T19:20:06.030-05:00Glyn
I have exactly the same problem with low inpu...Glyn<br />I have exactly the same problem with low input level on the snowball (imac 2.66ghz).<br /><br />Great quality but have to get way too close to the mic to get anything onto the bars. Any suggestions on how to improve gain?? Download from blue wont load either.<br /><br />Regards<br /><br />Glyn WUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17314223403673039427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-67832110948136476882009-03-15T06:45:00.000-04:002009-03-15T06:45:00.000-04:00@Hendrik: I have the input volume set to 83% and t...@Hendrik: I have the input volume set to 83% and the switch on the back of the mic set to #3. If I speak in a normal voice about 40cm away and directly into the mic the input level gauge hits tick #5 out of 15.<BR/><BR/>The sound that is actually recorded (in Audacity) come across clear and distortion free, though it does appear a little on the quiet side and sometimes I will amplify it using Audacity or iMovie (if that's where I'm doing post production).David Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134311846576585532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-73463749354220041902009-03-15T00:46:00.000-04:002009-03-15T00:46:00.000-04:00Thanks for the tip. I tried that, but it doesn't g...Thanks for the tip. I tried that, but it doesn't give me any new options (apart from setting the sample rate). <BR/><BR/>So when you fire up Audio Recorder and speak at normal volume into the mic, how much of a response do you get from the level meter? For me it doesn't go beyond the first tick mark (1/6th).Hendrikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00440554493209332488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-34326445169199373022009-03-13T15:23:00.000-04:002009-03-13T15:23:00.000-04:00@Hendrik: You may want to try playing with the Aud...@Hendrik: You may want to try playing with the Audio MIDI Setup application in /Applications/Utilities. That may give you a little better control over the input qualities.<BR/><BR/>I mention it because I had played with that when I was borrowing my friend's setup and that may have impacted my Snowball configuration. Worth a look.David Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134311846576585532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-72255981756276821552009-03-13T14:46:00.000-04:002009-03-13T14:46:00.000-04:00Hi David,the Snowball just arrived. And I noticed ...Hi David,<BR/>the Snowball just arrived. And I noticed that the input volume is very low. I read many complaints about this beforehand in reviews but lots of other reviewers didn't encounter this problem. I was hoping to be in the latter group. <BR/>Do you have this problem as well? Well, I am not sure how much of a problem it really will be, I can of course increase the gain later, but that sacrifices at least some amount of resolution / fidelity.<BR/>If I talk in my normal talking voice 30 cm away from the mic, the bars in the input level indicator don't go higher than 1/5th (with the input volume setting maxed out). Is that the same for you? <BR/><BR/>I did find posts about a high-gain firmware and downloaded that, but it won't install. I assume it is for older versions of the Mic only.Hendrikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00440554493209332488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-70106436079546118332009-03-10T03:05:00.000-04:002009-03-10T03:05:00.000-04:00Cool, thanks for the tips. I'll have much lear...Cool, thanks for the tips. I'll have much learning to do with video & sound editing. I used the new iMovie for this last project. The things it supports are super easy to use. But the limitations are pretty significant too. <BR/>I couldn't figure out for example how to pull out the audio, edit it externally and put it back in. <BR/><BR/>I own the CS3 Master Collection and will probably spend some time learning to use Premiere and Soundbooth (maybe After Effects, although I doubt I'll need that). I'll check out Audacity too though.Hendrikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00440554493209332488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-1050147270560075782009-03-09T08:26:00.000-04:002009-03-09T08:26:00.000-04:00@Hendrik: You won't be disappointed; I'm really ha...@Hendrik: You won't be disappointed; I'm really happy with the Blue Snowball. It will provide deep, rich sound without a lot of the artifacts you get on cheaper mics. If you do anything live—I use it for Skype calls as well—your voice will come across great.<BR/><BR/>I do recommend that you pull your audio track out and "scrub" it with Audacity though. Just running a <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_range_compression" REL="nofollow">"compressor"</A> pass on it will help reduce/remove most of the hissing you get when pronouncing words with S's in it and smooth out some of the variance you get from speaking.David Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134311846576585532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-85664794195422492692009-03-09T04:47:00.000-04:002009-03-09T04:47:00.000-04:00I just ordered this mic based on your endorsement....I just ordered this mic based on your endorsement. Looking forward to using it. <BR/><BR/>I recently recorded a tutorial video for my iPhone app using my headset mic plugged into my 5D and the sound was pretty lousy. As if hearing my own voice recorded wasn't bad enough there were lots of mouth noises picked up as well as cable noise and background hiss. And soon thousands of people are going to watch the thing. Ugh. <BR/>Hopefully this mic will give me much better sound quality for my next attempt.Hendrikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00440554493209332488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-58920227958961242942009-02-03T07:47:00.000-05:002009-02-03T07:47:00.000-05:00@Me, Myself & I: I've been really pleased ...@Me, Myself & I: I've been really pleased with the performance of the mic so far. Sound quality is simply outstanding. The ONLY challenge is the height of the device; I wish the stand could be lowered just a tad more because it's tall enough that it can slightly block my screen. I may just hunt around for a lower mic stand.David Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134311846576585532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-7375156250316871102009-02-03T07:18:00.000-05:002009-02-03T07:18:00.000-05:00Good to actually hear from someone that bought thi...Good to actually hear from someone that bought this mic, I wanted to buy it some time back, but could only find sales pitches.<BR/><BR/>So yet more money will be invested ;)life of Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05393458113778434542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-51827250276545188412009-01-10T08:15:00.000-05:002009-01-10T08:15:00.000-05:00Good review. I already have two of Blue's Snowball...Good review. I already have two of Blue's Snowball mics ... purchased through Apple's online store. When I buy more, I'll use your link.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-70141177799559876462009-01-09T21:49:00.000-05:002009-01-09T21:49:00.000-05:00@Alan: Ironic? Hmmm, no, not really. The person at...@Alan: Ironic? Hmmm, no, not really. The person at the Apple store simply mentioned he had heard good things about the microphone, including the other that they had on display. He didn't have any first hand experience with the device. Apple charged $22 more than Amazon did for the same item ($99 vs $77). If the prices were closer I would have likely just purchased it from the Apple store but a 20+% premium for that little discussion was simply not warranted.<BR/><BR/>I on the other hand bought the item with my own money, installed it and took the time to put together this post. I've also answered a couple of first hand questions about it through e-mail and on Twitter.<BR/><BR/>Since I switched to Mac nearly a year ago I've posted over 150 articles on my Mac experience so that others could benefit from it. I have not done it for the money, I did it because I'm passionate about technology and the majority of the time I get my information on products and services because people have taken the time to write down their experiences - just like I'm doing.<BR/><BR/>My completely rough estimate is that I spent nearly 300 hours on this blog in 2008, many more hours if you count the time I spend responding to most of the comments and questions people send me. I do this because I really enjoy helping people. <BR/><BR/>To date I have not made any money on this blog. That may change over time and I'm seeing what happens with the Amazon affiliate program but given the investment I've made in time helping others I think I'm being more than reasonable about it.David Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134311846576585532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-14165174281881042592009-01-09T19:07:00.000-05:002009-01-09T19:07:00.000-05:00Pardon me for saying so, but...Don't you find it a...Pardon me for saying so, but...<BR/><BR/>Don't you find it a little ironic that you're trying to make money off of this little tidbit you're passing along...<BR/><BR/>...after taking a little money out of the pocket of the person who helped you out? <BR/><BR/>How much money did you save by buying it at Amazon and what would you do if everyone did as you did and no there was soon no one with such useful knowledge to turn to?Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01724609598226356156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-41280056161400378192009-01-09T14:08:00.000-05:002009-01-09T14:08:00.000-05:00@Keleko: BarbaricPenguin! That helps, thanks man. ...@Keleko: BarbaricPenguin! That helps, thanks man. I actually signed up a little while ago for the Amazon affiliate program. If you click on the link I provided above I get credit if someone buys the item. It's my first attempt at monetizing this blog without it becoming a distraction to the content.<BR/><BR/>@MPR, Bill Burkholder, redington: Some great info in there - thanks!David Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134311846576585532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-52318654505101221172009-01-09T13:10:00.000-05:002009-01-09T13:10:00.000-05:00Samson makes a really nice USB mic as well, which ...Samson makes a really nice USB mic as well, which can be found at a pretty affordable price. I've read that the USB mics are universally a little lacking for instrument recording, but I think they are fine for most folks. I have a non-USB Blue condensor which I like quite a bit, but I haven't used it nearly enough recently...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-19454810264531674482009-01-09T13:03:00.000-05:002009-01-09T13:03:00.000-05:00Two great mics I've used over the years since the ...Two great mics I've used over the years since the mid 1970's are the Shure SM58 vocal microphone, used by practically every legendary rock band at one point or another, and the Electro-Voice RE-20 broadcast microphone, used by the vast majority of radio stations. Both have low-impedance XLR outputs, so you have to connect them with a proper cable to something like the Griffin iMic, for USB input, OR to a microphone preamplifier compressor/limiter such as the Behringer Tube Ultragain Mic 200, for analog input.<BR/><BR/>I actually prefer working from an analog-output pre-amp comp/limiter like the Behringer, because it eliminates distortion and adds vocal warmth, compression, and the ability to handle a dynamic vocalist without fear of digital saturation distortion. Just as important, it reduces latency, the lag time between what you are saying, and the time the computer lets you monitor it.<BR/><BR/>In all fairness, the iMic and similar solutions usually offer an analog output for headphone or amplifier monitoring to avoid the latency issue, but I'd rather compress my signal and not just pre-amplify it. Compression is very important to the sound of a voice!<BR/><BR/>The Shure SM58 is about a $125 with cable. The EV-RE20 is about $375 with cable. The EV sounds the most natural. The SM58 sounds better for singers and anyone who needs to boost bass through a proximity effect (get close to it and it boosts the bass at 100 Hz by 6 db or so). It also has a "presence boost" in the midrange.<BR/><BR/>The iMic is about $50, and the Behringer unit is about $60. <BR/><BR/>An SM58 with a Behringer will set you back less than $200.00, and the things you can do with your voice and that setup are worth it. If you plan to be a professional narrator, I'd probably get the EV RE20 mic instead, and swap it for a pricey ribbon mic if you get rich!<BR/><BR/>--Bill BurkholderAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-52249833715479462612009-01-09T12:48:00.000-05:002009-01-09T12:48:00.000-05:00I use a Centrance MicPort Pro USB which allows me ...I use a Centrance MicPort Pro USB which allows me to plug on any of my higher-end mics like an Oktava or Schoeps (ha ha, maybe one day). It uses an XLR connector and can supply phantom power. Records 24bit/96kHz and has a headphone minijack built in for direct monitoring. What's not to like? Especially if you already have a small arsenal of XLR based mics.<BR/><BR/>BTW, I had a Blue Snowball as my first USB mic and thought it was a great mic too!mikerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13779995906291597082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-72771814814722656212009-01-09T12:38:00.000-05:002009-01-09T12:38:00.000-05:00I showed your tweet about it to a friend looking f...I showed your tweet about it to a friend looking for a microphone, and he immediately bought it, too. You should ask Amazon for kickbacks!<BR/><BR/>Also, I'm BarbaricPenguin on twitter. Keleko wasn't available on twitter.Kelekohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05973169521321800308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-74539800625990972072009-01-09T11:21:00.000-05:002009-01-09T11:21:00.000-05:00I'm trying to figure out a good reason why I need ...I'm trying to figure out a good reason why I need this microphone and cant. I might have to go with the "I just want it" excuse.Korey Jeromehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07193779733334410120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1261161155002888881.post-15145133818576404552009-01-09T10:53:00.000-05:002009-01-09T10:53:00.000-05:00I need another mic like a hole in the head. But th...I need another mic like a hole in the head. But that probably won't stop me from buying this one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com