2020. 11. 9. 08:59ㆍ카테고리 없음
Many people will never give their computer microphone a second glance, how about you?
Jun 10, 2020 With version 10.5, Apple Logic Pro X now incorporates full-fledged, non-linear recording and a top-class Sampler instrument. It’s a stellar update to a best-in-class DAW, and if you already own. May 26, 2020 Audacity is a free, easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems.The interface is translated into many languages. This software is free, and proud of it. Audacity is regularly updated to continuously improve on the user experience of the software.
It isn’t really something you check the quality of when choosing a MacBook to buy, and most people tend to assume that whatever is built in will be satisfactory for their occasional use.
However, there comes a point where the built-in microphone simply doesn’t cut it. Whether your voice isn’t getting picked up properly while using Skype or if you want to start recording your own podcast, an external USB mic is a great place to start rectifying this problem.
In this guide, we’ll point out some of the best mics in portability, versatility, and recording power. We’ll also guide you through picking a mic that suits your needs — whether you’re an everyday user, amateur recorder, or a professional.
Quick Summary
- For something ultraportable but geared primarily towards communication needs (i.e. business conference calls, narration), the Blue Snowflake USB Microphone folds into a small rectangle that is easy to take to/from work on the daily.
- Does your recording demand versatility? With multiple recording patterns the Blue Yeti offers a flexible design and endless ways to take your audio quality to the next level. It also includes a zero-latency headphone jack.
- The Apogee MIC PLUS is the best choice if you’re completely committed to Apple and looking for a product that feels the same. Well integrated with all of Apple’s products and extremely portable, this mic is ready to rock whenever and wherever you are.
- To step up your audio game at home, the Blue Snowball iCE Condenser Mic has you covered. Its classy design and brand reputation imply a degree of quality, you’ll be able to experience first hand whether you’re recording your guitar or narrating a home video.
Do I Need a Mic for My MacBook Pro?
An external microphone is not usually a cheap investment, and those who purchase them usually need them for a regular task.
That could be as mundane as frequent video-conference calls for work where you need others to be able to understand you clearly or as technical as creating your own music in a home recording studio, but the occasional Skype with an old friend will probably be just fine using your Mac’s built-in microphone.
Buying a USB Mic for MacBook Pro: What to Consider in 2020?
Size
Depending on your intended use for your microphone, you’ll be comfortable with different levels of portability. For example, if you only plan on recording at home a larger microphone with a bigger footprint may be perfectly fine. However, if you need the mic while at work or have another need to take it wherever your laptop goes, you’ll want to look for something that can become quite a bit more compact.
Recording Pattern
What you plan on recording has a significant impact on which mic you choose. Microphones come in different polar patterns, which is what determines how well they pick up sounds at specific angles (see the “Additional Tips and Tricks” section below to help decide what you’re looking for). This is key to making sure your mic works effectively and records only what you want it to.
Recording Quality
Buying a USB mic means you’re already looking for something a step above what’s built into your Mac, but even so, they come in many different recording qualities. Measured in bits/kHz, the higher this rate is the higher quality your sound will be. Don’t be tricked into paying for something much more technical than you need though – the final file format of your recording could make that rate obsolete, so this isn’t something to worry about if you’re just going to hook up the mic when using Skype.
The Best External Mics for MacBook Pro: Our Picks in 2020
Please note that the mic products recommended below are chosen based on the criteria listed above, plus our personal preferences. They are, however, not intended to be ranked in this order.
1. Blue Snowflake USB Microphone
This microphone is one of the most ideal if you’ll need high-quality recording wherever you go. The compact case expands into a stand that can clip on the top of your MacBook with ease, and the whole device is only about 2.5” thick, making it for easy transport without sacrificing quality since it has a sample rate of 16bit/44kHz.
- Pros: It covers all the bases with both an eye-catching design and spot-on functionality. A cardioid condenser, it’s perfect for home narration, podcast recording, or voice calls from your Mac. Also, it doesn’t require any drivers, so works perfectly as soon as you plug it in.
- Cons: Not an optimal choice for musicians; quality is more than sufficient for communication but would likely be found lacking when it comes to recording a track.
2. Blue Yeti USB Microphone
If you need something versatile and top-tier quality, the Blue Yeti has you covered. With four different recording patterns available in a single mic, it’s ready for any possible recording situation, from voiceovers to a new record track. You can also connect your headphones directly to it for a complete recording experience.
- Pros: The ability to choose between cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional & stereo recording patterns means you’ll never sacrifice recording quality no matter the situation. It includes gain control and a mute button. And it’s backed by a two-year warranty so you never have to worry about defects.
- Cons: Not built for portability. At almost a foot tall, this mic is meant to stay in one place, such as your home office or recording studio.
3. Apogee MIC PLUS
If you want a mic truly built for Mac, Apogee is the way to go. Besides recording as normal when connected to your MacBook, it also has the ability to connect to your iPad or iPhone and integrate with Garageband for optimal productivity. This is a cardioid condenser microphone.
- Pros: At only a bit more than a pound and less than 5 inches tall, this mic is ready to go anywhere and everywhere with you. In addition to a tabletop stand, It also comes with an adapter so that it can fit securely into an existing microphone stand. It’s a great choice for musicians.
- Cons: There are some users say that you cannot use the Garageband functionality with iOS 11, although Apogee has been working on the issue.
4. Blue Snowball iCE Condenser Mic
Alright, so the Blue Snowball doesn’t actually come in blue… but the round snowball shape associated with the brand has a reputation for performance for a variety of recording situations. A bit over a pound and close to a foot tall when mounted on the included stand, this mic is ready to go straight out the box with no drivers to install.
- Pros: This driverless mic is ready to put in work as soon as you are, with a cardioid pickup pattern and sturdy design that will leave you more than satisfied with the sound. It’s also Skype-certified, lending credibility for the sound quality of any communications you may use it for. Should work nicely for a single-player recording as well.
- Cons: Since it picks up sound in front and behind the mic, you may experience some buzzing or humming if you aren’t in a properly arranged space.
Additional Tips & Resources
Picking up on all the lingo of a new technical product or field can be difficult and confusing. When it comes to microphones, one of the key things to learn about is the polarity pattern of your potential purchase. This pattern determines how well sound will be picked up at different angles, which becomes more or less important depending on how you plan to use it. This guide will give you a great explanation of what each pattern means and when each is most useful.
Once you have the right mic, you’ll also need to make sure to set up your recording properly as well. While it may seem like the best settings are simply pushing all sliders to the max, this actually isn’t the case, and this discussion will help guide you through picking a sampling rate and bit depth that works for what you need.
Final Words
Buying a mic is heavily dependent on what you plan to use it for, and you should always make sure to thoroughly research any model you consider.
All of the models we’ve listed connect to your mac through the USB port, but other types of mics may use the mic/headphone port or some other method, which is also something to consider. Additionally, many come with different kinds of stands or adapters that you may find useful- always check for these!
Do you currently use a USB mic? We’d love to hear what you think of your model and what you look for in picking a new one.
If you're a musician or simply like to produce music, a great music editing apps is the best way to go about turning your recordings into well-produced masterpieces. Whether you're just a novice or a seasoned pro, a DJ or an acoustic guitar player, there's a music editing app for you!
GarageBand
Apple includes their entry-level GarageBand music editing app with every new Mac. That means, if you're new to music or a hobbyist, GarageBand is where it's at. GarageBand uses the same Drummer digital session player as Logic Pro X (though to a lesser extent in terms of available sounds) and is the perfect app to help you start creating and mixing songs — especially if you're a super novice.
The interface is easy to use and though the app is powerful and full of controls, it's not overwhelming or as involved as some of the more professional audio editors.
You can upload your own recordings to GarageBand and mix them with the digital instruments, or you can create an entire song using just your recordings or just the instruments found in GarageBand. If you're not satisfied with the instruments available, you can also purchase instrument packs to get different sounds. Use iCloud to store your projects or share them with friends for collaboration. You can even start a song on your iPhone and then finish it on your Mac!
If you want to get into music production and also want to keep things convenient and within the Apple ecosystem, GarageBand is the best place to start.
- Free with new Macs or $4.99 - Download now
Logic Pro X
Logic Pro X is Apple's pro-level music editing software that still manages to be accessible to beginners. The powerful app has all the tools you could want for mixing, editing, and songwriting, with a massive library of instruments and effects. If you're looking to make polished, professional-sounding recordings, without a ton of complexity, then Logic Pro X is where it's at.
The 64-bit architecture supports projects featuring hundreds of tracks and instruments, so if you're a composer, it's like heaven. I have to say: As a drummer, I hate canned drum sounds. Logic Pro X's Drummer is top-notch when it comes to producing authentic acoustic drums sounds, and sometimes I actually can't tell the difference (I know, shame on me).
The app does come at a professional-level price, at $200, but if you're serious about music editing on the Mac and enjoy songwriting and composing on a grand level, it's easily one of, if not the best choice out there.
- $199.99 - Download now
Pro Tools
Pro Tools, by Avid, is one of the most popular music editing apps in the industry. It can be used to record, mix, master, and much, much more. You can lay down up to 128 tracks per session, with 32 inputs and over 60 plugins, and you can create an unlimited number of sessions.
Pro Tools is definitely not for the faint of heart and isn't necessarily an app you can just pick up and go with. I had to go to school to learn how to use it (before all these damn YouTube tutorials made school obsolete!). That being said, it isn't beyond the pale to learn the basics and get yourself up and running fairly quickly. Importing audio is as easy as dragging from the Finder window and placing it on the timeline (so long as your current session supports that file format).
From there, you can add a plethora of effects to your audio and edit it like mad, controlling volume, speed, pitch, tone, and much more. Honestly, the stuff you can do with Pro Tools seems just about endless. It is one of the most robust audio editing apps available, and is definitely for those looking to tackle things on a professional level.
That being said, if you have the cash, go for it, and learn all there is to know!
Pricing is what you'd expect: $24.92 per month with a 12-month agreement or $29.99 month-to-month, $599 to buy it outright.
djay Pro
For the performance DJ (or even the hobbyist, really) djay Pro has all the effects, compatibility, and mixing capabilities you could ask for. You can sample from iTunes and Spotify simultaneously, and you can even mix in video from the extensive video library for the ultimate experience.
You can mix from four decks and create mashups and transitions galore, and you can edit playlists on the fly, use external displays and AirPlay, and there's Pioneer CDJ/XDJ integration for even more versatility.
If you're a pro DJ or just want a fun way to mix at a house party, djay Pro's price might be its best selling feature, at only $40.
- $39.99 - Download now
Audacity
Audacity is a free open source audio editing and recording software that lets you cut, copy, paste, and delete audio. It isn't exactly the most powerful when it comes to music editing, but if you're wanting to slap together some demo material or something like that, it's perfect. You can import audio in many formats, though for MP3, you'll have to install a separate, optional encoder library.
You can edit and mix a large number of tracks at once and even alter individual sample points, though you can't add effects or do any sort of mastering. Audacity may be better-suited to podcasting, but, like I said, if you're putting together demos or just need to create rough ideas, it's perfect, because FREE.
- Free - Download now
Are you a mixmaster?
What's your favorite music editing app for Mac? Are you a pro or is it more of a hobby? Let us know in the comments below!
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Best Vocal Mixing Software
We are openBest Vocals Mixing Software Mac 2017
Apple Sanlitun, Apple's newest store in China, is opening today
Apple has announced that its newest retail store, Apple Sanlitun in Bejing, is opening to customers in the area later today.