This USB mic is better than XLR
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- čas přidán 10. 03. 2022
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Today's video is simple: Let's look at the Earthworks ICON USB and compare it to the ICON Pro XLR mic. You might be surprised.
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Earthworks ICON USB:
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Amazon - geni.us/r5J3
Earthworks ICON Pro:
Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/c/1378764/789...
B&H - bhpho.to/3J5ueft
Amazon - geni.us/C3pMi5
Earthworks ICON Pro Review - • I think I've found my ...
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Thank you so much for covering our ICON! You sounded great as always.
I read here in the comments that people would love you to update the product with a USB-C Connector.
Would that be much of a problem?
@@BrawlerTheSmokyDutchMan Hi there - thank you for bringing this up and for giving us the opportunity to share a bit about our design philosophy. Every choice that we make is intentional and we love talking shop and sharing more about how we design, tune and assemble every microphone in our US-based factory in New England. We have seen this question come up a few times and to clarify, we offer 2 cables with the ICON: micro to USB-A and micro to USB-C. Between these two cables, you should be able to use the ICON with any device you want. The reason that we went with the micro input has to do with the class compliant chipset that we chose. This is why ICON works with every device without having to download any additional drivers or software. For us, it was critical to ensure that IT teams can rely and trust that ICON is not compromising internal security protocols. Since we also designed ICON to function as the perfect microphone for online music classes and lessons and recordings, we also chose this format to ensure the longest cable runs possible. Hope that helps clear this confusion up a bit. We're happy to always address any of our design choices openly.
I love what you do! I love the variety of choices for audio out there
Really impressive USB mic, price wise seems right aimed to the SM7B. Only miss imo, is micro USB... should been USB C.
12 secs into this video. Saw micro USB in your comment. I'm out. When are companies that design things for the tech crowd going to learn. I will not buy anything micro usb. I've passed on several products that seemed really cool due to them being micro usb. The only thing i've bought would be my wireless razer ballisk but that is because i broke my mouse and had to have a new one same day shipped. I also didn't notice it was micro usb. But it does charge wirelessly so not a major issue.
"When are companies going to learn" - I mean, Micro USB is everywhere and extremism when it comes to jumping through cable types gets you nowhere, so I don't really have sympathy for that lol
@@EposVox that's true, but for many they don't own any micro USB products anymore. I don't mind as much for plug once and be done things, but charging for sure should be USB c
@@EposVox Well you couldn't care and you'd be wrong. It's better for everyone if everyone just accepts the new standard which is also better (reversible).
@@saybrowt can I please live in your world where you think anyone can accept a standard?
I picked up the USB version right after you reviewed the XLR version last year. Couldn’t be happier, to my ears it sounds just as good, keeps that neutral FR with a touch of air, def my favorite sound signature
Do you have any experience using the headphone out ? If so how is the monitoring in windows ?
They probably have a fairly nice converter and preamp within the mic that will outperform most budget interfaces. Im not surprised.
Thanks for testing the usb version I’ve had my eye on it for a while they’ve had it discounted at studiocare in the uk for a while £250 instead of a 350 seems a bargain for the sound on offer. Frequency response looks identical usb vs xlr minus the 20-30k extension which I’m not sure is really needed.
I'm looking at this mic and the Shure MV7. Which one would you recommend in terms of overall sound quality?
Also, if I didn't want to go over the $300 price point, would the Shure MV7 be a quality choice? Or is there something else at the MV7's price point that would be better?
A little more presence and clarity in the top on the Icon Pro. A little more base in the USB. Extremely good mics both of them. I had the vid on in the background when you tested the other mics, and besides the Icons I must say, that Deity mic sounds absolutely fantastic!
Are there any other desktop stands you recommend that correspond with this microphone over the one if comes with? Great video and thank you in advance.
Another great video. Thank you so much. For me the ICON Pro XLR won every time. The low end on the ICON USB was mud. The Beacn was very thin sounding. Never thought much of the MV7 and it was still unimpressive. The Diety was meh. Then wham the ICON Pro came back to knock it out of the park. I'm broke so my main dynamic mic is a PodMic which rocks my baritone voice. My main condenser is an MXL 990 I've had for a long time. For USB I am quite fond of my M-Audio Uber. For travel I also have a Samson Q2U which I prefer to the Q9U.
You do a great job in the comparisons, nicely done. The USB version is definitely darker, not in a bad way as most prefer that more intimate, scooped mid-range for voice like this anyway.
Weird question but would using a USB extender effect latency or anything If i wanted to use this 20 feet away from my computer
Now I'm torn. I have a USB interface already and am looking changing mics. Not sure if either would fit my voice well. But between the two videos, I can definitely tell why you like it so much. I am leaning XLR since I already have the interface, but the difference in price makes the USB one tempting. I guess I'll just have to try one to see how it fits my voice.
Picked this mic up, but can't find a windscreen that will fit it well, any recommendations to one?
IS there any app to modulate the Icon USB in real time like the Rode app for example?
how many of these mics can i record on my computer at one time? 4?
I got the XLR version after EposVox reviewed it and I love it.
how big is the usb wire that comes with it
Yeah…love the USB Icon… I take it with me as my travel mic because it’s USB and I use the Ethos at home… loving this brand and their new broadcast line. I think your reviews was part of that decision process a while back lol 😆
I love that ball stand. That’s ingenious imo
Every mic should have it
It's a third party product in fact, Earthworks just happens to bundle it. Search for the Triad-Orbit M2-R, you can buy it standalone. Costs a hefty 40-50€ but is absolutely worth it. Btw it's capable of holding lots of weight. I have an EV RE20 with shock mount and an sE DM1 attached to it and it holds it with no problem at all.
Would you have any suggestions/recommendations for settings or software to make a USB microphone such a Blue Yeti X - Blackout sound really good/high quality?
I bought the microphone in 2021 and would ideally not want to spend another $200 for a microphone due to having just lost my job.
Turn mic and windows recording volume down as low as possible. Set up reaplugs VST with high pass, low pass (you can use reaEQ), reagate, downward expander. This does noise removal by blocking low and high frequencies that your voice doesnt make and turning the mic volume down automatically when you aren't talking without a sudden cutout. They need to be setup for your situation, google guides. You add any other noise removal after the downward expander such Lisp for de-essing.
Then increase gain (you can use reaEQ).
Then do compression using reacomp.
What we're trying to do is not pickup noise to start with. Then boost the signal we want, our voice without unwanted signal (noise), back up so we can hear it again.
ETA: Optionally, rather than EQ your voice, just do basic bass, mid and high adjustments with a simple EQ. You can add a small amount of reverb to "brighten" it up.
First off make sure you set the polar pattern on the microphone to cardioid - stereo can be OK too, but also probably weird if you're not looking to record ASMR stuff, and the two other modes, figure-8 and omni sound like absolute garbage, severe comb filtering artefacts, and BTW, stereo will have that issue too if you try to mix it down to mono, or if someone is not listening on headphones. And make sure you talk into it from the correct side, i can't believe how many people get this wrong. Consider getting a foam windscreen or pop filter depending on your placement - foam windscreen will also hide microphone's diffraction a little. Keep an eye on your input level and listen to the tone of the microphone, that you aren't clipping/saturating it when you're talking louder or are accidentally a little closer to it - you can rescue low level signal fairly well with a compressor afterwards, but once you're clipping, people will close their ears and run from you.
What are you doing with it specifically? If it's for streaming, you MUST use noise removal effect before all others in the chain. The classic OBS noise rejection plugin is based on Ephraim-Malah algorithm, which comes from AI research of the distant 80s, it's actually imbued with a voice model and can recognise starts/ends of words, plosives, vowels and consonants, and it knows when you're not speaking and samples the footprint of your ambient noise in between speech, so if you use any sort of gate/expander before it, it will be very confused, as it will be unable to sample the noise. It then subtracts a certain portion of the detected noise from the overall sound, depending on its speech model and the setting. Recently, OBS added RNnoise neural network AI denoiser but it also relies heavily on speech detection and noise sampling and also shouldn't be used with pre-processing.
The good news is that after the noise removal, there is a substantially larger distance between noise and speech, and gate/expander will be much easier to tune without swallowing your words. And you don't need that denoising to be anywhere near perfect, a little goes a long way.
If you're not streaming, you can use ReaFIR to subtract some noise instead. You also want it to use it first in the chain, because any dynamic effects will make the amount of noise fluctuate moment to moment, while your noise footprint that you subtract is constant-level.
As to EQ, owing to its acoustic design, which btw is compromised on Yetis on so many levels, to be polite, you probably want to push about vaguely 100-200Hz by a couple db, but not so much that it sounds muddy; and do a steep highpass at around 80-100Hz to remove rumbling noises coming in via the chassis. Consider getting an arm for it. Other bands EQ to taste, like you can push it up a little around 2KHz to make it sound a little more similar to dynamic mics, but beware that the mic might have an inherent resonance around 5KHz that you probably don't want to push much higher.
Compressor is basically the main recipe to getting smooth sound that people expect. It does push up the noise level though, which is why you want to get the signal treated for noise beforehand. So usually something like denoiser (technically optional) -> gate and/or expander -> EQ -> compressor.
No mixing software though (aimed at streamers too). The question now is, how well does it play with Voicemeter? Voicemeter is notorious for causing all sorts of crackling issues amongst other weird audio glitches depending on the hardware you get it to speak too.
Most crackling issues I've had with voicemeeter I've been able to solve by making sure all devices and software are set to use the same sample rate and bit depth. Sometimes it is the computer getting overloaded, and those things can be a huge pain to figure out.
@@gutterg0d Yeahh, I had to quit using it, either my recording or my discord call would be robotic garbage.
Can you compare that to fifine k658?
Always out here, tempting my wallet with these quality reviews. At least I have an idea if I don't want to go the XLR route yet. This mic sounds pretty amazing.
Icon XLR condenser...no comparison
Hmmm wondering if we could somehow make this thing work with the Beacn mic software. That'd be the best of both worlds! I know I can always use VST's but the Beacn software just makes life so simple. That is hands down the best sounding USB mic I've heard yet!
You’d need to get a Mix or Mix/Create to pair with it
@@coli1n I’ve got the mix and really dig it. Just wish the mic sounded more natural.
what an amazing sounding usb mic
I think it was funny how you said you wanted to be careful because you are sending it away, then moments later you throw it over your shoulder haha
I'm a single microphone user who has an SM7b at the moment, so I'm not in the market, but the Micro USB would make this a no buy from me. I know that's petty, but I absolutely hate premium items that refuse to convert to USB-C. Everything else about it seems fantastic.
I'm with you. USB-C is one of the best things to happen to tech in a long time, and there's no reason not to make the switch, it's been out for over half a decade, it's not rare or new anymore.
Nor is it that substantially different of a cost when manufacturing something in this price range and volume. Even in cases it is, most people are willing to absorb the cost in the product.
Might have been easier to decide if the pro(xlr)'s gain was up just a bit, cuz the USB version was a bit louder, so it kind of naturally sounded a bit better.
They were normalized where the peaks were at the same point
Does it work with PS4?
Am I right in assuming that there's no physical reason that USB is lower quality than XLR? So potentially USB can be as good, it's just that usually higher quality microphones are sold to people who can process audio and/or use it in a sound treated environment and the better way to do this is hardware via XLR connection.
I know for DSLR video USB results in lower quality than capture card but I'm assuming audio could be the same.
Just comes down to whatever interface they shove in the mic. The mic itself would be the same
Electrical engineer's perspective: no hard inherent reason why USB should be lower quality; except the manufacturers tend to be pretty sloppy with these sorts of products. A decent preamp adds a little footprint but there's really enough space in these sorts of mic bodies, they can have several PCBs stacked on top of each other if they care. To achieve good performance, there are also shielding requirements from USB, digital part and voltage booster proximity, but also not a fundamental problem.
Bruh... that box was so hard to open! I wanted to display it after winning the giveaway (thanks again!!) But was terrified I was gonna ruin the box!
Do you still use the MKH-416 Sennheiser?
For when I’m not at desk yes
As someone who is short, they made that stand for me. Thanks EarthWorks! 😜
That doesn't work out like that... unless the desk reaches up fairly short of your chin when you sit down in front of it, rather than at the elbow level?
@@SianaGearz ...it was a joke...
What do you mean when you keep using the word "crunch" or "crunchy"?
I try to explain it in every video it comes up in lol
@@EposVox I kinda get what you mean when you talk about the frequencies but it's still a bit nebulous, (probably doesn't help that I listen to mic reviews on my phone lol)
@@theRemedyGames thanks. I understand the difficulty of explaining these things but I think your explanation helps, gives me a bit more of an understanding anyway!
@@theRemedyGames yeah I try to watch with headphones when I can but I basically trust epos enough to have an ear for these things so I just watch on my phone if I'm in bed or not at my computer.
where's the Samson Q2U? can't beat that price to performance
I can’t include every mic every time lol
This microphone is micro usb? Is that correct? It sounds good, but I thought usb would be the new standard.
Featuring epic podcastage box-throw!
Almost didn't recognize that you changed it
I like it. I think the USB would be a good Choice just plug and go.
There's one USB mic that I don't see anyone really covering and that's the Saramonic SR-MV7000
i think a session at the gym might be in order, get some extra power to get the mic outta the box
"The USB preamp on this mic is better than the one in my interface" FTFY
So...how is USB better? Because it's slightly deeper raw, yet the XLR is more clear and present because of your interface? Out of the box raw sure, USB is great for quick on the move or simple setups without needing to adjust/install extra hardware or software. But if we're talking forever mics, XLR is the clear choice for interface flexibility/etc.
3 rings for the oven kings
I don't need it. I don't neeeeeed it. But I waaaaaaaant it. -me on every EposVox review
Icon Pro + EQ if needed would sound better than Icon (usb) in my opinion. The USB one is compressing and the low/low-mid "boost" (relative to the pro) isn't especially flattering. The Pro is more realistic/accurate.
I was about to go to checkout with this when i noticed it was micro usb.
There is no acceptable reason to cheap out a few cents a unit for an inferior connector that is so problematic. I’ve seen so many cables break and connectors snap, why do companies think it’s okay to use an inferior port on a premium product. I will die on this hill, there is little to nothing a company could do to make me use micro usb again.
Leave dead standards in the past where they belong.
Wow, Icon Usb is def a premium Mic. Was thinking of getting it. Price OUCH ! I'll keep my quad cast. If I had the funds for it though I'd def get that. I just like the simplicity of usb over Xlr.
What simplicity? There's nothing complex about a bare bones XLR interface, such as any Behringer, any Focusrite Scarlett, ESI Maya, and so on, you aren't making anything easier. You're adding another audio device to the system one way or another.
It was a bad move by the company to go with Micro usb. Even though companies who already jumped yo the usb c bandwagon seems to be ahead it will still be USB 2.0. So technically it shouldn’t matter, but it will as micro will soon be forgotten and it is a connection type with a really bad reputation.
I LOVE my Icon pro, amazing microphone
Is everyone hearing that buzzing noise in the background?? Like RFI interference?
Dan, its the music track he is playing in the background.. it has a buzzing bass sound in it. I thought the same thing, then realized it was the music.
@@hazeion Thanks, Brandon!
The USB lacks clarity...stick to the condenser.
The tate mic.
Continued watching even after you said it was micro USB, though it did immediately make my mind up about it. Strong pass. More people should refuse to buy things that are made with micro USB to get companies to learn their lesson. Micro is dead, please let it die in peace
Not USB-C... no go.
Why are we running background audio loop over a mic review? Isn't the point to hear your voice? You got a like for the info etc but, just wow.
The critical points and comparisons do not have background music lol
They both sound the same
That mic stand is really bad im happy it comes with one but that stand feels like onmy children can use it
$350 and it has micro USB.... yea hard pass
Micro USB is one of the worst connection types reliability wise and should be banished ASAP.
Impressive, but NOT equal. The XLR still has more depth and a fuller sound. NO it's not a huge difference and 95% of people won't notice a difference, but people with sharp ears WILL notice. And unless you deal in professional audio most likely won't care.
Though I do . . . .i it's Kinda in my username.
I was a drunk fool and wrote some dumb shit. Now I'm sober, embarrassed and have retracted what I said.
Now everybody please look over there and divert your attention elsewhere please. ;)
I mean this is the most basic of comparisons to give a general feel for the sound since I already did a thorough review of the Icon Pro and had no reason to repeat it.
Different programs doesn’t matter. Uncompressed audio through WDM produces the same results wherever it goes.
None of the DAWs I own will let you record a USB mic and a XLR interface at the same time. You only get to map the singular WDM device or access a singular device’s ASIO feeds. Not mix devices.
There’s no signal processing. Gain is set in the interface’s DSP and on the USB mic itself, Windows WDM levels set to 0dB, everything else is untouched.
Also they were peak normalized in post.
So while this doesn’t quality as a super scientific test, for all real world practicality it’s completely fine. Matching the heights, angles, distance from my mouth - the actual physical details that matter in this scenario - were done.
If you think somehow this is “null and void” for hearing how two mics sound for making CZcams videos or live streams, you’ve let whatever you think you’ve learn about audio blind you to how things actually work. Missing the forest from the trees
@@EposVox Yeah nah, you're right. I was drunk, on my high horse and not thinking clearly at the time. All the points you made are correct and I retract my previous dumbass statement. Even when I re-read what I wrote I was like, "Nah dude, you cant have a USB Mic and an Interface mapped at the same time". You can either have one audio device in and one out or use ASIO.
Sorry for wastin your time brother. And cheers for not being a dick about me being a dick.
Hahaha all good! I have to walk a line between practicality and scientific testing so it rubs people the wrong way sometime.
@@EposVox Nah man, you're all good. Take care mate.
wtf $690 no thanks 😆
$350 USD but ok
@@EposVox Okay so what is the prive for Canadians?.......$690 ;)
major pass
The processing sounds ridiculous. I think you've edited your own voice so much that you need to take a step back and realize how corny it sounds.
If you think a super mild EQ and relatively gentle compressor “sounds ridiculous” or “corny” - I’m not the one who needs a step back