Tuesday‘s edition of “Talk of the Nation” featured an interesting interview with Chick Corea and Béla Fleck. They‘ve collaborated on a new album, and they played a few cuts from their CD live in the studio. You can catch the broadcast here.

Hey gang,

Before I pose my question, let me give you some background info. I spent over a month working with various USB mics in preparation for the April ‘07 roundup, “The Direct Connection.” Before I started my research, I naively thought there would be little sonic difference between the mics, imagining that the majority of them would be suitable only for informal recording situations (songwriting demos, jams, Lo-Fi Podcasts). Was I ever wrong!

Each of the mics had its own personality, and a couple of them surprised me by how good they sounded, especially when you consider the price. However, I still had some reservations.

On a recent trip, I wanted to bring only a laptop and a USB mic to throw down some ideas, because I didn’t want the extra weight of an external preamp, A/D converter, or even an XLR cable. Surprisingly, the recordings were good enough to fit into an upcoming project, and now I feel that my studio toolbox is that much richer. Have you had a similar experience?

Tell us how you’ve been using USB microphones. Do you have any interesting tips or anecdotes to share with other EM readers who are using (or considering) USB mics? If so, hit reply: we’d love to hear from you!