Microphone

Shopping

Macworld 2010: Professional Sounds For Your DIY Recordings

I'm an admitted fan of Blue Microphones, not only for their power, but also for their beauty — a few of these stacked on your mantel could totally double as art.

I'm an admitted fan of Blue Microphones, not only for their power, but also for their beauty — a few of these stacked on your mantel could totally double as art. While cruising the Macworld show floor, I got an up close look at a few of their new desktop mic models which would be perfect for recording on the go, or creating your podcasts and video blogs. The Snowflake (pictured here) ($45) is a high quality mic to capture your recordings, but there's also a 2MP web cam-enabled version called the Eyeball ($65). Both of these are easy as pie to set up — just plug them right into your Mac or PC's USB port, follow a few prompts, and you're set to go.

The Mikey ($100) is a sweet little microphone to capture sounds right on your iPhone. Record concerts, lectures, and studio jam sessions on the go with its three recording levels — from loud to quiet — and transfer the audio right to your computer with a USB adapter. Plus, there's a free app that partners up with your Mikey to get the most out of your recordings. Check out a few more photos of the beautiful Blue Mics in the gallery below.

Love It or Leave It

Solo Microphone Pendant Light: Love It or Leave It?

My addictions to Rock Band and SingStar have made me an unexpected ham lately.

My addictions to Rock Band and SingStar have made me an unexpected ham lately. I sing anywhere and everywhere, which I'm sure is a total delight and not annoying at all to my co-workers, boyfriend, and people on the train with me. I use hairbrushes or my thumb — trusty stand-in microphones — but what if it was the other way around, and microphones stood in for something else?

That's the idea with the Solo Pedant Light ($236), which is a microphone-cum-lamp. Available in three colors, imagine how cute it would be hanging over your dining table. I unequivocally love it — check out the light pattern it produces!

What do you think of it?

Humor

Can You Hear Her Now?

Before we give this gal a hard time, we should take into consideration that she's using a mic for the first time.

Before we give this gal a hard time, we should take into consideration that she's using a mic for the first time. As far as she's concerned, microphones operate like telephones. You put the device up to your ear, talk, and your verbal vomit (also known as "public speaking") gets magically amplified for all the world to hear. It's only logical. Not to mention dumbass. And get this: She's not alone.

Humor

Step Away From the Mic, Gramps!

"Now I have something to say, but this here — whatchamacallit?

"Now I have something to say, but this here — whatchamacallit? — microphone won't work, dagnabbit! I've seen them youngins put these talking devices up to their ears like this, but that ain't doing any good for me now. Lesse here. How 'bout I flip it upside down like so? Nah, no good. Ya know, that's what's wrong with the world today. Technology does more harm than good with all these 'technical difficulties' we get all the damn time. When I was a kid. . .oh? Hold it like this. Oh, OK."