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posts about #mic more →
Mikey Review: Fine-Tuning the iPhone's Audio Recorder
Apogee ONE Mac Audio Interface Has Built-In Mic, So You Sing Right Into It
iPod Touch and iPod Nano Get a Mini Microphone
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Xbox 360's "Lips" Karaoke Game Microphone Has Motion Sensing, Vegas Lounge Lights
Belkin Podcast Studio, iPods Get XLR
Crapgadget Column Actually Full of Cool Stuff
iPod touch Mic Dongle Looks Sexier Than Homemade
Ear Force D2 Headset Lets You Nintendogs in Semi-Private
Classic Microphone

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madog
09/24/09

In reply to Mikey Review: Fine-Tuning the iPhone's Audio Recorder
I'm not just an external microphone..... but I am sensitive.... ass. :(

Seriously though, as a fellow Mikey, it was creepy reading this article.
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Edited by madog at 09/24/09 7:58 PM madog was starred madog was unstarred

atheos
06/26/09

In reply to Apogee ONE Mac Audio Interface Has Built-In Mic, So You Sing Right Into It
$250 for an USB audio interface with a single mono instrument input, a single XLR mic input (with NO phantom power) and a single 1/8" stereo output? No friggin' way. Take a look at ESI ESU 22 interface for example. It has MORE features than the Apogee thing - for $100.

And what's the point of the "famous Apogee converters" anyway when you can't use condenser mics and you don't have balanced outputs with separate jacks for each channel? I'll tell you: no point. You lose all the advantages of the good converters because of the crippled other features. Now, don't get me wrong: Apogee does amazing hardware but that's for $1000 and more.
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frigg
06/26/09

@atheos: These features at $250 for a device that potentially doesn't sound like shit is a great price.

The big question mark is how good will this sound. If it sounds good, $250 is low for an Apogee product that does everything this box says it does.

Those $100 do it all interfaces are starter kits. An Apogee device *could* be more of a serious tool.
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frigg
06/26/09

In reply to Apogee ONE Mac Audio Interface Has Built-In Mic, So You Sing Right Into It
That looks like a clever affordable little box, as long as it doesn't suck.

Apogee started as a high end converter company and keeps dipping lower and lower, but they seem to do a good job of keeping quality decent even at lower prices.

There was a lot of skepticism when they first included mic preamps in their Trak2, but the preamps were awesome. And the newer Ensemble ($2000) and Duet ($500) interfaces are both good at their prices.

So while it's hard to believe they could offer all those functions and a decent mic at $250 and still have it live up to Apogee's quality, maybe they'll pull it off.

I could see this being popular with singer songwriters, or for musicians slinging an interface in a backpack with a laptop to record single instrument ideas away from the studio.
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deathbychichi
06/26/09

@frigg: Agreed, Apogee has a great reputation and it could be sweet for some people, particularly those just getting started. I don't know, though, I want to be able to record at least stereo with 1/4" and XLR and it's easy to collect interfaces -- even Line 6 Pods can generate 24-bit 48K (96K?) to USB.
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j05hu4
06/26/09

@frigg: I like the converters from Apogee very much, they sound sweet.

If their microphone and preamp is somehow decent (like the one in my Boss Micro BR) and it comes with XP drivers and it is preferably supported by ProTools then I won't hesitate.

During studio sessions I record 24 tracks simultaneous, but when I write I like to book a hotel in a sunny country, bag my guitar and a small recorder with mic.

Hmmm, I just read the compatibility list, this thing is not for me! No Windows and no ProTools. I'll have to hackingtosh my laptop first :(

@deathbychichi: 24 bit 96k is not a measurement of quality. It is like saying my speakers are 500W. Sound quality differences between converters are a multitude bigger than my mood swings.
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frigg
06/26/09

@deathbychichi: as j05hu4 said, resolution is deceiving. It's easy enough for any of these companies to buy a commodity converter at whatever resolution and still build a shitty sounding interface. Generally, I'd expect an Apogee interface to sound better than a line 6 Pod. It could be that Apogee is limiting resolution in order to support a better sounding lower resolution interface than a shittier sounding higher resolution interface.

Also, the fact that the Apogee can record 24 bit words is more important than if it could record at 96 kHz. Going from 16 bit to 24 bits is more sonically meaningful than upping the sampling rate from 44.1 to 96.

It also keeps it compatible with Garaband, which can record in 24 bit but maxes out at 44.1/44.8 (a large intended market).

But if you want to record in stereo, then obviously this isn't for you!
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frigg
06/26/09

@j05hu4: I GUARANTEE, sight unseen, that the microphone and preamp in the Apogee ONE will BLOW THE MICRO BR OUT OF THE WATER!!! No question. Seriously. You would come home to your Micro BR crying in the corner, weeping and gnashing its teeth, growing rusty from disuse as soon as you introduce an Apogee ONE (or Apogee anything) into your household. I mean, the Micro BR does a lot of tricks and is full of features for sure, but sound for sound, anything Apogee makes will crush the BR like a Velociraptor crushing a fleeing fatman in Jurrassic Park.

As for ProTools compatibility, it depends on your ProTools. If it's one of the versions that runs on CoreAudio, it should work. If it doesn't, you could try using Digidesign's CoreAudio driver which sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.
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getz76
06/26/09

@frigg: You are basing "sight unseen" on the Apogee name? The only thing this and the Duet have in common with other Apogee products is the branding. The AD/DA in this is nothing like the real Apogee stuff.

I agree, 24-bit/48kHz is plenty for any audio-only distribution at this point. I have the ability to record at 96kHz and never do, it is just a waste of space and system resources for me.
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frigg
06/27/09

@getz76: I'm basing it on having messed around with a Micro BR, which isn't that good sounding a box compared to what's out there (it has lots of features, but not great audio quality), and the fact that the kind of readily available chips Apogee would stuff into a $250 gadget like this will sound better.
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aerospaceman
02/23/09

In reply to iPod Touch and iPod Nano Get a Mini Microphone
yay this will make my 1st Generation "iTouch" even more useful.
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Kaiser-Machead
02/23/09

@aerospaceman: It actually wouldn't matter if the touch supported it. The only way this would really be useful is if you can get audio out of the device without using the headphone jack. If the 1G touch supported it, it'd only be good for recording, as there's no internal speaker. The only way to get a proper line in and audio out simultaneously on the 1G is to get an adapter for the docking port, not the headphone jack.
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jenningschrist
02/23/09

In reply to iPod Touch and iPod Nano Get a Mini Microphone
So this magical mic will not give a 1st gen ipod touch skype capabilities? If not, then really what good is it?
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Kaiser-Machead
02/23/09

@jenningschrist: Blame Apple, not the manufacturer of this microphone. The iPod touch 1G does not support audio in through its jack.
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Kaiser-Machead
02/23/09

In reply to iPod Touch and iPod Nano Get a Mini Microphone
Can't people stop bitching about tech blog writers' use of the term "iTouch"? For the love of Johannsen's funparts, it's actually more annoying than someone's use of the word. Should we dump truncated combos such as WinMo? No more short nicknames with apostrophe prefixes like 'book? C'mon.
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OMG! Ponies!
02/23/09

@Kaiser-Machead: THAT'S IT!

I'm declaring war on Applespell fascism. From now on, I'm typing "I-pod brand MP3. player"
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tande04
02/23/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Yeah because its so much harder to just say touch or add the three letters for iPod Touch.

I don't know why it bugs me. I guess because I don't look at it as truncating the name. I see it as calling something the wrong thing. There are knock off products called itouch maybe thats part of it.
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Kaiser-Machead
02/23/09

@tande04: Not a matter of difficulty. It's just something that catches on. It's not really worth the whining. I mean really.

If you walk up to a guy with a brand new M3, and say "Hey man, nice Bimmer!" and he says "Hey, it's BMW M3, thanks", wouldn't that be just a little annoying? lol
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Monty
02/23/09

@Kaiser-Machead: My favorite attempt by geeks to shorten things is the use of Y2K to save a single character in typing and completely ignoring the fact that Y2K would technically be the year 2048 in geek terms. That said, complaining about it is always more work than just laughing at our own silliness.
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Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
02/23/09

@Kaiser-Machead: "If you walk up to a guy with a brand new M3, and say "Hey man, nice Bimmer!" and he says "Hey, it's BMW M3, thanks", wouldn't that be just a little annoying? lol"

Sure, but then I'd reply, "Whatever, douchebag." and keep walking..
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Syliss
02/23/09

In reply to iPod Touch and iPod Nano Get a Mini Microphone
This will not work on the first gen ipod touch! sad since i have one, and the 2nd gen still sucks at jailbreak.
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Kaiser-Machead
02/23/09

@Syliss: The jack doesn't have the hardware necessary for line-in. There are hacks for the docking port though.
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Stephen Washburn
02/23/09

In reply to iPod Touch and iPod Nano Get a Mini Microphone
I echo the few comments above... there is no such thing as an iTouch. Come on, giz, I expect better.
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Kaiser-Machead
02/23/09

@Stephen Washburn: There's no such thing as WinMo either, but it's always common practice to compress the names of certain products into fewer syllables or just some loving nickname. We understand what an iTouch is, even if there's no actual product by that name.

Example: BMW - bimmer
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Monty
02/23/09

@Stephen Washburn: iTouch lots of things, but usually iPhone them first to make certain it is okay.
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admoseremic
02/23/09

In reply to iPod Touch and iPod Nano Get a Mini Microphone
What kind of person records people taking a dump in another stall?!
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Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
02/23/09

@admoseremic: I think I know two girls who might be into it...
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howdytex
02/23/09

In reply to iPod Touch and iPod Nano Get a Mini Microphone
Heh, I wonder if someone could use this with Skype for phone calls on the touch???
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Kaiser-Machead
02/23/09

@howdytex: probably, yes. However, if the ambient noise is too great, it may drown out the tiny speaker. The iPhone is better at this than the touch.
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Kaiser-Machead
02/23/09

In reply to iPod Touch and iPod Nano Get a Mini Microphone

What kind of person takes a dump while on the phone with the credit card company?

It's very possible that the strain in your voice can convince the rep on the phone to work a bit faster, or move you up to a better service department.
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IN THE FACE!
02/23/09

@Kaiser-Machead: I just tell them that "I am dropping the Cosby kids off at the pool." and see how they react.
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zweihander
02/23/09

@bpapa9013: YEAH!!! IF ANYBODY ELSE KNOWS OF SOME OTHER BLACK AND OR BROWN CHILDREN THAT CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH SOMEONES SHIT.. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT LIKE THIS PRICK..

seriously.
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IN THE FACE!
02/24/09

@zweihander: The cosby kids were a bunch of shits, it has nothing to do with their skin color.
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OMG! Ponies!
02/23/09

In reply to iPod Touch and iPod Nano Get a Mini Microphone
I take a dump while on the phone with the credit card company. Considering they jack your interest rate at the drop of a hat, letting them listen to my bowel movements is the least I can do.
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KragNaroK
02/23/09

@OMG! Ponies!: what the hell does that have to do with a microphone on the ipod nano and touch????
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Kaiser-Machead
02/23/09

@KragNaroK: It was a question asked in the article. SOMEONE has to answer it.
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Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
02/23/09

@OMG! Ponies!: That's one motion I don't need to hear you file....
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IN THE FACE!
02/23/09

@OMG! Ponies!: Agreed, while moving my bowels I also enjoy talking to:

My parents

my girlfriend

my boss

my boss' boss

my co-workers

my friends

restaurants that take delivery orders

the 411 operator

the 911 operator

local police dispatch

representatives of state and local government

local radio stations

the pope

and

your mom

I can't shake the feeling I am forgetting someone...
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OMG! Ponies!
02/23/09

@bpapa9013: You have to grunt for emphasis. And occasionally throw in remarks like "Is poo supposed to be leafy?"
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IN THE FACE!
02/24/09

@OMG! Ponies!: my personal favorite is let rip with something as loud as possible, then suddenly exclaim "OH SHIT, it fell out!"
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mynamesafad
02/23/09

In reply to iPod Touch and iPod Nano Get a Mini Microphone
Was Itouch really necessary on a gadget site...
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mr.leman
02/23/09

@mynamesafad: I know, honestly.

Whenever someone at shcool calls it thet I stare at them until they leave.
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OMG! Bacon!
02/23/09

@mr.leman: Wow, that's some anal-retentive nerd-rage going on there....

Honestly, iTouch versus iPod touch? Is this the issue here? If so...just wow.

If it is not, then I am mistaken and I withdraw my statement.
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mynamesafad
02/23/09

@phoenix27: Theres no such product called an Itouch.
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OMG! Ponies!
02/23/09

@mynamesafad: You're right.

MAC I-pod Brand Mp3. Player
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Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
02/23/09

@mynamesafad: Is it ok if I refer to it as IPT?
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