- The Audio-Technica ATR2500-USB Cardioid Dynamic USB Microphone is ideal for podcasting, home studio recording, field recording, and voiceover use. It plugs right into your computer USB port, and functions seamlessly with your favorite recording software.
- The Audio Technica ATR2100 USB is a USB and XLR mic that features a dynamic capsule to reject background noise. It serves as the perfect transition point for those getting serious about audio. NOTE: Like any product, sometimes it goes up in price.
Audio-Technica is one of the few brands that has you covered with a great USB option. Today we are going to check out Audio-Technica ATR2500, easily one of the best condenser microphones currently available under $100.
Audio-technica Review
This is an amazing mic for the price. I'm a budding podcaster and podcast editor and this mic beats a Sno Ball & Blue Yeti hands down.Comparatively, the Sno Ball picks up every background hum and sometimes random sound frequencies so the finished audio track will contain constant fuzz behind vocals that only goes away if the speaker mutes themselves. When using a Sno Ball, it's not always apparent during a live recording, but the audio track will have picked it up. And since it's underneath the vocals, an editor can only do so much without turning the speaker into sounding like a robot. The only thing I would recommend this mic for would be for better-than-a-cheap-headset sounding Skype, Discord or TeamSpeak/Vent conversations but not for audio recordings.
The Blue Yeti picks up every single background noise but is usually pretty good with not picking up buzz. Got a squeaky door? Chair? Scratch an itch on your arm or face when you're near the mic? Drop a pen? You got it, the Yeti will pick all of that up with enthusiasm. The audio quality is really decent, however, but, dang, if it doesn't want to record absolutely every sound that occurs within the room.
This mic, the Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB, since it uses a cardioid polar pattern, doesn't pick up any noise from the sides or rear, making background noise pick-up very minimal. I have it right next to and slightly in front of my desktop and it never picks up the hum of the fans or noises from the processor. I've heard from musician friends that this is a challenging mic to work with on stage as a singer because you basically have to inhale the mic to be heard, but for podcasting, I find that the closer I get to the mic, the more pronounced my pops are. I can be a good 6 inches away and my vocal quality is great, without the pops.
When I first got into podcasting, the reason I ended up choosing this mic as my starter mic was because all the podcasting equipment advice I kept researching pointed to this mic over a Yeti for overall sound quality and a better price point. Quality and a cheaper price is something it definitely delivers on. This mic will last me a really long time and couldn't be happier about my purchase of it almost a year ago. If you're serious about wanting really good audio with little hassle (especially in post), I highly recommend this mic. Super easy to set up, too. Just plug the USB into your computer and you're good to go.