AKG - Ara Dual-Pattern USB Condenser Microphone

No gain dial makes this mic basically useless for recording . Probably good for podcasting but not why I wanted it .I bought the Akg Lyra instead and it’s simply a much better product

I think there are other better options at this price range if you want better sound quality. The ...

I think there are other better options at this price range if you want better sound quality. The design of AKG Ara is very good imo though, and also the USB portability of this microphone may be quite useful... However, I like my AKG P220 much better.

My son loves it

My son loves it

Ok this mic is so cute. I got it because I like to sing and I also want to have a podcast in the ...

Ok this mic is so cute. I got it because I like to sing and I also want to have a podcast in the future. It comes with software... but I have no clue how to operate it. Something called Ableton Live 11. I have to take a course on it because there is a LOT going on. I wish this was more user-friendly but I think this mic is targeting a more experienced audience or something. When I use the microphone, my voice is super crisp and clear, a lot better than just singing by the computer, buut most of the background noise is still obvious. I will look into the software more, but until then, this won't get 5 stars. The software is *incredibly* confusing if you're a novice. Just look at the picture of the software layout. I don't know where to even begin. It is supposed to ... MoreOk this mic is so cute. I got it because I like to sing and I also want to have a podcast in the future. It comes with software... but I have no clue how to operate it. Something called Ableton Live 11. I have to take a course on it because there is a LOT going on. I wish this was more user-friendly but I think this mic is targeting a more experienced audience or something. When I use the microphone, my voice is super crisp and clear, a lot better than just singing by the computer, buut most of the background noise is still obvious. I will look into the software more, but until then, this won't get 5 stars. The software is *incredibly* confusing if you're a novice. Just look at the picture of the software layout. I don't know where to even begin. It is supposed to be able to help you pretty much mute all background noises, but it is kind of overwhelming. The mic is cute and has potential though, after I figure out the software. If, I figure it out. ????????

TL;DR Pros: The selectable pickup patterns are nice for those who need a cardioid, or front and ...

TL;DR Pros: The selectable pickup patterns are nice for those who need a cardioid, or front and back double cardioid pattern, for things like interviews and the like. 24-bit/96Khz Mono audio stream is rich and clean. Zero latency monitoring, classic and elegant, heavy stand. Cons: Sound is a little thin in the lower midrange and bass ranges, making this excellent for vocal narration or voice over work, not ideal for instrument capture although of course you could. The rolloff is very steep around 120hz-150hz on down to 20hz at about what sounds like 12-18dB/Oct or so if I were to guess. This microphone offers great styling and performance for those looking to do podcasts, or streams, where the vocals don't need lots of punch or dynamism. It's not to say the mic is ... MoreTL;DR Pros: The selectable pickup patterns are nice for those who need a cardioid, or front and back double cardioid pattern, for things like interviews and the like. 24-bit/96Khz Mono audio stream is rich and clean. Zero latency monitoring, classic and elegant, heavy stand. Cons: Sound is a little thin in the lower midrange and bass ranges, making this excellent for vocal narration or voice over work, not ideal for instrument capture although of course you could. The rolloff is very steep around 120hz-150hz on down to 20hz at about what sounds like 12-18dB/Oct or so if I were to guess. This microphone offers great styling and performance for those looking to do podcasts, or streams, where the vocals don't need lots of punch or dynamism. It's not to say the mic is flat in the wrong way, it seems pretty flat, except in the lower range, it has quite a rolloff the lower you go. I have a deeper voice, so this mic tends to make my voice sound thin and sharp, for dialogue and vocals. A little EQ and plugins can fix this to an extent, but you can't get back what's not there. Also, I believe a good mic should stand on it's own first, without the need for DSP/VST while testing. I would wager for female vocals this mic really shines and could bring a lovely tonality to a woman's timbre. For men I'd be wary if you have a deep voice and wish to keep it while recording/streaming, otherwise you might find this output a little thin for your vocal tone. Being USB the noise-floor is excellent and the quality is impeccable at 24-bit 96Khz with lots of headroom, it just seems the capsule is really geared towards spoken word only, so if you won't hit it with a lot of pressure (yelling/screaming/Loud Instruments) and the range to be captured is 150hz+ you should be golden, the sound is transparent with a hint of polish, nice when appropriate, such as podcasting or talk streamers. If you want a nice-looking mic, that offers versatile pickup, and you want a nice rolloff of the low-end (bass), and don't want the fuss of dealing with phantom 48V and mixers/interfaces etc. then this should work great for your needs, especially during those face-to-face interviews with the mic between.

The media could not be loaded. This microphone is going to be replacing an old mini-usb condenser...

The media could not be loaded. This microphone is going to be replacing an old mini-usb condenser microphone that I've had for probably 10 years now. Honestly, this is a worthy replacement in my opinion. The Good: Good build quality. Metal/aluminum enclosure where the buttons are located. The stand is also aluminum too which is good. The sound quality is really good. I thought the old usb mic I had was good, but this sounds even better in comparison. I've included a video/recording of myself talking in Audacity just in case you want to listen to what it sounds like. Sorry, I don't really have a voice made for radio, but hey at least you can hear what it sounds like! It looks cool too in my opinion! The bad: There isn't much to say bad about this microphone... I wish ... MoreThe media could not be loaded. This microphone is going to be replacing an old mini-usb condenser microphone that I've had for probably 10 years now. Honestly, this is a worthy replacement in my opinion. The Good: Good build quality. Metal/aluminum enclosure where the buttons are located. The stand is also aluminum too which is good. The sound quality is really good. I thought the old usb mic I had was good, but this sounds even better in comparison. I've included a video/recording of myself talking in Audacity just in case you want to listen to what it sounds like. Sorry, I don't really have a voice made for radio, but hey at least you can hear what it sounds like! It looks cool too in my opinion! The bad: There isn't much to say bad about this microphone... I wish they included a slightly longer USB cable for my mic arm, but other than that, I don't really have anything else negative to say. Overall I'd definitely recommend this microphone. In my opinion it's closest competitor is the meteor mic. This is a little more expensive than the meteor mic, but you also get USB-C with this and a nicer, weighted stand. You only get the fold out legs with the other microphone I mentioned, but the stand only matters if you're going to use it. (If you plan to put this on a mic arm or your own stand, it might be worth checking out the other microphone I mentioned above!) (If you found this review helpful, you can vote ""helpful"" below. Honestly, it lets Home Essentials Direct and I know that someone appreciates the work I'm putting into these reviews! Thank you!)

This microphone has good sound pickup and certainly is easy to operate. This uses a standard aux ...

This microphone has good sound pickup and certainly is easy to operate. This uses a standard aux for checking feedback and the data transmission over a USB-C connection is lag free. There is only a volume control and a pickup option (front or front/back) and no software equalization tuning. The tradeoff for the easy setup and operation are a lack of customization options. So, I really do not think this is aimed at the professional caster or someone who has to record all the time unless they need a dedicated microphone on the go. It is good for amateur casting where sound tuning is not going to be a highly emphasized issue, situations where you need a portable setup and especially a compact setup, and ones that can use an OTG setup. For a professional microphone with ... MoreThis microphone has good sound pickup and certainly is easy to operate. This uses a standard aux for checking feedback and the data transmission over a USB-C connection is lag free. There is only a volume control and a pickup option (front or front/back) and no software equalization tuning. The tradeoff for the easy setup and operation are a lack of customization options. So, I really do not think this is aimed at the professional caster or someone who has to record all the time unless they need a dedicated microphone on the go. It is good for amateur casting where sound tuning is not going to be a highly emphasized issue, situations where you need a portable setup and especially a compact setup, and ones that can use an OTG setup. For a professional microphone with extensive tuning options, this is not the one, but for most common situations, the defaults and the clear settings make this a great option for portable use and uncomplicated setups.

Why is it so useful to me? Really it's one main reason. The selectable pickup pattern, and just 2...

Why is it so useful to me? Really it's one main reason. The selectable pickup pattern, and just 2 of them at that. The standard cardioid pickup pattern is perfect for them I'm doing something like live streaming in a noisy environment. It just picks up the sound in front of the mic and rejects everything else. However if I'm shooting a quick podcast I can switch it to omni so I'm picking up sound all around it so I can easily record multiple people at one time. Sound quality is about what you would expect at this price point. Everything is fairly even, highs, mids and lows. It's not exception at any one of them. It's just a good basic all around sound. Build quality is a bit plasticky feeling but for only $99 it's more than good enough. You get a headphone ports ... MoreWhy is it so useful to me? Really it's one main reason. The selectable pickup pattern, and just 2 of them at that. The standard cardioid pickup pattern is perfect for them I'm doing something like live streaming in a noisy environment. It just picks up the sound in front of the mic and rejects everything else. However if I'm shooting a quick podcast I can switch it to omni so I'm picking up sound all around it so I can easily record multiple people at one time. Sound quality is about what you would expect at this price point. Everything is fairly even, highs, mids and lows. It's not exception at any one of them. It's just a good basic all around sound. Build quality is a bit plasticky feeling but for only $99 it's more than good enough. You get a headphone ports along with a volume control. Of course you have the selectable pickup pattern knob. The part I really like is that it's a USB C connection and not that older standard USB port. If you are on the hunt for a USB mic, in the $99 - $199 range I think this is an excellent choice.