Sandberg Studio Pro Microphone USB

[testman78]

Introduction

Forget what you think you know about sound recording: the traditional home microphone is dead. Never again should a mini-jack plug have to run its awful buzzing signal into your mic socket. The digital domain of USB is here and it's better. USB microphones have come a long way in the past decade. We still remember our first experiences with them. Was it the 90's? It was the 90's, and it was a debacle: getting your drivers in line, wondering if the crappy plastic casing was going to snap off in your hand, and trying to figure out if you were going to be able to hear the audio through your Sound Blaster in the end anyway. We're happy to live in a 2017 that has the Sandberg Studio Pro Microphone USB, a seriously serious smooth operator that's likely to tickle grandma's fancy just as much as it will a jaded studio engineer's. Read on for the account of my engagement with it.



Specifications.





Packaging & Contents

The exterior packaging is made up with a card sleeve.From The front, we're shown the Microphone and its surrounded by lights.



The back of the box is absolutely crammed with text, a description of the Microphone is listed in no less than 24 languages, there is also specification listed at the bottom.



There is a flip presentation lid. The Microphone is nicely presented with a large clear plastic shell a which gives the details of the headset.



Apart from the Microphone, Sandberg bundle an manual and a USB cable A-male to B-male with 1.2 m length. We can find also the parts for the metal stand.





A Closer Look

Let's first look at the construction. Overall, I love the aesthetics of the Sandberg Studio Pro Microphone USB. It's got a broadcast-quality look to it that make me feel like I'm a real professional radio man when I'm speaking into it. The construction is great, too.



Handsome textured black metal encloses the body, and the massive grill.



Sandberg logo up middle gleam in a pleasing way.



In front of you can see the Mute button with LED indicator to stop any sounds coming from the outside. When USB-connected, the microphone features a bright blue LED and when mute indication is on the microphone features a bright red LED.



It also has volume knob which allows you to adjust the volume of your own voice.



Around the back, you will see the selector switch for analog output, either works as external soundcard or realtime monitor.The headphone jack accepts standard 3.5mm headphone and has real-time monitoring, meaning you can hear yourself through a headset in real-time exactly as it sounds to your audience. It's a nice feature and keeps you from having to ask the chat "can you guys hear me OK?"



Connects to your PC via a USB port and works immediately without driver installation.



The stand that comes with this mic is really solid, which adds to the weight but does make it a sturdy desktop companion. The base itself is made of the same metal as the mic and has some serious heft to it. That heft is coupled with rubber non-skid pads on the base, so when you put the Microphone down, it stays put.



You can also fit the mic to any standard microphone stand as well.





Performance

Sandberg claims on its website setting up the Studio Pro is as easy as plugging it in, and that's true, at least on the Windows 10 PC I used for testing. Since this is the non-software version, it's handy to not have to install any extra software in the setup process. With Windows 10, when you connect the Studio Pro the driver is automatically installed and you're on your way.



After it's plugged in, you set it as your primary recording device if it didn't already happen automatically during the installation process. From there, software searching for a mic, like XSplit or Audacity, or higher-end stuff like Adobe Audition, will pick up the mic as the primary audio input unless you change it yourself.



Although the Sandberg Studio Pro Microphone USB doesn't come with a lot of features, one of it's greater strengths is the sound quality, especially for a USB microphone. I would describe the sound as very high-definition in the high frequencies, with a smooth lower and mid frequency response. This mic definitely focuses more on the highs rather than bass response, and you end up with a sound that is very crisp and transparent. What I like most is how detailed the highs are while still sounding pleasant, since most other microphones just sound harsh due to overly hyped high frequencies. You have to remember that the Sandberg Studio Pro Microphone USB is originally designed as a studio microphone, despite being an entry-level one, it still had to be able to record singing and instruments like acoustic guitar. Considering its studio background, it's no surprise that the Sandberg Studio Pro Microphone USB easily excels for gaming commentary, podcasts, and voiceovers. What does surprise me, however, is the Sandberg Studio Pro Microphone USB's ability to record music as well. So if you're looking to start singing or rapping, or even recording something like acoustic guitar, I definitely think the Sandberg Studio Pro Microphone USB is a solid choice for beginners. Also, the fact that there's no software included with the Studio Pro isn't really a strike against it since any adjustments in dedicated software are essentially just window dressing. Any piece of recording software lets you change the bitrate, levels, etc., either during recording or after.




Conclusion

To sum it all up, let us draw the line and say who and why should consider getting this particular microphone. Sandberg Studio Pro Microphone USB is made to handle things like podcasting & voiceovers, working great for any conference calls, and of course singing and playing instruments. You'll get all that with near professional quality and simplest possible setup. Unlike other studio mics, you won't need any special equipment like preamplifiers, etc. That makes it very easy to use with any computer or even laptop, as all you have to do is just plug it on and you're ready to go. For voice recording, such as for a podcast, the Studio Pro is ideal. Its plug-and-play design makes it versatile, so you can use it with basically any computer, even if you're bringing it along to use with an unfamiliar computer. Sound quality is also crystal clear for recording video voiceovers. It's about as good as it gets without adding mixers into the equation. Direct headphone output is also a very useful feature. It is still possible to hear yourself without it. That is by mapping the microphone through your PC back to your headphones or speakers, but that method is highly impractical. This seemingly unimportant feature will help you save from buying another piece of equipment that does exactly that. My only criticism, really, is the size and weight.



Overall, the Sandberg Studio Pro Microphone USB surprised me for a USB microphone. Even though the Sandberg Studio Pro Microphone USB doesn't come with many features at all, I think it's greatest strength is its plug and play simplicity, followed by its impressive sound quality and detail. It costs more (USD 118.99), but it's 5 years guarantee, sheer versatility and high recording quality make it a good investment.