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analog to digital converter for mic to FCPX
I need to go from a mic with analog out to USB in on my 2017 iMac, where Apple inconveniently has removed the audio in port. This is to do voice over in FCPX. Yes, I can do so with a Blue Snowball mic, but want to got to a higher quality mic. The Apple store lists an Apogee One solution for $350 but that seems ridiculously expensive. At the other end are analog to USB sound cards for about $12.00. Experience or advice?
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6 Replies
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I can highly recommend the Audio-Technica AT2020USBi Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone which sounds every bit as good as my AT4033a costing 2x as much. I own both and honestly, I can hear the difference but not by much. The AT2020USBi is the USB / Lightening version of their AT2020 mic. It records at 24 bit/96 kHz and is an amazing mic for the price.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasstsoftware.com -
A cheap-ish XLR to USB adapter will certainly work. I don’t own one but I’ve heard good things about the Shure, Swamp Industries, and Blue Icicle ones. Certainly they won’t be any worse than the old analog audio input that the Macs used to have – ugh.
I personally use an AVID Fastrack Duo for audio in and out, and from personal experience I’d also the recommend the Presonus and Focusrite equivalents. Even the Behringer one is good if you’re on a budget.
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Jeff Kirkland | Video Producer & Cinematographer
Hobart, Tasmania | Twitter: @jeffkirkland -
What you need is a small “audio interface.” There are many companies out there that make them. On the plus side, the converters built into these things are often much better quality than the “jacks” in our computers. Less noise too.
You can pick these up for second hand, but new ones are relatively affordable too. To get you started, try looking at Focusrite, Audient, https://www.m-audio.com“>M-Audio, Presonus and Waves.
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[Jeff Kirkland] “I’ve heard good things about the Shure, Swamp Industries, and Blue Icicle ones.”
If you just want an interface, I own a Blue Icicle and it gets the job done but it’s made of cheap plastic and feels very flimsy which I don’t like. I use the iRig Pro from IK Multimedia on a lot of my tutorials that I do for Boris FX. They also have a cheaper iRig HD 2. The nice thing about the iRig is that they work with both Mac and iPad/iPhone which I use for recording as well. Finally, I also have an M-Audio Fast Track Pro USB which does an excellent job but I can no longer recommend M-Audio in good conscience because they seem to abandon their hardware quire regularly by not supply drivers for newer OS’s. I have a perfectly good M-Audio Firewire 410 that is still in great operating condition but M-Audio doesn’t supply drivers for anything newer than OS X Snow Leopard! So do not buy M-Audio! They will abandon you.
BTW, if the mic you intent to use is a condenser mic that requires 48v phantom power (and why wouldn’t you?) be sure that whatever interface you buy can supply 48v phantom. All of the interfaces that I mentioned above do.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasstsoftware.com -
Thanks for all the suggestions. In the end I went for an iRig Pro Duo (not exactly the cheap option at $169) but it is supposed to have really good pre amps and isn’t much more than the iRig Pro single channel. It is compact and portable, if I ever need that. It also can work with an iPhone, if I ever need that. I tested my Rode NTG4+ with my older H4n Zoom and that worked, because the mic output is high enough to get over the lousy pre amps, but I want to go straight into FXPX and not be flipping sd cards in and out. The iRig comes in some days.
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I love my iRig Pro. It’s my goto audio interface for my MacBook Pro and my iPad Pro. I mostly use it with my Audio-Technica AT899 Subminiature Omnidirectional Condenser Lavalier Microphone which works really well while I’m recording tutorials.
Let us know how you like the Duo.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasstsoftware.com
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