Cashing in on the meteoric rise of the ‘content creation’ industry – podcasts, YouTube, Twitch, etc – the USB microphone market has exploded in the last few years, with every mic manufacturer now offering at least one USB model in their broader catalogue. This is great news for music producers, as the merging of microphone, preamp and audio interface, complete with headphone monitoring, into a single USB-connected and -powered unit realises the ultimate in digital recording convenience. Here are six of our top picks, covering a range of price points.

Editor’s Keys SL600 MK2

The flagship in Editor’s Keys’ Studio Series of USB microphones, the SL600 certainly stands out with its black body and bold orange grille. A large (34mm) diaphragm condenser, it connects to your Mac or PC via USB-A, and is class compliant, meaning no drivers need to be installed – just plug it in and get recording. The internal audio interface captures and outputs at 16-bit, with a frequency response of 30Hz-18kHz, and can handle up to 130dB of input SPL.

On the outside, a 3.5mm headphone minijack enables zero-latency monitoring of both the mic input and the output of your DAW, and there are knobs for controlling mic gain and headphone volume level, as well as -10dB pad and high-pass filter switches.

Easy to use and sounding considerably better than the price tag might suggest, the SL600 MK2 is a tidy package. Check out our article Using USB Mics With Pro Tools On A Mac

PreSonus Revelator Dynamic

With it’s uncanny similarity to one of the most beloved radio and podcaster mics, the PreSonus Revelator Dynamic offers a familiar design with some extra magic. PreSonus have taken their PD-70 microphone and given some smart software to make it easy to use without compromising on quality.

Connectivity is provided by USB-C and it offers audio settings of up to 96 kHz / 24-bit operation for pristine audio recording. A built-in headphone amp for low-latency monitoring is included which is perfect for those who don’t want to get tied up in knots trying to figure out setting up low latency monitoring via the DAW.

The included software mixer offers easy set up of EQ, compression and more and included loopback settings for podcasters and YouTubers. Also included is a generous bundle of software including Studio One Artist DAW and Studio Magic software bundle.

Antelope Audio Axino Synergy Core

Antelope’s large diaphragm condenser USB mic sets itself apart from the others here with an onboard FPGA chip (that’s the Synergy Core bit) powering two distinct headline features. The first is the ability to model no less than 18 classic dynamic, tube and FET microphones, including various Neumanns, the SM7B, the RE20 and the C12, to name but a few. The second is a library of ten built-in effects (EQ, compression, de-essing, reverb, etc) with which the signal can be shaped and glamourised for monitoring (via the minijack headphone out) and/or recording.

The benefits of the mic modelling are obvious, but the main draw of the effects over those in your DAW is that they (and, indeed, the mic modelling) apply their processing at effectively-zero latency, since the heavy lifting is done by the DSP silicon in the mic, rather than in software on the host computer. All of this good stuff is controlled by a handsome and intuitive Mac/PC app, which also takes care of signal routing, mixing and audio loopback; and many more add-on effects modules are available in the Antelope Audio store.

Beyond that, the Axino Synergy Core is a well-appointed USB mic in every department, from the gold-sputtered diaphragm and high-quality 192kHz internal audio interface, to the volume knob, -10dB pad switch and high-pass filter. It’s a brilliant mic at a very competitive (given the stellar feature set) price, and you can find out more about it in Luke Goddard’s recent appraisal.

IK Multimedia iRig Mic Studio

One of the first serious USB microphones to make it to market, IK’s large diaphragm condenser packs a lot of technology into its dinky external casing. The 1” back electret capsule helps to keep the size down while still qualifying in itself as ‘large’, and the audio interface facilitates recording at 24-bit, 44.1/48kHz quality (20Hz-20kHz, 133dB maximum SPL), and provides latency-free monitoring through the usual minijack headphone output. Separate headphone volume and input gain knobs are as handy as ever, and the latter benefits greatly from the implementation of a metering LED that runs through green and orange to red as the signal heats up.

The iRig Mic Studio uses Micro-USB for its connection, and Lightning, USB-A and USB-C cables are included in the box, catering to iPhone and iPad as well as Mac and PC. In use, it’s a solid and versatile performer with a notably low noise floor and impressive sensitivity, and – if it matters – quality mics simply don’t get any smaller and more portable.

AKG Lyra

With its eye-catching retro-modernist design and compelling pro audio pedigree, AKG’s top-tier USB microphone sounds every bit as good as it looks. Audio interfacing is at up to 24-bit/192kHz; zero-latency monitoring is supplied at the minijack headphone out; dedicated knobs control input gain and headphone volume; and there’s even a Mute button for silencing the mic without affecting DAW monitoring. The included desk stand is hefty and purposeful, although it can of course be detached from the cradle for mounting the mic on a regular stand.

Perhaps most interestingly, the Lyra houses four independent back-electret capsules under its grille (dubbed the ‘Adaptive Array’), which can be configured (by turning the stepped Mic Capture Mode Selector dial) to define four polar patterns. The ‘Front’ pattern is cardioid; ‘Front & Back’ is omnidirectional; ‘Tight Stereo’ captures a stereo signal from the front only; and ‘Wide Stereo’ takes in the front and back in stereo. This gives AKG’s groovy self-contained microphone/preamp/interface a sizeable advantage when it comes to situational flexibility, and puts it in an operational space of its own.

Apogee HypeMiC

The unique selling point of this one is its integrated analogue compression circuitry, reducing the dynamic range of the input signal in order to get it sounding punchier and more present right at source. Three preset compressor settings – low, medium and high ratio – are stepped through by pressing the input gain knob, and although many producers might shudder at the idea of baking compression into their raw recordings, rather than applying it non-destructively after the fact, Apogee have done a fantastic job of calibrating the effect, and the convenience factor is unarguable.

Another feature worth mentioning is the Blend knob, which lets you set your desired mix of DAW signal and zero-latency mic input for presentation at the minijack headphone output on the bottom of the barrel.

As you’d expect from Apogee, the build quality and specifications of the HypeMiC are well up to scratch, with connection to Mac, PC or iOS device made via Micro USB at the mic end, recording done at up to 24-bit/96kHz, and a helpful trio of multicolour LEDs providing feedback on input level, compression and more. Slick, classy and palpably ‘premium’.

Do you use USB microphones in your studio, or are you an XLR-bound analogue die-hard? Let us know in the comments.