Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Condenser USB Microphone Review

Introduction

Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Condenser USB Microphone is one of the best microphones in the market today. It is specially designed to offer the best results because it is highly versatile. For this reason, one can easily use for recording in the field, podcasting, recording in the studio and efficient voice over purposes.

It is a highly functional microphone that one can use efficiently with a wide range of computers including Mac computers and with different windows operation systems. Moreover, the microphone is designed to function seamlessly with different recording software.

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For this reason, you can always choose your favorite software that suits your personal needs and requirements best. The microphone comes with a commendable frequency response of 20Hz to 16Hz. This is custom made to provide more flexibility when using it and to ensure accurate quality and clear sounds.

In this relevance, users can rest assured of quality sounds irrespective of the source. The microphone also has an amazing ability to capture clear sounds in different recording environments even if there is some little distortion. Moreover, you can always position the microphone in an ideal recording position because it comes with a highly functional stand mount.

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Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Condenser USB Microphone Features

• Studio condenser that comes with Mac and Windows compatible USB outputs
• Low mass diaphragm that is custom made to allow for enhanced frequency response
• Has a cardioid polar pattern specially designed to eliminate skip up sound from rear and sides
• High quality digital recording equipment
• Natural podcasting crystal clear sound feature that allows for home, studio and field recording
• Has transient response system
• Up to 20 kHz wide frequency response that allows for clear recording irrespective of the source of sound

Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Condenser USB Microphone Reviews

Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Condenser USB Microphone is simply an incredible microphone. You can easily record high quality sounds in different recording environs. It comes with a low mass diaphragm that is designed with a cardioids polar pattern and this plays a crucial role in providing an ambient recording environment for crystal clear sound recording. Additionally, it has an amazing USB connector that allows you to connect to you Mac computers more efficiently.

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The microphone is also a high quality product that allows for safe recording. It is designed in accordance with market standards therefore, when using it; you can rest assured of reliable and dependable services. What’s more, it comes in a state of the art design that makes a statement from the word go. It also has a storage pouch for proper storage when not in use.

The Nady SP-4C is definitely not an expensive microphone by any standard! At under $15 it’s probably one of the cheaper mics out there. The great thing is though that if you just need it for regular use then it’s actually a pretty good little mic.

Click Here for our best price and to read a ton more user reviews on the Nady SP-4C Dynamic Microphone!

Nady SP-4C Dynamic Microphone Features:

• Linear full-range response with crisp mid-range presence for optimal clarity and punch a perfect all-purpose, versatile stage and recording mic
• Rugged, all-metal construction for maximum reliability featuring a zinc die-cast case and steel mesh windscreen with anti-dent ring
• Powerful neodymium mic element for highest output without noise cuts through the loudest sound pressure level situations without compromising sound
• Ultra-light aluminum humbucking voice coil & transformerless design, accurate reproduction across the audio spectrum without distortion
• Tight cardioid polar pattern provides excellent off-axis rejection for superior gain before feedback

The Reviews

So aside from the manufacturers info what are people actually saying about this microphone? Quite simply most people who have purchased it love it!

Out of 50 reviews on Amazon.com there were 30 five stars and 10 four stars! Not too bad for a $15 mic!

We were very surprised to learn that this is an XLR microphone at this price and although it comes with an XLR to Quarter Inch you can easily pickup an XLR-XLR for a few bucks and have a fully functional stage mic.

Reviewers have used the Nady SP-4C Dynamic Microphone for recording as well as for band practices with one musician saying that he was very impressed with the sound considering the price. He said that it makes a perfect backup microphone because you can buy a couple for very reasonable prices and not have to worry about them getting smashed around at rowdier gigs!

The major complaint with this microphone has been with the cable and this is not very surprising. For $15 they had to skimp somewhere and the cable is it. But with a good cable like the one found here you can easily have a great microphone for a very reasonable price!

Click Here to purchase the Nady SP-4C Dynamic Microphone.

My 1 Year Zoom H4n Review

Hey there, and welcome to my 1 year updated Zoom H4n Review. I’ve wrote a few other reviews on the Zoom H4n in the past but it’s been a year so I thought I’d let everyone know how it’s been going!

Since purchasing the Zoom H4n at the beginning of March 2010, the amount of different things that I’ve used this recorder for has been really quite surprising. I bought it originally to use as a way to record my practice sessions (guitar) and have since used it for voiceovers, capturing my student recital, skype microphone, interview/lecture recorder and even to capture noises outdoors to use in an “art-music” project. Not to mention a great number of pretty professional sounding demos on my Classical Guitar.

Every now and then you grab a tech gadget that actually helps you out more than it is just cool to look at and the H4n is one of these products. To put it as simple as possible, “This Thing Just Works”. And that’s the truth.

So what do I like most about the H4N?

Personally I love the quality of sound that you can get with this recorder. That is definitely number 1. It captures really lifelike sound that is perfect for recording guitars/band practices/concerts or interviews that you can then easily drop down to your computer with the ease of a memory stick.

When you combine the great sound with the simplicity of use, thats when you get a real winner. I’m not very “techy” when it comes to recordings. I have friends who like to get down into the nitty gritty of frequencies and all that but NOT ME. I just want to turn on, press record and go. This is exactly what the H4n does.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure you can spend hours or even days tweaking the on-board settings and mic placements to get the perfect sound you’re after if that’s your thing. But if you aren’t into all of that stuff this thing will make an excellent recording right out of the box.

I also really like the construction of the H4n. It feels like a real piece of equipment, not some toy. It’s solid, it’s got some weight and the rubberized coating looks and feels very cool. So far I’ve managed to drop it off my desk (just the once!) directly onto the mics and no damage done! Amazing really.

It also came with some really good accessories like the microphone clip and a simple plastic case which just makes life easier.

What about what I don’t like?

Honestly, there isn’t very much that I don’t like about the Zoom H4n.

It takes a long time to boot-up! We’re talking close to a minute. That’s kind of a pain in the butt sometimes but nothing that would make me not recommend the unit.

I would’ve really liked to see a screen around the mics too. They got this right on the first H4 but for some reason decided against it in the H4n release. Apparently it would be too hard to position the adjustable microphones with a protective screen but I don’t really buy it. They could’ve made it big enough to protect the mics and still get your fingers in there to move them around.

Other than that there really isn’t too much to not like about the H4n.

1 Year Later

So after a year, it’s still going strong and I’m still very happy with my purchase. If you’re looking for a good portable recorder that is a notch above the cheaper voice recorders than I would highly recommend looking at the Zoom H4n Digital Recorder!

Hope you enjoyed my review!

Boss DS-1 For Sale:

Hey Guys, thought I’d write up a quick Boss DS-1 Review since I just grabbed one a few weeks back. 

For those of you who’ve been playing electric guitar for awhile you know that it’s one of the most common distortion pedals out there. With pretty good reason, as the Boss DS-1 is one of the most versatile distortion pedals avaiable today.

There is a catch however, because this pedal is so easily usable for different styles, it seldom “shines” in any particular style.

As far as controls go, it couldn’t get much simpler, 3 knobs consisting of Tone, Volume, and Distortion. Pretty easy to dial in a usable tone without much hassle.

The DS-1 truly shines when plugged into a loud, tube amplifier. Because the distortion circuit is so simple, the pedal does best when accenting/adding distortion to an already great tone from the amplifier. You’ll be less satisifed with this pedal if you are running it through a cheaper amp although you can really help thinks by getting a cheap compressor unit to go along with it (highly recommended).

Click Here for the best place to buy the Boss DS-1 online and SAVE over 50% off of retail!

Overall I love this pedal. I’ve owned several in the past and they always end up finding their way back to my rig. They’re inexpensive, build as solid as they come, and when combined with a good amplifier sound absolutely awesome.

Please click here if you want to find out more details about pricing and specifications or other user reviews and check out this Boss DS-1 Wikipedial Article for more detailed information about the circuit board and construction.

Cool Video Review I found:

I’m a classical guitarist with a university degree and 16 years experience and I’ve owned and played a ton of different guitars over the years, wost recently having gone through a slew of classical nylon string guitars.

After moving to the city and living in some shall we say “rather small” apartments I soon became aware that as beautiful as classical guitar is, most neighbors don’t care to hear it for hours upon hours each night, especially when your practicing scales or arpeggios!

Click Here for the best price available on the Yamaha Silent Guitar – Steel String

Click Here for the best price available on the Yamaha Silent Guitar – Nylon String

Enter the Yamaha Silent Guitar – SLG100N. A guitar that gives you a huge sound through head-phones or an amplifier while sounding no louder than an unplugged electric guitar. “Guaranteed to improve your neighborly relations!” (not a guarantee!)

My Likes

Ok, let me just say right away that I love this little guitar. It has made my life (as well as my girlfriends and my neighbors) much more enjoyable! If you like to practice later in the evening and don’t have the luxury of a room that is sound proofed so you won’t bother anyone, this is the guitar for you.

I love the fact that I can just carry a simple pair of headphones around with me and practice wherever I like. I love the fact that I can plug it directly into my Zoom H4n recorder and record my practice sessions as well!  Overall the sound is very nice and with the built in treble/bass/mid and reverb controls you can dial in a very usable classical guitar sound that is perfect for practicing.

The guitar achieves a nice dynamic range is and is also very responsive when changing colors between the bridge and the neck  (between ponte cello and sol tasto for you classical guys).  It’s very easy to play and although it looks like it would be awkward when sitting in a normal classical position I have not found this to be the case at all.

It should also be noted that this guitar comes apart. Yep, you read that right… you can literally break this guitar down for easy traveling and/or storage, great for business trips or gigging. This is probably the biggest selling feature for a lot of people who travel a lot on business. Everyone knows that taking a guitar on an airline can be a huge pain in the butt and this way you don’t have to contend with your neighbors who are trying to get some sleep in the room next to you!

My Dislikes

Ok, these aren’t really dislikes but I feel that I should make a few things clear about this guitar. The most obvious being: It is not a true acoustic classical guitar! If you think it’s going to reproduce the tone of a nice hand-built nylon string then you are looking in the wrong place. This is a practice guitar and should be treated this way. For this reason I don’t gig with it, I’m not saying you couldn’t gig with it, but personally when I’m in front of an audience, nothing beats the tone and warmth of a real acoustic instrument.

Dislike #2: I would like to see a bit more response in the bass. I usually have to have my bass control dialed quite high in order to get the bass response that I like and I think a bit more could be done in terms of the pickup/EQ system to give just a bit more realistic bass response. But again, this is a minor gripe and the bass is definitely not so bad as to make it a deal breaker by any means. Maybe we’ll see a little more response in an updated version, who knows?

Click Here for the best price available on the Yamaha Silent Guitar – Steel String

Click Here for the best price available on the Yamaha Silent Guitar – Nylon String

Overall

If you travel, if you practice late at night, if you just like cool new toys, than the Yamaha Silent Guitar SLG100N is the right guitar for you! Now that I have mine I couldn’t go without it and I’m sure you’ll feel the same way. Please keep in mind that while I reviewed the Nylon string version, I have played the steel-string version as well and the performance is essentially the same! Good luck in your search and I hope you enjoyed my Yamaha silent guitar review!

Hey Guys,

I thought for my latest post I’d write a Yamaha Acoustic Guitar review.

I’ve owned a ton of Yamaha Acoustic Guitars over the years and I would just like to take some time to mention the ones I’ve found to be awesome and the ones I’ve found to be not so great!

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned vet, there is certainly a Yamaha Acoustic Guitar out there that will suit your needs.

Well Respected Brand

On the whole Acoustic Guitars by Yamaha have been recognized for years as being excellent value for the money. While sometimes not regarded as the best sounding acoustic instruments available they are often thought of as some of the most reliable sounding instruments out there. Meaning that when it comes to purchasing a guitar online, you can rest assured that Yamaha’s excellent quality control will ensure that you get a good sounding instrument that is easy to play.

Perfect Beginner Guitars

For the beginner I would highly recommend a Yamaha acoustic guitar for your first instrument. These guitars have withstood the test of time when it comes to quality control and you are almost guaranteed to end up with a quality instrument that will provide you with years of enjoyment. I’ve been playing guitar for almost 16 years and my practice guitar of choice is still my old Yamaha classical guitar; It’s sat on the stand in my living room for quite a few years and has never warped or cracked and still sounds as good as the day I bought it.

Beginner Steel String (Pop/Rock/Country)

If you’re looking for a steel string guitar then I would recommend the Yamaha FG700S. While I don’t own one personally a number of my students do and it’s definitely a great starter guitar that you won’t out grow over night.

Click Here for more information and user reviews of the Yamaha FG700S. This guitar has received top marks from many different consumer reports websites and I would highly recommend it over the other Chinese made junk that is out there these days.

Beginner Nylon String (Classical/Folk)

For nylon string guitars it’s pretty hard to beat the deals that Yamaha offers. I’ve owned and used a variety including a CG-4 and I currently have a C-40 which at the time I bought it was less than a hundred bucks! Unbelievable really!

Click Here for more information and user reviews on the Yamaha C-40.

For under $150 you really can’t go wrong with the C-40. If you’re just starting out playing classical guitar or you just like the sound of nylon strings you won’t be disappointed.

Intermediate – Advanced Yamaha Acoustic Guitars

I’ve also played some of their high-end hand-built classical models extensively and while I wouldn’t recommend them to a concert guitarist, for someone who is looking to make a good investment in the $1000-2000 dollar range these guitars will definitely stand-up against some of the Spanish made counter-parts like Ramirez and Rodriguez.

For steel strings I’ve owned a variety of the Compass series guitars which were all excellent save for one minor issue; With one of my Compass series guitars (the CPX4 I believe) the bridge started to lift away from the sound board. I simply contacted Yamaha via email, was told where to send the guitar and in 3 weeks a brand new replacement was shipped directly to me, pretty hard to beat that for customer service!

Click Here to view specs and reviews on a wide variety of Yamaha Acoustic Guitars

A Great Choice

In closing and just to reiterate – The Yamaha Acoustic Guitar is known throughout the industry as one of the most reliable guitars for the money that you can buy and the Yamaha name is renowned for it’s customer service. If you’re thinking about purchasing one as a beginner or an advanced player don’t hesitate, you won’t be disappointed! Cheers and I hope you found some useful information in my Yamaha Acoustic Guitar Review!

Hey, my name is Derek and I’ve been asked to write a guest review on the Epiphone Les Paul Standard for my friends here at mymusiciansparadise.com.

I’ve been playing guitar for over 15 years and I have owned many different guitars including a few Les Pauls, both from Gibson and Epiphone.

The Epiphone Les Paul Standard is basically your typical Les Paul. Mahogany body, rosewood fingerboard with ebony inlays, pickguard, tune-o-matic bridge and of course the dual hum-bucking pickups.

Typical finish for the Les Paul is a ‘burst’ style in a few different colors but you can also get them solid as well as translucent. Chrome hardware is the norm but you will occasionally see gold and sometimes black (my favorite).

Click Here for more details on the Epiphone Les Paul Standard

I’ve been asked quite a few different questions about my Les Paul’s over the years. Especially the Epiphone because everyone wants to compare to a true Gibson! Here are a few of the most common questions I’ve been asked and my honest answers:

“How does it compare to the Gibson Les Paul?”

Ok, this is definitely the most common question I’ve heard from people looking to buy and Epiphone Les Paul. The fact of the matter is, if you drop a few thousand bucks on a Gibson as opposed to an Epi, you’re going to end up with a nicer guitar. There is just no getting around it!

However, if you’re on a budget, or you are just looking for a really nice guitar that won’t completely break the bank then the Epiphone Les Paul Standard is as close as you’re going to get to a real Gibson and at what? 1/4 the price?

“How Does It Sound?”

This guitar sounds exactly like a Les Paul should. For those of you who haven’t played a Les Paul before, they have a totally unique sound and character that has made them a legend and has also made them among some of the most commonly played guitars on the planet.

While it’s hard to describe the feel/sound of a Les Paul in words, the first thing you should do is think totally opposite of the Fender Stratocaster. Where the Fender Strat is usually described as “bright” and “twangy” the Les Paul could be described as “Dark” and “Punchy”.

With beautiful crunchy rhythm tones from the bridge pick-up and a creamy singing lead sound from the neck pick-up the Epiphone Les Paul Standard definitely lives up to the Les Paul name. And the beauty of this guitar is that it is so well constructed, if you aren’t completely satisfied with the stock pickups, swap them out for some original Gibson PAFs and you have a guitar that is nearly identical to a true Gibson at a fraction of the cost!

“How about the fit and finish?”

My Epiphone Les Paul Standard played great out of the box, intonation was great, frets nicely dressed, and no cosmetic flaws that I could detect at all! Epiphone really seem to have done their homework in this area and they are offering a very nice product for the money.

Like I said earlier it really is hard to tell the difference between this guitar and my original Gibson Les Paul standard, aside from maybe the overall weight. (Keep in mind that Les Pauls are HEAVY guitars and the Epiphone is no different!).

A Great Electric Guitar

Click Here to browse a variety of Epiphone Les Pauls and read what other users are saying about theirs.

Overall if you’re in the market for a Les Paul than I would highly recommend an Epiphone. If you have lots of extra cash, by all means, grab a Gibson, but for anyone else this is a great guitar to both play and admire! I hope you found this review useful and please don’t hesitate to use the link above and start shopping for a new Epiphone Les Paul Standard!

I’ll be straight up with you guys, I am a Taylor fan and it’s no different with the Taylor 814ce. Some people find them to be too generic, but personally I love their sound. It’s crisp, clean and it does what you want it to do, no BS. I’ve owned several Taylors over the past 5 years or so, including the GC-4 and the Taylor 414.  I’ve played the Taylor 814ce in numerous environments and have been more than happy overall.

The Taylor 814ce

This guitar is typical Taylor in every way. Sitka Spruce top, Rosewood back and sides, Ebony fret-board, nice construction overall but nothing too flashy… And that’s why I love Taylor guitars: They do what they’re supposed to do! The Taylor 814ce is well balanced throughout the register, is a dream to play and has a nice full-bodied sound. I keep trying to come up with a way to describe the Taylor acoustic sound, it’s not loud but it’s definitely not quiet either, present would probably be the best way to describe it. You know it’s there but it’s certainly not overbearing when playing with other instruments and is able to completely fill a room or a stage when played solo.

The cutaway is an excellent design feature of the Taylor 814ce as it is particularly suited for flat picking and solo lines. Being able to get up to those higher frets without having to do a finger dance over top of the sound board is an excellent feature no doubt!

Now while the Taylor 814ce shines as a purely acoustic instrument it absolutely explodes when plugged into an acoustic amp or PA system. The expression system is absolutely fantastic in it’s reproduction of pure acoustic sound and in my opinion is probably the best on the market today aside from the real high-end custom built stuff. Full on board control helps you take care of any volume or feedback issues when you’re on stage.

I use all my Taylor guitars with some form of acoustic amplification. You could use an electric guitar amp but sticking to an amp that has been designed with acoustic frequencies in mind is going to give you a much better sound. Currently I’m using a Fender Acoustasonic 30watt wedge but have also used and enjoyed gear from Crate and Behringer. Both of which do an excellent job of reproducing acoustic sound through speakers.

Some excellent acoustic guitar amps for the Taylor 814ce:

The Man Doyle Dykes on his Taylor

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As always we strive to provide the best quality information at MyMusiciansParadise.com. If you have comments, complaints or suggestions please leave them below and we will respond promptly. We are always interested in having our users do a guest post review so please contact us if this is something you would be interested in!

Cheers! And enjoy your new Taylor 814ce!