U1

So a bit of back story. I'm a drummer and was in need of something to get a decent to good room recording. Where I have my kit set up at home, I don't have the means to do a proper studio mic set up. Nor the mixers, programs, so on needed for such. So I started looking into USB microphones. Something to simply record the audio along with video. My band is writing new songs and I wanted an easy way to lay down ideas to see what works best before we meet back up. I have known of CAD microphones for numerous years, so they seemed like a solid choice as it's a name that has been in the game and known for quality affordable gear. I have to say that this really went beyond what I expected. I'm going to invest in another for the other side of the room for a fuller recording, but wow. At no point was it overwhelmed by any drums or cymbals. Picked up every drum clearly and did exactly what I needed. No, I didn't get the highest end recording I could get if I invested serious funds. But I got more than enough. It's a simple just plug it in and turn it on so anyone can do it. If you want a way to record yourself at home be it drums, guitar, so on, and you don't have funds for a home studio. This is a viable option.

I wanted a better microphone for my online tutorials, but I didn't want to spend a whole lot. I give tips and ideas to those who cannot afford much, so while shopping around on Amazon, I came across this mic. The description said it was professional, so I thought I'd give it a try. When it arrived, I was pleased at the appearance, and even the weight! I looked and felt like a higher-end professional microphone! I couldn't wait to start using it. My excitement however was short lived, because after my first recording, I heard more buzzing, whining, and even thumping sounds, more than my voice. I re-read the instructions that came with the mic, and even checked online for a solution, all of which did me no good. When I finally found the time to check my settings, and do a few additional things, I can get excited again, as I seemed to have gotten rid of most of the bad sounds. A few of the things I needed to do was to turn off my desk lamp and desktop speakers, as they caused an interference. For Windows 7, I also found that in Control Panel, go to Hardware and Sound, then left-click on C-Media USB Audio device, then on Sound settings. Then click on the Recording tab, then on Microphone C-media Audio device to highlight that, then on properties. Choose the Levels tab, and the best ranges are from 60 to 70 and nothing beyond. Then choose the advanced tab, and instead of CD quality, choose DVD quality. Then in the Custom tab, the box next to AGC is checked by default, so click on that to uncheck the box, then select Apply and ok. Then if you have a desktop and/or speakers, turn those off, and everything should be fine! I was really surprised by not only the quality, but the price! Awesome microphone, at an awesome price, and more than excellent for beginner's on a budget. Another product that I will highly recommend on my website to my viewers!!! Addition, I do recommend a pack of those windscreen foam covers!

REVIEW EDIT:So I had ordered a NEEWER Microphone Suspension Boom Scissor Arm Stand, and used it with this mic. It allowed the microphone to sit closer to my face, which in turn, has allowed me to use the microphone with a volume input of about 40 in the Windows microphone settings. This reduction in input volume makes the noise a LOT lower than when the input is at full volume. It makes it so the white noise problem has faded out, and is barely noticeable. The sound quality is still superb, so I'll give it 4 stars, since I had to spend a total of $45 to get the mic and stand to get it closer. If you already have a mic stand that can get it within 6 inches of your face, then I recommend this microphone. If you have nothing, and are looking at finding a microphone, I'd suggest looking elsewhere first. This microphone is still spectacular except for the white noise issue.Also, I've been talking with CAD support about this over the past week, and they have been very polite and quick to respond. Even after I specified that I wasn't looking to get a replacement, or trying to get anything for free, they still offered to trade me up to a U37 if I pay shipping costs (still debating whether I want to). I definitely give a 5-star rating to the customer support at CAD, and will definitely look to purchasing their products in the future should the need arise.==============================(ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOW)==============================(I bought the Black Edition - CAD u4F model, not the original CAD U1 mic)This microphone is a great microphone with one condition: Assuming you can get it connected without the white noise that plagues mine. Without the white noise, this microphone has absolutely fantastic recording quality for $25.I do have Adobe Audition, so for recordings it's pretty easy to get the white noise out of the way without hindering my voice barely at all. However, for non-recording situations (streaming, Skype, or just talking to other people in general) the interference can't be avoided. All the reviews said this microphone was great, and I believed them. And you know what? It is. It is a fantastic microphone for $25 that I bought it for. The ONLY problem I have is the interference. And it isn't from the microphone itself, because even with it muted, the noise/interference remains, so it has to be coming from the cable or connection to my computer. I've tried every USB port on my desktop PC, I've tried a few different laptops, and the same noise follows it. I've also used it in 2 cities 5 hours apart, and nothing changed. So I've come to the conclusion that it's the cable.Trying to solve this, I bought a 5-pack of Ferrite Choke Clamps here on Amazon. They fit wonderfully snug on the cable (5mm chokes for the 4.5mm cable). But they do absolutely nothing to lessen the interference (which sometimes is coupled with a very faint radio signal). Before the chokes, I looked all throughout my settings for ways to lessen the interference, but couldn't find ANY settings outside of simple input volume control in my settings. This microphone registers as a Generic USB Plug-n-Play Microphone on Windows 7, and so it has none of the settings that earlier reviews mentioned. Lowering the volume does lessen the noise, but it also lessens my voice on the mic as well, meaning I'd have to be talking from 2 inches away to maintain the same volume as before.Maybe different materials are used in the manufacturing now, like maybe the cable isn't shielded as well. It's not unheard of for products to manufactured a little cheaper later in life-cycles. All I know is, if there were no white noise interference, this microphone would EASILY be worth the money because the recording quality otherwise is absolutely fantastic. I'll honestly keep using it because it doesn't personally seem worth it to have paid for this and then pay $50 for another mic that doesn't have reports of this issue. If I had known this was un-solvable before I bought it, I probably would have just ponied up the extra cash and gone with the CAD U37 or Blue Snowball.