Someone explain

[Crankeli]

Can someone tell me what's the difference between the Audio Technica ATR2500x-USB microphone and the ATR2500-USB microphone, (same thing but without the x and i've also realized it appears in silver colour, rather than the black one on the 2500x) because I am looking foward into buying the 2500x, but then i saw, that there was also a 2500 and I got confused.

[Xenojiiva]

Only two difference between these is 

 

Sample Rate

ATR2500X

44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 / 192 kHz

Limited Lifetime Warranty

AT2020

44.1 kHz
48 kHz

Limited 2-Year Warranty

[The Flying Sloth]

Don't worry about it, difference is negligable and neither are great, if personally recommend a Samson Q2U or AT2005 so that if the USB section dies you at least have XLR as a backup.

[Crankeli]

4 hours ago, The Flying Sloth said:

Don't worry about it, difference is negligable and neither are great, if personally recommend a Samson Q2U or AT2005 so that if the USB section dies you at least have XLR as a backup. 

I dont even have an audio interface and I just dont like how dynamic mics look like - their design.

[artuc]

38 minutes ago, Crankeli said:

I dont even have an audio interface and I just dont like how dynamic mics look like - their design.

Aesthetics should be the bottom of the list, not the top.

 

Also there are plenty of dynamics that don't Iook like a Shure SM58...

[H713]

The problem with USB microphones is that the drivers and USB interfaces are complete crap. They work fine at first, but they become glitchy and unreliable as time goes on. I'm not 100% sure why, I suspect it's a combination of shoddy built quality and really bad drivers. Unfortunately these problems are incredibly difficult to solve.

 

By contrast, issues with analog microphones (which usually use an XLR connector) are much less common and usually much easier to troubleshoot. Dynamic microphones especially are incredibly simple and practically bulletproof. Usually by the time an SM57 stops working, it also looks like it got run over by a reindeer.

[rice guru]

7 hours ago, artuc said:

Aesthetics should be the bottom of the list, not the top.

 

Also there are plenty of dynamics that don't Iook like a Shure SM58...

I'm his previous post he was talking about streaming. Unfortunately if you want the generic streamer look you need your mic within frame probably in front of your face so aesthetics do matter kind of. I mean you look at tyler one  and his mic and aesthetics sound bad but that doesn't  matter so I guess I'm just proving any point I wanna make wrong with him.

 

[Crankeli]

12 hours ago, artuc said:

Aesthetics should be the bottom of the list, not the top.

 

Also there are plenty of dynamics that don't Iook like a Shure SM58..

Dont even know how it looks lol. A guy just recommended me the ATR2100x but I dont like how it looks on the stand. Its kinda cringe

[Crankeli]

11 hours ago, H713 said:

The problem with USB microphones is that the drivers and USB interfaces are complete crap. They work fine at first, but they become glitchy and unreliable as time goes on. I'm not 100% sure why, I suspect it's a combination of shoddy built quality and really bad drivers. Unfortunately these problems are incredibly difficult to solve.

 

By contrast, issues with analog microphones (which usually use an XLR connector) are much less common and usually much easier to troubleshoot. Dynamic microphones especially are incredibly simple and practically bulletproof. Usually by the time an SM57 stops working, it also looks like it got run over by a reindeer.

Are you trying to say that every usb mic becomes bad after time??

[H713]

8 hours ago, Crankeli said:

Are you trying to say that every usb mic becomes bad after time??

First, digital protocols like USB tend to have a pretty short lifespan, at least in comparison to analog standards that can remain in use for upwards of 70 years. In general, however, USB microphones tend to live relatively short lives.

 

I struggle to see why the appearance of a microphone is so critical here, but if it is we definitely need to know what you need it to look like.

 

 

[artuc]

4 hours ago, H713 said:

First, digital protocols like USB tend to have a pretty short lifespan, at least in comparison to analog standards that can remain in use for upwards of 70 years. In general, however, USB microphones tend to live relatively short lives.

Agree with this.

 

There's the software side, where there can be driver, OS and other issues in the long term. Usually support short term is good.

 

Then there is the fact that with active powered ADC circuitry there is much more points of failure in the mic itself.

 

USB power if there is any issue either surge,  over or undervoltage, user error etc.

 

I had  a site where a bright spark plugged a 15VDC plugpack into a usb hub, fried the hub, a jog wheel, joystick, keypad, keyboard and mouse.

 

Which is why some of the guys @Crankeli are suggesting different options, where they see the gear that works and lasts.

 

Not quite my area but other options can be a good USB interface and cheaper XLR mic with upgrade flexibility.

 

4 hours ago, H713 said:

struggle to see why the appearance of a microphone is so critical here, but if it is we definitely need to know what you need it to look like.

Whatever all the cool kids are using ?

 

 

[H713]

47 minutes ago, artuc said:

 

 

Whatever all the cool kids are using ?

 

 

If he/she/other wants to be "cool", then taking advice from someone who collects test equipment and power amplifiers probably won't get them what they want. 

[rice guru]

12 hours ago, H713 said:

USB microphones tend to live relatively short lives.

in this respect wouldn't a usb interface face he same issues then? so far in my experience I havent really had any issues with USB microphones and been running them fora while now.