Audio Components Help

[FrenchToast]

Hi all, 

 

I'm, currently in the middle of upgrading my entire setup, and one of the areas that I will be upgrading is my audio.

 

I haven't got the same level of experience with audio that I have with most other aspects of my setup, so forgive any misunderstandings I may have.

 

So I was looking into getting the AudioTechnica AT2020 XLR Condenser Mic, the Sennheiser HD598 se headphones, and the Audioengine D1 DAC. I've heard good things about each of them. Are these compatible? Will I need to buy anything else to make them work together? Again, excuse my ignorance please

 

Thanks for your help!

[AstroBenny]

The AT2020 is an XLR mic so I'm pretty sure you'll need an audio interface such as the Focusrite Scarlett Solo. I have one and it works great!

@Philosobyte may be able to confirm.

[wyattzx]

I cannot comment on the DAC, but I can vouch for the audio quality of the AT2020. If you don't wish to purchase something like a mixer with XLR support, you can purchase the USB variant of the AT2020 from Amazon. The Sennheiser HD598s are a great pair of headphones, but they are designed for listening, and not for mixing. If you're looking to create more of a "mini studio," then I would direct your attention towards monitors. Either speakers or headphones. For headphones, I would recommend something along the lines of the ATH-M50 series. At least if you want to stay around the same price point as your microphone. 

[FloRolf]

11 minutes ago, NonaHexa said:

I cannot comment on the DAC, but I can vouch for the audio quality of the AT2020. If you don't wish to purchase something like a mixer with XLR support, you can purchase the USB variant of the AT2020 from Amazon. The Sennheiser HD598s are a great pair of headphones, but they are designed for listening, and not for mixing. If you're looking to create more of a "mini studio," then I would direct your attention towards monitors. Either speakers or headphones. For headphones, I would recommend something along the lines of the ATH-M50 series. At least if you want to stay around the same price point as your microphone. 

Pls no.

 

Get the 598 over the m50 any day.

[wyattzx]

3 minutes ago, FloRolf said:

Pls no.

 

Get the 598 over the m50 any day.

For mixing audio, you don't want an open-back pair of headphones.

 

Edit: To clarify, post-production you'll want a nice pair of open-back headphones. I'm talking in-line recording and monitoring, which the AT2020 supports. The 598's are for listening, but you don't want an open-back pair of headphones when you're monitoring audio.

[FrenchToast]

58 minutes ago, NonaHexa said:

For mixing audio, you don't want an open-back pair of headphones.

 

Edit: To clarify, post-production you'll want a nice pair of open-back headphones. I'm talking in-line recording and monitoring, which the AT2020 supports. The 598's are for listening, but you don't want an open-back pair of headphones when you're monitoring audio.

Sorry for not clarifying. I will be using all of this equipment for mainly skyping friends, recording audio for youtube, and possibly livestreaming. So I'm not TOO concerned about the best for audio monitoring.

 

Can anyone suggest what I should buy that does have XLR support? Thanks

[Guest]

No to the Audioengine D1. It is overpriced by a significant margin. Micca Origen blows it out of the water in terms of functionality while costing less money.

 

ATH M50 is an overrated, overhyped remnant of yesterday's ignorance. I recommend something from Beyerdynamic, like the DT770 Pro.

[Philosobyte]

10 hours ago, FrenchToast said:

Sorry for not clarifying. I will be using all of this equipment for mainly skyping friends, recording audio for youtube, and possibly livestreaming. So I'm not TOO concerned about the best for audio monitoring.

 

Can anyone suggest what I should buy that does have XLR support? Thanks

Yep, Astrobenny is correct in that you'll need an audio interface for an XLR microphone. Get the Mackie Onyx Blackjack for a USB audio interface which you can plug your XLR microphone and headphones into. The Blackjack has better preamps than the Focusrite Solo/2i2 and Steinberg UR12/UR22 and Presonus Audiobox, with almost identical A/D conversion to the Focusrites (they use the same chips). 

 

The last Blackjack drivers were developed for Windows 8.1, so you'll need to install the drivers in Windows 7 compatibility mode to make use of the Blackjack's relatively good latency.