Tascam has introduced the iM2  – microphone adapter that turns an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch into a high-quality stereo recorder.

The microphones are adjustable over 180 degrees for optimal sound placement. The iM2 contains its own microphone preamp and analog-to-digital converter for low noise and premium audio quality.

Features:

• Stereo condenser microphones for iPhone 4, iPod Touch or iPad dock connection
• High-quality stereo condenser microphones – same as our best-selling DR-series recorders
• Microphones adjustable 180 degrees front to back
• Built-in analog to digital converter and microphone preamp for low noise recording
• 125dB SPL maximum level for recording loud shows without distortion
• Switchable limiter attenuates high-level signals to prevent recording overload
• Adjustable input level control
• Powered through iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch dock connector
• USB input allows the iPhone or iPad to be charged from a USB connection or optional TASCAM PS-P515U
• CD-quality digital recording (44.1kHz/16-bit linear PCM)
• Compact size ideal for mobile use
• Compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch 4G, iPad, iPad 2

Pricing & Availability:

The iM2 Stereo Microphone is available now for US $79.

IK Multimedia iRig Microphone

IK Multimedia has announced iRig Mic, a handheld condenser microphone designed to be used with an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.

Features:

• The iRig Mic features a unidirectional condenser-electret microphone capsule.
• Real-time monitoring with a dual mini-jack connector.
• Three-level gain switch makes it adjustable for any sound condition.

The iRig Mic comes with:

• VocaLive free, IK’s real-time effects processor app suite for the singer and vocalist;
• iRig Recorder, the new IK free audio recording app; and
• AmpliTube free, a guitar amp application.

iRig Mic also works witt other vocal and audio recording or processing apps for the iOS platform.

IK’s iRig Mic is expected to ship Q1 2011 and sell for $59.99.

The Sound Of Young America‘s Jesse Thorn explains how to create a podcast with public-radio quality, with relatively inexpensive gear, out of your bedroom:

• I use Shure SM7 microphones. These are famous for being the mics that Michael Jackson used to record his vocals for Thriller, but they’re really a great all-purpose microphone. They’re also tough and cheap – at least compared to other studio vocal microphones. They cost about three hundred bucks, and the next step up is several thousand. They work great for my purposes because their pickup pattern really emphasizes the guest and de-emphasizes the guy outside my window with the leaf blower. Very forgiving.
• My mixer is a Mackie Onyx 1620, with the optional built-in firewire audio interface. The SM7s need a lot of gain (signal boost) and Mackie has a reputation for having the cleanest microphone pre-amps.
• For phone interviews I have a Telos One. We actually don’t do phone interviews anymore, but I do do “tape syncs,” which are the poor man’s way to link up two studios – no ISDN here, so I just put a remote guest in a studio, call them up, record on both ends, and match them up later.
• My CD player is the cheapest rack-mounted CD player I could find.
• Same story with my headphones and headphone amp. I listen back on B- headphones, because I figure that’s how most people will listen anyway.
• The radio on my desk (which is also my monitor) is a Tivoli Audio Model Three, which is a wonderful machine that I recommend highly – especially if you get it for $14.99 on clearance at Target, which I did.
• I record on a PC in Adobe Audition 3. I started with Audition’s predecessor, Cool Edit, which was $19.99, and Audition is like three hundred bucks, but that’s the cost of being “professional.”
• I do my backup recording with a Zoom H4 flash recorder, and store my many huge files on a Drobo with four terabyte drives in it.
• My shows are hosted with the very good folks at Libsyn.

The bulk of the cost for Thorn’s home podcasting setup was his Shure SM7 mic, his Mackie mixer & audio interface, and Adobe Audition.

While Thorn has a mixture of low-budget and professional gear, he says that the key to getting good audio quality is not the gear, but how you use it.

” Too many people try and record with one mic shared between multiple people, or with an onboard or headset mic. That won’t fly. My friends at Never Not Funny recorded their whole first season with mics that their producer Matt bought 3-for-$10, and it sounded fine.”

via BB, Maximum Fun

Blue Microphones has introduced the Mikey G2 Pro iPod, iPhone Microphone, designed for mobile recording with your iPhone or iPod touch.

The Mikey G2 Pro microphone features two custom-tuned Blue capsules for stereo recording, a line-input, USB pass through and an updated 230-degree rotating design.

Mikey’s three gain settings allow for recording everything from a loud concert to a whisper.

Blue Microphones Mikey G2 Features:

• CD-quality audio recording direct to iPod and iPhone
• No software necessary
• Compact design
• 7 angle adjustments
• 3 gain settings

The Mikey G2 Pro Microphone retails for about $100.

If you’ve used the Mikey G2 Pro Microphone, leave a comment!

Click here to view the embedded video.

This two-part video looks at how to create a podcast.

Topics covered include:

• What a podcast is
• The benefits of podcasts
• Podcasting in education
• Podcasting microphone tips
• USB microphones
• USB audio interfaces
• Microphone pop guards
• Podcasting software
• Apple Garageband
• Adobe Soundbooth
• Audacity
• Podcast recording tips
• Saving your podcast
• Uploading and distributing your podcast

If you want to create a podcast and you’re just getting started, this video series explains what podcasting is and offers a fairly comprehensive basic podcasting tutorial in about 20 minutes.

Part 2 below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Patrick Norton and Veronica Belmont take a look at some of the best podcasting microphones under $100.

Veronica’s picks include the Alesis USB Mic Podcasting Kit, the Marshall Electronics MXL Studio 1 USB and the Blue Microphones Snowball USB.

These are all popular choices for podcasting mics and you’ll get good results if you record in a quiet place.

Many podcasters, though, move on to using traditional mics with XLR connectors and running them into a dedicated audio interface (and possibly a compressor and other audio effects).

Got a podcasting mic setup that you like? Leave a comment!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Chris from Jupiter Broadcasting offers his take on the best podcasting microphones, including the Rode Mic, the Blue Snowball, the MXL 990 & the Heil PR-40 along the way.

Unfortunately, there’s really no “best podcasting microphone”. The best podcasting mic will depend on your budget, your requirements and your preferences.

If you can, try out the mics of podcasters that you know and see which one you like the best with your voice. Keep in mind, too, that the environment that you record in can have a huge influence on the results you get.

Sonic Labs’ Nick Batt takes a look at the Samson Go Mic USB Microphone – an inexpensive, but good quality USB-powered microphone that could be a good option for podcasters.

Features of the Samson Go Mic:

• Plug & play MAC and PC compatibility
• USB interface for high-resolution, digital audio streaming
• Custom design clips to a laptop or sits on a desk
• Compact, folding design allows easy storage in a brief case or laptop bag
• Condenser transducer with pressure gradient USB digital output
• Frequency response of 20Hz – 18 kHz
• Selectable cardioid or omni directional polar recording pattern
• Available in black or white

The Samson Go Mic retails for $59 at Zzounds, but you can occasionally find it as cheap as $49.

Batt sums up the Samson Go Mic like this:

I was pretty convinced by this little mic, and used it perfectly happily on Sonic TALK 142 (an interview with Jordan Rudess) without any difficulty, the only real problem I had was figuring out where to mount the mic, as all I had was a clothes stand in our bedroom to mount it at mouth height, but with a little jiggling about it was fine.

Results are really pretty impressive for the size and cost of the package and I can see this being useful for a variety of uses including – if you are stuck; singing and instrument recordings as well as Skype or interviews. I’ll certainly be hanging on to this one just for the occaision when I’m away from my studio and need a usable quality mic input.

Check out the Sonic Labs site for the full review.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Shure SM58 & SM57 mics have a reputation for being reliable to the point of being indestructible. 

They’re popular with musicians, because they’re cheap and you can store them in the back of a van without worrying about breaking them. The SM58 is popular with podcasters, too, because it’s fairly cheap and delivers great sound for the price. 

Mats StÃ¥lbröst, editor of the Stockholm-based Studio, took the SM58′s reputation as a challenge and decided to subject a SM58 microphone to a year of sadistic torture. He used the SM58 mic to hammer nails, dropped it from heights, submerged it in water, drove a car over it and nuked it.

And the thing still worked. Here’s the proof:

Click here to view the embedded video.

SM58′s can be had for $80-90 and they make a great first voice mic. 

via Synthtopia, CDM, SM58 info

Audix Microphones has introduced a new mic, the Audix USB12, that is designed to gives you “studio quality sound” at your desktop

The UDSB12 is a low-profile desktop gooseneck microphone, designed for recording voice and acoustic instruments directly into the computer via the USB port.

Features:

• 12 mm modular threaded capsule for accuracy.
• The USB12 is a plug and play microphone supporting 44.1k and 48k sample rates for both PC and Mac platforms.
• Membrane switch for “steady on” or “momentary on”.
• Heavy duty base for stability.
• Double gooseneck for precise positioning.
• Headphone jack for real time monitoring.
• Bass roll-off filter to help reduce unwanted room noise or boominess.

The USB12, which includes a 6′ USB cable, is available in a matte black finish or a white finish for a suggested retail price of $179.