Photo: Pete Cottell
M-Audio has packed everything this guy would need into a neat box with its M Track Duo HD package. It includes a dual-standard audio interface, an M100 condenser microphone, a pair of HD41 headphones, a microphone clip, a USB-C cable to connect the interface to your computer or mobile device, and an XLR cable to connect the microphone to the interface—all for under $200. Apart from the microphone station (we like this desk clamp boom arm stand from Innogear) and the unearned courage required to speak on a microphone for hours on end on a variety of esoteric topics, you need nothing more than what’s in this box to get you started. Plug in a few things, fire up OBS or your favorite DAW, adjust the gain on the mic preamp, and get to work.
The interface is a light plastic box that’s about the size of a VHS tape or a self-help book you’d buy at an airport bookstore. The front panel has two quarter-inch XLR input jacks, both with separate device-level component selectors. A 48 volt switch enables phantom power for both inputs at the same time, which is useful for powering the included condenser microphone or Cloudlifter if you decide to fully activate PodBro and get a dynamic microphone. There’s also a quarter-inch TRS headphone jack and a three-way selector that determines whether mono, direct stereo, or USB signals feed the two quarter-inch output jacks on the back of the box.
Each channel has its own gain knob on the top of the unit, with an indicator light below that glows white when the signal is present and red when the signal is cut. Each preamp has 55 dB of gain at the tube, which is more than enough to turn even the lightest Teams meeting NPCs into loud, engaging participants. The movement of the knife is smooth and frictionless until you reach the last 10 percent of its sweep, at which point some digital noise seems to click on and off as if triggered by a switch. This is a huge advantage for any practical use because of the amount of copying it is likely to cause, so this isn’t too much of a concern for anyone who has spent 30 minutes or more hitting their levels and getting a feel for it.
Mic for Mass
The integrated condenser microphone pairs well with the interface in the interface. It’s a large-diaphragm unipolar microphone, which in layman’s terms means a metal mesh covering the front of the microphone is where you’ll want to direct your voice, rather than the back. Condenser microphones are more sensitive to ambient noise than a dynamic microphone, which is high and low. Condenser mics work better a little further from your face than dynamic mics, but you’ll need to increase the gain to pick up your voice at greater distances. This creates a lot of background noise as well, which can lead to some embarrassing moments on Zoom calls when, say, your neighbor’s small flock of birds illegally roosting in their garage start screeching nervously when a garbage truck hits a rock. Fortunately, Zoom has excellent built-in noise suppression tools, so this was easy to handle without any additional plugins or hardware.
The microphone handles a typical male speaking voice well. I’m still not fully trained on NPR’s long talk, but my usual tech patter broadcasts as clearly as a bell with a microphone 6 inches from my face, and the acceleration path reached a full 3 hours. Properly
