Some of the earliest USB mics were nothing more than a microphone with a USB port where the XLR socket used to be. If you plan on podcasting from an iPad, however, do be aware that not all USB mics are iOSвЂ“compatible. None that I've come across require a separate power supply, either, so provided your laptop or iPad has decent battery life, you can podcast from absolutely anywhere. They pretty much all come with neat little desktop stands, too, so you don't even need to invest in peripherals like mic stands or boom arms. And it's pretty much true, too, certainly for all the devices you'll see compared in our USB microphone round-up later on.В Whereas even a modest music-recording setup will probably be based around an audio interface of some kind - which can mean tethering a rack unit to your computer, or having a desktop device taking up valuable space, not to mention a power supply and a nest of cables tucked away somewhere - podcasting really does just require a microphone and something to say.Д«ut, in truth, USB microphones are audio interfaces they just hide all the 'interface' stuff within the familiar form factor of a microphone.

The idea that one simple device, connected to your computer via good old-fashioned USB, is all you need to turn your computer or tablet into a podcasting studio has undeniable appeal.

USB mics provide a convenient one-stop shop for podcast recording - but there are a few things to look out for when deciding which one to buy.

Usb microphone for singing mac