Typcially a professional grad microphone runs through some sort of preamp to get the full rich sound of a broadcast quality pickup. However, MXL Microphones, a division of Marshall Electronics, has a USB mic which delivers the same quality of sound as traditional studio designs without the preamp.

Great for making a podcast sound like a studio engagement rather then a do-it-yourself, Wayne’s World basement knock-off. Now, anyone requiring high quality, professional sound on their computer can record music or dialog by simply connecting to a standard USB port.

The new MXL.006 microphone features a 20 Hz-20 kHz frequency response, a large gold diaphragm, pressure-gradient condenser capsule, and a 3-position, switchable attenuation pad with settings for Hi (0 dB), Medium (-5 dB), and Lo (-10 dB), making it easy to configure the microphone to virtually any sound source. The digital section features a 16-bit Delta Sigma A/D converter with a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz. Protecting the instrument’s capsule is a heavy-duty wire mesh grill with an integrated pop filter.