HomeDonateNewSearchGalleryReviewsHow-ToBooksLinksWorkshopsAboutContact

Apogee Mic 96k
iOS and Mac recording up to 96k/24
Made in USA
© 2015 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

Mogami also makes microphone cables for live stage performances and studio recordings as well as cables for powered speakers, DJ equipment, Headphones and iPod®/MP3 players. Mogami bulk cable, patch cable, recording interface and fan-out snake cables are used in the finest analog/digital studios, recording equipment, and patch bays.
Apogee Jam 96K Capture the warmth and richness of your guitar’s tone with digital purity using one simple ‘take-anywhere’ device, Apogee JAM 96k. JAM 96k delivers your next great performance to your iPhone, iPad or Mac whether you’re at home, on-the-go, or in the most advanced recording studio. JAM 96k is built for GarageBand and Logic Pro.
Apogee's Mic 96k condenser microphone will help you record vocals and acoustic instruments to your iPhone®, iPad®, iPad mini®, iPod touch®, or Mac computer with studio-quality sound and fidelity. This combination microphone, preamp, and analog-to-digital converter makes it easy to capture the pure unadulterated sounds you need for clean.

IntroMore

Apogee Mic 96k (4.5'/114mm long, 6.732 oz./190.8 g, about $229). enlarge. I'd get is at any of these links to it at Adorama, at Amazon or at B&H. This free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. It helps me keep adding to this ad-free website when you get anything through these links — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you take the chance of buying elsewhere. Thanks for your support! Ken.

January 2015 Audio ReviewsApogee ReviewsAll Reviews

Apogee MiC Plus is a professional studio quality USB microphone you can connect to your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Mac or PC. MiC Plus makes it easy to capture your best take with incredible quality, anywhere you go. Record any sound you can imagine, from vocals to voice-overs, instruments to interviews and everything in between.

Sample Audio Clip, speaking directly into it from 10' (25cm) with no pop screen, recorded in Apple's Voice Notes app at 44.1 ksps and output at only 64 kbps for easy downloading here.

Introductiontop

IntroMore

Adorama pays top dollar for your used gear.

The Apogee Mic 96k is a tiny self-powered professional cardioid condenser microphone, preamplifier and A/D converter especially designed for recording with iPad, iPhone and Mac.

That's a mouthful, but it's all inside the mic seen above. All you do is plug the included cord into your iOS device or Mac, and go.

It really is plug-and-play. With a mic this good you'll want to use Garage Band or your own fancy software, but if you don't, no worries: it works great with Apple's Voice Notes app if 44.1/16 is all you need.

You can pay a lot more and spend a lot more time setting up, while this little jewel of a mic packs all the equipment you need in one little 4.5' (114mm) long package.

The real beauty is how fast it sets up. Unfold the stand and pop it on, plug it in, and press your red record button. Done; it's powered by your iOS device or your Mac.

Specificationstop

IntroMore

Mic Capsule

Electret cardioid condenser.

About 19mm capsule diameter.

Two layers of metal mesh for protection against pops.

A/D Converter

24 bits, 96 ksps.

Output Connector

Proprietary; cables included.

Power

Powered from the iOS or USB device to which it's connected; no other power needed.

Mic Stand Threads

Bottom, Apogee Mic 96k. bigger.

Standard photo tripod thread: 1/4' x 20 threads per inch. Elastik soundbank crack.

Adapter included to mount on standard mic stands.

Included Apogee Mic 96k mic stand adapter.

Weight

6.732 oz. (190.8 g), Mic only.

Length

4.5' (114mm) long.

Included

Mic 96k

Lightning iOS cable

USB Mac cable

Table top tripod stand

Microphone stand adapter

Quick start guide

Included Apogee Mic 96k tripod.

Quality

Made in USA.

All metal case and mesh screens.

Price, USA

$229, January 2015.

Apogee Mic 96k box.

Apogee Mic 96k box. bigger.

Performancetop

IntroMore

Here's a sample audio clip from Apple's Voice Notes app at 44.1 ksps and a 64 kbps m4v file.

This clip is recorded on a desk in a reverberant office, not a studio. I was sucking on candy, and it's obvious. Likewise, I should have set the levels a little more carefully to avoid clipping and used a pop screen, but tough: this is the voice quality any idiot can get after only a minute to plug it in and hit record. Imagine just how great a skilled artist will sound using this to track an entire ensemble.

This sample is voice; of course this mic works well for recording anything, vocal or instrumental.

It's not designed for stereo; its connections to iOS force you into mono, which is how most records are tracked (recorded) anyway.

Comparedtop

IntroMore

Apogee Mic 96k 2549 Mogami Xlr For Macbook Air

One always can buy garbage made offshore for less. This is American-made professional gear built to last a very long time and hold up under heavy use. Another key to its quality is that it will keep putting out for a long time.

Apogee also makes and has made professional studio preamps and converters that have helped make many top hit records. Apogee puts this same know-how into this mic, power supply and converters to ensure we get a nice silent, smooth and detailed sound without the distortion or hiss you'll get from offshored brands.

This is something you compare to the hassle of lugging a big U87, shock mount, cable, preamp, A/D converter and iOS/USB interface versus getting it all rolled into one little portable package. It's not something you compare to a generic imported $40 USB microphone.

I also haven't compared it to the previous Apogee Mic (not 96k). I doubt that the extra sampling rate makes any significant difference — but since this new one is inexpensive enough, no worries.

Usagetop

IntroMore

It's obvious; that's the beauty of this Mic. Attach it to its included table stand or to your own mic stand, plug it in and go.

Set your levels by turning the GAIN knob on the side of the Mic. Watch your app, or even easier, just look at the LED on the front. Dim green is soft, bright green is good, and orange is getting close to full scale. If it blinks red, you're dead; that's clipping: turn it down. It's much easier to do than read, just turn the little level control on the side until you get green, and possibly orange flashes on peaks.

Apogee Mic 96k 2549 Mogami Xlr For Macbook Pro

My sample audio clip was made at 10' (25cm) right in front of my mouth with no pop screen, and plosives are not a problem. I'd get even better results with a pop screen, or putting the Mic a couple of inches to the side to side-step my Ps.

Just like a studio condenser mic, the front is the side that says 'Apogee.' If the LED and MiC logo is pointing at you, so is the mic. (The skinny end of a studio condenser mic is not the front as it is with a stage microphone.) You can see the capsule behind the mesh; it picks up from the flat side behind the angled flat mesh.

The GAIN control should be on your right if the Mic is pointed at you. Gain is another word for the volume control.

As a cardioid mic, placing it closer will add more bass and make voices deeper, whi