First off, let me say that I have used many high-end microphones in a studio environment. This mic arrived quickly, was packaged beautifully and was as simple as removing from the box, attaching tripod base and plugging in USB cable. Windows 7 recognized the microphone instantly and installed appropriate drivers.
Please keep in mind that there are two versions of these mics. The Snowball (this one) and the Snowball Ice. They both look exactly the same, but they differ greatly. The Snowball Ice is less expensive because it has less features. I am not saying it is a lesser mic, just appropriate for different uses. The Snowball ICE is a condenser mic, so it records 360 degrees around the mic (omni-directional). This is a good feature if you are trying to record an entire band or conduct an interview. The Snowball differs in that it has a 3 position switch above the USB port on the back. Position 1 puts the mic in Dynamic mode. In this mode, the microphone only records from the front, ignoring sound from the back of the mic. Position 2 put the mic in Dynamic mode with a -10 dB cut. This is good for recording sources with High SPL (sound pressure levels), such as guitar amps, rock bands, etc. Position 3 puts the mic in Condenser mode and it records in a full 360 degrees around the mic.
I purchased this microphone for my wife to use when she is playing Online games and would like to use voice chat. I have chatted with her using the C3 chat program with the mic in position 1 (Dynamic mode). Rearward sound rejection is excellent. With her previous mic, I could constantly hear the sound from her game being picked up from the speakers. The Snowball rejects this noise and all I hear is her voice, loud and clear over the chat. Mic is currently positioned about 2 feet away and to the right.
I am looking forward to recording some vocals, guitar amps and acoustic instruments with this mic in my studio as well. I will revise this review when I have done so.
In conclusion, if you are looking for a quality mic at a more than fair price, the Snowball is an excellent choice! The ability to switch between modes makes this mic very versatile. I was also impressed by the size of the Snowball. When looking at it online, I was thinking baseball size. When the package arrived, I quickly realized it is more appropriately a softball size. Amazon Prime also made this a no-brainer. Price difference between the two version is approximately twenty dollars at the time of this review.
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