What's the Best USB Sound Card / USB Audio Adapter?

Yes. I just reviewed a bunch of soundcards a few weeks ago, but I made another review for a few reasons. The Sabrent adapters that I selected as the best are not available in most areas outside of the United States, so I ordered 5 more USB soundcards to test out. Also, I got a multimeter and I wanted to test the amount of voltage going in to each card vs the amount coming out of each card. 

Here's a ranking of my favorite sound cards from 1-11.

  1. Sabrent Stereo: http://amzn.to/1Ikwqt5
  2. Sabrent 7.1: http://amzn.to/1IkwtVI
  3. Syba Stereo: http://amzn.to/1Pds77X
  4. HDE 7.1: http://amzn.to/1Ikww3H
  5. Virtual 5.1: http://amzn.to/1T8qZ64
  6. Gino Stereo: http://amzn.to/1IkwCIQ
  7. Trond Stereo: http://amzn.to/22gQbxC
  8. Plugable Stereo: http://amzn.to/1PdsdfP
  9. ATR2USB: http://amzn.to/1Pds9N9
  10. Gino 7.1: http://amzn.to/1T8r21R
  11. Optical Shop 5.1: http://amzn.to/22gQ84Y

This ranking is based on multiple factors. The quality/level of the audio, the required gain on the computer, the voltage passthrough to the microphone, and the background noise. This is only my personal opinion and ranking of these sound cards. Feel free to make your own decision on which one you think sounds best.

If you have any more questions about these sound cards, leave a comment down below or on youtube and I will try to answer the question ASAP. Thanks.

Afterglow AG9 Wireless Gaming Headset Review / Test

Today I am testing out another gaming headset. This time, that headset is the Afterglow AG 9 Wireless Gaming Headset. I want to remind everyone that the main focus of me reviewing these gaming headsets is to find a good all in one podcasting package and that is how I am approaching this review. If you are interested in this headset, it will set you back about $90 on amazon for the PS4 version or $100 on Amazon for the Xbox One version.

What's In the Box 

  1. Wireless Headset
  2. Removable Noise-Canceling Microphone
  3. Wireless Transmitter (USB)
  4. 6-foot Charging Cable
  5. 3.5 mm Audio Cable
  6. User Manual

Performance / Features

The build quality of this headset is the best of any headset I've tested to date, and on top of that it is also the most comfortable. The battery in these headphones is also advertised as lasting ~16 hour which is a very admirable battery life on a fully wireless headset. 

On the left ear cup we have all the controls. The center button on the earphone will turn on the headset when pressed for a few seconds, and then while using the headset wirelessly, pressing this button once will mute your microphone. The button directly above the microphone port changes the headphone sound between pure audio and bass boost modes. On the bottom of the left ear cup you will find the charging port as well as the 3.5mm output which will allow you to plug directly into your computer, and lastly, on the back of the earphone is a volume slider to adjust the headphones volume.

The headphone drivers are 50mm, but I wasn't able to find any advertised frequency response. While doing my test, I found that when wired into the audio source (using the 3.5mm cable), I heard audio between 20-25Hz in the low end and around 19.5kHz in the high end. When I was wireless (using the USB transmitter), I heard audio between 20-25Hz in the low end and around 17.5kHz in the high end. So we see a significant drop in the high end performance when we are wireless.

The microphone is severely lacking on this headset. After testing the AGU.50's and finding that the microphone sounded great, I was shocked to find that the higher end headset had a lower quality microphone. I think that this lower quality/performance could stem from requirements to make the headphones full wireless, but I cannot speak to this with any certainty. The best way I can describe the microphones audio is that it sounds digital and narrow (just listen to the audio in the above video if you want to know what it sounds like).

Pros

  • Great Sounding Headphones
  • Excellent Build Quality
  • Very Comfortable
  • 100% Wireless / Wired Option
  • 16 hour battery life

Cons

  • Microphone Audio Quality is poor
  • No Gain Control of Microphone

Conclusion

I think that the absence of a microphone volume control on the headset is a large oversight. I also did not like how a lot of the functionality is disabled when you use the headphones plugged into the 3.5mm cable. The microphone is another big downside to this headset. 

Basically, this is a good gaming headset, but only if that's what you are going to be using it for. The headphones build quality and sound quality is excellent and I am very impressed with both of these aspects of the headset. However, if you are someone who needs usable audio out of the microphone, then this headset is not for you. I would actually recommend the slightly lower quality headset (Afterglow AGU.50) if you are looking for a headset with a good mic on it. If you have any questions about the microphone, leave them in the comments down below or on youtube and I will get back to you ASAP. Thanks for watching & reading. 

Afterglow AG 9 (PS4): http://amzn.to/1lVj5mG
Afterglow AG 9 (Xbox One): http://amzn.to/1T5aIPC
Afterglow AGU.50: http://amzn.to/1lVjaa3

A Brief History of Nerdist

If you have been online in the last few years, you have heard of Chris Hardwick, and Nerdist Industries. That's why I decided to tackle this behemoth in todays Vlog. What I share is stuff I have known from listening to the nerdist podcast, but it was pretty cool digging through old archived versions of the site, and seeing that this website started out as a personal blog about starting a new job, and making some music with some friends. It's really inspiring. Well, I hope you enjoy the video!

Do You Even Comic: Punk Rock Jesus

Fill those shot glasses with holy water as we dive into Punk Rock Jesus for this month's Do You Even Comic. Before discussing the comic book, I want to discuss the creator, Sean Murphy.

The History

Sean Gordon Murphy, 35, has worked as an artist on such projects as Joe the Barbarian, American Vampire, Outer Orbit, Off Road and Hellblazer. But his 2012 creator owned miniseries by Vertigo, Punk Rock Jesus was done solely by him (written, penciled, inked). I thought this was important to note, Sean's body of work is strong working with other creators like Scott Snyder and Grant Morrison working with companies all over the industry (OniPress, Vertigo, Dark Horse, DC). All these facts show how talented of an artist he is and that this book only prove he can write and draw amazingly. 

The Story

So, what is a "Punk Rock Jesus?"  The answer is in the not too distant future a clone of Jesus is created and given a reality TV show. "J2", as he is called, was created from the blood found on the  spear blade that pierced Jesus in the ribs. Things fall apart for the unhappy clone as he lives under lock and kept by a team in a mansion. Also around the world religious zealots hate the kid for being who he is. The story escalates as he escapes from the home, forms a punk band and is on the run from "haters."  Thomas McKael, Jesus's bodygaurd, has a troubled past but joins the adventure regardless. 

The story follows both Thomas and J2. It's a combination of both action and emotional journey as the concept reflects a lot on the current times we live in today.

Why this book?

Sean Murphay says this was a passion project for him and it shows. The book instantly grabs you with his black and white iconic art style and keeps you turning every page as you join J2 on a journey of self exploration in a politically correct society. I don't think it matters if you are religious or not, this book deserves a read and continues to be one of my favorite stories. I enjoyed every bit of the story and was left wanting more from this world.

If this sounded like a book for you then get it here:

Book: Punk Rock Jesus

Behringer Tube Ultragain Mic-200 Preamp Review / Test

This is my first attempt at reviewing a preamp on this channel, and that preamp is the Behringer Tube Ultragain Mic-200, and if you are interested in this preamp, it will set you back about $50 on amazon. As I mentioned, this is my first preamp review/test video, so if there are any features that I overlooked, or tests you think I should incorporate into future preamp reviews, PLEASE let me know in the comments so I can improve what I'm doing and give y'all better information. Thanks.

What's In the Box 

  1. Tube Preamp
  2. DC Power Supply
  3. Contact Card
  4. Quick Start Guide

Performance / Features

The build quality on this preamp is very nice. It has an all metal body, and the Gain/Output knobs are nicely secured and do not feel loose, and the buttons to activate the features feel sturdy as well. Lastly, the preamp mode selector is firmly attached and it has a nice click as you switch between each mode; this knob is firm enough that if you accidentally bump the knob, you won't accidentally switch preamp modes. 

This preamp has all your typical features, a gain knob (allowing you saturate the preamp tube) and an output volume knob, allowing you to crank the gain without increasing your output volume. There are also four buttons,

  1. 20db Pad (decreases your signal by 20dB for loud signal sources)
  2. +48v Phantom Power (powers condenser microphones)
  3. Low Cut (rolls off frequencies around 90Hz to help with low end rumble)
  4. Phase Reverse (if your using multiple mics that are out of phase, this will help)

Lastly you have a built preamp modeler which contains 16 presets. I will not list all of them, but they all have different characteristics for different sound sources. So if you're playing acoustic guitar, there's a preset for that. If you are using this preamp as a DI box, they have presets for your keyboard/bass. The coolest portion of the preamp modeler is the limiter section. It has 8 presets that include a limiter. What this does is makes sure that your signal doesn't have any clipping. 

 

Conclusion

I will admit that this is not the end all be all of microphone preamps, however, if you are just getting into recording and you are on a budget, this seems to be a pretty good option. It seems to have a setting for the majority of scenarios that there could be, so if you are looking for a super cheap tube microphone preamp, I would recommend this. 

As I mentioned, this is my first preamp review, so if you feel like I have ignored some important aspects of the preamp, please let me know in the comments so I can improve future preamp reviews. If you have any questions about the Mic200, leave them in the comments down below or on youtube and I will get back to you ASAP. Thanks for watching & reading. 

Behringer Tube Ultragain Mic-200: http://amzn.to/1QFhEnr

The Death of I Am Vlog

Hey everyone, so this is just a typical run of the mill Vlog. And I have realized something. This vlog really has no place on this website. I am going to continue to make these videos, however, when they are Vlogs like this, and not "A Brief History" video, or something along those lines, I do not think that I will be doing write ups on the site. It's just to keep the site from becoming a place where non informative and non helpful information is accumulated. I'm really trying to make this site something helpful to people, and these actual Vlog videos do not fit in the mix. So, if you want to make sure you get the Vlogs and not just the History of videos, make sure to subscribe to the Geeks Rising Youtube Channel

Do XLR to USB Cables Work?

I love finding new gear that solves a problem, or just makes life easier. But the problem with this, is a lot of the time, devices that claim to solve a problem, don't work properly. The device that I have seen popping up all over the internet are these XLR to USB cables. In theory, you should be able to plug an XLR microphone into your computer using this cable, and you'll be able to record. But do they really work?

I am not going to speak at length. I will just tell you what I found. I found that this cable does work, but only for microphones that do not require any DC voltage to function. This means that out of the box, you cannot use any condenser microphones (NW-700),  with this cable. You can only use this cable with dynamic microphones (SM58, PDMIC58).

I did test a work around: plug the condenser microphone into a phantom power supply, and then run the phantom power supplies output through this XLR to USB cable. This did allow the microphone to work, but the cable provides too hot of a signal and we were clipping with the microphone input gain set at 1%. To me, I think that this cable is essentially useless as it only works with a hand full of mics. However, if you have a dynamic microphone, and you are looking to simplify your set up even more, then this cable may be right for you. 

If you have any more questions about this cable, leave it in the comments down below or on the youtube video and I will try to get back to you ASAP. Thanks so much.

Buy it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1SUxIRw

How to Start a Video Podcast for $30

Have you ever wondered how to start a video podcast or a video show like Good Mythical Morning for under $30-$50? Let's talk about that. =)

First off, this is slightly more than $30. I guess I bought the webcam while it was on sale. Secondly, one of our viewers BERT PD3CT challenged me to make a video podcast for under $50 and that's what this video will be covering: Video Gear, Audio Gear, Video/Audio Capture Software, & Video Editing Software. 

Gear

Video Camera: for video I went on amazon and searched for HD webcams, and looked at the reviews. At the time of ordering the gear for this challenge, I came across the Logitech C310, which seemed to provide the best features and reviews while staying within the $50 budget. This camera only shoots 720p, so you will not have the best quality image, and you will need to film with a lot of lighting, but for the $20 that I paid for this, I am perfectly happy.

Microphone: Bert recommended using the Neewer NW-700, but with a mic stand, that would put me over $50, so I decided to go a different direction. I decided to pick up 3 pack of Neewer Omni-Directional Lav Mics, which at the time of writing this article costs $4.50...yeah less than $5 for 3 lapel mics. The downside to these mics is first, the quality is not the best, they will break, so make sure you treat them with care and test to make sure they are working before recording long videos. Second, the audio quality does suffer a little bit. These are omni directional microphones, so you will be picking up a lot of noise around you.

Interface: of course for the interface, I went with the trust Sabrent USB Audio Adapter, which runs $6.00. This is the adapter I use in almost all of my videos because it is the cheapest solution, and it provides really nice results. 

Lighting: I am using the best lighting resource out there, the sun. I just set up in front of two big windows, and let the sun light me. Lighting is incredibly important and is what allows most cameras to perform at their best. 

Software

Capture: On mac you can capture video/audio the way I do it, using quicktime. All you do is click file > new movie recording, and you are good to go. Prior to even opening quicktime, you do need to go into your sytems audio preferences and make sure that the correct microphone is selected for your audio input.

On Windows, I downloaded Windows Movie Maker. This program allows you to set your video input and audio input, and then record the video/audio right into windows movie maker.

Editing: On mac you can use iMovie. This is a super simple editing program that will allow you to cut and put together movie clips, as well as overlay music, and simple titles. You won't have the most complex or in depth tools available to you, but it will give you a basis to start. 

On windows, you already recorded your footage into windows movie maker, so go ahead and edit and create your video in that program. The last time I made a movie in this software was back in 2005, but if I remember correctly, it has all the basic functionality that you will need to get a video made.

Conclusion

Option 1: The first option will cost you more than $50. You can get the Neewer NW-700 for about $20, then with the Logitech C310, will now set you back $30. On top of that you need to get the Sabrent USB Audio Adapter and a Mic Stand for the NW-700. So ultimately. You've spent closer to $70.

Option 2: Go with the lav mics. You can get a three pack of Neewer Omni-Directional Lav Mics for $5. They clip right on to your shirt, and they capture audio pretty well  considering the cost. Next, you pick up the Logitech C310, which as I mentioned is $30, and then lastly, the Sabrent USB Audio Adapter. You come in at about $41 with this option, well under the $50 limit

With one option, you go over budget by a minimum of $20, and on the other hand you come in under budget by $9. That's enough money to buy all this gear, and then go out and buy a burrito. I know which option I would choose.

If you have any questions about any of the gear in this video, or any other methods, go ahead and leave a comment on this site or on youtube and I will do my best to get back to you ASAP. 

The Cable Guy

I know that I have missed out on a few FNAMBC, and I apologize. Life has gotten the best of me. I was planning on doing only "Holiday" movies during December, but decided to skip that and just save my favorite Christmas movie for the FNAMBC closer to Christmas. Today, I am talking about the 1996 Masterpiece The Cable Guy. Now a days it's fairly common for a comedian to branch out and do something a little different, or a little more serious, but in 96, this was shocking move for Jim Carey and it led to some pretty bad reception (no pun intended).

A one liner of the film is "Matthew Broderick breaks up with his girlfriend, and he becomes friends with the cable guy (Jim Carey)", but just like every other movie, there is so much more to it than that. What I believe this film is making a statement about is the infiltration of cable television culture into our every day lives and how it affects our relationships. If we look at Jim Carey (the cable guy) as the institution of cable TV, we can draw exact parallels between the characters in the film and our relationship with cable. I think this whole idea can be boiled down to two scenes.

1) The karaoke party scene, when Jim Carey & Jack Black get into an argument over Steven's (Broderick's) friendship. It is my theory that Jack Black is arguing as "Human Interaction" and Jim Carey is arguing as "Cable TV". Jack Black is a single Person, offering only one channel of friendship (cheesy, I know), and Jim Carey is cable, who brought a bunch of people to the party, and clearly, with dozens of choices (channels), cable wins. It culminates in Jim Carey saying to Jack Black "He's changing. Get Used to it". This could be viewed as a statement about Steven (Broderick), but I think it's more of a statement about society as a whole. Collectively we are moving away from our need/desire to interact with one another, and are becoming perfectly complacent with artificial relationships that are streamed directly into our living room.

2) The second scene is when Jim Carey visits Steven while he's in jail and says "I can be your best friend, or your worst enemy. You seem to prefer the latter. I'm just here to comfort you" ... what is television other than a distraction from the real world, a comforting device in your life. Let's back up. At this point in the film, the majority of Steven's friends & family have taken a liking to The Cable Guy, and Steven is the only one who sees him for the truly manipulative person he is. Therefore, Steven is the only one fighting the integration of cable and everyone views Steven as a lunatic. By not blindly accepting the mind numbing push of Cable Television, Steven has become an outcast (cable becoming his worst enemy). If he were to just accept cable into his life, he would fit in, get along with his friends and family, and live a happily mindless life. It is not rare nowadays for people to think you're insane if you don't have cable, and this film forecasted that. 

There are multiple other scenes that can be used in this analysis. The scene when everyone is at Steven's Parents house and the cable guy recommends playing "Porno Password". This can be looked at as the increasing desensitization towards sexuality led by cable TV. And the final scene at the satellite dish really drives the theme of this movie home. It's about understanding your relationship with cable TV & understanding the long term effect that cable television can have on us.

At first, we were uncertain of cable TV. Sure, it offered us a lot of options, but there was a lot of garbage on there as well. Over time we began to adopt the medium, and actually began to love it and rely on it. Cable television has become so integrated into our society that is not uncommon for someone to watch 3-4 hours of TV a day. Sure this film came out almost 20 years ago, but the message is just as relevant (if not more) today as it was 20 years ago. 

I highly recommend this film! It's in my top 5 favorite films of all time, and it may even be my favorite Jim Carey role! Check it out!

Buy it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1RIpn4X

DCC: Logan Goes to Designer Con

Logan here.  I had the chance to visit this awesome convention because I know cool people who make cool things. Let's talk about toys baby.

What is Designer Con?

DesignerCon is a convention held Pasadena, CA centered around costuming, designer toys and models. 2015 was the 9th year it has been around, it was founded in 2006 under the name "Vinyl Toy Network." The name changed as the show grew into a bigger and wider reach of toys, collectibles and art in general.  So the convention is a show floor with artist and designers coming together to show off their special custom creations and sell you a little piece of unique art.

Designer Toys?

Yes, that is real and yes, it is a broad term. Designer and High end toys are terms to expand what might be referred to as models, busts and vinyl figures. It's independent artists and companies making custom figures that aren't your typical action figure or lego. These "toys" are made from different materials and come in all shapes and sizes.  The most common are "munnys" and "dunnys" by KidRobot. There are so many types of toys and figure, much like any art form.

My Experience

Now, some people might know Pop Vinyl and Funko, these are the guys behind all the cute chibi toys of pop culture with big bobble heads. Thats all I knew coming into this show and  I knew my talented friend Cynthia of @tentimesatiger made custom toys. What I learned and walked away with was so much more. These creators behind designer toys are true artists, they mold and paint and spend hours on detail for us to buy and set on our desks. But like all artists, they are telling a story and it just happens to be through a toy. I highly recommend you googling some custom toys and see just how amazing these things are.

Samson C01U Pro USB Condenser Mic Review / Test

Today I tested out another USB Microphone. The difference between this microphone and all other USB mics, I have tested out so far? I don't hate this one. The mic I'm talking about is the Samson C01U Pro Usb Condenser Mic, and it can be purchased on amazon for about $75.

What's In the Box

You get almost everything you need to get started in this box. 

  1. Super Cardioid USB Condenser Microphone
  2. Plastic Microphone Mount
  3. 5/8" to 3/8" Mic Stand Adapter
  4. Plastic Desktop Tripod
  5. USB Cable
  6. User Manual

I also want to let you know that this is the most well put together package I have received. The manual that comes with it is thorough and comes in more than English & Chinese, and the specifications inside are easy to understand and thorough. 

Performance / Features

The frequency response of this microphone is 20Hz to 18kHz. We lose a little bit of the presence/brilliance in the 19 and 20 kHz range, but in this price range, that is to be expected. The rest of the frequencies sound great, and well balanced. 

The polar pattern is Super Cardioid which means it records the majority of the audio from directly in front of the microphone, but it also picks up a small amount from the opposite side as well. The back of the microphone, has a significantly different frequency response where we see the majority of frequencies between 2kHz - 15kHz. Therefore, you cannot have multiple people talking into both sides. 

Due to the super cardioid pattern of the microphone, the noise cancelation on this microphone is superb. When I do my typing/clicking test, you can hardly hear anything. Also, as I get farther away from the microphone, my voice drops significantly. This is excellent if you will be in a noisy room, or are worried about excess background noise. If you are still unhappy with the noise cancellation, there is a card in the user manual that provides a link to download additional noise canceling software. 

All the instruments, sounded perfectly fine being recorded through this microphone. With better instruments, newer strings, better performances, and better microphone placement, I am positive that you would be able to get a much better sound. 

Pros

  • Great Noise Cancellation
  • 0-Latency Headphone Port on Microphone
  • Nice Sound Quality
  • Wide Frequency Response
  • Sturdy Build Quality

Cons

  • No Gain Control on Microphone
  • USB Microphone (Limits Ability to Upgrade)

Conclusion

I don't want to speak before I test out some more USB microphones, but this mic may be the turning point in my opinion of USB microphones. This thing is great. I struggled to come up with any cons for this microphone in this price range. It performed well in most situations, recording music, recording voice, noise cancellation.

In conclusion, this would be a great mic for gamers, or solo podcasters. It will set you back approximately $75, and with the neewer boom arm, and dragon pad pop filter, your cost will be around $100. Not a bad cost for audio quality of this level. If you have any questions about the microphone, leave them in the comments down below or on youtube and I will get back to you ASAP. Thanks for watching & reading. 

Samson C01U: http://amzn.to/1OIU1dC
Microphone Boom Arm: http://amzn.to/1OIU5da
Nylon Pop Filter: http://amzn.to/1NcwUDz

Superhero Sunday: Dick Grayson

Hello and welcome to this month's Superhero Sunday. This month is Dick Grayson a character that we have all seen evolve and change over the years, starting as a sidekick to becoming a solo superhero himself as Nightwing.

The History

Let's starts with the facts created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson in April 1940, first appearance " Detective Comics No. 38.

The Character

Dick Grayson was the youngest in his acrobatic family that travelled in a performing act known as," The Flying Graysons." After one of the performances, Dick witnesses his family die by the hands of a mafia boss who was extorting the,"Haly's" circus. Bruce Wayne (Batman), unable to stop the events, decides to take Dick Grayson in as a legal ward.

During this time Dick becomes Robin and his acrobatic skills lend well to being the sidekick of Batman. They fought side by side for many years, but Dick grew up and the DC universe expanded. Dick decides he must forge his own path and become a hero himself as Nightwing. Dick as Nightwing moves to Bluhaven, leads the Teen Titans and has many solo adventures. If you flash forward to DC's "New 52" Dick Grayson becomes a spy under his own name and currently has a solo series.

Why this hero?

But I want to back up and explain what a huge impact Dick Grayson the character has on the comic world. Let me spoil a few things and hopefully encourage you to read some great stories. Dick Grayson starts as Batman's sidekick then grows up. Growing up isn't something that is done often in comics (Spiderman another example), most characters stay them same age over the decades, but DC pushed Dick Grayson and the medium of comics forward, by having Dick become the hero, Nightwing. Next during one of my personal favorite story lines (Final Crisis/Batman RIP)  involving the Bat-Family, Dick Grayson must pick up the mantle of Batman and protect the city while training Bruce Wayne's son Damian. I love this because it was a huge deal in comics, regarding who is going to be worthy of the Batman mask and responsibility. Dick Grayson was a strong character from the beginning and time has only forged him into a stronger independent leader. 

There are so many great titles to read for Dick Grayson or Nightwing and I suggest them all. But if you can't do that then check out these gems below.

Recommended Reading:

Watch:

Do You Even Comic: Black Hole

Hey! We are here for a, "better late than never" edtion of Do You Even Comic. This time I am talking about an alternative comic classic "Black Hole," by Eisner award winner Charles Burns. The story came out in 1995 and was released as a 12 issue series by Kitchen Sink, then re-released by Fantagrpahics.  

The Story

Black Hole takes places during the mid 70's in the suburbs of Seattle. The story follows four teenagers and switches between their lives as their summer goes on.  There is a mysterious sexually transmitted disease called "the teen plague" and "the bug," that gives people unique physical mutations.  The focus is on the lives and relationships of teens as reality hits them with issues that will only continue as they grow up in this world.

Why this book?

No, I did not read this is 1995 nor did I even know about it in 2005 when the hardcover came out. But  that didn't stop me from enjoying it. Black Hole felt like a sci-fi period piece that had ageless themes and didn't matter that it wasn't set in contemporary times. The art and writing are strong and immediately engaging. I like reading books about feeling and no matter what the metaphor is Charles Burns  nails it.

I picked up Black Hole because, well because I kept seeing it places. It was on lists of books to see it was on shelves of comic shops. I finally had to give it a shot and I am so glad I did. Charles Burns has both a unique voice and bold art style that grows on you the more you read. This was such a great path to finding a new dark writer.

If this sounded like a book for you then get it here:

Book: Black Hole

Sound Intone X2 Gaming Headset Review / Test

I am testing out another gaming headset. This time, it is the Sound Intone X2 Gaming Headset. This microphone was requested by our youtube viewer ZyDevs, and it will set you back on amazon about $22. 

What's In the Box

In this box you get 1 thing. 

  1. Gaming Headset

That's right. No spec sheet, no supplemental information. Just the headset and a single piece of paper that is in Chinese, so if you do not know how to read Chinese, you are out of luck. The back of the box does have a few specifications though.

Performance / Features

This is a PC gaming headset that connects using two 3.5mm cables; 1 for the headphones and 1 for the microphone. The cable is also about 2.5 meters, so you will never have to worry about the cable being too short.

The headphones are 40mm drivers and advertised as 20Hz - 20KHz. When conducting my headphone test I didn't hear anything above 19.5KHz, and I didn't hear any sound below 25Hz. In the low end, the sound was there, but it was not powerful. To further this test, I listened to some heavy bass music to see how these headphones performed, and there were almost no sub frequencies (roughly anything below 60Hz). These headphones severely lack the low end, so if you want really heavy bass, these are not the headphones for you.

The microphone is also advertised as noise canceling. When testing the polar pattern of the microphone, it seems to be omni-directional, picking up my voice from every direction. Then when I tested how much of the background noise it cancelled out from typing and clicking on a mouse, I found that it didn't seem to cancel out any noise. 

Pros

  • Low cost
  • Decent sounding microphone
  • Cloth wound cable

Cons

  • Poor build quality
  • Headphones lack bass response 
  • Microphone picks up keyboard and mouse noise
  • Microphone does not articulate
  • Minimal supporting documentation

Conclusion

I don't think that this headset is worth buying. The headphones feel cheap, they don't have good bass response and the microphone seems to pick up everything going on in the room. I cannot fault them for this because the headset is $22, however, the E-blue Cobra Gaming Headset, is a few dollars cheaper, and I believe performs better in all these areas. So if you are looking for a gaming headset for around $20, go for the cobra gaming headset. 

I should note that I hook this microphone up using a $6 USB Audio Adapter which provides 5 volts of power, improving the audio quality. If you have any questions about the microphone, leave them in the comments down below or on youtube and I will get back to you ASAP. Thanks for watching & reading. 

X2 Gaming Headset: http://amzn.to/1SsXmfU
E-Blue Cobra Headset: http://amzn.to/1SsXkoh
Sabrent USB Audio Adapter: http://amzn.to/1SsXnAh

Can Phantom Power Improve Your Cheap Mics Audio?

This is my third video of the week because people keep asking good questions, and I can't wait to answer them. Over the past few weeks, I have received countless comments asking if adding a phantom power supply to your cheap mic setup can improve your microphones audio. To put it simply, yes and no. Let's look more at this.

The Test

For this test, I ran the Excelvan BM-700 directly into the Sabrent USB Audio Adapter as well as the Gino Stereo USB Audio Adapter for a base quality test. Then as a comparison, I ran the microphone into the Neewer Phantom Power Supply, and then ran the output from the phantom power supply into each adapter. I include comparisons of me talking, and then samples of the background noise. 

Results

The initial audio from the Sabrent Adapter was pretty good. My microphone input gain was set at 7% on my computer and there was very little background noise. When I added the phantom power supply to this set up, I was able to drop my input gain from 7% down to 4%. You can hear a slight bump in clarity and high end once phantom power is added, but you also hear a slight increase in background noise (a new hiss).

The first test with the Gino Stereo USB Adapter is horrible. The audio sounded digital, quiet, and I had to set my microphone input gain to 72% which yielded a ridiculous amount of background noise. Once I added the phantom power supply, the audio for this adapter improved considerably! The sound was clearer, crisper, and less digital sounding. We were able to drop the input gain from 72% down to 35% and this led to a significant decrease in background noise. 

Conclusion

If you have a Sabrent audio adapter, or an audio adapter that gives you plenty of gain, and you don't have much background noise, I do not think that it's justifiable to purchase a $20 power supply. On the other hand, if you have a cheap piece of crap USB adapter that forces you to crank your input gain, causing ridiculous background noise, the phantom power does seem to improve that.

However, keep in mind that regardless of what accessories you get, you are running a microphone into a cheap USB Adapter. Your audio quality will always be limited by this. The pre amps in these USB Sound Cards are nothing special, and quite frankly, kind of suck. If you really want to improve your audio, I recommend looking into an audio interface that was designed to record microphones. An audio interface that has real preamps in it. But if that option is out of your price range, this solution seems to work just fine.

Neewer Phantom Power Supply: http://amzn.to/1llLK3a
Sabrent USB Audio Adapter: http://amzn.to/1llLGR6
Gino USB Audio Adapter: http://amzn.to/1IkwCIQ
BM-700: http://amzn.to/1InMPgb

 

A Brief History of Taco Bell

It is rare that you get to take the fact that you ate 3 meals at Taco Bell in a 2 day period and turn that into a creative project. Well, now is one of those moments. I did a bit of research and teach you about the history of Taco Bell. The founder. The Baja Blast. The Space Station Target. As much as I can cram into just over four minutes. Let me know what your favorite taco bell item is in the comments down below. See y'all on Thursday and don't forget to Think Outside the Bun!

What's the Best USB Soundcard?

One of the most asked questions on my youtube videos is "can I buy the cheaper USB soundcard and get the same result?" The answer I have always had to give is "I have no idea". I decided to fix that, I bought 6 USB Soundcards to compare the audio from.

My least favorite cards were the two wired USB adapters. The stereo one (white cord) was just too quiet, and too digital sounding. The 7.1 card (black cord) was simply too loud and completely unuseable. At 2% input gain, I was still clipping. Then we have the virtual 5.1 soundcard which is blue. This card gave me the same problem as the other cards. Too digital and too quiet, but if you are on a budget, it will be a decent soundcard.

Number 3 on my list is The HDE 7.1 which is one of the cheaper cards. I like this card because it provides a much more natural sound and audio compared to the previous 3 discussed. Unfortunately, for me it was too quiet. I had to crank the gain up to about 75% to get a good level, and at that point, the background noise has been turned up along with the microphone. If you are on a budget, this is a great option for a soundcard, and it performed admirably. 

Number 2 on my list is the Sabrent 7.1 card which is the most expensive card that I tested out. I liked this one a lot. It provided natural sounding audio, plenty of gain, however, for what I am doing, I don't need the headphone volume & mute or the microphone mute. These are nice features, but for me are unnecessary. 

Number 1 is the Sabrent Stereo USB Audio Adapter. The card that I have been using since day one. In all honesty, it was just pure luck that I ordered this one, and that it turned out to be so good. I think the audio produced through this is as good as the Sabrent 7.1, but in a simpler package. No buttons to mess with, which I like. It is also cheaper than the 7.1 card.

In conclusion, if you are just recording a podcast, or voice over for a video, I think that the Stereo Sabrent card will work perfectly fine for you. It's what I use and I am completely happy with it. On the other hand, if you are gaming online, and you want to be able to adjust your headphone volume, or mute your microphone, the 7.1 Sabrent card will be the right option for you.

My Ranking

Sabrent Stereo: http://amzn.to/1Ikwqt5
Sabrent 7.1: http://amzn.to/1IkwtVI
HDE 7.1: http://amzn.to/1Ikww3H
Virtual 5.1: http://amzn.to/1T8qZ64
Gino Stereo: http://amzn.to/1IkwCIQ
Gino 7.1: http://amzn.to/1T8r21R

A Brief History of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is an important time of year for a lot of people. Mainly because it's a time to give thanks and hang out with family. I personally don't think thanksgiving is that worth celebrating. 1st, I don't think that we should need a day designated to remind us to be thankful. I think that the majority of us are pretty damn fortunate and should be thankful every single day. 2nd, there's a lot of really crappy events associated with thanksgiving that I think suck and I don't want to celebrate. My 3rd reason is a personal reason, this was my grandmother's holiday. She loved cooking and having 20 people over. Without seeing the joy it brought to her face, I don't care for the holiday because of those previous 2 reasons. 

Well, I hope you enjoy the video and the history I provide, and I hope you learned something you didn't know. Thanks for watching, happy thanksgiving (if you celebrate it), I'm thankful for you folks watching and reading this (you're awesome) and High Five MORE PEOPLE!

ECOOPRO EO-200 Condenser Mic Review / Test

Today I am testing out a really cool looking microphone, the ECOOPRO EO-200. If you are interested in this mic, it would set you back about $40 on amazon, but it is completely sold out. I was also unable to find this microphone on any other sites, so it seems that I reviewed a microphone that no longer exists. But we'll go ahead and move on.

What's In the Box

In this box you get 4 things. 

  1. Cardioid Condenser Microphone (XLR)
  2. Microphone Mount (5/8" mic stand - unsure if 3/8" adapter was provided)
  3. Microphone Cable (XLR to 3.5mm)
  4. User Manual / Spec Sheet

As I mention above, I believe that the box was missing 5/8" to 3/8" microphone stand adapter. However, if you buy a neewer microphone boom arm to use with this microphone, you will get an adapter with the stand.

Performance / Features

First thing I should note is, this microphone requires power to function. The specifications dictate 3v - 48v. I recorded this using a USB adapter which provides 5v, and it seemed to work perfectly fine.

This microphone is very hot. What I mean by that is, it is very loud. I had my computer input gain set at 2% and I was still clipping. I know that I could have set the microphone farther away, and avoided this problem, however, I try to create an environment that most youtubers/gamers will be in. Getting excited, talking loudly, basically, not caring about proper microphone technique, because that's not what's important to them. What most youtubers will be focussed on is their game or what they're going to say.

I am uncertain of the actual frequency response of this microphone, as no numbers are given, however, it appears (through the confusing dual line graphic) that it is 50Hz to 10KHz, but that seems incorrect. It is also uni-directional at 1Khz, and that is very clear in the demonstration. This microphone also did very well at isolating my voice over the keyboard / mouse noise. 

This microphone is full metal construction (metal body & grill), and it is very heavy. It was so heavy that I took it apart to try and see if they added weights, but didn't want to rip out the circuit board to find out. On the front of the microphone, you will find an LED light, that did not work for me. I am assuming lights up when it is provided sufficient power. 

Pros

  • Good at Isolating Voice from Keyboard
  • XLR Microphone (can use different preamps, interfaces, etc.)

Cons

  • Extremely hot signal
  • Unclear specifications
  • Captures a Lot of Pops
  • Limited Frequency Response

Conclusion

I don't like this mic. It sounds like what you would expect out of a $40 microphone, but that's no longer acceptable. There are microphones like the Neewer NW-700 that I have tested out that sound much better. If you need a cheap microphone, save yourself a few dollars and pick up an NW-700. I will consider revisiting this mic using a mixer, and pop filter, but for now I am not a fan. I do not recommend this microphone. That is why the thumbnail says "A mic to be used as a weapon", because I think that's the only thing it's really good for, a tool to bludgeon someone with.

I should note that I hook this microphone up using a $6 USB Audio Adapter which provides 5 volts of power, improving the audio quality. If you have any questions about the microphone, leave them in the comments down below or on youtube and I will get back to you ASAP. Thanks for watching & reading. 

ECOOPRO EO-200: http://amzn.to/1lFZyX0
Neewer NW-700: http://amzn.to/1MyTl7V

A Brief History of SyFy

In the late 80's and early 90's a couple of awesome people decided to found a television network based solely on science fiction! It took a few years to get the channel launched, but I think we can all say thank you to them now. Sure there have been quite a few stinkers of shows/movies, but they have also provided some of the most interesting shows, i.e. Battlestar Galactica! That's really the only example I need to provide to justify the creation of this network. 

I hope you enjoy the brief history of this tv station and the song I wrote about it!