The Audio Technica ATR2100 microphone
Most of all, the ATR2100 price is just less than $70 on Amazon
Audio Technica ATR2100 Review
The ATR2100 is an ideal microphone for podcasting, voice interviews, singing, stage performances, and home studio recording. Whether you are looking for your first podcast microphone or would like a USB microphone to record with GarageBand, I recommend going with the ATR2100.
The microphone is made of a silver metal. It has a solid, durable build and feels great in the hand. You can tell by the resilient design that this microphone will last a lifetime.
What’s in the Box?
The Audio Technica ATR2100 microphone ships with the following items:
- Microphone
- Tripod desk stand
- Threaded stand clamp
- 2 meter mini USB cable
- 3 meter XLR cable (XLRM to XLRF i.e. male to female)
It’s worth noting that the included threaded stand clamp will attach to the supplied tripod, a conventional microphone stand, or a boom arm
ATR2100: USB vs XLR
The ATR2100 microphone has both USB and XLR connections.
The USB connection is ideal for most beginners. The supplied USB cable plugs right into your computer’s USB port. You can use free audio software like Audacity to record and edit your audio. Audacity is cross-platform meaning it is available for download on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Furthermore, the ATR2100 also has an XLR connection. The XLR connection allows you to connect your microphone to a mixer or other analog equipment such as a stage sound system.
The XLR connection is analog and the USB connection is digital. As with most things digital, there is some amount of compression that occurs. Consequently, the quality of the XLR connection is slightly better than the USB connection.
But don’t worry because the sound quality, when recording over the ATR2100 USB connection, is superb, especially when compared to your webcam’s or phone’s microphone. It would probably be hard for an untrained ear to notice the difference between analog and digital audio.
Other ATR2100 Features
The ATR2100 has a built-in 3.5mm stereo jack for live audio monitoring. This allows you to plug in headphones and listen to your microphone’s output without any delay in the signal.
You are also able to adjust your headphone’s volume via an up/down dial control on the bottom of the microphone.
Does the ATR2100 Work with Linux?
According to the manufacturer, the ATR2100 is compatible with Windows and Mac; however, I am using the ATR2100 on Linux without any problem. I have tested the ATR2100 microphone on Linux Mint Cinnamon. I can’t say for sure, but I have a good feeling that the ATR2100 microphone would be compatible with Ubuntu and other flavors of Linux as well.
There was no ATR2100 driver to install on Linux. Therefore Audacity immediately recognized the microphone as an input device after I plugged it in via USB.
ATR2100 Is the Best USB Microphone
The Audio Technica ATR2100 microphone
