This post is brought to you by TASCAM and the MiNiSTUDIO Creator US-42. To learn more, visit Tascam.com.
YouTube has galvanized the production of videos to the point where it’s no longer acceptable to just use the microphone attached to a camera. Having a quality production means having more than one microphone.
In fact, it requires the ability to add additional mics as needed and to control them so that the final results meet a high standard. This becomes especially true when the video is being streamed live, since any modifications must be made on the fly.
That’s why the MiNiSTUDIO Creator US-42 places so much importance on ease of use and portability — regardless of whether the video is being made in a studio-like environment or on location, streaming live or being recorded for a later use. The US-42 supplies the missing link to a great YouTube production through a combination of hardware and software and only needs the addition of microphones and a computer or notebook to provide the means for capturing and acquiring great audio.
The US-42 is imposing, not in size but in features, which are readily available, easily activated and immediately understandable.
Say you’re doing an interview and need one microphone for yourself and another for the guest; just use both of the XLR/TRS analog combo jack microphone inputs. Or if you want to record a guitar, either input supports high impedance, so recording an electronic instrument directly is simple. And since there’s an input jack for attaching to a mobile device, adding in external audio is simplified.
Want to alter how someone’s voice sounds or add reverb? The controls are right there waiting. There’s even three self-lighting PON pads that, when pressed, play an audio file of your choosing that’s been prerecorded and stored on the computer. That’s one way to spice up a Skype audio call when the topics start to get a bit boring.
For hearing exactly what’s being recorded, there’s a choice of a standard-sized stereo jack for stereo headphones — playing the same signals outputted from both Line Out Left/Right jacks — or a stereo mini-headphone jack — supporting input/output for 4-pole headphones with mic and output for headset headphones.
To stream live, set the US-42 to Broadcast mode. Now you’re hearing everything that your audience hears. And thanks to an internal audio loopback function, any and all audio in the computer can be fed back and added into the recording. But should you prefer pre-recording for a later broadcast, switch to the Creator mode. Now the US-42 behaves like a standard USB audio interface, with the loopback feature disabled and all mic inputs routed separately to the computer. This makes the US-42 useful with digital audio workstations (DAWs) and video editing software.
The MiNiSTUDIO Creator US-42 is more than a microphone preamp and USB audio interface. It ensures a crisp and clear sound quality through professional-caliber HDDA microphone preamps and provides high-resolution recording up to 24-bit/ 96 kHz on both PCs and Macs. The US-42 places every control right at your fingertips — it even has an illuminated On Air panel to let everyone know it’s show time. But its greatest strength comes in giving you control over the audio being recorded so that it sounds exactly the way you want it to.
Compatible with all major streaming software and services, the MiNiSTUDIO Creator US-42 is a one-stop shop when it comes to adding in audio for live streaming or recorded video productions and is available now from TASCAM dealers at a street price of $179.99.
YouTuber Magazine is a digital periodical. Subscribe here to have the next full issue delivered for free.
