« quality mic »

I have used this Sennheiser E 945 in all kinds of recording situations. I use it mainly for recording electric and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, and vocals, but I have also used it to record full musical ensembles (including drums) and it reproduces the sound with amazing clarity. There is no background noise. This is the BEST usb microphone on the market. It is a condenser mic so it will pick up sounds accurately without coloring them. Another feature about condenser mics is that they are very sensitive; they don't "normalize" sounds like dynamic mics do. So recording with one is more difficult because you will have to keep constant volumes. You'll have to set the input volume on your computer very low if recording something loud, or else it will peak and sound broken and distorted; this is normal with all condenser mics. If you try to use a dynamic mic to record, it will have a "live" kind of sound to it (listen to Blink-182's self-titled album). Some people like that, but for a professional sounding recording condenser is the only way to go, and even though this one is most expensive one I tried (at $150) it was by far the best.

OVERALL OPINION

It has a metal casing, but as with all condenser mics, the insides will break before the outside if you don't take proper care of it. I treat mine with more care than any of my stuff; keep it in a safe place, away from moisture and risk of getting knocked over or hit. Use a pop filter when recording vocals to keep moisture away from it.

You could spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on a "pro setup"; get a mixing board, preamps, dedicated instrument mics, etc or if you just want to record one track at a time and have it sound great, get this for a fraction of the price