AKG Ara plug-and-play USB microphone promises pro quality on a budget

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AKG Ara plug-and-play USB microphone promises pro quality on a budget

Whether you’re a streamer or a content creator, AKG’s new Ara USB microphone offers what the corporate says is pro-tier sound quality at a budget price. The microphone provides two different capture modes, universal compatibility with PC, Mac, and mobile devices, among many other features for users who need control over their audio.

Streaming and podcasting became mainstream hobbies (and careers) for several people. Audio quality remains among the critical things separating more amateur productions from ones likely to attract listeners, which is where a high-quality microphone comes in. However, pro-grade microphones typically accompany a high price that will be beyond the budget of somebody getting started.

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We’ve seen various cheaper options hit the market in recent years, the foremost popular arguably being the Blue Yeti mic. AKG requires a thereon model with Ara, which features 24-bit 96kHz converters, zero-latency monitoring with a headphone output, and controls for gain, output volume, and muting.

In addition to employing a design that AKG feels will look good on camera, the corporate says its Ara also supports multiple mounting options, including sitting on a desktop, mounting it to a typical stand, or attaching it to a boom stand. Other features include dual-pickup patterns (Front and Omni) and bundled software.

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The Ara microphone includes Ableton Live 11 Lite audio production software for those who already have a software workflow established. The model manages to undercut a number of its competitors with a USD 99 price point, which might be pretty inexpensive if the model lives up to AKG’s pro-grade claim.