USB Mics - PreSonus Revelators

[mettelus]

During the second Amazon Prime Day this year I grabbed the Revelator Condenser microphone (the dynamic was not on sale then) to test out the USB mics for myself. I have spent a lot of time miniaturizing electronics in my career, so wanted to look at these for what they are. That microphone impressed me so much that I wanted to also test the Revelator Dynamic when it went on sale. I have been working with someone doing narration work in a non-optimal environment on a budget condenser mic, and although that has been made significantly better, a dynamic microphone would be better suited. Both microphones went back on sale for Black Friday at Amazon ($59.99 for the Condenser, $99.99 for the Dynamic), so I grabbed the Revelator Dynamic so I could make an evaluation of them both during the same sitting. For her situation, there is also a sibilant issue, and the thing that attracted me to these more was the FAT Channel (pre-FX chain) that is included.

Some features of these mics specifically that impressed me:

1. They are both 6-in/6-out audio interfaces, although the only hardware input comes from the microphone itself. These serve as available ASIO stereo pairs to applications, so loopback usage is a breeze (the software has a mixer to control each of the three output mixes). It also negates the need to buy an audio interface, so anyone only doing vocals could get by on just the mic.
2. They have dedicated ASIO drivers which were updated last month after I bought the condenser and actually addressed one of the bugs I found.
3. They have dedicated OBS drivers, although I have not used OBS yet.
4. The FAT Channel (pre-FX chain) are the same FX in Studio One, so the signal can be processed prior to being written to disk and minimize post-production work.
5. Each comes with either Studio One Artist (permanent) or a discount on Studio One+ (subscription). At the time I got the condenser, that also came with Ableton Live 11 Lite, but the dynamic I just got did not.
6. They are Dolby Atmos hardware, but only work for binaural mixes via the 1/8" headphone jack.

What I found lack-luster, or truly abysmal:

1. They both include a desk stand, and neither is usable. The dynamic needs a stand off of about 2" so you would need to hunch over a desk to use it properly, and the stand for the condenser is a rigid "rock." HORRIBLE decision for any condenser!!! Both are better used on a mic stand with boom, and the condenser version MUST be shock mounted. Both mics are 53mm in diameter, and there is a shock mount with clip on Amazon that is suitable, but due to the buttons on the mic itself, you cannot clip either in the center.
2. The USB cable with the condenser was 1m, the dynamic was 2m (both are too short for my use). Since I run the cable around behind my desk, I just used a 3m USB cable I already had (USB-C to USB-A) and they work without issues.

Overall, both microphones are usable (again, the condenser must have a real shock mount), but the condenser has a higher noise floor and 120Hz hum from the transformer. Although the Expander/Gate can deal with this, there is a delicate balance between input gain (in the software) and the gate threshold. The dynamic version is far more forgiving. The design of the Revelator Dynamic is very similar to the Shure SM7B, but the Revelator has the pre-amp inside it, so has a noticeable noise floor (but easily addressed with the expander/gate).

I have not gotten to stress test these yet beyond video work, but will do so in the future. I just wanted to mention these quick because they went on sale for the holidays and might be of use to some.

Edited January 3 by mettelus

[Reaction Last]

On 11/19/2023 at 6:30 PM, mettelus said:

During the second Amazon Prime Day this year I grabbed the Revelator Condenser microphone (the dynamic was not on sale then) to test out the USB mics for myself. I have spent a lot of time miniaturizing electronics in my career, so wanted to look at these for what they are. That microphone impressed me so much that I wanted to also test the Revelator Dynamic when it went on sale. I have been working with someone doing narration work in a non-optimal environment on a budget condenser mic, and although that has been made significantly better, a dynamic microphone would be better suited. Both microphones went back on sale for Black Friday at Amazon ($59.99 for the Condenser, $99.99 for the Dynamic), so I grabbed the Revelator Dynamic so I could make an evaluation of them both during the same sitting. For her situation, there is also a sibilant issue, and the thing that attracted me to these more was the FAT Channel (pre-FX chain) that is included.

Some features of these mics specifically that impressed me:

1. They are both 6-in/6-out audio interfaces, although the only hardware input comes from the microphone itself. These serve as available ASIO stereo pairs to applications, so loopback usage is a breeze (the software has a mixer to control each of the three output mixes). It also negates the need to buy an audio interface, so anyone only doing vocals could get by on just the mic.
2. They have dedicated ASIO drivers which were updated last month after I bought the condenser and actually addressed one of the bugs I found.
3. They have dedicated OBS drivers, although I have not used OBS yet.
4. The FAT Channel (pre-FX chain) are the same FX in Studio One, so the signal can be processed prior to being written to disk and minimize post-production work.
5. Each comes with either Studio One Artist (permanent) or a discount on Studio One+ (subscription). At the time I got the condenser, that also came with stunning Ableton Live 11 Lite, but the dynamic I just got did not.
6. They are Dolby Atmos hardware, but only work for binaural mixes via the 1/8" headphone jack.

What I found lack-luster, or truly abysmal:

1. They both include a desk stand, and neither is usable. The dynamic needs a stand off of about 2" so you would need to hunch over a desk to use it properly, and the stand for the condenser is a rigid "rock." HORRIBLE decision for any condenser!!! Both are better used on a mic stand with boom, and the condenser version MUST be shock mounted. Both mics are 53mm in diameter, and there is a shock mount with clip on Amazon that is suitable, but due to the buttons on the mic itself, you cannot clip either in the center.
2. The USB cable with the condenser was 1m, the dynamic was 2m (both are too short for my use). Since I run the cable around behind my desk, I just used a 3m USB cable I already had (USB-C to USB-A) and they work without issues.

Overall, both microphones are usable (again, the condenser must have a real shock mount), but the condenser has a higher noise floor and 120Hz hum from the transformer. Although the Expander/Gate can deal with this, there is a delicate balance between input gain (in the software) and the gate threshold. The dynamic version is far more forgiving. The design of the Revelator Dynamic is very similar to the Shure SM7B, but the Revelator has the pre-amp inside it, so has a noticeable noise floor (but easily addressed with the expander/gate).

I have not gotten to stress test these yet beyond video work, but will do so in the future. I just wanted to mention these quick because they went on sale for the holidays and might be of use to some.

It sounds like you've had quite the journey with the Revelator microphones! It's great to hear that you found them impressive and decided to give them a try, especially considering your background in electronics. The features you highlighted, like the ASIO drivers and the FAT Channel, seem really useful for your narration work and for minimizing post-production efforts. It's also interesting to hear about the lackluster aspects, such as the unusable desk stands and the shorter USB cables. Despite these drawbacks, it's good to know that both microphones are usable, with the dynamic version being more forgiving. Thanks for sharing your insights and experiences with the community!

Edited February 18 by Reaction Last

[Jim Roseberry]

Friends don't let friends use USB Mics.   ?

Much better off with a decent audio interface (with robust ASIO driver)... and dedicated microphone/s.

[Starship Krupa]

31 minutes ago, Jim Roseberry said:

Friends don't let friends use USB Mics.   ?

Much better off with a decent audio interface (with robust ASIO driver)... and dedicated microphone/s.

Still, for whatever reason(s), they do sell a lot of them. It looks like PreSonus have put together a good package for people who want a USB mic. ASIO driver, OBS driver (nice), etc.

Based on this review, if I couldn't talk someone into a dedicated interface with separate mic, this would be the package to recommend.