Audio purists like to give USB mics a bad rap. The all-in-one design that connects directly to your computer is often seen as inferior to an XLR mic connected through a dedicated audio interface. But microphone companies have been making a lot of strides in USB microphones to offer people high-quality audio, without the price and complexity that can come with more traditional microphone setups. The Movo UM700 is one such mic, an all-in-one USB package that becomes the perfect desktop companion for anyone who wants to kick up their audio recording quality a few notches.
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What you see is what you get when you take the UM700 out of the box. It comes mounted on a desktop stand that made me feel like I was about to start producing my own true-crime podcast from my office. It can be folded down into itself to be even more compact, but I left it sitting on desk while I was reviewing it and never found it to get it the way. It also has traditional 5/8″ mic stand threading on the bottom if you’d rather mount it on a different stand or boom arm. You’re not locked into using the included stand if it doesn’t work for you. Movo made its UM700 to feel like a sturdy and quality product. The entire chassis and stand is made of metal, and at more than 2 lbs, it doesn’t feel cheap. It’s an important factor in bridging the world of professional audio with accessible and affordable USB mic designs like this one. Just the fact that the Movo UM700 presents as...