That legacy influences the AKG Pro Audio Ara USB condenser mic, which focuses on providing fidelity to podcast recording, streaming devices, gaming, or simple conversation, even though those are impossible shoes for a microphone to fill. The AKG Ara is the more affordable brother of the AKG Lyra ($122 MSRP), which is more expensive. Both AKG USB-C condenser mics are updated in a manner that is camera-friendly.
AKG Ara review: Design
The Ara has been designed with simplicity and sound quality in mind by AKG. As a result, it is simple to set up and use. It includes a sturdy metal desktop support with padding on the bottom to safeguard surfaces. A standard-sized (5/8-inch) threaded hole for attachment to a microphone stand or mic boom arm is visible when the stand’s base is unscrewed. A 5/8-inch to 3/8-inch adaptor (the European standard) is also included in the box for installation to various platforms and boom arms. It was simple and quick to unscrew the bottom of the Ara stand and mount the Ara to the boom arm’s connector for placement when I mounted the Ara to a standard On-Stage Stands mic boom arm (seen above). The Ara can be completely unscrewed from the mounting brackets or tightened in place while it is swiveling forward and backward.
AKG Ara review: Sound Quality
Once more, the Ara is functionally straightforward – for better or worse. I argue the latter for no other reason than that a variety of direction possibilities for podcasting and/or recording not only imply diversity but also quality. I’ll go into greater detail in the section on sound quality. The front of the microphone has two buttons in terms of design. The user can choose between front (cardioid) and front/back by pressing the top button (omnidirectional). A button to indicate the headphone volume might be added to the bottom button, which controls the volume. The cover that shields the microphone array appears susceptible to damage. you can buy this microphone from its official website.
AKG Ara review: Software
The Ara is designed for plug-and-play operation with Windows and mac PCs, iOS and Android mobile devices—which need to be compatible with the USB OTG (On-The-Go) spec—and gaming consoles thanks to its USB class-compliant drivers. With a MacBook Pro 16-inch, all we had to do was plug the Ara into the USB port, select the Ara as the audio output and input source in the sound options, and then confirm that the Ara was selected as the input and output source in any software I used it with. No Mac software I tried had an issue identifying and connecting to the Ara, whether it was the OBS streaming software, a digital audio workstation (DAW) like Ableton Live, or conferencing applications like Zoom and Google Meet.
AKG Ara review: Performance
Microphones and cameras are already a part of our daily life as a result of the pandemic. With that, we’ll include a top-tier USB microphone in this evaluation of the AKG ARA. Many external video cameras come equipped with built-in microphones. Additionally, they are frequently marginally superior to using the built-in laptop microphones. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to use good external microphones. But fortunately, the ARA from AKG is a reliable and simple-to-use USB microphone. Continue reading our AKG ARA USB microphone review if you want more information about this item. We’ll give you all the information you require, including information about the product’s features, specifications, design, functions, and performance.
AKG Ara review: Price and availability
The Ara’s affordable price and straightforward operation seem more geared toward podcasting, YouTube videos, gaming, or simply enhancing the audio quality of a computer or mobile device for video conferencing, whereas the Lyra’s four mic pickup patterns and higher specifications may have more immediate appeal for musicians. With the Ara, AKG is still catering to its traditional base of musicians and music producers, as evidenced by the recording software that comes packaged.
AKG Ara review: Conclusion
The AKG Ara offers potential for first-time users who want to keep things as basic as possible as they learn about recording. It is a good backup mic to have on hand in a situation. However, consumers can experience a significant improvement with the AKG Lyra for an additional $50, or they can choose the Blue Yeti, which is significantly less expensive. Despite having a moniker that literally means “king,” the AKG Ara is not the supreme USB microphone.
