REVIEWING THE APOGEE HYPEMiC AND THE CASE FOR COMPRESSION

Sorry, people. Summer is officially over! We can all go back to our small home studios and spend hours a day inside, talking into a microphone.

For some, summer is the season of missed opportunities because clients have this weird tendency to need you most when you’re on a beach trying to get a tan, far away from civilization. But I always have a plan in place to make sure that doesn’t happen.

I avoid beaches.

But seriously, before leaving my studio to go on vacation, I let all my clients know that I’ll be away so they won’t bother me with projects and auditions. And yet there’s always ONE who didn’t get the memo and needs me to do a last-minute pickup, audition, or a quick but lucrative job. 

I HATE it when that happens, but if one simple big-budget job can basically pay for an entire vacation, who am I to turn it down?

Now, for those rush jobs I always had the Apogee MiC in my suitcase because it sounded way better than recordings on my iPhone or iPad. Way, way better!

When you think of it, that’s pretty amazing for a company that is not really a dedicated maker of microphones like Rode, Sennheiser, or Shure. 

PRETENTIOUS NAME

After the Apogee MiC they released the equally exquisite MiC Plus, bringing the sound quality up to 24-bit/96kHz. I also owned this microphone, but I ended up giving it away to a person who needed it more than I did. The surprising successor to the MiC+ was released in January 2019, and was marketed as the “HypeMic.”

What a pretentious name for such a small gadget!

“Hype” refers to the built-in three level analog compressor which makes this mic stand out in a world that’s saturated with plug and play recording solutions such as the Blue Yeti. The bulky Yeti is not an abominable microphone, but it’s not something you’d bring with you on a trip abroad. So, should I believe all the hype and get myself a new Apogee microphone? 

You know that as a true Dutchman I’m extremely frugal. A penny saved is a penny earned, so why would I spend $350 on a microphone I would only use sporadically? 

Besides, I already own two travel mics, the Shure MV88+ and the Sennheiser MKE 200. But when Apogee contacted me and asked if I was interested in testing the HypeMiC, I could not resist the temptation. By the way, did you know that Apogee is a small women-owned and green business?

Of course I let them know that my voice is for hire but my opinion is not for sale. Sending me a mic does not automatically lead to a positive review. In fact, the interest of the manufacturer is never on my mind when I review any type of gear.

My main question is:

How well does this microphone work for voice over applications?

You’ll find lots of rave HypeMiC reviews on the web, but a majority is written for and by musicians who have very different needs. 

One thing I did learn from watching seasoned sound engineers and musicians take the HypeMiC for a spin, is that this pocketable piece of gear is as much at home in the recording studio as it is on the road. It is a well built versatile USB-mic that does not sound like a USB-microphone. You can use it for Zoom calls, podcasts, interviews, as well as for recording instruments and vocals. The HypeMiC is a Jack-of-all-trades and a master of many!

THE DETAILS

It’s a small side-address condenser with a fairly large grille protecting the cardioid capsule. The 7.2-ounce mic’s 4.9-by-1.5-by-1.5-inch dimensions make it fit neatly in most adult hands. I’m not crazy about the champagne gold color and branding on the body, but the sound is more important than the looks, right?

Below the grille it’s a conventional USB microphone build, with a gain knob and three multicolor status LEDs above it. The status LEDs become level indicators when adjusting gain (as expected they flash red when the signal peaks). Adjusting the gain is as simple as turning the knob on the front of the mic.

There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB port on the bottom panel. There is no button on the mic to adjust the monitoring level. The Blend button on the front of the HypeMiC allows you to adjust mix levels, shifting from more mic signal to more playback signal from your recording software (just like on the MiC+).

This is a plug-and-play microphone recording at 24-bit/96kHz without any digital signal processing. Instead, it uses analog signal processing, which makes it stand out from many other USB-microphones.

The noise performance of the built-in preamp is -108dB A‑weighted at 0dB gain, with a maximum gain of 46dB. Sensitivity is specified as -36dB (94dB SPL at 1kHz). Unfortunately, there is no frequency response listed.

THE COMPRESSION CONUNDRUM

Now, the only reason you would pick the HypeMiC over the MiC+ is the built in analog 3-stage compressor. Simply put, compression is a preference that gives your voice more presence, more oomph. I often compare it to making your text bold so it stands out more. How does it work?

A compressor reduces (compresses) the level of the loudest part of your audio signal, and increases the level of the softest parts of your recording, creating a  more consistent sound. In radio, compression is often used to make the voice of the speaker sound more rich and powerful (but it’s all a mater of taste and perception).

Here’s a rule of thumb: badly compressed audio always sounds worse than uncompressed audio. When it’s done well, it can increase the intelligibility of the speaker, and some listeners will  say the speaker sounds “more professional,” or “more like a radio voice.”

In instrumental recordings, compression can help vocals cut through the mix instead of blending into the background. When you’re recording podcasts with people who don’t know how to work the mic, using a compressor can help you prepare the audio to make sure everything from a loud laugh to a soft whisper can be heard clearly without clipping or losing detail.

Speaking of podcasts (or jam sessions), Apogee has software called First Take that can be downloaded for free. It allows you to plug up to four microphones into one laptop and make a multichannel recording. First Take is compatible with HypeMiC, MiC Plus, & ClipMiC digital 2. Click here for a demo.

A big selling point is that using the HypeMiC’s compression in combination with First Take requires little or no technical knowledge. You don’t need to worry about complicated settings like Threshold, Ratio, Attack and Release. (Click here if you want to learn more about using compression for podcasts.)

SOUND TEST

Enough tech talk! How does the HypeMiC sound with and without compression?

Before you have a listen, there’s something you need to be aware of. When you bump up the compression levels on the mic, the gain increases significantly. The solution is to turn the gain down when using more compression.

For demonstration purposes I have not adjusted the gain so you can clearly hear the difference in dynamic levels. This means the recording gets louder as the compression increases.

Something to keep in mind: the more gain you apply, the stronger the compression will be, even in a lower compressor setting. A strong input signal leads to stronger compression. Alternatively, if you’re on the highest compression setting with very little gain, the result won’t sound very compressed. In other words: gain-staging impacts the level of compression.

Here’s another view to show you the increase in amplification as you move from neutral to the Shape, Squeeze, and Smash modes of compression, and then back to normal.

COMPRESSION AND VOICE OVERS

Like with most effects, there is a place and a time to use compression. It can smooth out performances that have too much of a dynamic range (a variance in volume). But there’s a reason not to Shape, Squeeze, and Smash your audio using the HypeMiC. With Apogee analog compression, you bake the compression into the mix, meaning you can’t take it out in post. This in contrast to after-the-fact digital compression from a plug-in which you can remove and fine-tune ad infinitum.

HYPEMiC AND VO

Does this make the HypeMiC unsuitable for voice over applications? Let me put it this way.

It’s probably the best small and most versatile USB- microphone money can buy, featuring built in analog signal processing, A/D conversion, and compression. I’ll let you listen to a comparison in a minute. But if you’re not a podcaster or a musician, save yourself $90 and buy the Apogee MiC Plus. Although…

The HypeMiC kit will get you a taller all-metal stand ($25), a ball-head stand adapter ($25) a cute custom pop filter ($35) and a softshell case ($40). Adding the price of all these accessories up, you’ll come to $125, so you decide what makes more sense.

ALTERNATIVES

Now, as I mentioned earlier, I already own two travel mics: the Shure MV88+ and the Sennheiser MKE 200. The Sennheiser ($79) is a mic I bring anyway because I usually plug it into my Sony RX10 Mark 4 camera when I record vacation videos. It’s extremely light (1.7 ounces), directional, and compact, and of all the travel mics I’ve ever used, it has killer wind noise protection. It plugs into my iPhone with a lightning cable.

The Shure MV88+ ($200) comes with the free MOTIVE app which is a secret weapon. This app allows you to change the polar patterns of the mic, apply a high-pass filter, and yes, even add (digital) compression! The mic itself is much smaller than the Apogee and only weighs 2.78 ounces. It also fits neatly into the cold shoe of my ULANZI MT-16 Camera Tripod Stand Holder which I use to shoot all my social media videos with.

Let’s listen to a comparison of all the travel mics mentioned, plus audio from my iPhone 14. I’m not going to tell you which is which just yet. Listen first and pick a favorite.

As you can tell, I left the handling noise in because it’s something you should be aware of when making a purchase decision.

To my ears, microphone 2 sounded tinny, emphasizing the highs. It was my least favorite. Microphone 4 had a lot of handling noise and didn’t sound very pleasant either. As far as I’m concerned, those two are out. So it’s between 1 and 3. The third mic sounded okay but a bit flat, and microphone 1 is my favorite with a richer, fuller sound.

It happens to be the Apogee HypeMiC!

Number 2 was the disappointing Sennheiser MKE 200. Number 3 was the Shure MV88+, and the last one was my iPhone 14. So, as usual, you get what you pay for.

Which one was your favorite, and if you only had a limited budget, which travel microphone would you buy or recommend and why? It doesn’t have to be one on my list.

Leave you suggestions in the comments!

FINAL COMPARISON

To quote Apple’s Tim Cook: “One more thing…”

How would the HypeMiC stack up against my studio microphone, the Sennheiser MKH 8060? I know, it’s not a fair comparison, but I’m sure you’d like to know! Have a listen and see if you can guess which is which.

Many thanks to Apogee for letting me test the HypeMiC!

 

 

 

 

 

PS the first microphone was the Sennheiser and the second one the Apogee