Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Microphone

I was part of a PodcastU Roundtable last night and the audio techies in the group sang the praises of this microphone for beginning podcasters. The ATR2100USB is an interesting hybrid of new and old. Beginning podcasters can use it as a USB mic, connecting it directly to their computer for recording, but the mic also functions as a traditional XLR mic for connecting to a mixing board. The other members of the Roundtable complimented it audio quality while also praising its ability to switch between standards.

The ATR2100 is a dynamic microphone, so if you are struggling with an environment with a bit of background noise, this might serve you better than a larger condenser mic like the Blue Snowball and Yeti I featured earlier in the gift guide.

More 2012 Gift Guide Items:

1. Do the Work by Steven Pressfield
2. Bulb Planting Tools
3. Blue Snowball Microphone
4. Seagate Backup Plus 500 GB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive
5. Logitech C920 HD Web Cam
6. We Are All Weird by Seth Godin
7. Sunset Western Garden Book – New Edition for 2012
8. The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings
9. Garden Mysteries by Anthony Eglin
10. The Creative Habit/The Collaborative Habit by Twyla Tharp
11. Moleskeine Journals
12. Pat Welsh’s Southern California Organic Gardening (3rd Edition): Month by Month
13. Podcasting for Dummies/Expert Podcasting Practices for Dummies
14. Wacom Bamboo Splash Pen Tablet
15. Radical Careering by Sally Hogshead
16. The $64 Tomato
17. Blue Yeti Microphone
18. BioLite CampStove/HomeStove
19. Getting Things Done by David Allen
20. The Curious Gardener
21. Anything You Want by Derek Sivers
22. GoPro HD HERO 3
23. Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart
24. The Starfish and the Spider by Orj Brafman and Rod A. Beckstrom
25. Microphone Boom Arms
26. The Information by James Gleick
27. Handy Farm Devices And How To Make Them (1909)
28. Zarrella’s Hierarchy of Contagiousness: The Science, Design, and Engineering of Contagious Ideas
29. Apple iPhone 5
30. Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod
31. Killer Ratings by Lisa Seidman
32. Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It by Karen Solomon
33. Zoom Portable Recorders (H1, H2, H2n, H4n)
34. Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds
35. My Teenager’s Favorite Games
36. The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness
37. In a Mexican Garden: courtyards, pools and open-air living rooms
38. Fields of Plenty: A farmer’s journey in search of real food and the people who grow it
39. Apple iPad/iPad Mini
40. The Back of the Napkin by Dan Roam
41. Cucina Rustica
42. The Great Potato Book
43. Rode Podcaster Microphone
44. High-Tech Fitness Monitors
45. Books by Douglas E. Welch
46. Tribes by Seth Godin
47. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
48. The Italian Slow Cooker cookbook
49. The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need
50. Classes from The Institute of Domestic Technology
51. Olympus PEN E-P1 12 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera
52. Backyard Giants: The Passionate, Heartbreaking and Glorious Quest to Grow the Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Susan Warren
53. Cocoon GRID-IT Organizer Packs
54. Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
55. Podcast Solutions by Dan Klass and Michael Geoghegan
56. The Craft and Business of Songwriting by John Braheny
57. Dexim Visible Green Smart Charge & Sync Cable
58. Wells Lamont Wet and Muddy Latex Coated Gardening Glove
59. Rosanne’s Top 5 Books for Film Buffs
60. Bon-Aire HN-10C Original Ultimate Hose Nozzle
61. Microphones from Giant Squid Audio Labs
62. Re-Imagine by Tom Peters
63. Razer Gaming Mice
64. Garden Hod harvest carrier
65. Nest Learning Thermostat
66. Aha! 10 Ways to Free Your Creative Spirit and Find Your Great Ideas
67. Yes, You Can! And Freeze and Dry It, Too: The Modern Step-By-Step Guide to Preserving Food
68. A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative
69. Fiskars 7936 PowerGear Pruner
70. Chi-qoo Solar Power Pack Kit from Bootstrap Solar
71. Read This Before Our Next Meeting by Al Pittampalli
72. Sterling Audio ST51 Large Diaphragm FET Condenser Microphone
73. DollarSeed.com – One Stop Seed Shop
74. 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive
75. Desktop Microphone Stands
76. Logitech Harmony 650 Remote Control
77. Maple Sugaring Startup Kit from Tap My Trees
78. Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones
79. Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace
80. Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bags
81. The SeedKeeper Company
82. Jump Start Your Brain by Doug Hall and David Wecker
83. Joby GP1-A1EN GorillaPod Flexible Tripod
84. Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirkey
85. How Carrots Won the Trojan War: Curious (but True) Stories of Common Vegetables by Rebecca Rupp
86. Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History
87. Behringer XENYX X1622USB Premium 16-Input 2/2-Bus Mixer
88. Starter Kit for Newsite Arduino Uno R3
89. RAM Vehicle Mounts for iPhone (and nearly any other device)
90. The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart
91. Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity by David Whyte
92. Seeing Trees: Discover the Extraordinary Secrets of Everyday Trees
93. Don’t Send a Resume: And Other Contrarian Rules to Help Land a Great Job
94. Olloclip 3-in-1 Lens for iPhone
95. Rules of Thumb by Alan M. Webber