MXL UR-1 User manual

USB Ribbon Microphone

User Manual

Congratulations on your purchase of the MXL UR-1. The MXL UR-1 USB Ribbon microphone

combines the classic tonality of a vintage ribbon microphone with all the convenience and simplic-

ity of USB technology. It features a high quality ribbon motor and an ultra low noise preampli-

ﬁer with Delta Sigma analog to digital converters to deliver remarkable sound quality. Ribbon

microphones are renowned for their natural unhyped sound. Our world class engineers in California

have successfully created a perfect blend of these two very different technologies to deliver a truly

unique microphone. With a zero latency headphone socket for realtime monitoring, integrated

isolation mount, and stunning good looks, the MXL UR-1 is perfect for recording instruments and

vocals, for podcasting, and for many other applications too. Fully Mac and PC compatible, with no

While we encourage you to review this entire manual, there are a few key points about handling

your MXL UR-1 that we want you to familiarize yourself with right from the start.

The MXL UR-1 is a professional quality, USB ribbon microphone designed speciﬁcally for record-

ing. It has a “ﬁgure-eight” pick up pattern, meaning that the microphone picks up from both

the front and the rear of the microphone with the sides offering excellent rejection. Unlike live

microphones or dynamic microphones, this microphone requires careful handling. By following a

few basic handling procedures, you can expect a long and happy relationship with your new MXL

special drivers required.

microphone.

User Manual

ALWAYS: Handle the microphone carefully, avoiding sudden shocks such as dropping or bumping

the microphone into other objects.

ALWAYS: Maintain a distance of approximately 4 – 6 inches when speaking or singing into the

microphone. You are encouraged to use a pop ﬁlter for added protection of the sensitive ribbon and to shield the instrument from saliva and sudden bursts of air.

NEVER: Tap the microphone to check if it is working. The red LED behind the microphone’s pro-

tective grill will tell you it’s functioning.

NEVER: Blow into the microphone to check it’s working. The red LED behind the

microphones protective grill will tell you it’s functioning.

A little background information:

MXL Ribbon microphones use an ultra thin corrugated aluminum ribbon suspended between two powerful magnets. The output of ribbon microphones is very small and needs substantial ampliﬁcation to produce usable results. Your MXL UR-1 has all of the ampliﬁcation and analog to digital converters required to give you outstanding recording quality built-in, making the UR-1 a plug-andplay USB (Universal Serial Bus) microphone that interfaces with Windows and Macintosh computers without the need for any special drivers. As a USB device, it carries the additional beneﬁt of not requiring an external microphone preamp, as is the case with all other ribbon microphones.

Setup

Unpack Your Microphone

Begin by examining the contents of your UR-1. You should have the following components:

• Carryingcase

• UR-1microphone

• Desktopmicrophonestand

• USBcable

• Cleaningcloth

Correct Positioning and Back Controls

The red LED should be facing you when you speak or sing into the microphone. If recording instruments, the red LED should be facing the instrument. Maintain a distance of approximately 4 – 6 inches when speaking or singing into the microphone. For instruments, experiment with the distance to ﬁnd the best results.

Red LED

When the red LED is illuminated, this indicates that the microphone is connected to USB power and functioning correctly.

USB Connection

The small end of the USB cable plugs in here. The microphone is backwards compatible with USB

1.1 and 2.0. We do not recommend that you plug the microphone into a hub, as this could potentially limit the power and audio bandwidth the microphone needs to operate.

Analog Gain Control

Use this dial to control the record level of the microphone into the computer. This control changes the analog signal before A/D converter.

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