The Icicle is a great little product that does a great job of upgrading XLR Mics for direct PC interfacing using USB. I use a Shure SM58 and an Audio-Technica AT2035 to record any and every sound I can find. Performance on both Dynamic and Condenser mic's is great but I have found some unwanted background noise while using a dynamic mic. Nothing some filtering won't cure and it's really not that bad. The Icicle is primarily designed for Phantom Powered mics, but this wasn't clear when I bought it. Sampling is at 44.1Khz and for most applications should be good enough. If you want the full 48Khz try the Shure X2u, but it is twice the price. My recording style is lo-fi samples and vocals and actually rough audio can be desirable, sometimes. I have two Icicles and have many times recorded guitar using both mics and a line 6 guitar port at the same time, talk about colour but the mix can be very full and open to some great alternative setups in a final mix.

The Icicle is a must for any Home studio or Mobile recording setup. It's simple to use and interfacing with recording software is a breeze. If you have several mics and want a versatile device that can be used with all your recording hardware, Blue's Icicle covers all bases but a sample rate 48Khz would be nice. Icicle Pro anyone?

Happy Audio

Just want I needed for connecting my Rode NT2A to my laptop via USB. It works like a treat, just plug and play. Very happy and the customer service at Dolphin is excellent.