the t.bone SC 420 USB Desktop-Set

TIP FOR OWNERS:
I read a lot of comments about the headphone jack being to loud. This can be adjusted in the software on your computer!
On both windows and mac the mic registers itself as both an INPUT and OUTPUT device.

On windows the input device allows only the configuration of the mic volume going to the applications. But the output device allows you to set the level of PC sound going to the headphone jack AND the level of the mic going to the headphone jack. They can be set individually and the mic pass-through can even be muted altogether so you won't hear yourself anymore!

On mac you can adjust the mic through the MIDI application. I have not found a setting to adjust the pass-through volume of the mic to the headphone jack, but you can mute the pass-through using a checkbox.

Go try for yourself :P

On to THE REVIEW:

This microphone gives some absolute bang for the buck. The sound quality is good. It will pick up most sounds in the room though, so it won't be suitable in noisy environments. As soon as you move yourself away from the mic the sound will get more 'hollow' and will lose much of it's low end, but that is to be expected.

I have had the mic working on windows, mac and even android using a usb-c to usb-a otg adapter.

The build quality is not outstanding, but for this price I would rate it very good. The mic itself is lighter than I would have expected. The metal casing seems rather thin, but it is sturdy enough. The stand is perfect, it's heavy and has soft padding at the bottom. It can be easily moved but its weight makes sure it won't move by itself.

The mute button is very useful, but it's click when un-muting is picked up by the mic very badly to the point of clipping. They should have used a non-clicky button in my opinion.

I'm using this mic for discord/gaming and work conference calls. I'm not wearing headphones during these and I get no complaints about people hearing themselves, so the echo seems minimal. I would expect others to be able to hear my keyboard, but they haven't complained about it yet. I do often mute the mic using the button when I'm not speaking though.

One last thing to note is that the inside of the metal grating holding the diaphragm is lit up by a bright blue led. I don't really need this and it can be a tad annoying when the room is dark. I simply put the foam cover over it and now it is barely visible.

All things considered I would definitely recommend this microphone if you're on a budget.

As a pro, I own some great mics from Shure, AKG and Neumann.
Apart from the studio, I do Music Production lessons and seminars which turned out to be internet only (thanks Covid-19) and got really tired of having preamps or at least a soundcard open, get the mic out of the case, xlr cables etc....
I wanted something to help my voice get heard and super easy to work with, no matter if I'm with my laptop or the desktop, home or in the studio...
Well it does the job! And this is what counts the most!
Pros:
-plug n play
-well build
-great mini stand
-decent sound for internet calls and seminars

Cons:
-in that price range and for what it offers, I can't find any.

Conclusion:
DON't get it if you want to record for your next single or album.
GET IT if all you need is a mic to help you sound decent in the internet, podcasts and video tutorials.

I would happily spend 50€ ONLY for the great case, the mic foam, the popfilter and the mini mic stand. :)

It's been more than one year since I bought and have been using this microphone set. The set is complete and the microphone case is just great to bring it around. The mic-stand and feet are very sturdy. It's easy to assemble and to be used. The sound quality is very good and for my use (voice recording and conferences) I have NO complaints. The microphone is very sensitive to room sounds/noises, so I advise keep the gain low and avoid capturing environmental sounds. Everything works fine, except for the mute button that, as mentioned in other reviews, DOES GET STUCK. I used a needle to un-stuck it, but unfortunately, even the thinnest of the needles did scratch slightly the microphone. The other problem I had, was that after screwing the feet to the mic stand it got stuck and again, while trying to un-screw it from the stand, both the stand and feet got scratched (I used pliers with scotch tape on it to avoid damage, but it got scratched anyway). I don't know why this happened, I have NOT screwed it too much or too tight, nor have I forced anything while screwing it. Overall it's a good microphone for those on a budget because it works well. It's not perfect, but it works great. There is room for improvement and correction of the flaws.

The microphone itself is very nice, especially for the price. The sound is great for voice and the built-in monitor/headphone jack works well - even if I don't use it.

The mute button produces a loud click when pressed, it would have been great, if that would be edited out of the audio stream, but I see the difficulty in that.

The stand has one big issue: The microphone tends to drop to the front if the fixing screw is not tightened enough and the plastic inserts seem to give after a while which makes regular re-tightening necessary, or the mike will suddenly drop again. (Not like drop to the floor, but tilt to the front). I think that could have been solved with some rubber inserts / disks - which I did myself. Now it is very stable and the screw has not to be tightened that hard. The fix is simple and cheap to do.

You cannot change the height of the stand, but the height is fine for typical desktop use.

The little box it comes in is sturdy enough and allows for safe transport.