Product Review: Lightsnake XLR Microphone to USB Cable

A Lightsnake brand cable is a self-proclaimed "soundcard in a cable." It offers USB connectivity on one end, and various other audio plug-ins on the other. In the case of the Ligthsnake's STUSBXLR10 model, the non-USB end features XLR plug-in capability-essentially meaning it is designed for most microphones and select electric guitars or keyboards.

The cable is pricier than a simple USB adapter, but for one good reason: it features a built-in soundcard. It is plug-and-play ready, meaning the consumer simply plugs the USB end into his or her computer and it's ready to go. The computer will automatically detect the new soundcard, and it will set it as the temporary default microphone (to remain as the default for as long as the Lightsnake is plugged in). But is this really worth the extra money? Is the built-in soundcard better than a computer's internal stock soundcard?

Sound Tech's website details the Lightsnake STUSBXLR10's many features, indicating that it has a dynamic range of 81.6 decibels, input impedance of 1M Ohms, 48 Kilohertz frequency response, and a gain boost of 20 decibels. In layman's terms: the soundcard is of relatively good quality. It is obviously not the same as a full-blown mixing board or high-end external soundcard, but it provides clear, crisp sounds equal to that of other low-end home recording devices.

Yet, with its quality equal to other devices, it is not practical for many users. If a person already has a decent internal soundcard installed on his or her computer, the Lightsnake is not worth the price; simply getting an adaptor and plugging right into the computer's main soundcard may be sufficient.

However, there are certain computers that have poor stock soundcards, and Lightsnake can provide a decent upgrade for these computers without costly hardware installations-plus, there is the added convenience of plugging the microphone in from a single, easy-to-use cable. Take, for example, the HP Pavilion Dv6700 Notebook. Overall, this is a quality machine, but in terms of its soundcard, it needs some improvement-the Lightsnake can offer this improvement. The built-in card on this specific laptop utilizes noise reduction software that unfortunately dampens plenty of desired sounds along with the undesired static. In cases where on-board soundcards are faulty or not of very high-quality, the Ligthsnake is highly recommended.

Furthermore, when bought as a package in the upgraded STUSBMIC100 version, the Ligthsnake XLR cable comes with a microphone and CD-ROM based vocal coaching. The microphone is of slightly higher quality than stock PC models, yet it is a bit below that of professional musicians. The CD-ROM is rather user-friendly, and may help aspiring musicians. For anybody interested in either the microphone or software perks, the Lightsnake is also a good choice.

So, while not ideal for all computer users, the Lightsnake STUSBXLR10 is a good choice for anybody needing an affordable plug-and-play soundcard due to a poor onboard soundcard, or for anybody looking to get some low-cost singing accessories.

Sources:
Sound Tech, Microphone to USB Cable - STUSBXLR10, Sound Tech Professional Audio Systems.

Sound Tech, Vocal Trainer - STUBSMIC100, Sound Tech Professional Audio.