AVerMedia AM350 Setup
Setup of the AVerMedia AM350 couldn’t be easier, as it was quickly recognized by Windows and made available as a recording device named “Live Streamer MIC 350”. Simple tweaks to Discord, Webex and Streamlabs OBS were needed to make it our input device, but other than that, the AM350 is really a great example of plug-and-play. That simplicity in installation really makes getting up and running a breeze, as outside of the mute, gain, and in-line monitoring, all adjustments will need to be made within your operating system and any additional audio applications you may wish to use. All that said, if you are looking for a simple plug-and-play microphone, this may be just what you are looking for.
Speaking of software, AVerMedia offers the optional VibeEngine application that lets you make more precise adjustments to the sound of the microphone, in addition to some audio mixing and what I call “fun” features. I do have to point out however, that the VibeEngine software definitely needs some work with regards to its stability. I ran into crashes many times, especially when moving into the Mixer Mode, which is one of the stronger suits of the software.
VibeEngine Software
Like many other software components of computer hardware, VibeEngine uses a tabbed menu structure to organize the various settings and menus that are available for configuring the AM350. First up is the Secnario menu that provides a few default settings for the microphone, including Podcast and others, though the application was actually acting up again and not letting me access this menu.
Next up is the Noise Reduction menu and sub menus. Here you can adjust things like echo, AI noise reduction via the software or NVIDIA Broadcast, configure a noise gate, and adjust de-esser settings to help remove the harsh “S” sound that some people may encounter.
The next set of menus are all related to effects, and allow for adjustment of things like pitch, echo, and amplification. There are also settings for reverb, a compressor and limiter, as well as EQ adjustments.
Finally, we come to the “fun” menu, which offers a few included voice-changing sound effects, with the option to unlock more via logging into an AVerMedia account. I don’t like having to have an account to access these features, but if you really need them, it might be worth it to you.
As I alluded to earlier, AVerMedia also included a few additional products to go along with the AM350, and when bundled together they can make for a pretty nice package.
The first up is the BA311 Live Streamer ARM, a boom arm that not only works well with the AM350 microphone, but can also support small mirrorless and DSLR cameras for some amazing flexibility with regards to positioning and camera angles. The BA311 easily attaches to your desktop and includes built-in cable management channels to keep your setup looking clean.
The BA310 pop filter was also included with the AM350, and it can add a bit of additional pop protection to the built-in filter of the microphone body. I’ve got to say though, the mesh is quite coarse in my opinion, and I have to wonder just how much more this accessory adds to the equation, as I was unable to tell a difference in my audio when it was on or off the microphone body.
Last up in the additional items AVerMedia sent over is the Live Streamer Shock Mount. The mounting bracket of the AM350 easily connects to the shock mount to provide isolation from unwanted vibrations and noises that might be picked up from movement in your environment. The shock mount then easily connects to the microphone arm for the total package.
AM350 Usage
Like all of our microphone reviews, the AM350 was used in multiple scenarios throughout our testing period. With the two pickup patterns, the AM350 is suited well for podcasting and streaming uses where there is a single audio source and the cardioid pattern is selected, or in a face-to-face environment where the omnidirectional setting would work best. The directional audio pickup of a cardioid pattern really favors being right in front of the microphone for the best results, while the omnidirectional mode favors picking up sounds from all around. The microphone works best when the front is aimed at your mouth, so keep that in mind if you end up using this microphone. Our most used scenarios are podcasting and streaming, though the AM350 would be a great upgrade from a built-in webcam microphone for online meetings where improved audio can make a huge improvement. I used this microphone multiple times while working remotely, and had no issues with Webex recognizing and using the microphone.
With regards to mounting, the integrated threads at the bottom of the microphone stand made attaching the AM350 to either the included base, shock mount, or microphone arm a piece of cake, and the large knobs on the shock mount and arm make tightening a breeze. This mounting method allowed me to have the microphone right in front of myself for great audio pickup of my voice, and reduced audio pickup from my keyboard and mouse. This is especially important during this review, as I don’t test with NVIDIA RTX Voice enabled, which would cut out all of the background noise.
I was really hoping to see touch-sensitive mute functionality on the AVerMedia Live Streamer MIC 350, but that just isn’t the case. The ease of use and removal of audio disruption that you get from this type of muting is far and away better than the physical button on the AM350 that introduces unwanted sounds when activating.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that the AM350 is equipped with DIRAC audio tuning technology, but if you’re like me, you may not have known that was a thing until reading it just now. According to AVerMedia, DIRAC’s implementation on the AM350 results in a high level of precision and excellence in sound quality. AVerMedia touts an immersive sound experience that is trusted by many top companies across many markets such as BMW, Klipsch, Fujitsu, ASUS, and Onkyo to name a few. All that being said, I don’t feel like AVerMedia does a good job of explaining why I would want DIRAC audio tuning technology in the first place, which is unfortunate, because it could be a real selling point if it were explained or was a more household name or technology.
As we have noted in our previous microphone reviews, the sound quality improvement when moving from a headset or webcam-based microphone to a dedicated condenser-style microphone is night and day. I did notice that the AM350 sounded a bit better to me while using the cardioid pattern compared to the omnidirectional pattern, even when used in the exact same position and manner. Below are sample audio recordings from the AVerMedia Live Streamer MIC 350 in both cardioid and omnidirectional mode, as well as many of our previously reviewed microphones.
AVerMedia Live Streamer MIC 350 – Cardioid
AVerMedia Live Streamer MIC 350 – Omnidirectional
XLR Microphones
Audio Technica AT2020
FIFINE AmpliGame AM8 XLR
HyperX ProCast
HyperX ProCast 80 Hz High Pass Filter
USB Microphones
AKG Ara
Elgato Wave:3
FIFINE AmpliGame AM8 USB
HyperX SoloCast
HyperX QuadCast
HyperX QuadCast S
MXL BCD-1
MXL Tempo
Thronmax MDrill One Pro
Samson G-Track Pro