sE Electronics USB 2200a

I have been making music for 10 years and have recorded a few demo's in that time, one in a professional studio.
I record using Cubase SX 2.0 on a PC, and monitor through AKG K-271 Studio Headphones.

The USB 2200a is a Cardiod Condenser Mic based on the sE2200a capsule, powered by and connected to your DAW via USB. It can also operate through a standard XLR connection provided that there is 48v phantom power.

I had been looking for a portable recording solution that would eliminate the need for an interface and previously I had considered the Samson C03U but was concerned about the monitoring options, or lack thereof!

The USB 2200a enables you to monitor and blend your source through an onboard soundchip with a 3.5mm jack and a small rotary level control, sounded perfect.

I have used the mic on Vocals and Acoustic Guitar. The one thing I love about this mic is its full response - it picks up all the nuances of my voice and adds a nice sparkle of air to the high frequences, it also sounds pretty good with my Acoustic Guitar.

However, there have been a number of areas where it has fallen short of my expectations;

1. The supplied USB cable is way too short for any useful application. SE tell me that they are now supplying longer USB Cables.

2. The 3.5mm jack is slightly recessed into the body of the mic which renders my AKG Studio Headphones useless. It seems to be hit-and-miss as to which Headphones will work. Thankfully my Shure E2c In-ear's connected okay. SE are aware of this problem.

3. The monitor output is in Mono, which is okay for monitoring but not for mixing. SE will include Stereo output in a future revision.

4. There is low-level sound leaking onto my recorded tracks from the monitor feed. I am sure this is not from my Headphones as they are in-ear. This is not a huge problem but there should really be no trace of the monitor feed going "to tape".

5. There was no manual supplied and when I contacted SE they were still working on it. That was nearly a month ago and after further enquiry it is still "in production".

I had looked on Harmony Central for a user review before buying this mic and it seems that I will be the first to review, which is my loss and your gain.
I would recommend waiting until the revised version of the mic is released next year as this current version, despite being put on the market, is clearly still in development.