Arturia MiniFuse Recording Pack Black — a recording bundle in black

Ready-made bundles are worth considering for users who are just starting to record. The French company Arturia offers the MiniFuse Recording Pack Black, for example. It puts a MiniFuse 2 USB interface, microphone, headphones, all necessary cables, and software in one box. Users can start creating on the day of purchase.

Of course, similar products can be bought separately. However, they will not share one design and brand. This may be an important factor for bloggers and streamers who often show their equipment on camera. The supplied microphone and headphones are fairly common types, so the user is not paying a large extra amount for them. More expensive professional models can be added later as needs and skills grow.

The bundle may look basic or plastic to some users, but that impression is wrong. The interface has 2 full microphone preamps and a complete set of professional features. Its housing is all metal. The microphone is also all metal and fairly heavy. We like its accessory package: a shock mount and pop filter are included, so only a microphone stand is needed. For online broadcasts, a desk-mounted boom arm with a clamp is one option. For vocals and instruments, a boom or straight stand will work. A straight stand makes a foam reflection filter easier to attach in an untreated room, which may influence the choice.

Unlike other manufacturers, Arturia offers two colors. We are testing the black version, but an all-white bundle is also available, including a white cable. Read more in our review, Arturia MiniFuse Recording Pack — a recording bundle with an interface, microphone, and headphones.

Arturia also makes the MiniFuse 1 USB interface, with only one microphone/guitar input. For the Recording Pack, however, the company chose the more expensive and capable MiniFuse 2. Along with standard features, it provides a good dynamic range of 110 dBA and a loud headphone output. More details about the MiniFuse 2 are in our review, Arturia MiniFuse 2 — a two-channel audio interface from a new series.

Arturia's useful extra features include MIDI ports, virtual Loopback channels, and a USB hub. The interface in the Recording Pack should therefore remain useful for a long time without limiting creativity.

The headphones and microphone are not sold separately; they are available only in the bundle. The closed-back headphones can be used for monitoring while recording with the microphone. Oval earpads surround the ears and provide suitable sound isolation. The foam pads have artificial-leather covers and are easy to replace when worn. The headphones do not fold, but the structure is reliable: the new pair has no rattles or loose parts. Sliding steel headband sections provide size adjustment, and a hinge allows a small amount of vertical rotation. Overall, the design is good. The 40 mm dynamic drivers have a typical impedance of 32 ohms. Sensitivity is a modest 99 dB, but this is an easy load for the MiniFuse 2 headphone output, with plenty of volume available.

A long, straight, fixed cable connects to the left earcup. It ends in a mini-jack plug with a screw-on 1/4-inch TRS adapter.

As usual, we measure the headphones with our Danish-made Brüel & Kjær 4153 Artificial Ear/Ear Simulator (IEC 60318-1), which costs about 5000 euros. Measurements use the RightMark™ Audio Analyzer PRO software and hardware system.

The Brüel & Kjær simulator effectively reproduces the ear's acoustic impedance up to 16 kHz. Frequency response measurements are provided only as a reference. They should not be used to guess how the headphones sound.

The frequency response graph covers the full range and is typical of affordable closed-back headphones. Sound quality is quite good. However, given the low price of the Arturia EF1, no major breakthrough should be expected. Bass is boosted, and the treble is emphasized. For recording monitoring, this is acceptable and does not get in the way. The headphones handle high levels well and are light and comfortable over long sessions.

The Arturia CM1 microphone was more interesting to us. It looks excellent and unlike typical mass-market models; we could not identify its OEM manufacturer. The electret capsule has a cardioid polar pattern and needs +48 V phantom power. A metal pop filter attaches directly to the shock mount. It can be replaced with an optional fabric filter. Microphone sensitivity is -36 dB, and the manufacturer states a maximum SPL of 130 dB. A branded Arturia XLR microphone cable is included. Its 3-meter length is generous. The microphone's main purpose is clearly voice and vocal recording.

Recording quality is good and competitive. Tone is reproduced fully, with enough detail. EQ and compression work well on the recorded voice. The supplied pop filter protects the diaphragm from breath without adding lisping or whistling artifacts.

The software package includes Ableton Live Lite, Analog Lab Intro, four Arturia effects plugins, NI GUITAR RIG 6 LE, and Auto-Tune Unlimited. This is enough to start working with audio.

Conclusions

The Arturia MiniFuse Recording Pack Black left a good impression. Rather than putting together unrelated devices, the manufacturer has balanced a fairly advanced USB audio interface with capable headphones and a microphone. Sound quality and prices can always go higher, but beginners need a starting point with good, affordable equipment. The bundle also makes a good gift for a new blogger who wants to move beyond recording with a phone or webcam.

Note. This is an adapted machine translation into English. It follows the “In simple terms” approach. Read the original article at https://prosound.ixbt.com/microphones/arturia-recordpack-black.shtml.