If you've ever clicked a music or guitar video on Instagram or Facebook, you've seen the tiny little $249 Audigo recorder. It's about as big as a few sugar cubes and it's supposed to offer multi-track audio recording at relatively high fidelity.
Does it?
Yes. And let's go through why you'll need it.
First, a quick test. You'll excuse the singing because I suck.
That was a set of two recording situations. The initial "vocal" was me recording over the original guitar and vocal track while the second "vocal" was me mumbling over the guitar while I was playing. The amp was fairly loud and about four feet from the recorder while my voice was right in front of the microphone. The Audigo picked up everything - the amped and modified guitar, the actual guitar strings, and my voice - and placed it in an acceptable soundstage that was eminently listenable.
The Audigo also lets you do multitrack recording, which means you can lay down the guitar, drums, and vocals one at a time. This is great for singer songwriters and smaller bands.
In terms of sharing you can output high quality WAV and M4A files and even record audio and video, which means you can do your music TikToks without having to use multiple devices. You can film yourself playing - and I think this is primarily a music recorder because it's not exactly designed to be handheld - and record high quality audio at the same time. You can also upload the audio to Audigo's own servers and send links. Finally, the software lets you collaborate with others and they can export tracks and change things up.
Here are a few more horrible demos:
Guitar Demo
Guitar Demo
The Specs
The Audigo Microphone is only 1.75" x 1.75" x 1.375", making it one of the smallest mics I've used. It offers high-quality audio with 24-bit / 48kHz stereo recording. It features adjustable stereo width, EQ, and reverb, giving you full control over your sound. Its ability to multitrack and mix, along with built-in metronome and import functions. You can record with up to four mics simultaneously, while automatic clip correction can fix some hairier bits of audio. That said, I was able to clip this thing a few times.
This mic offers full control over your recordings, allowing you to manage everything directly from the mic. It also automatically syncs audio and video for streamlined post-production.
The microphone is a mid-side stereo condenser, capturing 20Hz - 20kHz with a max SPL of 120 dB at 1 kHz. It supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2, offering wireless control and connection. With 32GB of internal storage, it can record up to 40 hours of 48kHz WAV files. The device can connect to up to four other microphones for a richer recording sound and each one has a rechargeable battery, providing up to 6 hours of recording time.
One thing to consider: you can't drag and drop files off of the device. You need the app. This means if Audigo goes under or something you might not be able to use the device. This is a problem with almost any hardware startup so just keep it in mind.
In all, the product feels a bit plasticky and light but it does include a magnetic stand attachment and USB-C cable and I think the whole goal of the device is to be nearly invisible in the recording process. You could pull out four of these, put them around the room, and record an entire band with solid audio separation. That's pretty impressive.
The Interface
Like most audio gear, the interfaces are difficult at first and then get easier with time. This device is no exception. You can kind of see what I'm talking about: a stark black screen with some audio feeds, another screen with some kind of cross thing and some buttons. Basically, manufacturers try to dumb things down to a level that turns them into complex little machines, forcing us to think through every step.
Once you get the hang of it, however, the audio interface is dead simple. You connect the device to the app (you can't record without a phone) and hit the silver button. There are some settings on the app which let you control stereo depth and gain but it's pretty much fire-and-forget. You can change the reverb, stereo pan, and loudness of various tracks you record using a bullseye interface that isn't exactly intuitive at first. This stark interface works once you figure it out but it can be frustrating at first.
Audigo also offers services including a Studio plan that allows for more project collaboration and a powerful video mixer. The Pro plan allows for lots more video control and a full streaming platform. This is par for the course with devices like this one and you don't need to use the service if you don't want to.
The Bottom Line
Like all audio gear, you have to be pretty good at singing and playing to get good quality out of it. However, if all you want to do is put this on a stand in front of you and record some sketches or record an entire one-person video of you doing all the instruments, this device is definitely for you. The included mic stand adapter turns the Audigo into a studio-worthy device and the interface and features make it fun and easy to use. I suspect you could use this for podcasting as well - and I'll try it next time I record an interview int he field - but this is definitely geared more towards musicians than boring talkers.
That said, the question remains: should you pay $249 for this thing? Sure. It works really well and given their tendency to advertise everywhere they clearly have a solid runway and won't be leaving users high and dry like other audio hardware manufacturers. I came away very impressed by this little recorder and I'm excited to inject it into my own, albeit flimsy, workflow.
Listen to the audio - 3:17
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