ICON U2 User manual

User manual
USB large diaphragm condenser
recording microphone

Important Safety Instructions
1. Read this manual thoroughly before using this unit.
2. Keep this manual for future reference.
3. Take notice of and comply with all warnings included in the user's manual or indicated on the
appliance.
4. Follow all instructions included in this manual.
5. Do not expose this unit to rain or moisture. Avoid having water or other liquids spilled on this
unit.
6. When cleaning the cabinet or other parts of this appliance, use only a dry or slightly damp soft
cloth.
7. Do not block any ventilation openings or interfere with the proper ventilation of this unit. Install
in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
8. Do not use or store near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other heat
producing appliances.
9. Do not interfere with the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug
has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third
grounding prong. These are designated for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your
outlet, consult an electrician.
10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or otherwise damaged by items placed on or
against them. Particular attention should be given to the plugs, receptacles, and the point where
the cord exits the appliance.
11. To avoid the risk of electrical shock, do not touch any exposed wiring while the unit is in
operation.
12. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
13. Unplug this unit and all connected electrical equipment during lightning storms or when left
unused a long period of time.
14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the appliance has
been damaged in any way or fails to operate normally.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this unit to rain or moisture

Introduction............................................................................................................................4
What's in the package? .........................................................................................................4
Features ................................................................................................................................5
Operating the U24 .................................................................................................................6
Specications ........................................................................................................................9
Services...............................................................................................................................10
Contents

4
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the ICON U24 USB large-diaphragm condenser recording
microphone. We sincerely trust this product will provide years of satisfactory service,
but if anything is not to your complete satisfaction, we will endeavor to make things
right.
In these pages, you'll nd a detailed description of the features of the U24, step-by-
step instructions for its setup and use, and full specications.
You'll also nd a warranty card enclosed---please don't forget to ll it out and mail
it so that you can receive online technical support at: www.icon-global.com. And
so we can send you updated information about these and other ICON products in
the future. As with most electronic devices, we strongly recommend you retain the
original packaging. In the unlikely event the product must be returned for servicing,
the original packaging (or reasonable equivalent) is required.
With proper care,your U24 will operate without any trouble for many years. We
recommend that you record your serial number in the space provided below for
future reference.
Please write your serial number here for future reference:
Purchased at:
Date of purchase:
What's in the package?
●U24 USB large-diaphragm condenser recording microphone
●Quick Start Guide
●Driver Software CD
Different language electronic user manual & quick start guide (pdf)
●Pop lter
●USB cable
●1.4m stereo cable for line input (3.5mm stereo jack to two 6.35mm mono jacks)
●2.8m mono cable for guitar/Inst input (3.5mm stereo jack to 6.35mm mono jack)
●2.8m stereo extension cable for headphone output

5
Features
●High-quality AD convertor with 16-bit, 44.1/48kHz sampling rate
●Low-mass and large, 19mm diaphragm provides excellent frequency response for
recording
●Ideal for podcasting, home studio recording, eld recording, and voiceover use
●Plug & play into any PC/Mac USB port, no drivers required
●Cardioid polar pattern reduces pickup of unwanted sounds from the sides and
rear, improving isolation of desired sound source
●“Clipping” LED ring is well integrated inside the mic capsule unit for aesthetic as
well as practical (instant notice) reason
●Built-in 3.5mm headphone jack allows you to directly monitor with no latency
●Built-in 3.5mm stereo input jack for mono instruments (guitar, bass, etc.) and
stereo line level devices (MP3 players, keyboards, etc.)
●Input selector for Line and Mic/Inst
●Direct monitoring selector for Stereo, Mono and PC
●Headphone volume control knob on front panel for easy control
●Individual Inst/Line and Mic gain control knobs on front panel for easy control
●USB2.0 compatible and USB bus-powered
●Compatible with Mac OS (Intel-Mac) and Windows XP, Vista (32-bit/64-bit),
Windows 7 (32-bit/64-bit) & Windows 8 (32-bit/64-bit)
●Full duplex, simultaneous record/playback
●Metal pop lter included
●Stable tabletop stand for mounting included
●Complete cable set (guitar cable, headphone extension, stereo line with RCA
adapters and USB cable) included
●Solid, die-cast construction with heavy gauge mesh grill
●Bundled with Samplitude (Windows version only) production software

6
Operating the U24
1. Powering the U24
The U24 is a USB bus powered microphone and no external power supply is
needed. When it is plugged into your Mac/PC USB port via the provided USB
cable, the power LED ring inside the mic capsule unit will light up (green),
indicating that the U24 is powered properly and ready for use.
2. Setting up the signal level
To set a good level on the MIC, set the U24 up in front of the desired sound
source and slowly raise the MIC gain control until you see the Peak LED (orange)
light up. Then, turn the gain control down until the LED does not light any more.
3. Microphone Placement
In order to maximize the sound quality, you must pay careful attention to the
placement of your "U24" and how it is positioned for the instrument or vocalist
that you are miking. All microphones, especially unidirectional or cardioid
microphones, exhibit a phenomenon know as the “proximity effect”. Very
simply put, proximity effect is a resulting change in the frequency response of
a microphone based on the position of the MIC capsule relative to the sound
source. Specically, when you point a cardioid MIC directly at the sound source
(on-axis) you will get the best frequency response, however, when you start
pointing the microphone slightly away (off-axis) you will notice the low frequency
dropping off and the microphone will start to sound thinner.

For most vocal applications you'll want to position the microphone directly in
front of the artist. The same may be true for miking instruments. However, you
can make some pretty amazing equalization adjustments by slightly changing
the angle of the capsule to the sound source. This can be a very useful
technique in capturing the optimum sound of drum set, acoustic guitar, piano or
other instruments in a live room or sound stage. Experimentation and experience
are the best teachers in getting good sounds, so plug in!
4. P-Poping
P-Poping is that annoying pop that you can get when the microphone diaphragm
gets a blast of air from a vocalist pronouncing words with the letter "P" included.
The U24 is provided with a metal pop lter, which eliminates the popping
problem mostly. Install the provided pop lter as per illustration below.

7
6. Headphone out and Direct monitoring
The U24 is equipped with a 3.5mm stereo output jack that allows you to plug in
a stereo headphone for monitoring. A 2.8m extension cable is provided.
5. Line/Inst input
The U24 is equipped a 3.5mm stereo input jack that allows you to input a guitar
or line level device for recording. Different cables are provided for different input
devices.
Input switch (Line & Mic/Inst)
For Line input – Slide the switch to the left “Line” position.
For Mic/Inst input – Slide the switch to the right “Mic/Inst” position.

or
MP3
1
1
2
2

8
8. Mounting the U24
Mount your U24 into the provided table stand as the diagrams illustrated below.
1
2
3
4
7. Direct monitoring switch
Stereo – For using the Line input signal. Left and right channel signal will be
sent to the headphone’s left and right speaker unit correspondingly.
Mono – For Mic/Inst input signal. Signal from Mic and Inst will be mixed and
sent together to the headphone.
PC – Only signal from the PC will be monitored.
2
2
3
3
1
1

9
Specications
Element Type ................................................. 19mm Electret condenser type
Sample Rate................................................... 16bit/48KHz
Acoustical operating principle......................... Pressure gradient transducer
Directional pattern .......................................... Cardioid
Frequency range ............................................ 20Hz – 18KHz
Sensitivity ....................................................... -42 ± 2 dB/Pa
SPL................................................................. 126dB
S/N ratio.......................................................... More than 66dB
Power consumption........................................ 100mA
Weight (Microphone only)............................... 0.51Kg (1.12lb)
Dimensions..................................................... 65mm (dia.) x 163mm (L)
..................................................... 2.6” (dia.) x 6.4” (L)

10
Services
If your "U24" studio large-diaphragm condenser microphone needs
servicing, follow these instructions.
1. Ensure the problem is not related to operation error or external
system devices.
2. Keep this owner's manual. We don't need it to repair the unit.
3. Pack the unit in its original packaging including end card and
box. This is very important. If you have lost the packaging,
please make sure you have packed the unit properly. ICON is
not responsible for any damage that occurs due to non-factory
packing.
4. Please contact your local distributor for servicing. For your local
distributor address and contact information, please check our
ofcial website at the below link:
http://www.icon-global.com/Com.aspx

Or contact our branch ofce/service center at:
Europe Service Center
SCS
Servicecenter-Siedler
Am alten Bach 18
41470 Neuss
Phone: [phone]
Email: [email protected]

ASIA OFFICE:
ICON (Asia) Corp.
Unit 807-810, 8/F., Sunley Centre,
No. 9 Wing Yin Street, Kwai Chung, NT.,
Hong Kong.
Email: [email protected]

5. For additional update information please visit our website at:
www.icon-global.com

www.icon-global.com
[email protected]om