Review on Rode NT1 Condenser Microphone & AI-1 USB Audio Interface Pack: Experience Studio-Quality Sound by Michael Lightfoot

This setup produces so many gurgling, popping, scratching digital noises that all recordings are completely unusable. It's difficult to pinpoint where exactly something is going wrong in the signal chain. I ran to the store to get a 10ft Monster XLR cable and that helped a bit as the one that came with was probably a little damaged and the new one was significantly shorter. The 1/4" instrument input was almost usable, but still 5x louder than my Apogee Jam. Overall I think the most likely culprit is either a defect in the preamp itself or a grounding issue; however, so was the XLR cable unforgivably poorly made for a giveaway. After all, it has the Rode name on it. For $350 I was expecting the recordings to be audible. That's not a good thing the quality control center in Rode says. I was very excited at how clean and crisp this setup was based on Online demos and reviews must have been.I will try another block but this time I can probably exchange it somewhere in person.If the next one is the same then I can safely say this set won't even meet my most basic home recording needs standards. Very disappointed. :-(