The new Tiki is the world's first USB microphone that mimics the intelligence of human hearing by focusing on desired sounds, minimizing background noise and knowing when to mute altogether. Tiki's two modes give any Skype user, podcaster or musician the versatility to quickly choose the best option in any situation. First, Intelligent Speech Mode brings your voice to the forefront of a conference call or chat while noise-canceling technology simultaneously minimizes unwanted, competing background noise. Natural Recording Mode captures a wide range of sources from vocals to acoustic guitar, recording high-fidelity audio with exceptional clarity. Tiki sets a new standard for crystal clear audio for wherever you go.

System Requirements

PC: Windows 7, Windows Vista, XP Home Edition or XP Professional
USB 2.0; 64 MB RAM (minimum)
Macintosh: Mac OSX (10.4.11 or higher)
USB 2.0; 64 MB RAM (minimum)

• Intelligent ultra-compact USB microphone
• Brings your voice to the forefront using voice isolation and noise-cancelling technology
• Improves vocal clarity for online communication like Skype and iChat, and voice recognition software
• Reduces computer fan and typing noise by intelligently auto-muting
• Recording mode optimized for podcasts and music recording
• Multi-colored LED indicates muting status and more

Tiki Intelligent Speech Mode :: Comparison
Tiki vs. built-in mic

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Tiki Natural Recording Mode :: Podcast
Professional quality audio for podcasting

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Tiki Natural Recording Mode :: Music
For a complete list of session notes, click here.

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How does Tiki work exactly?

It has two ears and a brain-- actually, two capsules and one very powerful (400MHz) DSP chip which constantly listen and compare the signal from the two opposite-facing cardioid capsules. The DSP decides which signals to pass through and compares the signals to help remove background noise. In addition, it applies noise-reduction algorithms co-developed with iZotope and then applies intelligent muting, which soft mutes whenever you aren't speaking.

Who is iZotope?

iZotope engineering is the leader in audio processing technologies-- they've developed many of the most popular audio processing algorithms as used in professional studio software, live/broadcast, video games and played an integral role in developing the noise-reduction modes used in Tiki's intelligent listening mode.

Is Tiki good for recording?

Yes. With the push of a button, Tiki's natural recording mode behaves like a traditional microphone, and applies only minor processing to add presence and proximity to the signal from the mic-- everything is done in real time, in hardware.

Does Tiki require any software?

No. All processing is done completely inside the Tiki hardware and requires no drivers or system resources to operate. Just plug it in and go!

As the Tiki is a compact USB model, which is the recommended microphone conference applications if you had multiple people at a table for a "skype" style or "go to meeting style" in-office conference call?

The Omni mode on Yeti or Snowball will be a better choice for a larger group conference calls with more than two people. While Tiki would work, it is inherently well-suited for picking up what is in front and behind—not all around—making it best for one-on-one or two-on-one conversations.

Now you can see how Tiki compares to your computer's built-in microphone.

All manuals are downloadable in Acrobat PDF format.

Tiki Manual   ::   English

Tiki Manual   ::   French

The offerings for Tiki are momentous...

	"Tiki is Ideal Skyping Partner… the suits who hop on conference calls every week will get miles of use from this, thanks to its clear audio, smart mute and ease of use."
	"For the price, you'd be hard pressed to find an all-in-one USB mic like the Tiki that will greatly outperform it or carry a truckload of additional specs." "…the Tiki works as advertised, handling Skype chats and acoustic instrument recording with aplomb."
	"The Best Part: Modest cost, major sound quality improvement."
	"In the opinion of this reviewer, whether you're a mobile worker who uses online communication clients like Skype, iChat or FaceTime just as much as your smartphone, or someone who needs portable quality for podcasts or music recording, Tiki is well worth the cover charge of US $59.99."
10.7.12	"Tiki sets a new standard for crystal clear audio for wherever you go.”
9.2012	"Small and neat enough to fit in your notebook bag… if you're not satisfied with the quality of the [Mac's] internal mic, the powerful and affordable Tiki could be just what you're looking for."
	"One of the Tiki's biggest advantages over your Mac's built-in microphone is its use of two microphones and digital signal sound processing (voodoo, as Blue calls it) to cancel background noise."
	"I need the ability to do great-quality voice recording when I'm traveling. I also do a lot of Skype chats from places like airports, conference floors and the like. So it's a no-brainer decision to spend $60 to make certain that both of these sound as good as they can."
	"What's most important, however, is that it sounds really good, and doubly so for the size… I'll give this one a big thumbs up. Tiny enough to always have in my bag, it's perfect for my own uses because I do use my computer's mic just about every single day."

SKYPE

When using Skype, be sure that Tiki (named "USB PnP microphone" on some hardware) is selected as the input, but is NOT selected as the output. Even if you set Tiki as the mic in your computer settings, Skype will require you to set it as your mic within the program.

EXTENSION CABLE

Tiki can be directly connected to your laptop's USB port for simple and quick setup. The extension cable is provided for flexibility and positioning, but the variety of speaker placement in relations to your USB port can create varied sound results when Tiki is connected directly. Depending on your laptop setup, you may want to experiment to see if you achieve better results with the extension cable.

RECORDING MODE

When Natural Recording (purple) mode is selected, Tiki defaults to a capsule based on which side it last picked up the primary sound in Intelligent Speech (blue) mode. To ensure Tiki is not picking up audio from the capsule facing away from you, before you switch to recording mode talk into the mic for a few seconds in blue mode then switch to purple mode to record.

SOUNDS DIFFERENT?

The audio quality of Tiki will be different than that of your built-in, intentionally. In Intelligent Speech mode, Tiki was designed to highlight the mid-range sounds (conversational range) and as a result will be a bit less bright but also less harsh than a built-in.

NOISE CANCELATION

Tiki reduces unwanted, competing background noise such as computer fans, keyboard typing and ambient sound. It will not completely eliminate these sounds, but you should notice a significant decrease in noise interruption.

SWITCHING MODES

To switch modes, press the Mode Selector button located on the end opposite the USB connection. Press with pressure until the light switches from Intelligent Speech (blue) mode to Natural Recording (purple) mode.

Tiki is now available in the United States at: