I need help buying a mic
I need help buying a mic
I'll be brief. I've been looking for a mic for a long time now. My current one started dying and is really bad.
All I'd like is some shock absorption, for keyboard and stuff to not be earrape.
Some sort of mic arm, I wouldn't like to take space up infront of my keyboard, and to put it behind it would probably be a bad idea.
On another note is: please don't say HyperX, I don't really like that brand.
mt budget is: as cheap as possible, but still not shit quality, AKA whatever you'd buy
How about Antlion ModMic? It's a good quality kind of a midway point to a full studio mic.
Shouldn't be too expensive?
Seconding the ModMic recommendation. The wireless ModMic plus some open-back headphones makes it the best headset I’ve ever had.
wow, this would feel too easy.. and akward
my headset already has a mic, it's just bad/dying, this'll be akward even when the stock it deatached. and also I was planning on switching to wireless headsets, this would ruin the whole thing.
But thanks for the recommendation none the less.
Get a headset. It has no shocks from the table, no need for an arm and it's always positioned close to the source. That's my primary recommendation.
Otherwise, if you really really really want a stand alone microphone then I suggest getting an audio interface and any regular dynamic microphone with a XLR cable from a music shop. Even the cheapest microphone from Thomann is better than those "gamer" USB microphones like Blue yeti or whatever the brand is this month.
Here's a proper bundle to show the setup: https://www.thomann.de/gb/focusrite_scarlett_solo_3rd_podcast_set.htm
Or if you want a condenser and larger stand: https://www.thomann.de/gb/focusrite_scarlett_2i2_3rd_mic_bundle.htm
You can also buy these things separately, maybe also cheaper and/or better, but this looks fine to me overall. It's about the same price as the interface alone. Everything is standard, so you can upgrade each of the things as you go, so no need to spend a lot of money at first.
There's a whole bunch of reasons why this kind of setup is better than even the most expensive stand alone USB microphones.
follow up question: (you seem the most nerdy in this comment section (compliment)) how big of a crime will it be if I plug this directly into my pc? or will it even work? I feel like an entire audio interface on my desk just for a single mic would be unnessesary, are there possibly audio cards that could fix this issue?
No, it wouldn't work without the interface and onboard audio cards don't have a XLR connection. The interface is the audio card. It's just external.
While it's possible to get an XLR to USB adapter, these generally work even worse than a USB microphone. I tried that without success before acknowledging that I should get an interface.
The same microphone is also available for USB, but I have not tried this one. It might be as good or bad as any other USB microphone. https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_t.bone_sc_420_usb_desktop_set.htm
I have the XLR version of this and it's very good at capturing subtle details even at distance and it has a nice clean signal. This could actually be an issue for recording streaming as it definitely will pick up the keyboard tapping and any noise in the room, but the reviews look good. People do use it for streaming. It's still a USB microphone with all the disadvantages of those, but at least it's better than what you'd find in the gaming section in a general electronic store at similar pricing.
Audio guy here… I honestly don’t know of any PCI cards. The main problem is the connecter for these types of mics is too big to fit on a card like that. The Focusrite is awesome bang for your buck. I would try to hide it behind your desk. There’s no reason really for you to keep it on top.
If you’re that concerned about having an extra piece of hardware on your desk, you could try something like a high quality USB mic. I like the Shure MV7. But there are a ton like them if you search for mics made for podcasting.
The reason why I want to switch from headset mics is because they sound very bad. I'm not audiophile by any means, but how do they make them THAT bad.... (ik that there is a clouple good ones, but c'mon)
your second link has everything, As I described why a desk stand would be bad for me. I'll look into the mics and how much it'll cost here. Thanks for the recommendations
Shure SM-58 + Shure A55M + Rode PSA1 + Behringer UMC22 (or whatever cheap used audio interface you can get)
Nobody can hear my cherry browns on the mic.
I also have a Rode PSA1 and it's great, but it's perfectly acceptable to get one that's half or even a 3rd of the price of the PSA1 and still have it work just fine. A USB mic would probably also be better considering price. (Yes, I know it makes upgrading cheaper, but OP said they need a mic and that price was a major factor)
I have a R0DE NT-USB and am extremely happy with it.
https://rode.com/en/microphones/usb/nt-usb
It comes with a desk stand and pop filter. I have it mounted on a £40 Amazon mic arm.
Oof, way too expensive for what it is. You might as well buy a Rode NT1-A complete vocal recording set.
Comes with stand, shock mount, mic, and pop filter. P much same price.
How's the USB though? I generally hate USB mics because the cable dies way too fast, and also screws the mic itself.
But I also only have experience with Blue.
Been using it for over a year and it has been bulletproof. The price wasn’t an issue, I was given it as a gift.