Looking for $50 Microphone (Discord, Hangouts, etc.)

[WoodenMarker]

Hi, I'm looking for a new mic since my Blue Snowball just died. Currently using a Logitech C920 until I get a replacement for better quality.

It'll mainly be used for Discord / Hangouts with RTX Voice and I plan to mount it on a scissor arm and speak from 3ft away for convenience. Budget is roughly 50 USD and I don't mind buying used.

Any good suggestions?

[Denkiani]

16 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

Hi, I'm looking for a new mic since my Blue Snowball just died. Currently using a Logitech C920 until I get a replacement for better quality.

It'll mainly be used for Discord / Hangouts with RTX Voice and I plan to mount it on a scissor arm and speak from 3ft away for convenience. Budget is roughly 50 USD and I don't mind buying used.

Any good suggestions?

Fifine t669 is pretty good

[The Flying Sloth]

If the virus weren't screwing with prices I'd say Behringer UM2 and C2, sounds damn good for the price, but with these bad prices.........
For $50 US I'd suggest the Samson Q2U mostly because it's both a USB and XLR microphone. 
I have quite a dislike for USB mics as they tend to suck a lot and break really easily but the Q2U is built quite nicely and allows you to upgrade to a proper audio (input) solution down the road should you choose to. If you want more options (though none quite at your price range) or better information the guide in my signature has been helpful before, 

Sloth

[WoodenMarker]

On 5/7/2020 at 5:50 PM, Denkiani said:

Fifine t669 is pretty good

I already have an arm so I'll probably go with the K669 if I go this route. 

On 5/7/2020 at 8:12 PM, The Flying Sloth said:

If the virus weren't screwing with prices I'd say Behringer UM2 and C2, sounds damn good for the price, but with these bad prices.........
For $50 US I'd suggest the Samson Q2U mostly because it's both a USB and XLR microphone. 
I have quite a dislike for USB mics as they tend to suck a lot and break really easily but the Q2U is built quite nicely and allows you to upgrade to a proper audio (input) solution down the road should you choose to. If you want more options (though none quite at your price range) or better information the guide in my signature has been helpful before, 

Are there any places you can link with better pricing? I've only seen the Q2U bundle for $90. If there's a cheaper listing, I think I'd go with that and keep an eye out for a cheaper Behringer UM2.

 

What about the Xm8500? Should I just get that and the UM2 instead? https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Ultravoice-Dynamic-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B0002KZAKS

[rice guru]

If q2u isn't available the audio Technica 2005 is a good alternative sounds basically the same should be around the same price

[The Flying Sloth]

1 hour ago, WoodenMarker said:

-snip- 

Honestly, I'm not sure. the 8500 is a good microphone but it's dynamic meaning that it will likely require quite a lot of gain and I can't promise the UM2 will have enough gain (though some people have had success), this is why I usually recommend an inline preamp with dynamic mics like the Klark Teknik CT1. 

1 hour ago, rice guru said:

If q2u isn't available the audio Technica 2005 is a good alternative sounds basically the same should be around the same price

Thankyou for reminding me about that mic, I'll add it to my very short list of USB mics that I don't want to throw into a volcano.

Sloth

[WoodenMarker]

On 5/9/2020 at 3:15 PM, The Flying Sloth said:

Honestly, I'm not sure. the 8500 is a good microphone but it's dynamic meaning that it will likely require quite a lot of gain and I can't promise the UM2 will have enough gain (though some people have had success), this is why I usually recommend an inline preamp with dynamic mics like the Klark Teknik CT1. 

Would I have the same issue with gain for the Q2U or is that less of an issue when compared to the Xm8500? 

[The Flying Sloth]

1 minute ago, WoodenMarker said:

Would I have the same issue with gain for the Q2U or is that less of an issue when compared to the Xm8500? 

Q2U is a USB mic and XLR, they designed it to have enough gain when using it as a USB mic though gain issues could become apparent when using it over XLR, it's just a quirk of dynamic mics that they require a lot of gain. That's one of the reasons I tend to recommend a highly directional condenser like the C2 over dynamic mics.
In rereading the hyperlinked thread it seems the UM2 and 8500 will do fine together but if you want a cheap mic now with the option of grabbing an audio interface later to slowly upgrade the Q2U is certainly an option.

Sloth

[WoodenMarker]

2 hours ago, The Flying Sloth said:

Q2U is a USB mic and XLR, they designed it to have enough gain when using it as a USB mic though gain issues could become apparent when using it over XLR, it's just a quirk of dynamic mics that they require a lot of gain. That's one of the reasons I tend to recommend a highly directional condenser like the C2 over dynamic mics.
In rereading the hyperlinked thread it seems the UM2 and 8500 will do fine together but if you want a cheap mic now with the option of grabbing an audio interface later to slowly upgrade the Q2U is certainly an option.

Thanks for the info!

I've ordered a Q2U and using it over usb until I can find a better deal on the UM2. 

[The Flying Sloth]

2 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

Thanks for the info!

I've ordered a Q2U and using it over usb until I can find a better deal on the UM2. 

Enjoy,
Let me know how it goes,