Trying to improve Audio quality for work calls

[ankit_k]

Hello,

 

Since the current situation is making most of us rely on conference calls, I have been wanting to improve atleast on the Audio part of the communication.  I would like to hear about recommendations that would help me make significant improvement to Audio but on a budget.

 

Devices:

Macbook air

 

Current Audio sources:

Macbook's inbuilt microphone

Sennheiser HD 4.40 mic over bluetooth

 

A good reference for me was a similar recommendation video that Linus with Podcasters/Gamers/Youtubers in mind 

 

Questions:

- Are the recommendations made in the video valid for conference calls? Considering the compression, internet bandwidth factor etc.

- Is the Beheringer UM2 mentioned in the video also a decent entry level DAC? And something that would make noticeable difference when listening (of course in wired mode of the headphones)

 

 

[ShadySocks]

I recommend getting a unidirectional lavalier mic

[it_dont_work]

literally just bought a $7 generic lavalier mic for this purpose, for a work conference call fucking amazing. for high audio quality kind of meh. 

 

 

[ankit_k]

@it_dont_work and @ShadySocks any specific ones that you can recommend?

 

I have seen a few variations on lavalier mic as well, some come with condensers. Do they make any difference?

[rice guru]

7 minutes ago, ankit_k said:

@it_dont_work and @ShadySocks any specific ones that you can recommend?

 

I have seen a few variations on lavalier mic as well, some come with condensers. Do they make any difference?

If you just want to do calls. Stay away from condensers Dy amic mics will sound way better especially in a untreated room. If you want to make an easy setup a Samson q2u or ath 2005 are both great mics and work off of usb

 

 

[ankit_k]

54 minutes ago, rice guru said:

If you just want to do calls. Stay away from condensers Dy amic mics will sound way better especially in a untreated room. If you want to make an easy setup a Samson q2u or ath 2005 are both great mics and work off of usb

 

 

These options are over my budget. They might higher quality but they would be overkill for my primary use case?

[geo3]

The q2u is like $60 and doesn't require you to buy an interface.

[it_dont_work]

22 hours ago, ankit_k said:

These options are over my budget. They might higher quality but they would be overkill for my primary use case?

I've been using something like this, https://www.amazon.com/Muslady-Microphone-Lavalier-Smartphone-Chatting/dp/B07GCLN1Y2/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=lavalier+mic&qid=1597392953&sr=8-4 , buy a pack of 2-3 (usually find for the same price) the cords are fragile. 

 

I spend 7 hours of my work day on video conference atm, easy and not issues with much better audio when I listen back to recorded web meetings later. 

 

I've akg,royer, sennheiser and shure mics, 500 series lunchbox's full of neve tube pres and  a couple digi 003 (and a fucking studer 24 I've been trying to off load for 20 years). That is complete overkill for web conferencing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[greatpav]

I would like to recommend a Samson q2u.