good microphone

[yeetyeetyeeter]

any recommendations on what microphone i should get?

i want a microphone that sounds good and doesn't cost too much.

i need it for streaming/discord calls, my budget is 150

ive been looking online but im not really sure what i should get. 

 

thanks

[Tigerleon]

@The Flying Sloth Can help you with this one. Although I know that a pretty good interface around the 70 to 100 dollar pricerange will work fine. And pair it with like a 50 dollar mic from thomann.

EDIT: And interface is basically a soundcard for an XLR mic. USB mics doesn't have as good of a sound.

[Mateyyy]

I've personally been using an AT2020USB+ for a little while now and have been very satisfied with the sound quality. It lacks a couple of things that would've been nice to have that are present on something like the Blue Yeti for example (the most noteworthy for me would be the gain knob), but after I started using it I didn't really care for those anymore, especially since it was cheaper.

 

I'd wait for some recommendations regarding XLR before pulling the trigger on USB though.

[The Flying Sloth]

Tigerleon is prettymuch spot on,
Get a UMC202HD interface and then your mic of choice. If you're not sure what to pick I have a nice guide in the link in my signature that may help you decide. It also has more info and explanations of what bits do and when you might want to use different designs so it could be quite helpful if you're just starting out in audio.

 

[Ahoy Hoy]

On 9/2/2020 at 8:23 AM, yeetyeetyeeter said:

any recommendations on what microphone i should get?

i want a microphone that sounds good and doesn't cost too much.

i need it for streaming/discord calls, my budget is 150

ive been looking online but im not really sure what i should get. 

 

thanks

Unlike the others I dont think a interface and a XLR microphone is suited for you.
The budget is too low so your getting lowest spec products such as the behringers UMC and then probably a cheap microphone. The best microphones if you go that way for budgets going to end up being something like the at2020 and even then your pushing over two hundred dolars and around 170 in euros/pounds. Which in the end is pointless as they make a simple USB version of that microphone for close enough the same price as the microphone by its self.
A interface for you is a waste of money as your not using all the features of the interface and your not buying a high end microphone.

For basic video and voice chatting and for a low end streaming a reasonably decent USB microphone is perfectly suitable.

Decent USB microphones
AT2020USB
Shure MV5
Rode NT

Blue yeti (they have multiple models in your price point)


I personally have the Shure MV5 for my computer to talk on discord etc. Its a very good microphone I have it on the desk to the side of me and it gets the job done.

[The Flying Sloth]

6 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

Snip

I have explanations in my gear recommendations list as to 1, why the 2020 isn't a great choice and 2, why most USB mics aren't a great purchase. A UMC202HD and MB75/XM8500/C2 is a much better choice than a 2020 for most users with somewhat prevalent background noise and also brings the total price well within OPs price range.

 

 

You are partially correct in that some USB mics aren't a bad choice but those are usually the USB/XLR combo mics as they're dynamic meaning they won't pick up background noise and if/when you decide to upgrade from USB mic to a real interface you can without that extra purchase cost.

 

Feel free to take a look at the guide in my sig if you're looking for more information on the subject

[p376p]

I have seen a YouTube video testing the blue yeti microphone and the result seems quite good and the setup is very simple. You may have a look. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or-cwTKmk_8

 

[Ahoy Hoy]

17 hours ago, The Flying Sloth said:

I have explanations in my gear recommendations list as to 1, why the 2020 isn't a great choice and 2, why most USB mics aren't a great purchase. A UMC202HD and MB75/XM8500/C2 is a much better choice than a 2020 for most users with somewhat prevalent background noise and also brings the total price well within OPs price range.

Those are three microphones which are all terrible (the C2 is just on the edge of acceptable). One is a instrument microphone and would be terrible for vocals every S P T sound is going to be a explosion. The other is a cheap vocalist microphone and requires the user to have it within a inch of their mouth. The C2 is more of a instrument microphone again can be used for choirs don't think there is many choirs on LTT. 
 

18 hours ago, The Flying Sloth said:

You are partially correct in that some USB mics aren't a bad choice but those are usually the USB/XLR combo mics as they're dynamic meaning they won't pick up background noise and if/when you decide to upgrade from USB mic to a real interface you can without that extra purchase cost.

A XLR connector doesn't make the microphone good. A USB connector doesn't make the microphone bad. Having both doesnt change anything either, if anything its probably bad as it means you've wasted some money on the xlr connector or the USB system.
That is far from the detention of dynamic microphone and is just wrong. A dynamic microphone wont mean less background noise.


How can you not see the OP wants a microphone he can stick on his desk and talk to friends on discord. The MB75/XM8500/C2 are neither simple to use because now he needs a interface which he needs to know how to use. And none meet the requirement of stick on the desk.

The microphones I recommended are not the best of the best but they are also not bad. But the key thing is they are what the user wants in this case. Sit on a desk plug into his computer and let him talk to his friends in a decent quality. Again I will personally recommend the Shure MV5 nice little microphone which can sit on your desk and do the job. Comes with a nice little metal stand the USB cable it comes with is a bit short only 1 meter.



The only thing im going to say about the sig as in most cases its fine just opinion on microphones some odd use cases means some microphone recommendations are a bit wired. In line preamps havnt been a thing for decades. They are not need in this modern world, get a decent enough interface with a decent microphone and you wont need one. Maybe if you stopped buying behringers cheap stuff you wouldn't need extra equipment


Im genuinely a bit miffed of with you after that recommendation if the OP went out bought the UMC interface XM8500 a XLR cable and a microphone stand hes going to have spent about 70 pounds and will have a bad microphone set up which is also very bulky in your face and hes got to have the know how to use the interface. 

[The Flying Sloth]

Let's break this down into sections and dismantle your points one by one,

7 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

Those are three microphones which are all terrible (the C2 is just on the edge of acceptable). One is a instrument microphone and would be terrible for vocals every S P T sound is going to be a explosion. The other is a cheap vocalist microphone and requires the user to have it within a inch of their mouth. The C2 is more of a instrument microphone again can be used for choirs don't think there is many choirs on LTT. 

In a bedroom (where most people on this forum have their PCs) It doesn't matter what a mic is designed for, it matters how well it rejects background noise. The C2 is supercardioid and condenser so you get a clean sound that rejects most background noise, the MB75 is an exacting clone of the SM57 which is renowned as one of the best microphones for female vocals as well as sharing a capsule with the SM58 which is the industry standard stage microphone for vocals and the XM8500 is another industry workhorse stage vocal microphone. Both of these mics being dynamic means they will pick up less background noise. I own microphones ranging in size from the C2 to large diaphragm tube microphones and for convenience sake I use a C2 as a daily drive PC mic, not only do I constantly get complements when in discord calls and meetings but it's small enough that it doesn't take up any of my eyeline when trying to game or multitask. In short, it doesn't matter what a mic was designed to do, it matters how well it rejects background noise and picks up the human voice (Hell, if we only used mics for what they were designed for no studio would have a Green Bullet in it, ever)

7 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

A XLR connector doesn't make the microphone good. A USB connector doesn't make the microphone bad. Having both doesnt change anything either, if anything its probably bad as it means you've wasted some money on the xlr connector or the USB system.
That is far from the detention of dynamic microphone and is just wrong. A dynamic microphone wont mean less background noise.

 Of course XLR doesn't immediately make a mic good, hell, look at the cheap eBay/Amazon BM800s, they suck ass, but having USB onboard means a more complex system and more complexity in cheap consumer devices means higher failure rate. That's why I link to threads of dead USB mics on my profile when talking about how I don't recommend USB mics. Beyond that, USB condenser mics don't tend to have the same sort of level controls an interface does leading to difficulties setting levels without either clipping or being too quiet, in short they just don't have the functionality a proper microphone setup does and when they break they're dead, you can't do anything with them, that's why I recommend the USB/XLR mics because at least if the USB circuitry dies (and it will be the first thing to die) you have an XLR mic you can continue to use just by purchasing an interface. It's simple, XLR setups allow for upgrade options while USB mics are set in stone, if it's dead, it's dead, can't do anything with it...

Dynamic microphones by and large are less sensitive than condenser microphones meaning that they reject background noise quite well, especially compared to pseudo-large-diaphragm condensers like the AT2020. This is one of the major reasons (beyond handling high SPL and transients) that dynamic mics are most often used for close mics on drum kits, well, that and why they're used for live vocals almost universally.

7 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

How can you not see the OP wants a microphone he can stick on his desk and talk to friends on discord. The MB75/XM8500/C2 are neither simple to use because now he needs a interface which he needs to know how to use. And none meet the requirement of stick on the desk.

$10 eBay scissor arm, nuff said

7 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

The microphones I recommended are not the best of the best but they are also not bad. But the key thing is they are what the user wants in this case. Sit on a desk plug into his computer and let him talk to his friends in a decent quality. Again I will personally recommend the Shure MV5 nice little microphone which can sit on your desk and do the job. Comes with a nice little metal stand the USB cable it comes with is a bit short only 1 meter.

I think we've already covered my thoughts on USB mics well enough here, I'm not going to demonise someone for buying one and there are other regulars here who certainly think I'm too extreme in my complete dismissal of USB mics but there's a damn good reason for it, they're just not as reliable as a true XLR setup.

7 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

The only thing im going to say about the sig as in most cases its fine just opinion on microphones some odd use cases means some microphone recommendations are a bit wired. In line preamps havnt been a thing for decades. They are not need in this modern world, get a decent enough interface with a decent microphone and you wont need one. Maybe if you stopped buying behringers cheap stuff you wouldn't need extra equipment

Inline preamps are certainly still a thing, almost every single streamer with an SM7B or other passive dynamic mic will be using a Cloudlifter, studios constantly keep Triton Audio Fetheads on hand in case they want to use passive ribbon microphones and cheaper options like the Klark Tektik CT1 make the inline preamp option very attainable for those who want to use dynamic and ribbon microphones. In live audio of course they're not necessary but for studio audio and use with budget interfaces (whether they be from Focusrite, Behringer, Swissonic, M-Audio or any other manufacturer) an inline preamp is absolutely required to get the most out of a large diaphragm dynamic or ribbon microphone.

7 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

Im genuinely a bit miffed of with you after that recommendation if the OP went out bought the UMC interface XM8500 a XLR cable and a microphone stand hes going to have spent about 70 pounds and will have a bad microphone set up which is also very bulky in your face and hes got to have the know how to use the interface.

Because plugging cables in where they fit and turning a knob while shouting until you see red and then going back a little bit is very difficult for you.....
Jokes aside, it's not hard to set your level well with an interface, you want the signal hot enough that you can be heard but not so hot that you start clipping, there's literally a red light to tell you if you go too far, for sure an XM8500 won't sound as good as one of my tube mics but neither would any of your USB recommendations and a LDC (or any mic pretending to be one like the 2020) is going to pick up a tonne of background noise so your choices really are either supercardioid mic (like the C2) or a Dynamic (like the MB75 and XM8500) unless you want to get into ribbons in which case we could have a much more interesting conversation regarding room treatment and other studio audio concepts.

While I appreciate you taking the time to respond it's fairly clear from your responses that you're not quite as experienced as you portray and perhaps don't fully understand the concepts you speak to. If you're looking to continue learning sticking around here as well as watching Youtubers like Podcastage, Spectre Sound Studios and PresentDayPrductions might be of use to you, though, do be warned that MR Fricker can be a little abrasive at times and is perhaps too loyal to certain brands but I digress, they're great places to start learning about studio audio concepts and mics.

Sloth