Microphones, what am I doing wrong?

[KuJoe]

So when it comes to audio I'm pretty inexperienced, so I'm really hoping I'm just doing something wrong and not just buying the wrong stuff. So I've been looking for a good microphone for my desktop for Discord and recording some videos here and there but it seems like the more money I spend the worse the quality gets. Right now here's what I have:

 

Rode VideoMicro Compact On-Camera Microphone - $59

Audio-Technica ATR-3350IS Omnidirectional Condenser Lavalier Mic - $29

Sony ECMCS3 Clip style Omnidirectional Stereo Microphone - $17.99

 

I've done multiple tests and every single time the cheap Sony mic blows the other two out of the water in terms of loudness and quality. I have all mics set to the same exact settings on my desktop and record them in the same exact conditions (AC off and no other background noise). I've tried using the front 3.5mm jack and a USB soundcard dongle with no difference in quality and even though the 3.5mm jack sounds much better for all of them, even the Sony plugged into the USB adapter sounds better than the other 2 plugged into the 3.5mm jack.

 

My main problem is mobility, I would like to be able to get up and walk around my office with my headphones and mic but the Sony mic only has about a 3 foot cable. The Audio-Technica has a 20 foot cable, but it has the worst quality of the 3. The Rode mic is a shotgun mic so I can leave it on my desk and still walk around, but the quality and volume get even worse as I walk away from it. I also want to minimize the footprint on my desk and don't want the mic to pick up my typing which I know limits my options even more.

 

Basically, what am I doing wrong? Should I look at better hardware (i.e. dedicated soundcard or mixer)? Am I just buying the wrong microphones? Is there a setting somewhere I'm not aware of in Windows to make things better? I'm open to all options and willing to spend some money to make my life better.

[AAJoe]

Well - first, none of those are "great" mics but the ECMCS3 is a solid cheap lav mic (as far as cheap lav mics go).

 

You can just add an extension cable to the mic and walk around with it, but keep in mind the longer the analog cable is the more noise it will pick up from electronics in the room. It's basically like a giant antenna . You can use a USB extension from the back of your PC instead, but then your USB adapter is going to be dragging on the floor, which is fine if you have no pets, kids, or a carpet, but may get snagged on things or destroyed if you do.

 

It really depends on what you're DOING with these mics that requires you to be nomadic. Is this for making phone calls? Are you doing a web series on repairing broken dishwashers (if so I could really use your help)? Are you constantly moving or are you just staying relatively still while not near your desk? Or is it for VR?

 

There's a lot of solutions that may work for you, including an upcoming product of ours - a wireless ModMIc  - Sometime this year!

[KuJoe]

The majority of the time I'm just on Discord, I do stream and record videos but that's very rare compared to the multiple hours a day I spend just chatting on Discord. I work from home so I like to get up and stretch or walk around my office regularly without having to hop out of the conversation. The plan is to eventually get a software phone setup so I can route my work calls through my PC so I don't have to swap headsets, but I'm holding off until I can find a permanent solution before handing out a new phone number to clients.