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Any microphone recommendations

by cypherslock
14 replies
So, I've grabbed myself a LifeCam HD for video as that seems to be the best one of the bunch (and this includes the logitech one I was looking at, but there were enough bad reviews that I thought to try something new). So my question now is: does anyone have a recommendation on a good "prosumer" microphone. So far, I've seen Blue Microphone's Snowball which looks good. I've also seen their Yeti which I'm leaning toward.

My thinking here is, if I'm going to do videos I want to do so, unencumbered by a headset and a professionally as my budget will allow.

Thanks gang!
#microphone #recommendations
  • Profile picture of the author TimGross
    I haven't used the Blue Microphones personally but based on reviews I've seen I think either one would be a good choice for you. The fact that it's a USB interface saves you a lot of money... Otherwise to do it right you need a mic, a preamp, and computer interface. Even doing it on the cheap, the preamp and interface would cost around $200 minimum (in addition to buying the mic), plus now you've got 3 devices to deal with instead of the easy-plug USB mic.

    I'd try out the Yeti if I were you, good luck.
    -Tim
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Ramsey
    Blue Microphones

    These rock.

    I used to use one when I recorded hypnotic scripts for clients of mine back when I was doing hypnosis.
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    • Profile picture of the author MichaelHiles
      Originally Posted by Chris Ramsey View Post

      Blue Microphones

      These rock.

      I used to use one when I recorded hypnotic scripts for clients of mine back when I was doing hypnosis.

      My entire production studio is full of Blue mics.

      Pricewise, they're not for the average WF member though.
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      • Profile picture of the author condra
        Almost any microphone costing more than around 70 dollars will be more than fine for video presentation work, but you need a mic preamp for a condensor mic, and they can be costly and tricky to set up.

        The most popular prosumer dynamic mics are Shure SM58s.

        Some of the USB microphones are really great, like the ones from Samson.
        If you are on a Mac, I would strongly recommend considering the Apogee One.

        Another interesting alternative would be a portable recorder like a Zoom H2. Depending on the recorder and how you work, you may have to sync the audio afterwards, but that is easily done in most video editing tools.

        The new generation of portable recorders such as the stuff from Zoom, Tascam, Korg, Sony and Yamaha offer fantastic sound quality.

        Whatever sound recording tools you choose, you should pay a LOT of attention to your room acoustics. The best 5 grand mic will still sound awful if you record in a bathroom for example. Your recordings will sound best if you minimize hard surface reflections in your environment. This is cheaply and easily done but will make a huge difference.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jesus Perez
    I just invested in this after scouring the WF for reviews.

    Amazon.com: Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Condenser...Amazon.com: Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Condenser...
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    • Profile picture of the author Jesus Perez
      Originally Posted by Jesus Perez View Post

      I just invested in this after scouring the WF for reviews.

      Amazon.com: Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Condenser USB Microphone: Electronics
      I am bumping this 6 month old to happily report that the AudioTechnica AT2020 mic i purchased is also compatible with my iPad using the camera connection kit and NO additional hacks. Just plug it in and start recording.

      For anyone using an iPad, this is a great way to record some high quality audio.

      I posted a sample recording here.

      I hope that was worth a 6 month bump for someone out there.
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      • Profile picture of the author TimGross
        Originally Posted by Jesus Perez View Post

        I am bumping this 6 month old to happily report that the AudioTechnica AT2020 mic i purchased is also compatible with my iPad using the camera connection kit and NO additional hacks. Just plug it in and start recording.

        For anyone using an iPad, this is a great way to record some high quality audio.

        I posted a sample recording here.

        I hope that was worth a 6 month bump for someone out there.
        Audio Technica makes good mics. Suggestion: Get a pop screen (put between the mic and your mouth) to avoid popping the "P" sound when you talk, other than that your sample quality sounded very good:
        Amazon.com: Nady MPF-6 6-Inch Clamp On Microphone...Amazon.com: Nady MPF-6 6-Inch Clamp On Microphone...
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  • Profile picture of the author shabit87
    Okay, so I won't reccommend a certain brand, but I'll tell you how I found my favorite. I contacted Musician's Friend and Prosound. I spoke to a specialist, gave them my needs and they were able to match me with a mic that suited those needs. I hope this helps...didn't want to just give ya a brand and be done with it.
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  • Profile picture of the author MichaelHiles
    The bigger concern with PCs and audio recording is the noise from various servos, fan motors, grounding on cards, etc... that gets picked up by ANY mic.

    The surefire way to eliminate this nonsense and raise the production quality of any of your product development is to record into a digital recorder. For non-studio, quick and dirty stuff, I use the line input on a Yamaha Pocketrak CX at 320k.

    From there, you can connect the device to the PC using USB and copy the file into your production editing environment.
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    • Profile picture of the author TimGross
      Originally Posted by MichaelHiles View Post

      The bigger concern with PCs and audio recording is the noise from various servos, fan motors, grounding on cards, etc... that gets picked up by ANY mic.
      ...And down the rabbit hole we go. :-)

      Nice tip on the Yamaha Pocketrak digital recorder. Since a lot of what I do requires the computer to be on, I spent a lot of money on a quiet(er) computer, put it in a cabinet that's ported out the back, and I recently got a quieter fan installed in the back of the cabinet. (Tip: Do NOT put a desktop computer in an enclosed area without a fan, it'll overheat)

      I recently got a Shure SM7B mic (very popular with DJ's) that has a very shallow pickup range, it needs a preamp with high gain to use effectively. With this latest setup I'm essentially picking up no room acoustics, no computer noise, I'm very happy with it.

      However - For most people's needs, they do not need to go to those lengths to get acceptable results. As I said, be careful about going down the rabbit hole, it's a long way down...
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  • Profile picture of the author cypherslock
    Wound up going with the Yeti. Great information here guys. I figure around $100 was about my limit, and found it brand new on ebay. I WAS going to invest in Numis Network (MLM gold/silver coin), but upon speaking at length with another Warrior today, decided to instead kick things up a notch or three and OWN my business.
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  • Profile picture of the author dem0x7
    I use the microphone from Rock Band, lol, hey I got a stand for it and everything. Good enough for me :-)
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