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Need a good microphone

by Rachel Embry
15 replies
Can someone give me a suggesstion for a decent microphone or headset/mic combo?

It needs to be under $50 and have decent sound quality for recording screenshot videos & audio for my website.

The one I have now is a desktop mic and it sounds REALLY fuzzy. My computer mic also sounds terrible as well.

There are so many choices- I'd rather just hear a suggesstion from someone who's found a good cheap mic that works well for online sound quality.

Thanks!
Rachel
#good #microphone
  • Profile picture of the author thatgirlJ
    I use and love the Logitech USB headset microphone. Amazon.com: Logitech ClearChat Comfort USB...Amazon.com: Logitech ClearChat Comfort USB...
    Makes for good sound quality when recording videos.
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  • Profile picture of the author Marty S
    Originally Posted by Rachel Embry View Post

    Can someone give me a suggestion for a decent microphone or headset/mic combo?

    It needs to be under $50 and have decent sound quality for recording screenshot videos & audio for my website.
    That sounds a little too cheap Rachel, but I am sure ebay will have something used for that price. I would look at the logitech USB headsets, which is what I have been using. I have literally made hundreds of videos using their top products.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sean Kelly
    I spent a lot of money on many different microphones.. from digital mics to professional mics with gold plated connectors.

    They all failed to impress me because I could hear the computer buzz in the background. Now I use a cheapo headset I bought for less than $10 and the sound quality is perfect.

    It just proves that you do not need to shell out a lot of a cash for a fancy mic when a cheap one does just as good a job if not better (in my case at least).

    Here is the one I use:
    Logitech PC Headset 120 Headset : Compare prices and read reviews
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  • Profile picture of the author TeddyP
    I also use the logitec headset and have no complaints. I get a great sound from recording in a car as well. If you can do that it is worth a shot.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Riddle
    a USB headset mic will be the sound quality that you may be looking for.

    Plantronics is a good brand, there are others, price range of $25-$45

    If you are going to do a lot of voice work a Samson C01U will be a great choice for under $70 on many sites online. It is a studio desk mic and will need a stand and mount.

    Mark Riddle
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    • Profile picture of the author Rachel Embry
      Thanks very much everyone- I appreciate it!
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    • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
      because I wanted a mic with great sound quality which
      would work with a video camera (pre-amp in mic) I bought
      a Sony ECM-MS907, a mic designed for DAT recorders.

      It plugs into the side jack on my laptop too and there
      is no latency to the signal, which can be an issue with
      the better USB "Podcasting" mics, as I understand it,
      and they are spendy anyway.

      It's not a headset but it sounds good and that's what I
      want because I do videos where the sound of my voice matters.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rezbi
    Don't know if this will be any use but I have a Logitech 5000 webcam and the microphone on it is crystal clear. You can get that for just over $50.
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  • Profile picture of the author Fernando Veloso
    Rachel,

    Check the PC soundcard, sometimes you buy a 1K micro just to find out the soundcard it's the source of noise.



    And yes, I use a 5€ Mitsai microphone and the sound is good.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andy
    Hi Rachael,

    I'm with Fernando - make sure your sound card is good. If you've used two different mics and your sound is fuzzy, the problem may not be the mics.

    Try the mics on a different computer to be sure. If you need to you can hop on down to the nearest place that sells computers or even the library.

    God bless,

    Andy
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  • Profile picture of the author Seiber
    To tell you the complete truth, if you are looking for a great microphone with amazing quality, you may want to heighten your budget requirements. I have a few microphones laying around my office drawers gathering dust. Most of them are Logitech, one's an old Kingston, and there's another that I modified from an old webcam.

    If you're looking for quality, the only microphone I use now for my music recordings is the Blue Snow Ball USB Microphone. The link is to it's Amazon page, where I ordered mine. They run from $79 to $99, depending on quality, used or new, etcetera etcetera. But, yes, quality comes with the Blue line of products.

    Edit: scratch the link part, this is my first post. Nevertheless, go to Amazon and search for "Blue Snow Ball USB Microphone" and you'll go right to it.

    SEIBERTECH
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    • Profile picture of the author Wade Watson
      Podcasting wiz Leo Laporte swears by the Plantronics DSP-500. He always sends one to his new correspondents. You can usually find one for under $50 after shipping on eBay. I've been meaning to pick one up, too. I've been planning to pick one up, myself, since microphone is crap, too.

      The TWiT Netcast Network with Leo Laporte

      --Wade
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  • Profile picture of the author Brad Gosse
    Logitech clearchat USB is the one for you! I love mine.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rachel Embry
      Thanks Brad- I just looked at your Cork Board WSO- very interesting....
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      • Profile picture of the author macknox
        Rachel,
        I have a Samson C01U and it is good but I also use a cheap Logitech 120 with phono plugs - I want to keep my USB sockets free.

        What I found is that is depends on the Soundcard.
        On my old computer the Logitech sounded quiet and poor, then on my new computer it's good enough for Dragon Natuarlly speaking... and even Camtasia.

        The soundcard comes with some software which you can tweak and you can change the dB level.

        Maybe if you click around the audio player/options as well as the control panel sound options you could 'release' its full potential!

        Note: the Samson picks up everything and you'll need to cut out background noise with Audacity or Camtasia built-in function.
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