Help buying a microphone

[CarlToft]

It would be nice if i got some help.
I am looking to buy a Mic with a usb. My microphone that i am currently using is a blue snowball which is pretty damaged. My criteria is the price cant be more than $150, and if the mic have som noise filtering it would be nice because of my clicky keyboard. I am mostly gonna use it when speaking with my friends on discord.
If i need to write some more information just comment and i will do it.
Thank you a head

 

[AnalogSteph]

You probably want a dynamic mic for use at short distances (~2", typ). I'll have to think about what that leaves us with... (If you're in the US, Sweetwater stocks a lot of the usual suspects. Mostly condensers though.) I still have my Samson Q2U, but I don't really like its sound that much any more. You could also combine an inexpensive dynamic mic and USB audio interface, like a Behringer XM8500 (or Shure SM48) + M-Audio M-Track Solo / Behringer UMC22 + an XLR mic cable of course. (Both the former make an appearance in comparisons here, the latter have been tested by @Julian Krause.) That would give you a lot more options to choose from, plus a mic preamp that's actually decent and sports a gain control.

Do you have a boom arm / mic stand yet, or were you just plopping down the Snowball onto its little desk stand (hint: not good positioning)? If that's still the old Snowball with the big USB B connector in the back, good riddance, those sound pretty lousy; the ones with the Micro-B are actually OK though the Samson Meteor may be the better choice still (that's really not bad-sounding at all if you actually mount it properly instead of just plopping it onto its fold-out legs, even if it looks awkward with those just dangling in the air).

If you happen to have an nVidia graphics card and Windows 10, you can also use RTX Voice to aid in background noise suppression for whatever is left even with proper positioning, which seems to work quite impressively well.

 

[DVDdoug]

som noise filtering it would be nice

There are "noise canceling" mics but they are "voice quality" communications mics, usually part of a headset where the mic is very-close to your mouth, maybe touching your lips.

Otherwise, mics are linear and if they pick-up less keyboard noise your voice will also be lower. A directional mic can help if the keyboard is behind the mic. The Snowball has a Cardioid (directional) setting. And of course, distance makes a difference if you can get the mic closer to your mouth without getting pops or breath noises that will help (for a stronger signal-to-noise ratio).

You probably want a dynamic mic for use at short distances (~2", typ).

Note that computer mics and stage/studio mics are not interchangeable. You need an audio interface to connect a pro analog mic to a computer.[/quote]

 

[CarlToft]

You probably want a dynamic mic for use at short distances (~2", typ). I'll have to think about what that leaves us with... (If you're in the US, Sweetwater stocks a lot of the usual suspects. Mostly condensers though.) I still have my Samson Q2U, but I don't really like its sound that much any more. You could also combine an inexpensive dynamic mic and USB audio interface, like a Behringer XM8500 (or Shure SM48) + M-Audio M-Track Solo / Behringer UMC22 + an XLR mic cable of course. (Both the former make an appearance in comparisons here, the latter have been tested by @Julian Krause.) That would give you a lot more options to choose from, plus a mic preamp that's actually decent and sports a gain control.

Do you have a boom arm / mic stand yet, or were you just plopping down the Snowball onto its little desk stand (hint: not good positioning)? If that's still the old Snowball with the big USB B connector in the back, good riddance, those sound pretty lousy; the ones with the Micro-B are actually OK though the Samson Meteor may be the better choice still (that's really not bad-sounding at all if you actually mount it properly instead of just plopping it onto its fold-out legs, even if it looks awkward with those just dangling in the air).

If you happen to have an nVidia graphics card and Windows 10, you can also use RTX Voice to aid in background noise suppression for whatever is left even with proper positioning, which seems to work quite impressively well.

Unfortunaly i live in Eu, do you have any specific ones you can recommend?

 

[CarlToft]

There are "noise canceling" mics but they are "voice quality" communications mics, usually part of a headset where the mic is very-close to your mouth, maybe touching your lips.

Otherwise, mics are linear and if they pick-up less keyboard noise your voice will also be lower. A directional mic can help if the keyboard is behind the mic. The Snowball has a Cardioid (directional) setting. And of course, distance makes a difference if you can get the mic closer to your mouth without getting pops or breath noises that will help (for a stronger signal-to-noise ratio).

THX i am Also buying a more linear keyboard

 

[Blumlein 88]

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod..._at2020usb_cardioid_condenser_microphone.html

This one should work, but it is a condenser microphone.

 

[CarlToft]

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod..._at2020usb_cardioid_condenser_microphone.html

This one should work, but it is a condenser microphone.

Thx

 

[CarlToft]

You probably want a dynamic mic for use at short distances (~2", typ). I'll have to think about what that leaves us with... (If you're in the US, Sweetwater stocks a lot of the usual suspects. Mostly condensers though.) I still have my Samson Q2U, but I don't really like its sound that much any more. You could also combine an inexpensive dynamic mic and USB audio interface, like a Behringer XM8500 (or Shure SM48) + M-Audio M-Track Solo / Behringer UMC22 + an XLR mic cable of course. (Both the former make an appearance in comparisons here, the latter have been tested by @Julian Krause.) That would give you a lot more options to choose from, plus a mic preamp that's actually decent and sports a gain control.

Do you have a boom arm / mic stand yet, or were you just plopping down the Snowball onto its little desk stand (hint: not good positioning)? If that's still the old Snowball with the big USB B connector in the back, good riddance, those sound pretty lousy; the ones with the Micro-B are actually OK though the Samson Meteor may be the better choice still (that's really not bad-sounding at all if you actually mount it properly instead of just plopping it onto its fold-out legs, even if it looks awkward with those just dangling in the air).

If you happen to have an nVidia graphics card and Windows 10, you can also use RTX Voice to aid in background noise suppression for whatever is left even with proper positioning, which seems to work quite impressively well.

My blue snowball is pretty used. i Have a mic arm and popfilter. Are their any better mics than Behringer, is okay if the price is higher?

 

[AnalogSteph]

Unfortunaly i live in Eu, do you have any specific ones you can recommend?

I wouldn't say it's entirely unfortunate, it means you can get e.g. the Behringer UMC22 quite cheaply (€34,10 at Thomann, or 266 DKK + 60 shipping as you seem to be in .dk; both the M-Tracks seem to be temporarily out of stock with the Solo at 333 DKK expected to ship in 1-2 weeks). And there's a whole bunch of mics you can get up to 628 DKK, including the aforementioned, the Mackie EM-89D (this one is going for a "broadcast" kind of sound), Shure SM48, Sennheiser E835, .... I suggest you listen to samples of all of them; the review I linked to earlier already includes several.

 

[zozo363]

You probably want a dynamic mic for use at short distances (~2", typ). I'll have to think about what that leaves us with... (If you're in the US, Sweetwater stocks a lot of the usual suspects. Mostly condensers though.) I still have my Samson Q2U, but I don't really like its sound that much any more. You could also combine an inexpensive dynamic mic and USB audio interface, like a Behringer XM8500 (or Shure SM48) + M-Audio M-Track Solo / Behringer UMC22 + an XLR mic cable of course. (Both the former make an appearance in comparisons here, the latter have been tested by @Julian Krause.) That would give you a lot more options to choose from, plus a mic preamp that's actually decent and sports a gain control.

Do you have a boom arm / mic stand yet, or were you just plopping down the Snowball onto its little desk stand (hint: not good positioning)? If that's still the old Snowball with the big USB B connector in the back, good riddance, those sound pretty lousy; the ones with the Micro-B are actually OK though the Samson Meteor may be the better choice still (that's really not bad-sounding at all if you actually mount it properly instead of just plopping it onto its fold-out legs, even if it looks awkward with those just dangling in the air).

If you happen to have an nVidia graphics card and Windows 10, you can also use RTX Voice to aid in background noise suppression for whatever is left even with proper positioning, which seems to work quite impressively well.

Hello everyone, I need help too. I don't know much about this subject, I want to make asmr and for that I need a good microphone. What do you suggest?

 

[Ricardus]

Just buy whatever $150 USB mic you like the look of. It isn't going to matter.

 

[Multicore]

I prefer a head-set mic. It keeps the mic closer to the mouth and at a constant position relative to it.

SM35 - Performance headset condenser microphone - Shure USA

Durable cardioid condenser microphone in a comfortable headset for hands-free vocal performance. Ideal for multi-instrumentalists.

www.shure.com

 

[kemmler3D]

+1 on a headset mic for your use case. Unless you also want to record music, it will filter out more of your keyboard noise than pretty much anything else. If you don't want to get the full headset, Antlion has a lot of attachable mics in your price range. Not sure if they are any good but the marketing pages are slick, at least.

 

[AnalogSteph]

Hello everyone, I need help too. I don't know much about this subject, I want to make asmr and for that I need a good microphone. What do you suggest?

I would tend towards a cardioid (large diaphragm) condenser with at least decently low noise. How much do you have to spend? Do you need one for USB or do you already have an audio interface or similar? I imagine something like a RØDE NT-1 5th gen or NT-USB+ ought to work well.

 

[CarlToft]

I would tend towards a cardioid (large diaphragm) condenser with at least decently low noise. How much do you have to spend? Do you need one for USB or do you already have an audio interface or similar? I imagine something like a RØDE NT-1 5th gen or NT-USB+ ought to work well.

I have an m-audio track solo and my budget is very small at the moment max $50