So my birthday is coming up and i wanna treat myself to an affordable but quality microphone for vocals. It should have a usb cable and be compatible with laptops (mac). When i say affordable i mean nothing over 100$!! Lmk your opinions.
#EMERGENCY: Microphone advice
pseudo idol
quiet robin
Hello, there~ Happy almost birthday to you, Eve!! 🥳
When picking a mic, you need to be aware of the condition of your room- if it's quiet or whether it is an untreated space to determine which type of microphone is suitable for you.
For the most part, there are basically at least two types of microphones which are the dynamic and condenser. Depending on personal preference, you might want to choose the condenser if you sing at a place that is pretty quiet because bear in mind that, a condenser will pick up everything.
The car honking on the roadside, the sound of cats meowing and also your loud siblings (if you have any). If this is an issue for you, I'd suggest for you to use a dynamic mic since it rejects background noise far much better than the other one. Not to mention that a condenser microphone also requires an audio interface/mixer to use phantom power (48) to power the microphone unless it's USB, then it's just plug and play!
Since you were getting the microphone for vocals (singing/voiceover?), I was wondering whether you'd be interested in a reverb function which is available on the hardware? If you are, may I suggest for you to invest in an XLR microphone since you can use any XLR microphone on a mixer (I recommend the Yamaha AG03/AG06 or the RodeCaster Pro if you have more to spend in the future) to use the EQ, Compression and even Reverb effects especially catered to those who loves singing. The Yamaha's mixer also has a loopback function which allows you to stream your desktop audio (Youtube videos/soundboard sites) on any platform, including Discord.
But I understand that you want something around your budget and I happy to tell you that there are plenty of USB microphones which are available for under $100. And you can also add the effects via software (such as Voicemeeter etc.)
Here's my personal list of favourite mics under $100:
1. Dynamic - Maono HD300T USB/XLR Dynamic Broadcast Microphone ~ $64.99
This mic has zero-latency monitoring and it is quite flexible and versatile because despite being a USB microphone, it also has an XLR input which allows you to use it with an audio interface/mixer in the future if you’d like to upgrade your sound quality. If you don’t like how the way the pop filter is placed in front of the mic, you could always remove it but prepare a windscreen cover to avoid plosives.
2. Condenser - Fifine K678 ~ $39.99
Fifine also makes really great mics and some famous YouTubers even compared this specific microphone to the sound of a Blue Yeti microphone. It also has live monitoring and a mute button. If you want something that has more polar patterns, you can opt for the Fifine K690 - $79.99
**3. Condenser - Audio Technics AT2020USB+ ~ $68.49 **
AT2020 is an infamous condenser microphone under this price range. Fortunately they released a USB version for those who prefer to keeps thing much simpler and just want to plug and play while still maintaining really high quality sound. This one also has live monitoring via headphone jack and volume control.
**4. Condenser - Rode NT-USB Mini ~ $97.95 **
Rode is a reputable and reliable brand especially when it comes to microphones. You’re not only paying the hefty price for the build quality but also the sound quality of the microphone. It has integrated pop filter, and also “the NT-USB Mini is fully compatible with the FREE RØDE Connect podcasting software for Mac and PC, which makes recording high quality simple, even if you have no audio experience.”
quiet robin
What's people their opinion on the Blue Snowball?
I'm not sure about the Snowball since Blue was acquired by Logitech, I heard their sound quality changed..
pseudo idol
Wowowowowowowkwk
Tysm @quiet robin !!
My environment is overall quiet but i do have a lot of sirens in the background. Would the condenser pick that up?
quiet robin
My environment is overall quiet but i do have a lot of sirens in the background....
Well, there's a neat trick where you can turn the condenser's gain lower and move closer to the mic, but overall it might pick it up?
Is there anyone's condenser which you can borrow for the time being to check?
pseudo idol
Haha, also one of my friends actually uses the fifine one and it sounds great , just literally picks everything up lol
quiet robin
Haha, also one of my friends actually uses the fifine one and it sounds great , ...
Yeahh, haha I had a Fifine once, then I moved on to the Maono before upgrading to the mixer. xd
pseudo idol
Does the dynamic capture lip smacks and other things in that field?
quiet robin
Does the dynamic capture lip smacks and other things in that field?
My dynamic microphone still does, but that's because I get super close sometimes.. I don't think it'll be an issue if you're talking to it normally.
Like when I move back from my dynamic microphone, it doesn't pick up my lip smacks or plosives. Sometimes, I put on a windscreen when I'm recording just to be safe!
pseudo idol
Well the fifine technically would be right up my alley
Most affordable and stuff
But i was looking for something thats a bit more advanced but not too pricy
The Maono HD300T USB/XLR Dynamic Broadcast Microphone
Looks a little too complicated
Btw, what are your thoughts on the FIFINE K683A
quiet robin
Is it? Once you get used to it, it'll be a walk in the park! Getting the perfect audio gear may be a struggle at first.
Hmmm, lemme look at it one sec.
It looks sexy. xd
You can check the sound quality via the timestamps on this video as well.
So if that's up your alley, you can get it.. But personally I'd go for the Maono's. I prefer Maono's signature sound compared to the Fifine's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHgfp_Yrl8A&t
This girl is singing with the same mic I suggested above.
pseudo idol
So if that's up your alley, you can get it.. But personally I'd go for the Maono...
Its a bit less pricy and more simple, pretty sure.
quiet robin
But in the end, the choice is yours! Pick whichever is suited to your needs best. 🙂
quiet robin
Its a bit less pricy and more simple, pretty sure.
Yeah, of course. Is there any stores nearby which allows you test the mic first before purchasing it?
Also doesn't mean you can't learn how to use the microphone.. It's literally plug and play USB~ 😄
The XLR input is just a future proof feature.
If you're still unsure, feel free to check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97FmxrU1c50
pseudo idol
Yeah, of course. Is there any stores nearby which allows you test the mic first ...
ty for all your help!!
quiet robin
ty for all your help!!
You're welcome, dear. Hope that you have a wonderful birthday bash and do update us on which mic you end up getting!! So excited for you 🙂
pseudo idol
You're welcome, dear. Hope that you have a wonderful birthday bash and do update...
Ended up choosing the K683A. I watched countless videos and it seems great quality and pretty simple for what I need right now. Thanky ou!
quiet robin
Ended up choosing the K683A. I watched countless videos and it seems great quali...
Awwwh, yeah when I looked my local music store's website, it also has a lot of great reviews 🙂 You're certainly welcome!!!