Reddit mentions of Blue Snowball iCE USB Mic for Recording and Streaming on PC and Mac, Cardioid Condenser Capsule, Adjustable Stand, Plug and Play – White
Sentiment score: 111
Reddit mentions: 199
We found 199 Reddit mentions of Blue Snowball iCE USB Mic for Recording and Streaming on PC and Mac, Cardioid Condenser Capsule, Adjustable Stand, Plug and Play – White. Here are the top ones.
Buying options
View on Amazon.comor
- Custom condenser capsule: Powered by Blue’s custom condenser capsule, Snowball iCE microphone delivers crystal-clear audio quality that’s light-years ahead of your built-in computer microphone
- Cardioid pickup pattern: Captures your voice with clear, focused sound for streaming, podcasting, broadcasting, Skype calls and Zoom meetings
- Stylish retro design: Record or stream in style with a classic recording equipment design that looks great on your desktop and on camera
- Adjustable desktop stand: Allows you to position the condenser microphone in relation to the sound source, improving sound quality and saving space on your desktop for the optimal broadcast setup
- Skype and Discord certified: Whether conducting interviews over Skype, streaming live gameplay on Twitch, or communicating across the globe, you’ll be heard loud and clear on leading VOIP platforms
Features:
Specs:
Color | Whiteout |
Height | 9.4881889667 Inches |
Length | 6.4173228281 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | September 2019 |
Weight | 0.000220462262 Pounds |
Width | 6.4173228281 Inches |
It's a blue snowball ICE, only about 50 dollars
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-iCE-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E
regular one is only a bit more
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-Textured/dp/B000EOPQ7E
And yeah been saving since last july :D
Maybe try the Antlion Modmic? If the headset style mic is your thing, of course.
If anything, I see headphones + microphone as an investment. If treated right, the pair will last through multiple builds, so it makes sense to me to buy something of decent quality.
The Blue Snowball iCE is a good option for $50. (A pop filter is also a good idea for around $10 more.)
I recently made a long comment with some advice for people starting a channel. I'l just post it here:
Picking A Name: Alright. It's time to start your channel. You've kicked the idea around for long enough. This is the first, and arguably the most important step in your Youtube career. Try to think of something different that hasn't been done. Don't copy the style of someone else's channel. For example, say you play Pokemon, and your name is Kyle, don't put KyleDoesPokemon. It will seem like you copied the name of SkyDoesMinecraft. Another thing is to avoid tons of numbers and X's. Say two channels have the same video uploaded, you can't see the views, subscriber count, comments or ratings. You are basing your viewing choice based on only the name of the video (which is the same) and the channel's name. Are you going to watch the video by XxBigJ0hnxXCoDK1llerzXx or Conspicuous Cactus (I apologize, I couldn't think of a catchy name)? Some will choose the
first, but most will choose the latter. I'm not saying that you can't achieve success with a cough bad cough name, but it will be a little more difficult. Ultimately, the Channel Name is just an attention grabber, like thumbnails and titles, but we'll get the that later. If your content is good, your Channel Name will not matter, as much.
Video Recording: You're set with your channel now. You've set it up and got the name you want. Great. Now the fun starts. If you don't want to spend a lot of money, i'd recommend the Dazzle, as far as capture cards go. I used one on my old channel, and it worked flawlessly. The only downside is that it only records in standard definition (144p-480p), unless you use an S-Video cable. This isn't good quality. But it's good enough to test the waters to see if you can create good content. If you want something that will work every time, and records in 1080p, I can't recommend the Elgato Game Capture HD enough. It's only downside is that it's pricey ($155). But you are getting a product that is the best in it's class. Back in 2010, you could get away with not having HD quality video, because HD PVR's were expensive. But not today. If you ever hope to achieve any sort of success, you must have video quality that is at least 720p. It's just not an option anymore.
Audio Recording: If you have a Turtle Beach headset, or some other USB powered headset w/ a mic, you can use that TO START WITH. Turtle Beach's have a good enough mic that it will be decent enough until you decide to move up a tier. If you want a great starting mic, that isn't a headset, the Blue Snowball is tough to beat. It sounds great, looks decent (like that really matters), and is cheap (in terms of cost, not quality). Depending on what color you get, it will run around $40-$50, which really isn't to bad for a microphone. You may also want to invest in a Pop Filter. A Pop Filter does exactly what the name says, it filters pops. It will remove, to a certain extent, the popping sound when saying p's, the ssss sound with s's, and all sorts of other things. They are definitely a good investment. However, if you don't want to buy one, you can search how to make one with a sock.
Editing Software: If you get a Dazzle, it will come with some decent editing software. It's nothing special, but it works well enough to get the job done. Hell, I used it for almost 2 years. But, if you want something better, and more professional, you should look at Sony Vegas or Adobe Premier. Both are great, and offer things that the other doesn't have, so you'll need to think about what kinds of things you'll be doing with it. I recommend Sony Vegas. I have never had a problem with it, and the learning curve isn't too high.
Channel Art: This is important. Very, very important. When someone views your channel, this will either make them continue their quest to view one of your videos, or it will make them immediately look elsewhere. This part is somewhat tricky to give advice for. It just has to look good. Don't just copy and paste logos of game's that you'll be playing onto a picture and call it "Channel Art". Use Photoshop, and put some effort into it. If you can't make it yourself, there are several people around /r/letsplay that will make it for you, for a small fee (/u/fuyi is fairly popular). There are also some websites that are easy to use and will make some decent (i'm using this word a lot, aren't I?) Channel Art that will work for a few months, or until you get around to making some yourself.
Thumbnails: Another incredibly important part of your Youtube Channel. You could have the best content ever, but if your Thumbnails suck, you won't get anywhere. The key to Thumbnails is to keep it simple. Use a nice, easily readable font, use complementary colors, and don't try to put too much in the Thumbnail. Avoid the lower right corner, as the duration of the video will cut off some of the Thumbnail. You can use this site to make some thumbnails too. Like the Channel Art, that site good for starting out, but you will want to learn how to make your own, using a program like Photoshop. If you start making your own thumbnails, the resolution for them is 1280x720, just so you know the correct size.
Video Titles: Video Titles are something a lot of people seem to mess up. It's actually really easy to make a good title. Some just put something like Let's play Minecraft episode 23. While that does tell you what the video is, it doesn't grab your attention. Something like Let's Play Minecraft: Part 23 | The Sands are Evil is better because it gives an idea of what will be going on in the video, which would probably be a problem with sand in the example. You can also you some punctuation like -'s, |'s, or :'s to help organize your videos.
Descriptions: There are two basic ways that you can have an effective video description. The first is to make a somewhat exaggerated statement that is relevant to the video, THE SAND WILL SWALLOW YOU WHOLE! RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!. The second way is keep it simple, Attention Traveler's: Please stay away from the sand. Several corpses have been found within them with large amounts of sand in their lungs. This is just my opinion, since I usually try to keep my descriptions witty. The third option is to just describe the video, In today's episode, we travel to an harsh landscape filled with sand and the dreams of dead travelers. You can either make the description funny and witty or you can keep it simple. Either way, don't put to much in it. Descriptions need to be kept short. It's also not a bad idea to put link to other videos in the series in the description or links to Twitter or other social media outlets.
Tags: Tags are the backbone to any successful Youtube Channel. All tags should be relevant to the video. Don't put other channel's names in their. Not only is it unproffessional, but it's useless (to a certain extent). If you search for Roosterteeth Minecraft Episode 100, and you see someone else's video below Roosterteeth's, you're going to watch Roosterteeth's video. Youtube has started to crack down on people who don't properly use the tagging system. If you make a Minecraft video and put Justin Bieber naked as a tag, you run the risk of your channel being given a strike or having the video taken down. Just put tags that are relevant to your video. If you make the 23rd episode of your Minecraft series, put tags like Minecraft Part 23, Minecraft Episode 23, Let's Play Minecraft Part 23, ect.
Other Things to Know:
Concluding: Obviously, there is a bunch more to say, but there's a 10,000 character limit to these posts. To wrap it all up, you need to have a Channel that is well made, and regularly produces good content. If you're just starting out, good luck. You'll need it.
That was awesome! I am a physicist and part time musician (pianist, sound engineering), I would like to make some suggestions which you may find helpful because you will become famous soon and these may help you -
Good luck! :)
Hey man, I like the fact that you're trying to improve. Do me a favour and make yourself an amazon wishlist, then put one of these on it, then link me the wishlist please.
EDIT: I am having issues ordering this mic from OPs wishlist... I think it has to do with my being in the UK and them being not. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get around this?
These are good tips!
I'll add a few things:
For someone who doesn't already have a microphone preamp/audio interface lying aroun, an acceptable budget USB condenser mic is going to be cheaper than a SM58. I'm sure lots of podcasts are being made [on this one] (https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E) and there's probably cheaper ones still on eBay.
I think even a medium-sized or larger room could be fine if there is reasonable absorption from some combination of carpet/rugs, bed, couch, curtains, etc if you get away from the walls. Just clap your hands and see how long it rings, and especially how high and piercing the ring is. For music I've done stuff like the makeshift fort before and it rules, but you might not need to go that far. If you're in need of material to work with, I've gotten some pretty good foam and heavy but charmless blankets from freecycle and found a thing or two in thrift stores.
I agree with ducking the music when speaking. I really like the lofi upright piano though! Most podcast music bores me with super slick glitch-hop and chillwave or just canned public domain music.
With a podcast I think accessibility should be the priority over aesthetics, so as long as I can understand everything when I have to leave my phone across the room for a second while I run the garbage disposal, etc., it's fine. It's good to have production values and cool music and all but I think putting much more money and effort into it than we're talking about goes to diminishing returns. And I think there's a realness here that shouldn't be totally polished away.
Great job Aly.
You'll get better sound quality for a better price buying a good pair of regular headphones and adding a mic. Specificially I would suggest getting a pair with a detachable cord and adding this mic.
As for the wireless route, that's a bit more complicated, but you could still pair a set of wireless headphones with an external mic and getting something nice. I have this set of wireless headphones from Sony and really like them, although you could probably do better for $300. For the mic, I would get something like the Blue Snowball.
Personally, I'd go with the Shure SM57. It's a recording standard for pretty much anything.
In terms of editing, Audacity is one of the best pieces of software for simple editing and adding effects.
Invest in a microphone
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/
Mic for 44 on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006DIA77E/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487197888&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Snowball&dpPl=1&dpID=41r0814Y6SL&ref=plSrch
I'm a big fan of the Blue Yeti - one of the best microphones I've ever used. It's a little pricey, but you'll never have to buy another.
If you wanted something a little easier on your wallet, check out the Blue Snowball (my preference), or any studio-condenser microphone. For most, you'll have to be pretty close to the mic to avoid picking up any background noise, or developing white noise as you move further away. The Yeti cancels most of that out, which is why it's my preference. But, it's your budget homie!
I might also recomend the Trust MC-1200. It's far from the best quality, but it works pretty good for Skype. The cheapest of the three, you have an option for your preference. Gimmie 10 mins and I'll link you to voice samples on YouTube of them all.
SAMPLE LINKS:
Blue Yeti - My preference. Whole video is recorded with the microphone.
Blue Snowball - Decent, best I've found for average price. Dude forgot to turn the damn background music off when recording, but you can still hear his voice well.
Trust MC-1200 - Best for the price. Not a lot of background noise, but the audio is far from "good" quality.
There's two different versions.
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Microphone-Textured-White/dp/B000EOPQ7E - This one matches the deal.
This is the one you are referring to: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E
I agree with /u/Blueberryspies. Do it yourself, it will take a little bit of time to learn some software, but you can probably get the equipment you need for what it would cost you to rent a studio once or twice. Podcasting requires pretty minimal equipment.
You can probably get away with a blue snowball usb mic for about $50, the pop filter is an additional $8 on amazon. Record it using audacity, a great free sound editor.
The hard/expensive part of podcasting is hosting. You can't use your regular $5-15/month hosting package to host podcasts. Well you can, but you'll have issues if it's on the same package as a website, or you want more than 2 people to be able to stream at the same time.
Generally it's a good strategy to avoid 'gaming' headphones. Some of them are good but a lot of it is just hype marketing.
It's also advisable to invest in separate headphones and mic.
Good mic: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E
Also read https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/3mdk13/hardware_the_best_headphones_for_gaming_are_not/
Well first of all you're gonna need to get some things. Any links are what I use/suggest. I don't know what you have already or what country you are.
hey u/hasnaina955 I like that you are doing these, but your mic is garbage. If you were to get one of these, the quality of your videos would go up by orders of magnitude:
https://www.amazon.in/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-White/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=blue+snowball&qid=1571010670&sr=8-3
LINKS FOR EVERYTHING
2 Way SLI - 780 Ti Superclocked edition
Intel i7 3820 3.6GHz
Corsair Hydro Series Extreme Performace Liquid CPU Cooler H100i
2 packs of Corsair Dominator Platinum 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz (PC3 12800) Memory
Gigabyte GA-X79-UP4 Motherboard
Samsung 840 EVo 250GB SSD
Beats Pro Over-Ear
Male White Fiberglass Mannequin Head
Oculus Rift Development Kit 2
Deluxe Triple Monitor Stand Desk Clamp
Seagate 3TB Barracude
Corsaie Air Series SP120mm Quiet Edition
Rosewill 1000Watt Bronze Certified PSU
NZXT Phantom 630 Gunmetal Edition
Three Acer H236HLbid 23" LCD IPS monitors
Wallart USA Panorama New York
Blue Snowball Microphone
Flexible Gooseneck Microphone Holder
Microphone table clamp
Razer Lycosa Mirror special Edition
Razer Abyssus Optical PC Gaming Mouse
Xbox one controller
IKEA Tables (both 73" and 96" are used)
IKEA Table legs (8 used)
Lurk r/buildapcsales, There's always posts every few days that pop up for a great pair of headphones. Sennheiser, beyerdynamics, and akg just to name a few. Any of those paired with a standalone mic or modmic or clipon mic will always deliver sound leagues above
A good pair of headphones and a microphone (separate)
I just like the peace of mind that comes with being able to hear spies decloak behind you, footsteps, and clearer voices.
Also, better music listening, of course.
When you're in a Mumble, you really want to get a clear representation of what someone's saying, so you spend less time deciphering it and more time acting on calls. The microphone is to make the same thing easier for your teammates.
If you're hearing "push now" instead of "don't push," and your mic is extremely unclear, all because you've got a pair of crappy earbuds, you're not going to last long without frustrating everyone, including yourself. Even worse, you're using speakers.
I'd recommend these for headphones, since you don't like over-ears. They are IEMS, meaning there will basically be zero background noise. At the same time, they have the same profile as earbuds, so glasses are more comfortable.
I'd also recommend this for a great high-value mic. It's a cardoid mic, meaning it won't pick up anything outside of a short cone (pointed at your face, of course), lessening background noise.
While we're on the whole philosophy of "reducing background noise," try to cut down on distractions on your desk. Take papers and everything else not essential away from your field of view. Folders, drawers, whatever. Flashing lights are also really annoying. The purpose of this is to make sure nothing has your focus at the moment but the game itself. It should be you and the monitor, not the monitor, strobe lights, and late homework everywhere.
While 120hz monitors, great mice, keyboards, and other upgrades might help, they will not be as helpful as complete immersion in the game. And that's something that is most easily done through audio, because it doesn't matter what monitor you have if your parrot is screaming his head off.
You can also get the Snowball iCE for $39.99 on Amazon
And the Yeti is $98.50 if anyone is interested
If a good quality/price ratio, I suggest the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 and the Blue Snowball.
The Blue Snowball ICE is the go-to when one has no audio interface.
That's all stuff I plan to go over in the first couple videos. I want it to be completely transparent on everything I'm doing. I am brand new at all of this. I know a lot about marketing and SEO so I know how to get things out there. And I watch a lot of youtube so I have an idea on what production quality and stuff I need. But to answer your question. Not positive yet, but I'm on a Mac and at the moment I'm looking into this microphone from blue for audio. There's a cheaper version here I've seen good reviews for but I the other one isn't a lot more and is a bit more adjustable and cooler looking. :) Ha but I know that helps.
My guess is this or a similar Blue model.
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427461852&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+microphones+snowball
Two ways to go. I will actually give you a decent headset recommendation just in case that's the way he wants to go.
Headset
Skullcandy SLYR in fact. Now of course the brand has done a good deal to gain a reputation of flashy products with low quality, but they absolutely upped their game with this one. Great sound quality, and a solid mic.
Headphones and mic.
For the mic, definitely a Blue Microphones Snowball. The Ice version is relatively inexpensive, and awesome for picking up voice for VOIP/games.
For headphones, there's a mountain of options available. Some good options however:
Vocals as in singing, voiceover work for characters in game dev or just for speaking over videos? If singing and you want a decent quality I would get an interface, preamps are the key thing here. Something like this would be great: https://www.gak.co.uk/en/focusrite-scarlett-2i2-usb-audio-interface-3rd-gen/927802?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6eTtBRDdARIsANZWjYaScCYnqdrKZMSJosfpZ60fZrIJh1nFR0frkNRnsPw8wxCHMKXu3R4aAupjEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
If it’s for speaking over your videos and budget is tight I would go for a blue snowball or similar USB mic: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Ice-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E
If you’re just starting out and don’t have the money recording audio with a smart phone isn’t the worst idea, I’ve known sound designers to create some great work just with an iPhone recording the audio. The tools help polish a good technique.
I use Senheiser HD598's. I bought them for 150$ at B&H when I was in NYC a little while ago, best headphones I've ever owned. They're open back, so the soundstage is also very good. I've made insane calls where I told people the exact position somebody was during my deathcam before. 10/10
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-598-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B0042A8CW2
I have a desktop mic that I've had for about a year, the Blue Snowball. It's fantastic.
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1448947605&sr=1-1&keywords=blue+snowball
Love your sparse take on the song. Beautiful singing too.
As for fancy equipment... Less than 50$... Here's the mic I use: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=zg_bs_11973111_8
Love the blue snowball and it's fantastic for uke. That plus a laptop and audacity on PC or Garageband on mac (both free) and you're golden.
This is pretty much the beginner mic for anyone starting out streaming/ Youtubing:
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/
This would be the step up from that:
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S/
Fuck I wish I hadn't read this post. Your opinions made me hyperventilate because you're so fucked.
I'm sitting on a chair right now that's practically the same as the one you linked to. Holy shit it's uncomfortable as fuck. You must not give a shit at all about sitting down on comfortable things.
>Take it from the people WHO WORK IN THEM...they work.
>And for that matter...dont buy anything sponsored by pro gamers.
Wait what? Pro gamers ARE the people who work in the products. You think they are going to endorse shit products that could potentially fuck up their chances of winning? "YO this chair is uncomfortable as shit and completely throws me off my game, but the company is gonna pay me a few bucks to say its great, so BUY THIS CHAIR!" - said no one ever.
I'll just point out a few errors :
Dude you should research your shit before recommending stuff to other people.
This?
Perhaps the most important and expensive is making sure you have a good computer or laptop that can handle streaming. Hopefully you or a friend in the scene can make that happen, 'cause that will be the biggest expense.
In terms of actual stream equipment, I'm going to assume you want the cheaper options:
You will also want a crt that has an output area in the back or a seperate device called a splitter!
I super recommend this, $50 for a good quality mic that is durable and super easy to set up. Since it is an open mic it will capture extra noise aside from a commentators but I think starting hear is best!
https://obsproject.com/
https://www.xsplit.com/
Old, but this thread can be helpful, even though it's for melee. Has a bunch of products with prices and quality tests.
https://smashboards.com/threads/beginners-guide-to-capturing-and-recording-melee-footage.298260/
For people who just want to record matches for cheap, there are a variety of recording cards, such as:
If you have any questions, lemme know! Stream shit is complicated at first, but once you get into the groove a lot of it makes sense. :)
quite a few things fit the bill
Wired headphones and external mic are the way to go. Recommendations would depend on your use case.
As for mic, my recommendations in that price range are:
I assume you're in US.
Blue Snowball is worth while for $40 right now on amazon. Probably the best quality of the bunch
Samson Go Mic (2^nd Variant) is also good, but with a dekstop the mouting and positioning could be tricky. $37
ModMic w/o Mute is a great replacement for a headset mic, you can use it with any headphones, works great but the quality is absolutely nowhere near the previous two, price is right up there - $49
Hope that helps. Not much choice in this budget, you could also look at some ElectroVoice but remember you need to look for USB microphones because you probably have no audio interface.
If you really need good quality audio for that price point, I would suggest you look into something that has a detachable cable. The audio technica ATH_M40x headphones are a great option. Then you can add on a Modmic that attaches to the headphones or even get a Blue snowball standalone microphone.
​
Audio Technica ATH-M40X - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audio-Technica-ATH-M40X-Professional-Headphones-Black/dp/B00HVLUR54/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1549866398&sr=8-4&keywords=audio+technica
​
Antilon Mod Mic - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone-Uni-Directional-Mute/dp/B00R98JVVU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549866832&sr=8-2&keywords=modmic
​
Blue Snowball Mic - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-iCE-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_5?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1549866907&sr=1-5&keywords=blue+snowball
​
​
I personally would go for a desktop microphone with a pair of nice headphones.
Blue Snowball Microphone (£49.99)
Audio-Technica ATH-M20X (£32.99)
I don't know if you need to go that far. While that is the best setup, we're getting by with 3 USB mics and using a Virtual Audio Cable to get all of them to work in tandem. We're using the Blue Snowball mics, which are working quite well.
However, that's $200 for 4 mics, and VAC can be a pain sometimes. I'm sure you can get a USB mixer and some cheap directional microphones for around that price.
/u/ScapegoatZovc has some good ideas for screening off audio from directions you don't want. That's probably a good idea.
I don't prescribe to be an expert in this - I just know the troubles we went through the first recording session. I hope you're able to work everything out!
Zoom H1
Blue mic
True. Alternatively, you can just go for the Blue Snowball. Nearly half the price and is still one heck of a microphone.
I've always been told to buy a decent mic(blue snowball)and a separate pair of headphones(Audio-Technica ATH-M30x) because you get so much more quality for your money
Solution you can try for free if you are dirt broke: might sound a bit weird but if you have 0 budget you make a blanket fort and put your mic inside, making sure the blanket doesn't touch the mic, and stick your head in there to record vocals. Acoustics will improve as the blanket will absorb all the sound. It's a super guerilla-style recording booth. Won't be great, but it'll be an improvement for no money.
Still quite cheap solution: a lapel microphone - those clip-on jobbies you see on people's shirts during talk shows. As you likely know from watching TV, those mics do perfectly well with some mastering and they cost around 10 GBP on Amazon. You can plug them into your phone with some free apps, and use it like a mic pack. You can do really well for very little.
Low-end full-on computer mic: The Blue Snowball is a quite good mic for the price for vocals, though it certainly is more expensive than what you've probably got built-in to your laptop.
Standard recommendation if you've got money is the Blue Yeti. Not much to say here - it's a better desktop mic and you pay more for the quality.
You may also want to consider some homemade solutions like setting up a stand that is disconnected from your computer desk - say for instance drag a bedside-table over beside you and place the mic on it, or invest in a cheap mic arm stand to isolate ambient sound from the microphone.
You can also make your own pop-filter with a coat hanger (bent into a loop) and some pantyhose wrapped around it. If you can find a C-clamp you could just attach it straight to the boom stand.
Before the XPS 13, I used 15" laptops by themselves. This time around, I wanted to try something different: something small, lightweight, and with good battery life while I'm on the go, but with a desktop-like experience when I'm at my desk. That's why I chose to buy an XPS 13 9350 and a WD15 (Dell's USB-C Dock). By plugging in a single cable into my laptop's USB-C port (laptop to dock), I connect my laptop to a 25" 1440p monitor, a mechanical keyboard, a mouse, power (USB-C can provide up to 100 watts of power), headphones, a microphone, a backup SSD, and a micro USB cable (for phone, Xbox One controller for emulation, etc). I also have a highly adjustable office chair with great back support. Then when I want to take the laptop somewhere, I unplug that one single cable, put the laptop in a perfectly sized sleeve/bag hybrid, and go. It's a rather nice setup, especially now that Dell addressed my USB-C stability issues in a recent BIOS update (version 1.4.4 that came out a few days ago).
You make a good point about charging all the time being bad for the battery, but the dock /desktop mode is a core part of my setup and there's not a way to use the dock without it charging the laptop. I suppose I could start unplugging the laptop from the dock each night before I go to bed. That won't entirely fix the problem, but it should help some while still giving me the benefits of the dock.
For about $75.00 you can get these.
Blue Mic
Nice Headphones
if you want an upgraded microphone I have heard that this one is amazing. Its a blue snowball microphone. Also I would recommend getting a pop filter to go with it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006DIA77E/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687502&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000EOPQ7E&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0Q44P99XFNDDYWRQR9DG
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Microphones/Blue-101211-Snowball-iCE-USB-White/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502811246&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+yeti+snowball
Hey hungry! I liked it! You clearly have an idea of what you want to do, and I think it's going to be interesting when you really get up and running. I do have a few critiques though, that I think might help.
Anyway, I'm still excited to see how this will end up, and I think this is a great start! I hope I've helped in some way. :D
Here.
if you want a seperated set : Mic , Headphones
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1526157875&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=blue%2Bsnowball&th=1 Blue snowball in white with just a cheap pop filter and a standard mic stand, if you want the exact one I could go through my amazon history and find it
The Blue Snowball iCE Condenser Microphone (https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B006DIA77E) is a pretty standard low-budget YTer Mic I have heard. Pop filters are more or less interchangeable and as long as you get one that is not like a $2 piece of shit, you should be fine. Some people prefer windscreens over pop filters, so it is kind of a "your preference" thing. Obviously, for more money you can get into stuff like audio interfaces and such, but that is getting deeper into it.
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-iCE-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E
The Snowball is a solid budget mic.
There are two really good Mic's to use (both from Blue Microphones):
Blue Snowball - $50 - This is what I use and it works well for starters. The issue with it is that it has 3 Gain settings and that's it. I have found myself limited trying to record softer or louder voices by these settings.
Blue Yeti - $120 - This has a better gain control and I have found in multiple sources that it is recommended over the snowball. The 70 dollar difference though isn't a small deal though.
Uzmi si Blue Snowball Ice https://www.amazon.de/Blue-Microphone-Snowball-ICE-Mikrofon/dp/B006DIA77E
i zasebno neki osrednji pop filter, jeftini
Blue Snowball iCE
First off, it is so amazing that you want to support him, even though you aren't sure what it is. A good mic is probably the first thing I would get. It doesn't have to be expensive either, this one is very common and is of much better quality than a mic on a headset. https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=usb%2Bmic&qid=1574866095&sr=8-7&th=1
A webcam is recommended, but a microphone is more important. That said, if you do want to get him a webcam, this is a good one. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006JH8T3S/ref=twister_B07XFGW1NZ?_encoding=UTF8&th=1
Other than that, there isn't much else needed besides a computer that is good enough to stream. I really hope he gets popular, and it is very nice to see a parent supporting their child's goals. Have an awesome day!
Highly recommend the snowball.
I'll admit biasness, but I do feel that microphone is way better than any ~$75 headset.
Throw in another $50 and you'll get AMAZING sound for $100. Legit.
Link.
You'll probably get better answers on /r/headphones but in your price range, I would look at a good set of headphones and a separate mic which would still requires you to use a slitter.
Given a bit more budget, you might look at Blue (desktop) or ModMic (attachable) mics in the $40 price range.
The Blue Snowball is great.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=569136327&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000EOPQ7E&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1ND3PH5VGQ8X2GWKSQZ6
Or if you can do some hunting you might be able to get the Blue Yeti for £50
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1452634847&sr=1-4&keywords=blue+snowball
Should i get this one? http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E
buy a mic, and record, try it out. Let it out, art
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1481352252&sr=8-5&keywords=blue+microphone
good quality, fair price, looks funky but doesn't matter. Jump on your virtual pirate ship and find some programs.......channel the feels and create. Create like nobody will ever hear it, EVER, only your ears and mind, go crazzzyy let gooooo of that shit and throw some bass on it!
No problem dude! If the Yeti is a little too much, the 'Snowball' version is still very good as well!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Snowball-iCE-USB-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_267_bs_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=060G3SRPZJ6PYD7HNPHR
Thank you so much! It is great to see other girls getting into gaming. I first started with console as many others do, but I just never got the feel for it even after years. I’m glad i made the switch!
here is the mic I use. The stand can be unscrewed, so I just used it like that because the stand didn’t hold the microphones weight too well.
Usually the 'entry' to serious recording people go for the Blue Snowball
I use one for gaming, the sound that comes through is really clear. Use a pop filter (any will do) and it'll take the sharpness off any coughs it picks up.
A referral link would look like this
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006DIA77E//ref=cm_sw_su_dp?tag=tacbacon-20
I'm not actually linking my link, cause that would be kinda dickish. Basically the tag=tacbacon-20 is the referral, where 20 is the US region code.
EDIT: I didn't link it, damn it bot.
The audio Technica M50x is a very good headset, closed ear style for noise cancelling and good balance. If it's too pricey, there is the m40 which is 100 dollars I believe.
For a mic, the snowball blue ICE is very good and at a decent price too.
Don't waste your money on a gaming headset. Poor mic quality and poor sound. I used to use a hyperx cloud 2, but when I finally switched to a professional studio quality headphones. Oh man, it's like a whole new world just revealed itself to me.
The G930 actually doesn't sound good for it's price at all.
at $60ish CAD you can get Superlux HD668Bs.
This is a great mic for the price.
Bose in ears + blue snowball for mic is the combo I use
earphones
mic
The blue yeti is alittle up there if you are buying more then one. Blue snowball maybe be the next best thing.
Yeti
Snowball
PS: When the podcast goes up DM me the link I would love to give it a listen cause I play Pathfinder myself and always like it when people record there sessions.
Power Supply | SeaSonic 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | €146.84 @ Mindfactory
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | €146.84
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-16 23:00 CET+0100 |
Use that for the psu. Top quality and oodles of power. Next get a new hdd. You'll want to store a lot of your streams if you're serious about streaming heavily. Set up your streaming program to record the stream so that you can upload it elsewhere when the VOD gets taken down.
Monitor is really up to you. You have the gpu power to play at decent setting on 1440, but as you're streaming I'd keep it at 1080p if i were you. My advice there is get 2. Play on one, watch chat and manage stream with the other. Something like this should work:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
Type|Item|Price
Monitor | Asus VC239H 23.0" 1920x1080 60Hz Monitor | €162.99 @ Amazon France
Monitor | Asus VC239H 23.0" 1920x1080 60Hz Monitor | €162.99 @ Amazon France
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | €325.98
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-16 23:06 CET+0100 |
Mic. Mics can cost anywhere from $10 to $10000. Something like the <Blue Yeti> is great quality sound yet simple enough to be used by a (excuse the use of the word) amateur. On the cheaper side there's the <Blue Snowball>. It's a plug and play design that delivers good quality sound without needing to fuss over settings.
Headset. Whatever you like. Your audiance isn't listening through them, you are. I personally use a <HyperX Cloud> headset that while it doesn't have pro level audio delivers a good sound for gaming and is the most comfortable set of cans I've ever used. This is 100% up to you though.
I have no experience with webcams. If someone else would like to chime in about webcams please do. I know nothing.
Video editing. Step 1 get a new hhd. The software you edit with doesn't matter so much. Some people can do great things with shitty programs. I personally use Adobe premier. Its not very good but its very simple and has everything I need. Some people get away with using windows movie maker even. My advice is take a look around video editing forums/subreddits and download a free trial of a few programs. See which one you like the most and stick with it. The reason I tell you to get a new hdd is because depending on the quality you'll fill space fast. A raw uncompressed 1080p recording fills 20gb in 5 minutes. That said uncompressed is a stupid amount and data. However compressing eats cpu power and will fill space anyway. When i record I usually save as 720p30hz and that usually fills a several gb an hour. So in a month of streaming/recording you may fill that hdd and either need to get another or you'll need to edit and upload everything to make space for more footage. The only other option here is to make a large storage system. If you want to keep ALL you're footage I suggest you look into getting a small/med storage server, though I assume for your purposes just editing and uploading should be enough.
Best of luck streaming and have fun.
CPU | Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor | $376.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 67.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler | $89.90 @ Newegg
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-X99-SLI ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard | $132.98 @ Newegg
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory | $76.99 @ SuperBiiz
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $149.89 @ OutletPC
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $84.88 @ OutletPC
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB ACX 2.0+ Video Card (2-Way SLI) | $626.98 @ Newegg
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB ACX 2.0+ Video Card (2-Way SLI) | $626.98 @ Newegg
Case | Fractal Design Define S w/Window ATX Mid Tower Case | $89.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply | EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $119.99 @ Amazon
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) | $86.89 @ OutletPC
Monitor | Asus PG279Q ROG Swift 165Hz 27.0" Monitor | $816.91 @ B&H
Keyboard | Corsair STRAFE RGB Wired Gaming Keyboard | $159.99 @ Best Buy
Mouse | Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse | $79.00 @ Logitech
Headphones | Audio-Technica ATH-AD900x Headphones | $149.00 @ Amazon
Speakers | Micca MB42X 150W 2ch Speakers | $89.00 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $3796.36
| Mail-in rebates | -$40.00
| Total | $3756.36
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-10 09:14 EST-0500 |
I also suggest getting a blue snowball mic for recording and streaming your audio.
If you have any questions about the parts and why i chose them let me know.
I don't have time right now to offer a big explanation, but i'm more than happy to explain my choices.
First off I really, really like the name. On your Five Nights at Freddy's 2 videos you can't distinguish one episode from the next on the thumbnail; at first I thought that they were all episode 2. On the note of thumbnails, your Shovel Knight episodes don't have any. You should also invest in a better mic, one that doesn't get all the background static (like an AT2020, a Blue Snowball, or a Blue Yeti). The commentary itself is fun and enjoyable, but it overpowers the sound of the game. You should also get an intro, I think that would help your channel alot. All in all I see some really great potential from your channel.
AT2020: http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020USB-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B001AS6OYC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1415849647&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=at2020
Blue Snowball: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-iCE-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1415849711&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=blue+microphone
Blue Yeti: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1415849711&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=blue+microphone
Ive been horrible and not doing my video to go alone with these so for that I am sorry :( Ill get back to these this week!
So competitively the game already has those elements. eSport wise, there needs to be solid shoutcaster, good backing from motiga, a community that WANTS a scene in the first place, and a willingness for teams to be part of tournaments without a prize pool.
&nbsp;
Shoutcasting
&nbsp;
Microphone
These are a few things for shoutcasting that MUST be followed. Shoutcasters need to have a working microphone and one that sounds clear. Ive seen a ton of people try and shoutcast with a cheap Logitech mic or using their webcam mic and its painful to listen to. You are able to get a good CHEAP mic for around 50-80$.
Snowball Microphone!
&nbsp;
Overlay
This is always something that will make or break a tournament. Sounds silly but both the in game spectator UI and the graphic that the caster is using MUST be easy to read and provide enough info for the viewer to follow.
&nbsp;
Duel Shoudcasting vs solo
Both are perfectly good ways to have commentary but personally I like having 2 shoutcasters. One gives the play by play and the other gives the analytical commentary while the game's action is slow. Both of these casters must synergize well with each other, this is really hard to find a lot of the times.
&nbsp;
Personality
Having a personality in general is always a good idea, makes you more likeable and easy to connect to. A example of a wonderful internet personality is Day9. He is funny, friendly, extremely kind, and just a over all nice guy. It wasn't his content of the game he was apart of that made him as popular as he is today. It was the way he portrayed him self and the way he presented himself. Having a good personality as a shoutcaster will go a long way.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Tournaments
&nbsp;
Starting off
Right of the bat tournament will not have prize pools and they realistically shouldn't. This is to make sure that the teams playing are doing it for the love of the game and not just to get some shinny thing at the end. We want our top teams to love the game not the prizes.
&nbsp;
Having a good tournament team
This is very important and can set your reputation for the rest of the games life span. You need to make sure you have a group of admins that can help you keep the tournament running smoothly and deal with things that you might not have time for. For tournaments with 16 teams I would recommend a admin team of about 20 people. Anything larger then that, you will need a team of 30 or more.
&nbsp;
Hub
Having 1 centralized location for each team captain to go is very much needed. Mumble is free and teamspeak servers are very cheap.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Community
Its very important for the community to support every tournament, NOT JUST THE BIG ONES. Supporting a tournament scene that is both top team and casual team friendly will not only help the player base grow but will help motiga see where they can improve their support for the scene in general.
I allready posted 2 builds. So this post will be focused on the peripherals as you did ask for suggestions as well. Peripherals are all very hard to suggest, if we don't have enough information. But if you got the time to answer the questions, I will have a better idea if my suggestion will work for you.
Monitor:
Keyboards:
Mouse:
Headphones:
Microphones:
Well, yeah, that's the US page. For Europe, price conversion of hardware for the most part just consists of replacing the $ with either a € or £. As demonstrated here. Importing from the US incurs customs fees and taxes, which negates any savings you may get. Anyway, it's still less than I paid for mine (€66 / £52 / $82), and that was the cheapest I could get in my country...
here the amazon page for it.
40 new...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_hrtkzb2125WAQ
[Microphone from amazon.de for max 4o€ - Chat in games]
I am no streamer or anything, I just want good audio when I play with my friends.
I like this kit: https://www.amazon.de/nw-700-Professional-Rundfunk-Aufnahme-Kondensator-nw-35-verstellbar/dp/B00XOXRTX6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1495917281&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=neewer+nw-700
Another possible solution is https://www.amazon.de/Blue-Microphone-Snowball-ICE-Mikrofon/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1495917317&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=blue+snowball
but it is over my price and without any kind of stand which can cause recording of background noise or my mechanical keyboard.
I will connect that mic into Realtek® ALC1150 sound codec.
Blue snowball? With a cheap innogear arm or something.
Snowball
Arm
Closest, with the best quality, I could find.
You're asking for a lot for 750-800$. Here it is: build
mic : link
it is literally 800.
you should get a USB mic then. otherwise you're going to bring your budget up quite a bit between the mic and an interface / preamp.
check out these (searched usb microphone on amazon):
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1474038764&amp;sr=8-7&amp;keywords=usb+microphone
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1474038764&amp;sr=8-6&amp;keywords=usb+microphone
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Black-iCE/dp/B014PYGTUQ/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1474038764&amp;sr=8-16&amp;keywords=usb+microphone
https://www.amazon.com/Floureon-BM-100FX-Professional-Broadcasting-Instruments/dp/B00ZTC0E78/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1474038764&amp;sr=8-17&amp;keywords=usb+microphone
https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR2500-USB-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B004QJREXM/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1474038803&amp;sr=8-17&amp;keywords=usb+microphone
i'd recommend one of the Blue's, or the last one, the ATr2500.
By no means the best mic in the world, but I use this and it more than gets the job done. Add a pop filter if you're feeling fancy.
Probably want a snowball or a modmic if you got a pair of headphones.
Headphones in general aren't good for bass. If you want lower frequencies the wave is larger and therefore you need a larger driver which just doesn't fit in headphones.
I would advise against painting studio monitors, they are precision crafted speakers so getting any paint on the active components would throw things off a bit. The best thing would be to get a set in black or silver that doesn't clash so much with your rig.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1027071-REG/jbl_lsr305_5_two_way_powered.html
The setup itself is fairly easy, you just need a handful of cables. USB goes to the DAC, from there you have a Y adapter feeding RCA connectors to both the headphone amp and your speaker setup. Another Y adapter serves to share the signal between the subwoofer input and studio monitor input.
A ModMic is a great solution if you are just gaming. If you will be doing any recording I suggest the Blue Snow iCE.
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E
Audio Technica ATR-2500 for $75
CAD u37 for $50
Snowball iCE for $50
Samson Go
Samson C01 for $70
If you can pony up a bit, the Blue Yeti Blackout for $130 will blow these other mics out of the water (not to say that they're bad, but this one is really good in comparison).
Also, don't forget to get a stand (preferably a scissor stand for your desk) and a pop filter.
lol that music.
loved your first ep, so this should be good
(also no offence but maybe look into eventually getting a better mic if you're going to be podcasting. these are all excellent.
https://www.amazon.com/Floureon-BM-800-Condenser-Recording-Microphone/dp/B00Q4RGQHY/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1467856010&amp;sr=8-2-spell&amp;keywords=fleureon+condenser
https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Mic-Portable-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B001R76D42/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1467820949&amp;sr=8-18&amp;keywords=usb+microphone
https://www.amazon.com/CAD-U37-Condenser-Recording-Microphone/dp/B001AIQGUO/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1467820854&amp;sr=8-8&amp;keywords=usb+microphone)
I use a Blue Yeti Pro microphone (~$250) with a powered external audio interface (~$100), and a comfortable pair of decent sounding headphones, which is probably overkill if you're just starting out. The mic is on a boom so it's in ideal position to catch my voice when I'm live. It looks like this (link) in practice.
You really don't need to spend that much $$$ though. You can get a good stand-alone usb mic like the Blue Snowball for about 50 bucks. It would almost certainly sound better than just about any headset mic you could find. Here's the thing... when it comes to audio the more you spend the better it will theoretically sound, but it also stands to sound worse if you don't know what you're doing or improperly set up and tune your gear. Something like a snowball fits into a nice middle ground.
The awesome thing is at that point you get headphones that work for you, and your selection dramatically increases when you don't need to worry about a headphone mic. There are plenty of decent USB headphones out there. Or you could go a bit more audiophile and get a compact little headphone amplifier to drive something a bit more fun. =)
Edit: I get questions about my audio setup from time to time so it may help to explain what is actually sitting on the desktop. Keep in mind this is an expensive setup, and it's absolutely not needed to get a very good combination of gear working on your end. Ok, so starting with the microphone... it's a microphone capable of being connected via XLR audio cable to a dedicated audio interface. You see the little box under my main monitor with the black face? That's my audio interface, a little Steinberg UR12. The audio interface provides power to the microphone and allows me to adjust volume/gain/etc before the signal is sent to my PC. Now, to the left of my chair's armrest you can probably see the top of my headphones hanging from my desk. See the cable running from them to the thing with the copper colored thingies on top? They're connected to a headphone amplifier, which is itself connected to an out-of-view digital-analog converter, which is connected to my PC. In my case I run an old school tube amplifier because I'm a bit nutty (and it helps keep the room warm during the winter lol). That's absolutely not necessary. In fact, you can generally connect your headphones directly to your computer. It all comes together... the mic does its thing, the headphones do their thing, the headphone amp and dac do their thing, everything has a job. Hope that helps a little bit.
CPU | Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $343.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | CRYORIG H5 Ultimate 76.0 CFM CPU Cooler | $56.60 @ Amazon
Motherboard | Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $150.88 @ OutletPC
Memory | Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory | $59.99 @ SuperBiiz
Storage | Sandisk Ultra II 960GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $228.60 @ Amazon
Storage | Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $117.99 @ Micro Center
Case | Fractal Design Define R5 Blackout Edition w/ Window ATX Mid Tower Case | $109.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply | SeaSonic 660W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $126.99 @ SuperBiiz
Monitor | Acer G257HU smidpx 60Hz 25.0" Monitor | $259.99 @ B&H
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1455.02
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-05-14 11:38 EDT-0400 |
So seeing you have a headset, the A40s. They aren't very good compared to price equivalent Of DT 990's and as well as DT 770s now I would highly suggest upgrading to a headphone and a modmic or blue yeti.
Comparisons
Headsets are generally really bad, the A40s/A50s are ok, they aren't great but not bad. What I would do is move to headphones and a modmic. People have made this switch and love it. The DT 990s are stupid comfy, same for the DT 880s and DT 770s and any Bererdynamic headphones. They are so comfy, huge pads, deep cuffs, comfy, so much.
Open vs closed back
Headsets are generally closed back, however they have some issues with that. They tend to have bad audio positioning in the headset. They don't give spacial awareness and such.
Open headphones leak sound, so people around you can hear. The drivers are directly exposed or slightly covered. However they offer a lot better experience, much larger sound stage, much better audio positioning, and everything better overall.
Mics
Now for headphones, they don't come with mics so you have a few options. You can get a Blue Yeti mic, a modmic, Audio Technica AT2020, or similar. I'll list a few
Modmic 4.0
Blue Yeti
Snowball
Headphones closed and open
Open, DT 990
Closed, DT 770
Open, AKG q701
AKG 7xx, open
Closed, Status Audio CB-1
Open, Status Audio, OB-1, Hardware Canucks did a video on this
AMPs/DACs
Magni 2
* Aune T1 Mk2
Finals words
I would visit /r/headphones for a 2nd opinion too. Also feel free to ask any questions regarding this or the build. I included a 1440p monitor if you wanted to upgrade instead of the headphones.
Good Headphones
Blue Snowball Mic
With a wind guard? That might be a bit difficult. Are you able to raise your budget at all? This pop filter and a Blue Snowball are just under $60, though I'm not exactly sure where you'd connect the pop-filter. If you could go up to $70, you could get this stand.
yes because $120 isn't actually a whole lot for something you're going to get a massive amount of use out of. you're probably not going to use the mic exclusively for video creation.
and let's not forget about the cheaper variant that is recommended on amazon right beneath it
Note that I have not owned the following, but based on budget and reviews they seem to be solid options, pending your setup.
USB Go Mic Plugs directly into USB slot, so if tower is next to you this may be a solid option. $40
--
You could consider using a clip on mic like a Sony or Zalman and clipping it to a surface near your desk or your shirt.
--
Unfortunately, at the price range you gave me that's about the best I can do. Consider shopping around for deals at Best Buy, Fry's Electronics, etc. Good luck!
Quick Edit: If you can spring for the extra money, I still recommend Blue and the ICE microphone is pretty quality. It is directional and looks to be about $50 right now.
Monitors
Mic
For storage, they're saved locally via XSplit, and also on Blip, Twitch (for some time), and YouTube ;)
The headphones+ mic is much better if you are willing to spend ~150 dollars or more, my personal recommendation would be beyerdynamic dt990(open)/dt770(closed) if you mainly play singleplayer games and and dont care so much about positional sound, and akg k701/q701(both open) if you play multiplayergames and want perfect positional sound.
Pretty much any mic is as good or better than the ones in headsets, I personally have this one, and the sound quality is just as good as the mic in my 120 dollar headset, if you want a perfect mic this one is pretty popular, but I personally think that the zalman is more than enough.
But if you are more interested in headsets you should look at the other users recommendations
edit: forgot about the modmic, its really good (but not as good as the snowball), and is preferable if you want a little more expensive mic that is on the headphones rather than on the table
The Blue Snowball is awesome, but unless your room is sound awesome-ized, I would suggest a dynamic mic.
The Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB mic is pretty good, pair that with a desk arm and a pop filter and you'll be good to go.
I would advise buying a mic and headphones seperately.
I just got these Sony MDRV6 headphones, and they're pretty awesome.
You can go really cheap on a microphone if you're not so concerned with your own voice quality. A $10 stand will get the job done and not sound particularly bad on the receiving end. You could also get something like a Blue Snowball for something that's as good as Jane/Joe Gamer could realistically need.
Also, hit up /r/headphones. They've got some really great recommendation breakdowns.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B006DIA77E/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&amp;condition=used
Yes, Blue Snowball ice to be specific.
Actually, I just bought this, it should be good according to my friends.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Microphones/Blue-101211-Snowball-iCE-USB-White/B006DIA77E 49.99 for me
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006DIA77E/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687642&amp;pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&amp;pf_rd_t=201&amp;pf_rd_i=B000EOPQ7E&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_r=0JHVN3N7GGKPC9YWXCPG
This one is good and doesn't require you to be close to it to sound decent. Might be a bit overkill for voice recognition alone though.
If you can afford it - the Blue Yeti is fantastic, and is a gold standard for podcasters. Not sure if it's the best for gaming. - If you like that mic but can't afford it, the Blue Snowball is not bad at all.
If you're in the UK, the Blue Snowball iCE is on sale on Amazon for £40.
The easiest startup setup I can think of would be a usb microphone and Audacity software.
Mic: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Versatile-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1347986390&amp;sr=8-2
You might wanna get a mic stand with that mic as well.
While this is an incredibly simple setup, you will learn a TON about recording with this setup.
You need to buy one of these..
I have g430's. If you don't care about sound you could get a snowball Incredibly good mic, and you could use earphones for sound if you don't really care about audio.
First, unless you are in a very sound controlled area, you really won't get great quality unless everyone has their own mic. It will also be harder to edit and even out the recording.
Second, if you ever do get to the point that you want multiple mics, you don't want to be stuck in a USB ghetto. You should consider getting either a mic with USB and XLR connector or an XLR mic and a USB to XLR cable. There is a caveat with this later.
There are essentially two types of mics. Basically, a Dynamic mic is meant for a single person to speak into. It will tend to record less ambient sound in your environment, which for most podcasters is a good thing. A Condenser mic tends to pick up more nuanced sound and is often used with musical instruments. They are also used in studios with more controlled sound. If you insist on getting one mic to record multiple people, it will likely have to be a condenser mic. One thing to be aware of is a condenser mic with an XLR port will required 48V phantom power. If you buy a separate USB to XLR cable for one of these you must make sure it supports this.
There are different pickup patterns for differing mics. Omnidirectional will pick up sound from all directions. Bipolar mics tend to record sound from the front and back. Cardioid tend to pick up sound from directly in front of the mic. Some mics have switchable patterns.
If you insist on heading down the path of a single mic, the Blue Snowball and Blue Yeti are popular USB condenser mics with switchable pickup patterns including omnidirectional.
The Snowball is roughly $50.
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-iCE-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/
The Yeti is is $117.
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S/
The Yeti Pro is a USB and an XLR mic and is $210
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Condenser-Microphone-Multipattern/dp/B004L9KLT6/
Most of the better condenser mics are cardioid so I won't mention them.
!
Look fuk boi. Buy a good mic. Like a snowball, and get some sennhiesers for the best audio. Don't get a two in one, fuck that all jack of all trades shit. its a master of none. cost less and works better
nice mic
nice head phones
This might be a viable option
if you're spending the money on those sennheisers, may as well get a decent mic. A blue snowball or blue yeti is a good choice. The Audio Technica AT2020 is also good.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006DIA77E/ref=s9_pdx_hd_bw_b9h819n_g267_i5?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-7&amp;pf_rd_r=CBZ0ZQQQ116RVM5HWSS3&amp;pf_rd_t=101&amp;pf_rd_p=9c43b8ee-b963-5234-b72c-4e5e607962eb&amp;pf_rd_i=8882489011
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VA464S/ref=s9_pdx_hd_bw_b9h819n_g267_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-7&amp;pf_rd_r=CBZ0ZQQQ116RVM5HWSS3&amp;pf_rd_t=101&amp;pf_rd_p=9c43b8ee-b963-5234-b72c-4e5e607962eb&amp;pf_rd_i=8882489011
https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020USB-PLUS-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B00B5ZX9FM/ref=pd_lpo_267_tr_t_3?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=FWZ1JSTRSZAT7HV7KGB3
The Snowball is $50 on Amazon right now in case you didn't know
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B006DIA77E/
I have one of these
www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-iCE-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/
Hmm. I am thinking about the antlion mic's now that you have mentioned them. A friend recommended a lavalier mic like this: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0058MJX4O or the desk-mic like this: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B006DIA77E . I am at this point just not really sure what to get and am so stressed out and don't want to make the wrong purchase. I have a bunch of credit on Amazon so I wanted to buy stuff off-of amazon preferably. The Antlion mics are about $60 there which is just about the price for them on every other site that I saw.
Edit: Okay I am just going to get a pair of of the 598's and the hyperx cloud so I can use the 598s for music when I am in the mood and the other pair for gaming. Thanks for the responses.
just in case anyone was wondering,
Shit, forgot to link it http://www.amazon.ca/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E
Blue iCE snowball
What kind of mic? I've been nearly paralyzed with indecision.
There's the blue snowball and blue snowball ice, which are commonly used, but I'm concerned about the direction-sensitive reception. I don't want the microphone to have to stand in front of the monitor and block my view just to pick up my voice. The former option has an omnidirectional mode, which may solve this issue, but I don't know.
Then there's the MXL AC404 conference mic, which a friend of mine has. That's omnidirectional only, but apparently works pretty well, but it is also the most expensive of the three.
Ideas?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-iCE-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1449012181&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=Blue+Microphones+Snowball+USB+Microphone
If I bought this I wouldn't even have to use my screen right?
Depending on what your budget is, if you are looking to go real cheap, I highly recommend the Blue Snowball. I've done professional quality radio and television commercials with it and would be more than happy to share them with you if you message me.
I paid $50 for it when it was on a gold deal on amazon and right now its just priced at $44 which is fantastic.
The Snowball iCE retails for $45, which is actually a different model. Comparisons can be found here
Hi there!
I'm really liking the video quality, although we'll have to see what your on-the-table shots look like. One thing I'd recommend that a lot of people sadly forget about is audio quality - It's almost as important as video quality! Yours seems to be alright - It's not noticeably bad by any means, just a slight echo that doesn't really get in the way of anything. What are you using as your camera setup?
Here's a few things I've learned from video editing for the past few years:
Sorry about the wall of text! If you have any questions, shoot! I might not have all the answers you want, but I have edited and shot my fair share of videos. It's a bit slow at first, but you become used to it when you learn to use the editing software, which is usually a lot simpler than it looks at first glance.
Anyway, I'm really excited about your channel, and I hope my info helped!
Ah ok, pensavo che per "poco costoso" intendessi molto poco. Comunque io al momento ho questo, Snowball della Blue. Considerato uno dei migliori entry level, mi ci sto trovando benissimo e lo uso da quasi un anno.
The Blue Snowball is a great microphone and is under $50
> Samson Go
thank you for the reply.
OK, so I think i should invest in some headphones. I did see some in the past but it seemed like they required some extra equipment before plugging them in to my laptop? Some phamtom power thingy.
I guess i need to find a USB mic, i.e so I wont need anything else to use it?
Looking at your recommendations, what would you recommend:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samson-SAGOMIC-Portable-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B001R76D42?th=1
or
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Microphones/Blue-101211-Snowball-iCE-USB-White/B006DIA77E/ref=pd_vtph_267_tr_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&amp;refRID=TXQ7BZG5X4Q4NCP5C3Q3&amp;th=1
thanks
Sure: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1481922987&amp;sr=8-5&amp;keywords=blue+yeti
For a similar price, you can get a decent standalone mic Like say the blue snowball and a set of headphones like the Sennheiser 598 rs i use both of these daily and i cant knock them, the Headphones even come with a mobile lead so you can use them day to day
Thanks for the advice everyone...Yeah...anything over 100 is out of budget, I don't even k ow if I can use a stand-alone mic on the laptop as it only has the earphone slot, but been reading that I can modify that it settings to be mic In?
Was looking at something like:
A) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075D9KM4Z/ref=sspa_mw_detail_1?psc=1
B)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B006DIA77E/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1520641403&amp;sr=8-9&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&amp;keywords=microphone&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=410G%2B2Ul%2BzL&amp;ref=plSrch
C)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079N9DKMQ/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?psc=1
£30ish would be my budget at the moment.
Main priority is getting the money together for the pc. (And again I'll probably call on help for that lol)
Any of them 3 three any use?
Ah I see. Oh well. Think I'll invest in something else. I've heard the Blue Yeti omni directional mic is supposed to be good.
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1450444453&amp;sr=1-4&amp;keywords=blue+yeti
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1450444453&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=blue+yeti
Quick question, do I want the omni directional one or the condenser one??
Easiest thing to do would be to get a cheap USB mic if you're not willing to invest in a proper microphone and USB interface.
The Blue Yeti and Blue Snowball are both fine USB mics, although be forewarned that they are not "studio quality."
If you are willing to get a proper microphone, I'd suggest getting either a Shure SM58 or SM7B, and a cheap but reliable interface would be a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.
Next, you will want to get either Audacity or a DAW to record and monitor your vocals with. If you have a Mac, I would suggest starting out with GarageBand if you're really strapped for cash, or purchasing Logic Pro X if you can drop a few hundred dollars. Alternatively, you can go all-out and get Pro Tools if you want to be industry standard. I believe Pro Tools is also compatible with Windows.
For monitoring, I would suggest getting some studio monitor headphones, like the Sony MDR 7506, which will provide a pretty accurate sound for you. Alternatively, you can use any old headphones.
You won't want to be hearing yourself on studio monitors, because you will experience feedback. When you are recording vocals, monitor them on headphones.
Hope this helps.
P.S.: After a year of singing, you should be more than ready for an open-mic night, or even a full band.
Blue Snowball iCE Condenser Microphone, Cardioid - White - 1974 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pz7PDbEQ0WKEF
That's a mic that some friends and I used for recordings back in the day. It'll be a good place to start! Plus the price has gone down, which is always nice. Good luck!
If you're just starting out and you don't have an audio interface, the Snowball Mic is both USB, and very affordable. Always worth getting a pop shield as well (if you really want to save money you can make your own with a pair of tights and a wire hanger). Insulation, try and record in a preferably carpeted, small furnished room, if there's too much reverb, hang blankets on the walls. Insulation is expensive stuff, and there's a lot you can do with fabrics and furniture lying around.
I have not used that mic personally, but I have heard some good things as well.
I have used this one quite a bit though
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1478352687&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=blue+snowball
Blue Snowball I think is on sale right now, and the big brother Blue Yeti is at $90. Either will leave a good chunk for quality cans. Sennheiser 598's are a good pick, but more information is needed to make a proper suggestion.
You should buy maybe a roccat isku for your keyboard (was thinking of a corsair KXX but since you like lots of lights this is better), maybe a g502 proteus core as your mouse, maybe a audio technica ATH-M50X for your headset and a blue yeti or blue snowball as your microphone
You can get USB condensor microphones.
If all you want is vocals they will do you fine
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Microphone-Snowball-iCE-Adjustable/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1372696809&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr&amp;keywords=usb+condenser+mic+snowball
Well I'm not 100% sure but here the Amazon link where I bought it. I've had mine since October still amazing
Blue Microphones Snowball iCE Condenser Microphone, Cardioid https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_PZ2Nub01D9YQS
Only 49 bucks
I was actually looking at these today because my Dad has shown interest in interviewing our elders
BLUE Snowball Microphone
Depending on what he does with his youtube/production stuff, this could come in handy for voiceovers. Read a lot of good reviews on it.
I started with a Blue Snowball and ac920 logitech camera it was good quality at a good price. The Logitech C615 is another good camera at a lower price.
Snowball (49.00)
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E
ac920 (61.99)
https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Widescreen-Calling-Recording-Desktop/dp/B006JH8T3S
And just to prove my point:
https://www.amazon.in/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-White/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1549204964&amp;sr=8-2&amp;pi=AC_SX118_SY170_QL70&amp;keywords=blueyeti&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=41f0xkb%2Bu8L&amp;ref=plSrch
https://www.amazon.in/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Over-Ear-Professional-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1549205064&amp;sr=1-1&amp;pi=AC_SX118_SY170_QL70&amp;keywords=ath+m50x&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=41ztmfSfzWL&amp;ref=plSrch
I use a Blue snowball Ice, here is a link to the exact microphone I got.
https://www.amazon.ca/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=asc_df_B006DIA77E/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=293003920492&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18189327151638899037&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000823&hvtargid=pla-309497950922&psc=1
&#x200B;
I recommend such microphones:
Samson Meteor
Samson C01U
Blue Snowball
There are microphones in a similar price budget, he now bought me C01U but it's a matter of taste, the quality of this is more or less everyone is on the same level.
ooooooookkkkkkkk lol well i mean you guys sounded like you had a fun time :) i thought some of it was funny. the thing is i think it would of been more funny if your audio was not so bad. ALWAYS remember that people can forgive bad video but they will never EVER forgive bad audio speeking of that your recording software it was really lagy and kinda buged me after a wile. when you colab with someone make sure that they have a good mic and sound quality otherwise it will bring your video's quality down. Here are some suggestions for equipment that could help you.
Audio\Mics
1. Blue Microphones Snowball
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1458586302&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=usb+mic
2. Blue Microphones Yeti
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1458586302&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=usb+mic
3. AT2020
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020USB-PLUS-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B00B5ZX9FM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1458586316&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=usb+mic+at2020
Facecam: (i know you said you had already ordered a facecam but i thought i would throw this one out there for you just in case also dont forget lighting if you dont have enough light into the room you will get a really bad image.)
Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Webcam-Widescreen-Calling-Recording/dp/B006JH8T3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1458586861&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=logitech+c920
Software
(i am glad to hear you have obs there are lots of youtube videos that explain how to set the settings for youtube or twitch so i would sugest looking that up also if you are going to do a face cam this is importent you need NEED to record it separate from your game capture otherwise you risk having the game video and the video of you being un synced try recording your game with OBS and your face cam with Xsplit)
Xsplit:
https://www.xsplit.com/
And Free Edditing Software
Hitfilm 3 Express: (second only to adobe)
https://hitfilm.com/express
Gimp 2.0
https://www.gimp.org/downloads/
this is for thumbnails i hope all this helps man :)
Gotta keep saving. Decent entry level 1080p gaming builds with like i3-6100 + GTX 950 start at around $450-500 and I'd recommend getting Full HD monitor too for another 80-100$. + keyboard mouse like $30 at cheapest in some entry-level bundle.
~So closer to $600 total.
For recording I'd recommend OBS with Intels "Quick Sync" encoding or Nvidia ShadowPlay as those don't impact the gaming performance much at all.
For mic you can start off with something cheap, but at some point, if you're serious about audio quality you'd spend like $50-100 on some condenser mic. Such as: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1457418672&amp;sr=8-7&amp;keywords=yeti+condenser
I've used the Samson C03U myself, bought it when I was hired to do some videos and I needed decent audio quality. Sounds like this if you use it right: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6BGIBy3GAg
Thanks man, I really appreciate you giving it a listen.
I do all my recording on a PC I built a few years back. I purposely went overboard on RAM when I did, because prior to that I'd had nothing but trouble with laggy, crashing audio software during marathon sessions. Beyond that, mine is a "budget" setup to the max, but it works for what I do.
The DAW I use is Reaper - I've experimented with several over the years but this is the most responsive one I've found yet, and even the "vanilla" plug-ins are awesome. I think it cost me $60, but in reality it's a Winrar type deal where you could use the free "trial" forever. In the end I really wanted to support the dev though, because it's a great tool for the price tag.
When I'm just looking to bang out a quick recording before an idea escapes me (most of the time), I literally just use a $50 Blue Snowball wired directly into the PC via USB. I never intend for those to be the final versions of my songs, but sometimes I just kind of fall in love with random happy accidents and can't bring myself to toss out tracks with "real" moments in them. Hence the poor quality on a lot of my stuff.
When I want to record something "for real," I use this six-channel USB mixer, this standalone compressor/gate (I'm a bit old school about that), and some combination of a Shure SM58, an MXL 990 and an MXL991 depending on the situation. I was gifted a pair of Sennheiser HD280 cans many years ago, and they have been my faithful monitoring headphones ever since. When I want to play back what I've recorded so far at unreasonable volumes, which I consider a mandatory part of the process, I use the time-honored pair of Dayton B652 bookshelf speakers with a Lepai LP-2020A digital amplifier.
The only thing I somewhat regret is the mixer. It's fine for what it is, but I wish I'd spent a little more money on something that had more channels and enough juice to support the unpowered speakers I use for live performances. Other than that, my setup won't hold a candle to a $5000 or $10,000 rig, but it gets the job done and it's something I'm proud to have built one piece at a time. I paid for all of it using money I've made on gigs at local bars and coffee shops over the years, so it has some sentimental value as well. One day when I have the money for a serious upgrade, I hope I get the chance to pass this stuff down to a random kid who's just getting started and make his fucking year. :)
the snowball is 44$ on amazon https://www.amazon.ca/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-iCE-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1498627352&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=blue+yeti
I'm almost convinced to buy it.
Double checking, we're talking about this guy, right?
Are the Snowball and Snowball ICE the same mic? Im away from home currently so I can't look at the actual thing, but im certain theres no switch. This is the one I have. Sorry for all the trouble.
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-iCE-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=pd_cp_MI_0
This guy.
I think you've missed the point a bit here in terms of the audio quality. It's not software, it's the physical microphone.
You can get some fairly cheap microphones that are much MUCH better than the built in microphone on your camera, for example the Blue Snowball. Changing the software you use is not going to realistically make a difference to the audio quality, whereas having a half decent microphone will.
I wasn't trying to be insulting :( I love the videos and what you say is great! Seriously, the content in between the videos is really awesome! I just don't think you have the golden radio voice or whatever... ya dig? as far as mic's go, how about something like one of these?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I9RK97K/
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-iCE-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/
But hey, if you have a script, I could definitely try to do some voice overs for it, that would actually be kind of fun!
So I'm basically super close into deciding to buy the Blue Snowball iCE condenser with a pop filter which will be about $50. Hopefully if I buy this today I'll get it in time for the voice-over thread and then have fun every once in a while with this.
Can anyone think of a better deal regarding mic stuff?
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B006DIA77E
You aren't really going to find a "good" cheap mic. My suggestion would be a blue snowball
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E
Hey, that mic you've got is $50 free shipping on Amazon brand new, so you might want to lower your asking price a bit.
Here is my previous iteration: https://i.redd.it/tzb9bl4iho321.jpg
It has been updated with some new keycaps, laptop riser, Xbox One S and a new pot for my cactus!
I have also sorted the cables a bit but it's still a pain because the laptop is constantly moving in and out.
&#x200B;
Here is the gear:
Monitor
The exact keyboard is no longer made, but this is the same:
Xbox One S
Microphone
Mouse
Mousepad
A buddy of mine has something like this and produces this so make of that what you will. I wouldn't overthink it man.
Similar to the others with the HyperX Cloud headsets, I use the Kingston HyperX Cloud II and it hasn't let me down yet. Mic quality is superb, and comes with 7.1 emulation. Highly recommend it. If not a headset, you can also look into the Blue Snowball microphones, grant it, you will need a PC.
It isn't advertised for Wii U, but it is compatible since I have used it for my Wii U Gamepad.
I find the Blue Snowball microphone to be pretty sufficient for my needs in this field.
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-akg-m220-pro-headphones?utm_source=linkshare&amp;referer=FCPVHY and Blue Microphones Snowball iCE Condenser Microphone, Cardioid https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3XP5AbWB3EHJ0 is what one of. My buddies and I have and we enjoy it very much.
A lot of people use this microphone for at home recording. Doesn't require a full studio setup. Find an area (maybe your closet?) that you can soundproof and you'll be good to go. Might also look for a pop filter or DIY your own.
Not all clients ask you to go into studios. I've only had one client ask me to go into their studio/outside studio to record. You'll acquire more work if you've got the setup on hand to provide voice overs.
I'm assuming you don't really have anything other than your computer at this point, so you'll need a USB microphone. The one I bought is the CAD U37 When used properly you can get AMAZING quality from this for the price (I can provide a track recorded with it if wanted). However some others I considered were the Blue Yeti and the Blue Snowball. I went with the CAD U37 though because of its size and price. The blue yeti and snowball are awkward sizes.
EDIT: You know what screw it: How proper use treats your vocals w/ the CAD u37
All I had was a cardboard box with pillows in it for an "isolation box" I sang into that in a quiet room. I fit a thick sock over the microphone for a pop filter. Only thing I did to the vocal track was add reverb and EQ'd it to bring out the bass in my voice.
That's what I do! I have a pair of Sennheiser HD-280s and a Blue Snowball. It works very well.
I can't say much about the recording equipment the others have used. However, I myself used a Blue Snowball ICE. Its a decent mic that can capture my voice really well.
Although the quality of your voice when sending in auditions wont be what decides whether you get a part or not, it would be nice it was in good quality.
If your looking to buy a better mic I would have to recommend the mic that I'm currently using: The Blue Snowball ICE!
It has really good quality and can take a beating. Lord knows how many times I've dropped it and yet it still works like a charm! Its fairly cheap as well. Sitting at 60$ on Amazon.
CPU | Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $324.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | Thermalright TRUE Spirit 140 POWER 73.6 CFM CPU Cooler | $49.99 @ SuperBiiz
Motherboard | Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $137.98 @ Newegg
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LED 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $99.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Sandisk Ultra II 960GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $229.00 @ B&H
Video Card | Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB STRIX Video Card | $629.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX Glass ATX Mid Tower Case | $189.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply | Rosewill 650W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $74.99 @ Newegg
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $88.88 @ OutletPC
Monitor | Asus ROG SWIFT PG278Q 27.0" 144Hz Monitor | $654.99 @ SuperBiiz
Keyboard | Das Keyboard Model S Professional Wired Standard Keyboard | $111.24 @ Amazon
Mouse | Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse | $59.99 @ Best Buy
Headphones | Audio-Technica ATH-M40x Headphones | $99.00 @ Newegg
Other| Blue Snowball ICE| $49.00
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $2830.02
| Mail-in rebates | -$30.00
| Total | $2800.02
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-11 16:53 EDT-0400 |
I would go with a Blue snowball microphone for $50
Gaming headsets are almost always terrible. You are far better off buying a pair of headphones and a microphone separate.
Wil a mic like the Blue Snowball pick up noise from your speakers when you talk, or is it directional? I don't like using headphones, but I want a decent mic
Get yourself a Blue Yeti or even a Snowball and a decent pair of dedicated headphones like the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x or Sennheiser HD-598...and you'll have far, far better audio and recording quality than some all-in-one garbage headset. Not only will your games sound better, but movies and music will sound much better as well.
Hope it helps.
Blue Snowball can be had for $50 at Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1473973753&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=blue+yeti
Sennheiser HD 598 currently under $150 at Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-598-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B0126HISOO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1473974016&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=hd+598
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x currently $150, but can be had for much less on sale.
https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1473974063&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=ath-m50x
the OddOnesOut style is probably the best avenue for youtube "animation" at the moment. Something where you can upload regularly, reasonable length stuff. So your good there I guess.
Could probably spend a little more time to clean up your drawings. Maybe work on developing a style that people recognize as yours, and not you trying to be someone else. Though the style is fine if that's what you want to go with.
Mostly, for god's sake, buy a $50 USB microphone. If you are going to do this style of video remember, people are watching for the story. If the sound fails, the video fails. The story can hold up the artwork... but the story can't hold up bad sound quality.
I think the Sennheiser 558's would be a better purchase for gaming. They have great positional audio due to the open back, as long as you don't care if people around you hearing your game, then they're definitely one of the best purchases in that price range. Antlion mod mics and zalman clip ons are great for the convenience and little space they use, but they don't sound too great (very tinny), a blue snowball will give way clearer voice but I'm not sure if the ps4 supports it.
Having good audio is crucial (Especially for a mostly voiceover channel). Now normally I would say, "stay away from mics less than 200" just because it is really an investment and you get what you pay for, but the snowball is a fantastic mic, especially for its price.
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-Aluminum/dp/B002OO333Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1466624278&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=blue+microphones+snowball
If thats still a bit pricey, I would say save up until you can afford it because anything less than that will either break the day you open it or sound similar to what you are using right now. (Keep in mind, i dont mean to sound like a jerk, i'm a nice guy i swear) And the great thing about this one, over the snowball ice is that it has a switch that will cancel out any background noise automatically.
If you want the cheaper variant, i thought i would link it, its fine but it doesnt cancel out background noise for you so it will sound pretty cruddy. But if 70 bucks is too much, this is the absolute cheapest i would suggest.
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1466624278&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=blue+microphones+snowball
Happy hunting!
No idea how much you want to spend but I have this, but a cheaper alternative is this.
I'd recommend the Blue Snowball as a good mic choice, and HyperX Cloud for audio. It's what I'm currently using.
I'd never recommend using a headset mic for streaming, but if you're in that situation, the HyperX does have a very nice sound as far as headset mics go.
Get a tripod and one of those universal phone clips:
https://www.amazon.com/Accmor-Universal-Tripod-Adapter-Phones/dp/B00RG4KBWU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1467292478&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=universal+phone+clip+tripod
If you want to upgrade your "video camera", I'd suggest the Canon HFR600 which is what I use. It is a discontinued model, but new ones can be found for well under $300. I was using a Flip before that, the HFR600 was a major upgrade for me.
https://www.amazon.com/Canon-VIXIA-Black-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00RKNO06K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1467292572&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=HFR600
If doing voice over work, get a decent microphone. I use the Blue Snowball. I won't say it is the greatest, but for the price, it was worth the investment. I'm never in front of the camera, so I don't have any suggestions for a wireless mic or anything like that.
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_3?s=musical-instruments&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1467292677&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=Blue+Snowball
For video editing, I've been happy with Sony Vegas 11 "Platinum" version. They are now up to version 13. There are a lot of YouTube videos showing how to use it to do [XYZ], so I've been able to learn a lot that way.
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/moviestudiope
I got myself a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-M20x for headphones and a Blue Snowball for a mic. I highly recommend both.
It's right at your budget but the Snowball is pretty good.
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E
Yeti's obviously a bit better/more versatile though.
I would skip this and go for the Audiotechnica M50's and a USB Blue Snowball iCE Mic. You're going to get some of the best 'over the ear' audio out there for gaming at a fraction of the cost because it is not a headset. Audiotechnica didn't have to settle when designing the M50's to accommodate room for a mic. Obviously for gaming you need a mic tho. That is what the snowball comes in for. The snowball mics speak for themselves. This combo is amazing because you are getting one of the best experiences out there and you can usually grab both for less than $150.
The Blue Snowball is amazing. It's affordable, with great quality. I got mine for Christmas of 2014 and I am still using it. It's like $50 - $80 depending on where you find it. I know it's a little more than what you are asking for, but it's so good.
Here it is on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_3?s=musical-instruments&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1462754128&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=blue+snowball
Sorry I haven't gotten back to you quickly, I've been a little busy lately. Thank your for all of your feedback and the subscribe!
It would be great if you'd check on my progress by watching my latest video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoIOyzR100c
Thanks again for all of your help!
the best (and probly most used of all top-quality) i know of is the blue yeti thought most the blue yeti's mics are over 100.
these are the blue yeti's i could find on amazon that are close to 100 euro-
I would avoid 'gaming' headphones as they're not as good as headphones meant for music (which are also great for gaming because of their 'sound stage'). I'd probably recommend something like the Audio Technica ATH-AD900X and then adding a standalone mic such as the Blue Snowball Ice.
Check out /r/headphones :)
I'd go seperate if i was you, Picking up a Snowball Mic and a set of Superlux HD668B's is cheaper and the quality of mic and audio is far far better than a gaming headset.
Snowball Mic (Not OmniDirectional)
Superlux Headset
i'd also get Velour inserts for the headset as it adds a hell of a lot more comfort for pretty cheap.
All in, it'll cost you less than a "Gaming" headset and with vastly superior sound/mic quality.
are those snowball mics decent for hobby rapping? like these guys. Kinda wanna cop a usb mic while they're on sale for black friday.
Does anyone know a way to see if any specific items I want will go up on prime day, because it seems if you are on a page of a specific item, it will tell you nothing about prime day if it's "prime day timer" hasn't started yet.
I waited for prime day to buy these items and have no idea if they will go on sale:
1 2 3 4
Ah ok, that's probably the reason. Most built in microphones will not be as good as the microphones you buy in stores/online. They pick up the sounds of your laptop fan and other noises. It's alright if you're a beginner just trying to start but it'll quickly need to be replaced as some people might not even consider following you if there's an annoying sound constantly playing.
Since I haven't heard your microphone then all I can say is that if it doesn't sound like your ears are about to bleed then feel free to use it for starters(test this with a friend or some viewers). But I suggest you get a dedicated microphone for streaming.
----
Microphones my friends and I have used
If you're able to buy a microphone then the ones that my friends and I have experience with are the following:
Here's a video that show's off both microphones and an extra
Other Microphones
I've heard that these are also good, though I have no experience with them.
----
Some tips for your microphone
I suggest you get a pop filter^[1] for your microphone if you decide to buy one. Then, if possible, you should also get a Shock Mount^[2] but that isn't as crucial as the pop filter.
----
There's a bit more to recording your microphone, like sound proofing, but that's for another day. I just wanted to give you a list of microphones and some tips that could help you out if you're a new to streaming/recording.
Good Luck! As I said before, if your laptop's microphone doesn't make your ears(or a friends' ears) bleed then go ahead and use it for how ever long it takes you to save up and buy a better microphone. But I suggest you not wait too long if you have the choice.
Edit: Markup
Edit2: Grammar
Edit3: Reworded the first section's title.
Ok, well if you want to go cheap as you can on microphone then the Zalman ZM1 is pretty decent for the tiny price - $5.50. I used one for a fair while and the sound quality is pretty decent, better than a lot of cheap/midrange headsets. Bit further up something like this Blue Snowball USB mic is going to have really top notch sound quality, but its $45. I would go with the zalman for now and then move up to the Snowball later on if you're not happy/fancy an upgrade.
Headphones wise the general consensus of the internet is that you can't go wrong with the ATH-M50. At $117 + $5.50 for the mic, you're about $25 over budget, but equally the headphones are really great, its all standard jack connectors, and you have a really great pair of headphones for music/movies to boot. For more reccomendations, I suggest you check out this post over at headfi. More gaming headphone reccomendations than you could possibly ever need.
Great guide! Upboated!
If all you cats out there want a nice mic that sounds good and doesn't break the bank, check out the Snowball iCE by Blue Microphones. It's a quality condenser mic that plugs in via USB and sounds pretty damn good.
I googled a bit myself and I think I'll start with a snowball ICE. They are only Cardioid wich is great for gaming videos anyway. Also the price feels good for a guy like me who only does this for fun and his very large subscriber count of 11.
&nbsp;
My work had a blue yeti I brought home and frankly this thing picks up so much I would need a fully insulated room to get decent sound out of it.
If you already HAVE a headset, then you could just buy something like a Blue Snowball mic or a Modmic.
EDIT: Links
I'm thinking of getting a wireless pair of headphones like this Sony set:
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDRRF985RK-Wireless-Headphone-Black/dp/B009A6CZYO/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1408028790&amp;sr=8-3-spell&amp;keywords=wqireless+headphones
This would obviously require a desktop microphone of some sort. I'm not going to use a modmic, because that would defeat the purpose of having wireless. I was thinking about something like the Blue Snowball:
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-iCE-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1408028870&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=blue+snowball
Can anyone with this microphone comment on the range while keeping a clear sound? I would like to be able to set it back and to the side, while still having room to lean forward or back at my desk, and have people hear me clearly. I will only be using it for communications, no casting or recording.
I'd rather buy good headphones and buy another mic.
I recommend the Sienheisser HD-280 Pro with a Blue Snowball iCE
Hi man, I'm also a Londoner, not many of them on here.
Studio time is a waste of money and is out of the question anyway if you are just starting out as a rapper - the extra quality of a recording isn't ENTIRELY necessary to build a basic audience. Honestly if you have any form of mic at all or can even pick up a basic one - go to Amazon and just look around, Blue Snowball is a name I see mentioned a lot for just £50 - record something when your parents are out and post it on here or PM me, people are always willing to help/check out new rappers, especially if they are good.
That would be my advice for you for now. I'm also a producer so if you're looking for any kind of original beat as opposed to rapping over well-known ones, let me know and I'll sort you out (if you like them of course). /u/RyanSammy is also a London-based producer, and while I can't speak for him I'm sure he might be interested in helping you out.
Any more thoughts to add just let me know
I've been using this mic for a year now, I've heard this is good too, never used it though. I have a review up here of the mic I said I use. It sounds fine to me, but I'm not pro at judging quality. It's a good option if you want something cheap though.
Bandicam and DXTory, in my opinion, are the best programs for recording. There's also OBS if you want to use that, never worked super well for anything outside of live streaming for me.
&#x200B;
I can not guarantee all those are good for brass instruments, but I have seen all them used for instrumentals.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-Snowball-Ice-Plug-n-Play-USB-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone-w-Stand-White/282845121850?epid=195240398&amp;hash=item41dae20d3a:g:Ky0AAOSwYDZagPLp
I would eat ramen for a few days and get something like this.
you can pickup a used snowball for <= $40 (New they are $49 https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-iCE-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=sr_1_5?s=musical-instruments&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1518444543&amp;sr=1-5&amp;keywords=blue+yeti)
If you get a little more see if you can pickup a used yeti for around $60
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-Professional-USB-Condenser-Microphone-Blackout-Edition/302634409948?epid=219540289&amp;hash=item46766a9fdc:g:AjQAAOSw-31afySQ
some people don't like USB mics but they are more than adequate for home projects and situations like these.
Most people don't realize I record with a blue yeti because I treat the area and don't have to treat the recording for background noise or echo.
The other options you listed may technically record sound, but it's not really an option for anything other than listening to yourself... and even then it won't give you a great idea of the real sound.
Good luck!
The Logitech G430 may be a good option for a budget. Other than that and the HyperX Cloud 2, Plantronics GameCom 788 is a solid choice too. I know streamers that use both of those headsets. The only issue is that the G430's mic may not be what you're looking for, but the headset and a $50 Blue Yeti Snowball come in at just about $110 before shipping.
Here are some in your price point.
CAD U37 USB $43.92
Blue Snowball iCE $49.00
Ohuhu $24.99
The cheapest one on the list isn't bad but it has a pretty small pickup radius. If you can, I would suggest saving a few bucks and get the snowball iCE.