Reddit mentions: The best recording & stage microphones

We found 2,267 Reddit comments discussing the best recording & stage microphones. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 393 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

1. Blue Snowball USB Microphone (Textured White)

    Features:
  • Legendary Blue broadcast sound: 2-capsule design gives your voice exceptional presence and detail for professional-level recording so you can elevate your YouTube videos, Twitch streaming and more
  • Multiple pickup patterns: The USB microphone features a cardioid pattern for recording and streaming, and omnidirectional which puts you “in the room” for conference calls on Zoom, Skype and more
  • Stylish retro design: Record or stream in style with a classic recording equipment design that looks great on your desktop and on camera; available in 3 bold colors
  • #1 Premium USB microphone brand: Based on independent sales data (April '19 - March '20) of PC microphones in both units and dollars in the US and Canada
  • -10 dB Pad: Maintains professional audio quality and keeps Snowball sounding clean and distortion-free on louder voices and instruments for everything from voiceovers to podcasts to singing
  • 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
  • Blue Sherpa companion app: Fine-tune your sound with deep control of Snowball; manage mic gain, polar patterns and more right from your desktop on Windows or Mac
  • Plug 'n play: Start recording quickly and easily with driver-free operation on your Mac or PC computer or laptop so you can stream gaming, join Zoom meetings and record podcasts right away
Blue Snowball USB Microphone (Textured White)
Specs:
ColorTextured White
Height10 Inches
Length4.875 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2008
Weight0.000220462262 Pounds
Width7.875 Inches
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3. Neewer NW-700 Professional Studio Broadcasting Recording Condenser Microphone & NW-35 Adjustable Recording Microphone Suspension Scissor Arm Stand with Shock Mount and Mounting Clamp Kit

    Features:
  • The Set Includes: (1) Condenser Microphone, (1)Adjustable Suspension Scissor Arm Stand, (1)Table Mounting Clamp, (1)Metal Shock Mount, (1)Pop Filter, (1)Ball-type Anti-wind Foam Cap, (1)3.5mm Male to XLR Female Cable. NOTE: Sound Card, 48V Phantom Power, 1/4" to XLR Cable & XLR to XLR Cable are needed to purchase additionally; If you want better sound effect, a sound card should be used; Please use a extra 48V phantom power adapter to connect it (phantom power adapter is not included)
  • The professional condenser microphone adopts the completely new audio circuit. Capture rich, full-bodied sound from sources that are directly in front of the mic. The cardioid pick-up pattern minimizes background noise and isolates the main sound source.
  • The adjustable scissor arm stand is made out of all steel construction, sturdy and durable. Folding type, convenient to carry. Can be mounted on the announcers' table. The double-braced arms add strength. *Max load: Approx 35oz / 1KG*
  • The microphone wind screen pop filter shield can ensure that your tracks are audible and easy to understand.And also it will make sure your message loud and clear, and banish the dreaded hissing and lisping sounds.
  • The metal shock mount features an angle adjustment with locking knob and can effectively reduce handling noise. The ball-type anti-wind foam cap can protect microphone against wind interference and singers' spit.The microphone can not be used with mobile phone and tablet computer. NOTE: It cannot work with Mac.
Neewer NW-700 Professional Studio Broadcasting Recording Condenser Microphone & NW-35 Adjustable Recording Microphone Suspension Scissor Arm Stand with Shock Mount and Mounting Clamp Kit
Specs:
ColorBlack+Black+Black
Height9 Inches
Length6 Inches
Sizem
Weight2.66318412496 Pounds
Width19 Inches
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6. Blue Snowball USB Microphone (Gloss Black)

    Features:
  • Legendary Blue broadcast sound: 2-capsule design gives your voice exceptional presence and detail for professional-level recording so you can elevate your YouTube videos, Twitch streaming and more
  • Multiple pickup patterns: The USB microphone features a cardioid pattern for recording and streaming, and omnidirectional which puts you “in the room” for conference calls on Zoom, Skype and more
  • Stylish retro design: Record or stream in style with a classic recording equipment design that looks great on your desktop and on camera; available in 3 bold colors
  • #1 Premium USB microphone brand: Based on independent sales data (April '19 - March '20) of PC microphones in both units and dollars in the US and Canada
  • -10 dB Pad: Maintains professional audio quality and keeps Snowball sounding clean and distortion-free on louder voices and instruments for everything from voiceovers to podcasts to singing
  • 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
  • Blue Sherpa companion app: Fine-tune your sound with deep control of Snowball; manage mic gain, polar patterns and more right from your desktop on Windows or Mac
  • Plug 'n play: Start recording quickly and easily with driver-free operation on your Mac or PC computer or laptop so you can stream gaming, join Zoom meetings and record podcasts right away
Blue Snowball USB Microphone (Gloss Black)
Specs:
ColorGloss Black
Height10 Inches
Length4.875 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateDecember 2009
Weight2.5 Pounds
Width7.875 Inches
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9. USB Microphone,Fifine Metal Condenser Recording Microphone for Laptop MAC or Windows Cardioid Studio Recording Vocals, Voice Overs,Streaming Broadcast and YouTube Videos-K669B

    Features:
  • Plug and play USB recording microphone with 5.9-Foot USB Cable included for computer PC laptop that connects directly to USB port for record music, computer singing or podcast. Easy to use and install. (◆◆Incompatible with Xbox and Phones◆◆)
  • Solid sturdy metal construction design computer microphone with stable tripod stand is convenient when you are doing voice overs or livestreams on YouTube.
  • Gaming mic for PS4 with additional volume knob itself has a louder output and is more sensitive, your voice would be heard well enough when gaming, skyping or voice recording.
  • USB-powered design condenser microphone for recording no need the 48v Phantom power supply, work well with Cortana, Discord, voice chat and voice recognition.
  • Cardioid gaming microphone for pc captures your voice properly, produce clear smooth and crisp sound without static noise. Great gift for gamers/streamers/youtubers at isolating the sounds from the main source and separating them from any background noise. Does the job well for streaming broadcast ,OBS and teamspeak.
  • Applications - For Discord OBS Teamspeak Twitch. Amazing mic with Zoom Webex Amazon Chime. Great for Audacity. Kindly remind that you need to disable the sound activated recording function of the application (like "Automatically adjust volume" of Zoom) if you do not want your recording volume to decrease or jump around.
USB Microphone,Fifine Metal Condenser Recording Microphone for Laptop MAC or Windows Cardioid Studio Recording Vocals, Voice Overs,Streaming Broadcast and YouTube Videos-K669B
Specs:
ColorBlack
Height7.28345 Inches
Length4.88188 Inches
Weight0.881849048 Pounds
Width2.59842 Inches
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17. Rode NT1KIT Cardioid Condenser Microphone Package

    Features:
  • Extremely Low-noise Large-diaphragm Cardioid Condenser Microphone with SM6 Combination Shock Mount Pop Screen
Rode NT1KIT Cardioid Condenser Microphone Package
Specs:
ColorBlack
Height11 Inches
Length15 Inches
Number of items1
Size1"
Weight0.9700339528 Pounds
Width5 Inches
▼ Read Reddit mentions

🎓 Reddit experts on recording & stage microphones

The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where recording & stage microphones are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
Total score: 130
Number of comments: 74
Relevant subreddits: 4
Total score: 96
Number of comments: 24
Relevant subreddits: 4
Total score: 40
Number of comments: 24
Relevant subreddits: 2
Total score: 29
Number of comments: 11
Relevant subreddits: 2
Total score: 28
Number of comments: 19
Relevant subreddits: 6
Total score: 26
Number of comments: 26
Relevant subreddits: 2
Total score: 15
Number of comments: 10
Relevant subreddits: 3
Total score: 14
Number of comments: 10
Relevant subreddits: 2
Total score: 9
Number of comments: 7
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 8
Number of comments: 8
Relevant subreddits: 2

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Top Reddit comments about Recording & Stage Microphones:

u/kiwiandapple · 2 pointsr/buildapcforme

Sorry for my late reply. New year pulled me away from home + my PC!

I have to ask you why you don't want to overclock? Are you afraid of this? I can highly recommend to actually overclock the one CPU that I suggested. It's not difficult at all anymore to do and you'll notice some very big improvements in a lot of the software you'll use.
I can even come over to your place if you don't live to far away to do it with you or else use Skype or any other chat tool to assist you with it.
You can even consider to just let your motherboard do the overclocking for you. They recently started adding this in the BIOS/EUFI. But it's not recommended at all since it will set the voltage always too high, as a safety measure. Which won't kill the CPU, but it just means that it will run hotter and draw a bit more power from the wall.

I absolutely recommend to have a look at the video above under guides. It really will hopefully help you feel a bit better with overclocking. As you can see that it is not too difficult. Of course, the motherboard that they used is a extreme, expensive monster. Where overclocking is very simple.
Our MSI motherboard got a different BIOS, so the places for some of these settings, can be on different places. You'll just have to look a little bit. The names are in general all the same, but sometimes they differ slightly.

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Mouse:

There are a few different ones that would very likely work for you.

  • Logitech G502 ||| Review
  • Mionix Castor ||| Review
  • Zowie FK1/2 ||| Review

    I guess the G502 is probably the winner for you as well, but the castor should for sure be something to maybe consider.
    The Zowie mouse is one I just have to include because of the insane quality that Zowie provides. It's not the fastest mouse on the planet, but 3200 DPI is more than enough, I hope? I personally use 500 myself.. But I have a very light mouse (68gr) that I easily lift up even when I am in Windows dragging from my left to the right monitor.
    The Zowie mouse is also great for claw grip, but I am just a fan boy! Zowie mice get used by a lot of CS professional gamers! Which really makes me want to get one.. I just don't have the budget as of right now.

    ---
    ---

    Mousepad:

    Yes, you need one! This makes using a mouse so much more enjoyable. The one that I selected is a very awesome option, considering the price. It's probably big enough, since you stated that you used a high sensitivity. The quality really is awesome. I do not have it yet, but I did test it out at a game convention that I went too a couple of months ago. The softness was really awesome. My mouse really glided very well honestly. I have been recommending these mousepads for a while now and have had no complaints about it just yet. In the end it is all personal preference, but I feel like that this mousepad will work very well for your use. Since the stopping speeds are very important for high sensitivity especially and it felt just right when I tested it.
    Kingston HyperX
    ---
    ---


    Keyboard:

    There is really only one that I instantly thought of:

  • Logitech G710+ ||| Review

    But I also found this one:

  • CM Storm Trigger Z ||| Review note; because of video cameras the LEDs look every so slightly blue; but it is just completely white in real life.

    This one got pretty much the same layout as the G710+. But it's a bit cleaner. I personally really prefer the look of the Trigger Z over the G710+.
    The only small gripe I have at it, is the small key in between the shift + Z on the left. I hate that one, since I always press it in games when I want to use the shift. I had a keyboard like that once. Hated this a fair bit and had to work around it. Took me a while.
    There are more options if you want; I can suggest more if you don't really like neither of these.

    ---
    ---

    Headphones:

    Honestly, there are other options out there. But for the main part; Sennheiser really dominates the classical rock & orchestral/thematic video game music. Could you provide me with any songs of orchestral/thematic video game music? I would be very interested!
    I persoally listen to classical, metal & trailer music very often. I have Sennheisers and love them to death.

  • Sennheiser HD518 ||| Review & General user reviews

    These headphones are absolutely amazing considering the price. It might sound fairly expensive, but if you want quality sound. You have to start paying a fair amount. But do not worry, once you have them on your head and listen to them.. You will be blown away! The MSI motherboard does not boost the most amazing quality audio, but it will be more than good enough to make you go absolutely "wow". I can absolutely guarantee this! I have the bigger brother, the HD598 myself and have been using this for well over a year now, still absolutely love the quality of the sound that I hear.

    You can increase the quality a step further by getting a dedicated AMP+DAC. But those start to really hit on your budget very quickly. A DAC = Digital to Analog Convertor. Which basically makes from 0's and 1's that your PC puts out an analog signal that your speakers can produce to make the sound. An AMP stands for amplifier. This not only makes the sound "louder" but also more clear.
    I personally want to get the Schiit Stack! Yes, the company is really called Schiit! The Stack will cost you a bit over €200. So that's a good chunk of money. I will very likely, eventually get myself the Fulla Schiit instead, which is something that you rather avoid, a mixed AMP/DAC. But to hit this price point and for simplicity. It's a very awesome device. It's €99 instead so a bit more affordable. Where you only need a USB cable and that's it.
    The quality is also for sure going to be more than acceptable for my use anyway.

    ---
    ---

    Microphone:

    Because I went for a headphone, you'll need a dedicated microphone. I personally use the Samson Meteor and everyone that I talked with noticed how clean and great my voice sounds, compared to my webcam that I used previously. If you want, I can have a talk with you on Skype or TS to show you the quality.
    I did buy a pop filter as well, but according to my friends it made no difference at all, so I stopped using it.

  • Samson Meteor ||| Review
  • Samson Meteorite ||| Review

    Note: Now I did notice that the Meteor microphone is not in stock or with fast delivery in the 4 stores that it's been sold at. So I have been looking at other shops. But I did notice that at Bax-Shop.nl they have the microphone in their local stores. I can make a call to them to ask if they can send the microphone or if you have to go buy it locally. I did also find the Microphone on Amazon UK but it's again, not in stock! :(
    If you don't want to wait or drive to that store, you can opt for the less expensive Meteorite. Which is not a terrible microphone at all either. It's slightly less in clarity compared to the Meteor. But should do just fine for normal use.


    ---
    ---

    Speakers:

    I really am not an expert here. I personally used some Edifier 2.1 speakers for a couple of months. But the left speaker broke fairly soon. I never bothered to send it back for an RMA, because of my Sennheiser headphones. I might eventually buy some 2.0 Speakers again. You don't really need a subwoofer for our style of music. I didn't do a whole lot of research into my purchase. I just went for "best 2.1 speakers for under $50" and those were highly rated and affordable at the time of purchasing.
    So I again did a quick search for some speakers and did manage to find this set:

  • Genius SP-HF800A ||| Review

    I didn't look for the most insane speakers, since you'll very likely just like me, mostly use your headphones. But these seems to be alright according to the review. Nothing special, but good enough. I also personally really like the look on these.

    Hopefully you like my suggestions, again if you have any question, ask!






u/varii_ · 4 pointsr/tf2

If you want to have a popular youtube channel, you have to work hard at it my man. I can tell by watching a few of your videos that you are relatively young and I have to tell you by being young and posting here desperately looking for attention or views it will rub people the wrong way. Because to some, It just seems like from an outsiders perspective you're just looking for an easy way to get subscribers or views. Being young doesn't help either because there are many people who will be pretty mean to you because of your age or your voice.

As far as tips go however? There is a lot that can be said.

Point one: Increase the quality of your videos. Download a better recording program and learn how to use it.

I watched a few of your videos and I just have to be frank the video quality isn't very good but don't fret! There are programs that can help with this.


There are many to chose from but these are the main three:

http://www.fraps.com/

http://exkode.com/home-en.html

https://obsproject.com/

two of these are not free however. OBS is a free alternative that many use and it is pretty good!

If you do not like the fact that fraps or dxtory are not free, you can torrent or pirate those programs however, some people might think negatively of you claiming it is stealing. (But that doesn't matter anyways because pretty much everyone torrents or illegally downloads these two programs but don't tell people they do)

Anyways, to learn how to use these recording programs there are tons of tutorials on youtube to help you learn how to use any of those three, so good luck finding one that works for you.

Point two Now that you've downloaded an recording program, you should learn how to use an editing program to edit and compile the videos you recorded!

There are many editing programs but the main two I see being used are:

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegaspro

http://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html

Like before, these programs are not free and are more on the pricey side so if you don't think spending a lot of money is worth it (and I do not blame you) Just download them for free like everyone else who makes youtube videos basically does but they don't tell people that they do.

learning these programs will take some time and effort and it might be a little challenging especially in after effects for a beginner but if you really care about improving your youtube channel you should practice using these programs, how will you do that though?

Well like I said before there are a number of youtube channels that have tutorials to help you with learning about those two programs. Just find a program that suits your needs.

Sony vegas is a little more easy to understand and pretty much can suit the basic needs of creating videos.

But after effects has a lot more to offer on the effects and editing side but is a little less easy to understand.

Point Three Buy some new equipment to be able to record your videos at a good quality.

You could make an entire thread out of the best microphones or the best audio equipment or the best PC setup.

All I'm going to say about this though is, invest in a computer set up that you can record comfortably with.

Today, you can actually purchase a desktop computer for about 500 dollars that can record videos surprisingly well!

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Slash687/saved/ZhkFf7

for example, this build is 520$ and can handle recording videos amazingly well!

as for recording equipment? if you want to sound professional when recording videos, I highly recommend getting a studio quality microphone because I watched a few of your videos and your microphone and audio quality is kind of, subpar. So here are a few beginner microphones that are cheap and can make your audio quality sound better!

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0006H92QK


http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-C-1-BEHRINGER/dp/B000CZ0RLK/ref=pd_pgd_B0006H92QK_B000CZ0RLK?pf_rd_p=2435182122&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0006H92QK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0RYH88NBCZGCPQBVY0MK


http://www.amazon.com/MXL-770-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0007NQH98/ref=pd_pgd_B0006H92QK_B0007NQH98?pf_rd_p=2435182122&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0006H92QK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0RYH88NBCZGCPQBVY0MK


These microphones are relatively cheap and offer amazing sound quality for their price.

Now you need a pair of headphones to compliment your microphone because why would you buy a gaming headset if you purchased a microphone already. so here are a few I suggest, a few of these are more on the pricey side but I highly recommend them.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1463810110&sr=1-4&keywords=audio-technica+ath-m50x


http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/ref=pd_pgd_B00HVLUR86_B000AJIF4E?pf_rd_p=2435184362&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00HVLUR86&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0GDVMZJNTK63SMPGS8TT


http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1463810155&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=Senhessier+HD+280


It's all about fitting your price range and preference.

Find a set up that works for you.

Point four don't forget to be yourself, have fun and keep making content!

Having a personality an audience can relate too is great and all but you should just stay true to yourself and remain genuine when creating content.

There are many people trying create and make TF2 content like you. So having too many copy cats of the same content creator or personality can just seem boring. Why go to someone who creates virtually the same content of someone else? That's redundant and doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

And you should also try to always make content. Never stop making content, making content is the way you get your name out there. Just keep creating content and be dedicated, never give up making stuff.

So, try to have fun with it and think of creative ways to attract an audience to your content. What new fresh idea and creative content can you offer that nobody else does?

If you can do that while remaining true and genuine to yourself your audience and you don't give up. I feel like you would be able to grow as a creator.



That is all the tips I can give you, I'm not much of a content creator myself but from an outsiders perspective I hope this helped you in anyway.

Good luck and have fun with it man.

u/[deleted] · 4 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Hey Parov buddy, these are all great questions and totally normal. Sounds like you're ready to take your music-making to the next level. Good on you. I did laugh when you mentioned plugging the electro-acoustic into your computer: not because you were doing something wrong, but because it brought back memories. That's exactly how I started with digital audio, and it shows you're trying to figure stuff out on your own instead of buying a bunch of expensive toys and not knowing how to use them. That's a good attitude to have. I'm going to try explaining your options without hitting you with too much jargon, all right? I apologize if I repeat stuff you already know, but it helps to keep things straight in my head when I'm writing.

Basically, what you're trying to do is convert the sound you're making into an audio file on your computer. To do that, you need the following:

  • You + instrument
  • A microphone
  • An interface between the microphone and your computer
  • Software to capture the sounds you're making

    We already have you and an instrument, so that's good. Next is the microphone. You mentioned singing, so I'm going to go ahead and recommend a large diaphragm condenser microphone. You can get these really cheap nowadays, don't worry too much about getting the 'right' model. I used to record using a computer mic, and the first time I heard a friend's recording with a large diaphragm condenser microphone it blew me away with its clarity. It was this one to be exact, and it's only $50! Of course, every musician who knows a little bit about microphones will tell you it's a piece of shit, but trust me, compared to what you've been using it's a fantastic way to try out home recording without breaking the bank. You can search for a better one than this Behringer (I use a Rode M3 which isn't a large diaphragm but is great for my needs), but trust me: a reasonably priced large-diaphragm condenser mic is a good introduction to home recording. It's great for vocals and acoustic guitar especially.

    Next you need an interface. This is just a box that you can plug your microphone into that plugs into your computer via USB/Firewire. It interprets all the sound it receives through the microphone, turns it into a digital signal and feeds it to your computer. Since you're starting out, the exact type doesn't really matter too much, but make sure it has at least one XLR input. XLR basically means 'microphone', though other instruments can use XLR cables. My electro-acoustic classical guitar has an XLR output, for example. You know guitar leads and inputs/outputs? XLR is the same, except for microphones. So your interface has to have an XLR input, or you'll have nowhere to plug your microphone into.

    So you've got your microphone set up, plugged into the interface, and the interface is plugged into your computer. You have your guitar ready, so what's next? That's software or a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). It captures the information from your interface (which is capturing information from your microphone, which is capturing information from you playing) and turns it into audio files you can manipulate and save. You mentioned Audacity. Avoid Audacity. It's almost completely useless. There are many fine commercial products like Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Sonar, Audition and GarageBand. I would personally recommend Reaper. It's totally brilliant, easy-to-use, updates all the time, it works on both Windows and Mac, and it's free to use forever. The only drawback is that it will annoy you with a pop-up if you haven't bought a license, but that's a small price to pay for such a fantastic program. It also comes with a bunch of decent effects and plugins.

    That's pretty much the low-down on the most basic home recording set up, but one last thing: a DI box. If you're going to record directly into your interface (ie without a microphone), a DI box is a good investment. You can get them very cheap nowadays, and they're ideal for recording electric guitar and bass. You plug your guitar into the DI box, then plug the DI box into the interface. It allows a nice, strong signal to be recorded directly to your computer, which can then be manipulated with effects just like on an FX pedal. Guitar Rig is a popular choice, but you can get many decent free alternatives.

    When I was starting out it felt like everyone used so much jargon that it was like they were speaking a different language, so I hope some of this has been useful to you. Good luck, you're gonna have a lot of fun. Just try not to get too frustrated!
u/brother_bean · 8 pointsr/sysadmin

I'd say for me, if I were making my own home office and wanted to trick it out:

At minimum a dual monitor setup, but it would be nice to have 3 (I have dual monitors and also the laptop screen running them so it works out to 3.) A nice monitor arm that will hold both (or all 3) monitors to keep the desk clutter free. Something nice that makes both monitors adjustable for you (maybe even a 90 degree rotation so you can code on a vertical screen when you feel like it.)

A nice condenser mic with an arm for it as well. I figure if I were working from home I would probably be doing conference calls more regularly than if I were in the office, so a good condenser mic will make my life easier and make sure I can communicate well. Maybe a blue yeti or blue yeti snowball with a nice boom arm for it like so so I can use it when I want it and then push it away when I don't.

In the same vein, a decent webcam that can clip on to my monitor (or buy one of the above boom arms and attach the camera to it, probably smart for only $15 so you can move it around.)

Definitely a great office chair since you can justify the expense and you're going to be sitting all day.

This one is great regardless of working for home or working from the office, but a nice mouse. I just got a Logitech G502 the other day for gaming as well as work purposes and MAN. I never knew what I was missing out on. I have thumb buttons/extra buttons programmed to copy, paste, delete, winkey + e to open an explorer window, ctrl + t for new tab, and also a key combination to switch my active window to my other monitor so I can quickly move stuff between them without having to click and drag.

Since you're working from home and don't have to worry about bothering other people, I'd definitely buy a nice mechanical keyboard. They're a dream to type on. I used to have an office to myself so I bought one and I miss it dearly now that I'm in a cubicle. In my opinion, well worth the expense.

Again since you're not in an office you could get a nice speaker. Bluetooth to keep the cord clutter down but really anything works. You can go budget or big here.

If you're a whiteboard person, a whiteboard to hang on the wall.

Definitely yes to the dock. I have one here at my office and it's so flipping nice being able to plug in one thunderbolt cable and keep the clutter contained to the back of my desk behind my monitors with the dock.

I'd probably buy a nice standing or desk light that still uses filament bulbs to make it warm/easy on the eyes. Ample lighting. And probably a plant or two just to make it look nice and feel good being there.

That's all I can think of. Can you tell I'm living vicariously through you? I know you said must haves, so if I were going to buy the above in order, it would be monitors > dock > mouse > blue yeti snowball > mic stand > camera > camera stand

u/therealocshoes · 3 pointsr/microphones

Holy shit I'm so sorry, lol. I got distracted.

So there's a couple of things that might be for good. There's two distinct types of mics so I'll recommend some from both types:

Condensers - these are typically very sensitive but they sound pretty nice, too.

  • Blue Snowball iCE and Blue Snowball - I think these are the same, but the iCE just has the one pattern - they're both pretty good

  • ATR2500 - Also good, and has a headphone jack for direct monitoring

  • Samson Meteor Mic - also has a headphone jack for monitoring

    Dynamic - they typically aren't as sensitive and still sound pretty nice. It's probably better to get a dynamic, although your computer is quiet enough that you might be able to get away with it. IIRC from any given distance a dynamic picks up less room noise, but that can make it harder to pick you up at an acceptable level as well so keep that in mind.

  • ATR2005 - this is a little over budget and for that I apologize, but it's a pretty great mic. Headphone output, comes with a stand to point it at your face (as do all the others), sounds great (there's lots of videos of it, it's pretty good sounding), has an XLR output so if you upgrade to a mixer you can keep using it... nice little piece.

  • ATR2100 - the 2005's little brother

    Unfortunately those are the only two USB dynamics I personally know of. Over on /r/podcasting I'm sure /u/BangsNaughtyBits knows of some more good ones that I don't know of.

    My personal recommendation would be the ATR2100, but I encourage you to look at them yourself and ask questions to find out which one fits you best. Also keep in mind this is just for your sub $75 price range request.
u/Tacanacy · 3 pointsr/PS4

Mic or headset?



🔊 MICROPHONES



  • Antlion ModMic 4

    Attaches to headphones using a clasp system and is easy to attach and remove. Is compatible with all headphones. Comes with and without a mute switch.

  • Massdrop Minimic

    Attaches to headphones using a clasp system and is easy to attach and remove. Is compatible with all headphones. Has a mute switch and is modular. Is only available via drops on Massdrop.com. I recommend requesting it if you want to wait for it.

  • V-MODA BoomPro

    Connects to the headphone's jack, replacing the headphone cable. Is compatible with Philips SHP9500 and Status Audio CB-1. Has a mute switch and a volume control.

  • Neewer 3.5mm Clip on Mini Lapel Microphone

    Clips onto your clothing. Has no in-line controls.

  • Sony ECMCS3

  • Clips onto your clothing. Has no in-line controls.

  • Zalman ZM-Mic1

    Clips onto your clothing. Has no in-line controls.

  • Blue Snowball

    Has various placement options. Has no in-line controls.

  • Samson Go

    Has various placement options. Has no in-line controls.



    You can use various audio controllers for volume control and mute toggle:

  • Fosmon
  • Insignia
  • Lucid Sound AdjustR



    To connect the ModMic, Minimic, clip-on mics and other 3.5mm mics to DS4 or an audio controller, you need a TRRS / 4-pole Y-splitter (three black rings on the connector). The BoomPro doesn't require a Y-splitter. USB mics are plug-and-play.

     

    🎧 HEADPHONES



  • AKG K52

    Sound: Has a wide and deep soundstage, good imaging, clarity and detail retrieval and decent separation. It doesn't over- or under-emphasize the bass or treble. The bass can sound a little muddy in e.g. blasts and explosions.

    Build: Is closed-back and over-ear. Durable and very lightweight. The cups tilt and pivot, so they should adjust to the shape of your head nicely. The earpads have decent quality and are soft and removable, but they're shallow.


  • Philips SHP9500

    Sound: Has a soundstage with medium width and depth. It has good imaging, separation and detail retrieval and very good clarity. It doesn't over- or under-emphasize the bass or treble.

    Build: Is open-back and over-ear. Durable and lightweight. The cups tilt and pivot and the cable detaches. The earpads have good quality and they're soft and removable, but they're very shallow. Replacing them requires modification or buying/making 3D printed rings that the new earpads attach to. Modifying is very easy and quick to do and doesn't require special tools or extra parts. I've made a tutorial. 3D printed parts can be bought from Mod House Audio and Thingiverse. The clamping force is very light, so I don't recommend the headphone for children or if you frequently move your head down and have an average sized head. For aftermarket earpads, I recommend Shure HPAEC1840. These tighten the clamping force for a little, and personally, I love the comfort and fit with these.

  • Superlux HD668B

    Sound: Has a wide and deep soundstage, I'd say 50% bigger than SHP9500. It has very good imaging, separation, clarity and detail retrieval. It has emphasized treble and a small boost in the mid-bass.

    Build: Is semi-open-back and over-ear. Sturdy and lightweight. The cups tilt and pivot. The cable and earpads are detachable. The earpads have bad quality and are shallow, so I recommend replacing them with earpads from HiFiMAN.

  • Superlux HD681 EVO

    Sound: Has the same soundstage as HD668B. It has very good clarity and good detail retrieval, but has poor imaging and separation. It's warm sounding with deep bass.

    Build: Is semi-open-back and over-ear. The cups tilt and pivot. The cable and earpads are detachable. The earpads have decent quality and are soft and detachable, but they're shallow and the drivers stick out quite a bit, so I recommend taking out the loose felt inside the cups, unless you're sensitive to treble, and replacing the earpads with earpads from HiFiMAN, or earpads from Brainwavz if you want much more depth. These are expensive, but they have great quality, they are made of memory foam and are very soft and roomy, and the sound quality is absolutely worth it.



    I also compare to AKG Q701, Audio-Technica ATH-AD700x, Beyerdynamic DT990 (600 ohms), HiFiMAN HE400i, HyperX Cloud, Philips Fidelio X2 and Sennheiser HD700, which I got for gaming, except for HE400i, but it's great for gaming. I don't recommend HyperX Cloud / Cloud II / CloudX. I strongly advise against them if you don't need closed-back. My evaluations derive mostly if not only from gaming (so take it with a grain of salt for music entertainment listening). I can't emphasize enough that perceived performance in headphones is relative.

     

    Glossary | ℹ️
    ---|---
    Closed-back x | Cups with solid shells that largely isolate sound from passing in and out.
    Open-back / semi-open-back | Cups with perforations/grills that allow outside sound to freely pass in and sound from the drivers to freely pass out. How loud you hear outside sound and how loud people around you hear the sound from the headphones depend on the volume, of course. The sonic benefit to open-back is generally a big soundstage.
    Soundstage | Perceived space and environment of sound. It can be compared to virtual surround sound; both attempt to produce the same spacious, three-dimensional effect. VSS can sound more ambient and immersive, which depends on the processor you use (CMSS-3D, Dolby, SBX, etc.), but it degrades the sound quality and diminishes detailing due to compression from digital processing. You might also experience less accurate imaging and separation if the headphone already has good imaging and separation. Note that a deep soundstage is equally important as a wide soundstage.
    Imaging | Accuracy of sounds/objects positioned across the soundstage. And I mean where they are positioned -- not merely what direction they come from. This distinction is important because being able to tell only what direction objects come from isn't good enough to me when playing against people. Imaging is inherent to the audio content, so if the game is recorded or mixed poorly, a headphone with good imaging won’t improve the positional audio, so don't judge the headphone before using it in games you're very familiar with. I test mine mostly in Battlefield: Bad Company 2.
    Separation | Separating individual sounds from a range of sounds. Good separation makes it easier to filter out or discern overlapping sounds from other sounds and track them.

u/SobiGaming · 2 pointsr/youtubers

Hey Naff!! I just got back from a trip, so sorry for the delayed response! First off, I love the organization of your reply! I'm such a sucker for nice formatting and structure haha! Thanks so much for the kind words and I'm glad my feedback was useful!


  • 2a - great points and I completely agree there were a few (all reasonable) options to make this one work.
  • 3a - haha BGM will be the bane of us all. It can be so hard! Again, your levels in this one were good though!
  • 6a - I totally understand. I researched this a lot and, from what I saw / remember, I believe the Blue Snowball is great starting mic and comes at $49. There are definitely other options out there, but adding this in case it helps you guys reduce research time / get something relatively affordable. https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B014PYGTUQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1542600764&sr=1-4&keywords=blue+snowball

    ~

  • 3b / edit - I had the exact same issue and would have never noticed until I read something online. I'm so glad I was able to share some useful info! Again, I didn't notice anything wrong with the quality in the first place, but I was watching on mobile.
  • 5b - Oh, interesting, I've never tried recording Skype. I mostly record Discord or Battle.net for audio. If you ever experience issues, might be worth trying one of those out and
  • 6b - Hahah XD I feel like I've given a similar response to people who gave feedback to me on one of my posts when I did a one-time change as well.

    Love the mission statement! At it's core, mine is also about spreading laughs and happiness. Will try to re-collect my thoughts and let you know what I think about your AC video! At the end of the day, our videos should consist of what makes us happy, so I like your comment about not stressing out about it. :)


    You and Ric sound like good-natured, cool people. Thanks again for the kind words and hope you've been well!
u/fletcherjeff55 · 1 pointr/podcasting

1). Unfortunately, I don't know if I have the link to the original podcast anymore, since it was only done once before they went their separate ways. And in order to get all of my material from the school, I'd have to go through them for distribution, and I'm not sure how easily they'd allow that.

2). My available time each week is truly dependent on the week itself. I work a part time job which is not always consistent. Usually I work late afternoons Thursday-Sunday, but the rest of the days are truly just up to where I'm needed that specific day. However, I can always take a specific day off that everyone can be free on in order to ensure I am available consistently on that weekly basis. All I'd need to know is when everyone else is free.

3). When I worked on my radio show back at the school, it was a live two-hour format with a break every twelve minutes. Often times, we would take a few things throughout the week, from general entertainment news, and compile everything together the day of before the show. Not all of the show was improved by any means, but being in a live format where there are no edits definitely makes you think about what you can say and how long you can do so.

With that being said, I do edit, both videos and audio, and I'm actually working on an audio drama in my spare time from time to time (fun fact). So, I can edit and distribute with ease for sure, that's not a problem. And as stated before, I was the main lead co-host on my show, so I have no worries being heard in a hosting format. And obviously gathering content and the like go hand in hand with everything I've already said.

4). Excuse me if I'm sounding silly here, but I'm not exactly sure what you mean, but I have been up all night dealing with some family emergencies. What it appears to be is you asking me if I'd like to be on an already existing show as a "field expert" on a specific topic. In which case, absolutely. As I said, I'm not souly looking to start my own podcast from the ground up. If someone comes along and asks to take me under their wing, I'd be very interested in doing so. And of course, guests often turn into regular occurrences, so I have no quarrels with that.

5). Yes, I do. The microphone of choice I have is a Blue Yeti, which I know may be a major turn off for many people, but it's always done me well. Obviously with any mic, the environment is important, and the only main thing that hinders my sound quality is my graphics card's fan, which when in intensive use can get loud, but can easily be edited out with some simple editing in Adobe Audition, which is what I personally use for my audio editing. Otherwise, I am not set up in a sound stage or anything, but I find that my audio quality is rarely irreversible, and as long as my graphics card isn't in intense use, it shouldn't be a problem at all.

With that being said, I am considering getting this soon, but the main problem is having the money to spend on that when I'm going on vacation with my family for a week in just a few days. With that next paycheck being a little light, it may have to wait for a month or so. But it is a future investment I do have on my mind.

6). I kind of already touched on this earlier, but I mainly work weekends in the afternoon (4-10 PM Central Time), and the rest of the week is really dependent on the day, but it tends to be about the same. As previously noted, I will be going on a vacation in the next few days, which means I won't really have my recording equipment to do any recordings, obviously. However, I will remain active in whatever forum used to communicate (Personally, I find Discord to be a good communication device, if only for text). And as also previously noted, once I know everyone's availability, I can work around it with my work schedule with relative ease.

Thanks for asking these questions. I try not to shove every detail of information into my post at once, and overwhelm any onlookers. So it's good to know that there is some interest in the post.

u/Mad_Economist · 1 pointr/CabaloftheBuildsmiths

Alright, I can work with that.

To preface this, I recommend pairing one of the following headphones with a clip-on microphone - either a cheaper model like a [Zalman ZM-Mic1] (http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ) or a more expensive model like [Antlion's Modmic] (http://www.modmic.com/collections/frontpage) - rather than getting a headset with an integrated mic. From a price/performance standpoint, headsets almost never stack up. The headsets made by the real headphone brands are exceedingly expensive, and with a very small body of exceptions the cheaper headsets sound terrible.

Now, onward to the headphones. When I hear "isolation", "comfort", and "neutral/warm sound signature", the first thing that comes to my mind is [NVX's] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/624729/review-nvx-xpt100-a-direct-brainwavz-hm5-competitor) [XPT100] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2G9qk7IOEA) ([$99 via Amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/NVX-Over-Ear-Headphones-ComfortMax-Cushions/dp/B0093PVTPS)). I actually own a pair of these myself for use as moderate isolation movie/podcast headphones for when my house is too loud for me to use my open headphones, and they're among the most comfortable headphones I've had. While they don't take the top spot - no headphones without an AKG-style suspension strap will ever do that - they're definitely in the top five or so. Their sound isn't the most detailed out there, but they're fairly neutral, solidly built, and very comfortable, particularly given their price.

A more expensive step up would be [Shure's] (http://www.head-fi.org/products/shure-srh840/reviews/5056) SRH[840] (http://www.head-fi.org/products/shure-srh840/reviews/3768) ([$199 via Amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SRH840-Professional-Monitoring-Headphones/dp/B002DP8IEK/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426324378&sr=1-1&keywords=shure+srh84)). While I sadly haven't had a chance to try these out myself, I've heard little but good things about them. Formerly on Innerfidelity's wall of fame, and with consistently good reviews for their sound, comfort, and overall quality, they're definitely a solid choice if you're looking for a neutralish sound with some bass.

A third option would be the [Focal Spirit One] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/focal-spirit-one-page-3) ([$175] (http://www.amazon.com/Focal-529102-SPOH-Spirit-One-Headphones/dp/B007AH7YFU) or [$179] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008R9QRIU/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687702&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B007AH7YFU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0HS51KQ3XCE0J5B14R27) via Amazon for the black and white models, respectively). Focal has a quite a solid reputation in audio, but the Spirit One had some serious issues on its release due to manufacturing defects, and it suffered a rather bad reception as a result. These issues are said to have been since resolved, however, and the Spirit One is a very solid headphone at that price. The sound is a bit on the bassy side, but not extremely so, and is quite good for this price. Comfort may be an issue, however, as the One was quite clearly designed more for portability than comfort. While no review characterizes it as uncomfortable, it's a safe bet that it doesn't measure up to the other two in this regard.

Another rather unique option, albeit one with some inherent drawbacks, would be [Fostex's] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/570138/review-fostex-t50rp-my-intro-to-the-world-of-orthos) [T50RP] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/559233/review-fostex-t50rp-its-been-needing-a-review) ([$127 via Amazon] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/559233/review-fostex-t50rp-its-been-needing-a-review)). Now, the T50RP is, at stock, not the best-liked headphone. Though it is one of the (if not the) cheapest orthodynamic headphones in the world, its very poor comfort and [rolled-off sound] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FostexT50RP2011B.pdf) have attracted a lot of criticism. Having a pair myself, I wholeheartedly agree with criticism of its comfort, but think its stock sound is better than people give it credit for. What the T50RP has going for it, however, is an [exceptionally dedicated modding community] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/618659/fostex-t50rp-incremental-mods-and-measurements), and some very high-profile modified variants. Modded T50RPs under the branding of MrSpeakers and ZMF can sell for $300, $600, or even $1,000, and experienced reviewers and audiophiles alike have claimed that they measure up to headphones in those price ranges. If you happen to feel a DIYish inclination, a T50RP can be quite a solid project to work on, and, in theory, it can get you $300-600 sound quality for a little sound of $200 accounting for the various materials it takes to mod them.

Now, there are, as said, quite a few drawbacks to the T50RP: the stock sound isn't for everyone, it requires more power to drive than the other mentioned headphones (not enough to cause issues at stock, in my opinion, but when modded it can be quite intensive to drive, almost assuredly moreso than your integrated audio can support), and it's absolutely terrible in comfort (if you do go for them, [a headband cover like this] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00862522A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and a pair of [Shure] (http://www.amazon.com/Shure-HPAEC840-Replacement-Cushions-Headphones/dp/B002Z9JWZS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426325351&sr=1-1&keywords=shure+pads) or [Brainwavz] (http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426325358&sr=1-1&keywords=brainwavz+pads) pads were what I used to take them from "terrible" to "pretty darn solid" comfort), and modding isn't for the faint of heart. After quite a while of tinkering, I've yet to get my own T50RP mod working properly. It's amazing value if you can make it work for you, but it's quite a significant amount of effort to achieve that.

u/Gojurn · 1 pointr/podcasting

Others have already asked some pretty useful questions, but if you're looking for more specifics here's what I know.

Recording & Editing Software

While I can't speak to resources for non-Apple tools. If you have a Mac you can start out with simply a good microphone and the GarageBand application.

Microphones and Pop Filters

If you're looking for a mic recommendation I've had a lot of success with the Yeti USB microphone. It's pretty versatile and the sound quality has been quite good. A cheaper reliable option is the Snowball. You can find mics for less than that but I can't vouch for the quality. No extra set up is really needed, just plug it in and record. Some people recommend a pop filter, they're pretty cheap and I've had a good experience with the Dragonpad ones. If you need an example of sound quality PM me, I'm happy to link you an episode I created using the Yeti mic.

Uploading and Hosting

Once you've recorded and edited your Podcast you'll need somewhere to host it so others can listen to what you've created. I usually upload the file to SoundCloud and then share the link or embed the player in my blog and website. There are a lot of other podcast-specific hosting sites out there but I've found SoundCloud to be free and easy.

Helpful Guide

When I first started out I came across a great blog article by Mike Cernovich that I followed to create my first episodes. You can read it here if you're interested (it's specific to using GarageBand though).

I hope this helps, a D&D podcast sounds great. Can't wait to hear what you create.

u/epicflyman · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Hi OP! I spec and build custom machines semi-professionally, and I'll be more than happy to answer any questions you have. I know /u/simonc95 has already given a ton of good information, but if you have any concerns on specifics I can definitely fill you in.

I will however, reiterate what was said on power supplies - DONT CHEAP OUT. The thing is responsible for keeping your machine running, and if something goes wrong could fry the entire thing. Not a risk worth taking. Stick to tier 1 and 2a from the list provided if at all possible. Personally, I'm a big fan of the EVGA Supernova G2 PSU's, as they give the option of semi-passive and fully passive cooling if silence is your gig.

Since you want to do both gaming and editing, I'd recommend sticking to Nvidia's GTX line for your GPU (AMD is fine too, but I've always held issue with the amount of heat those things put out. That's your call though.) - the Quattro's are fine for purely workstation systems, but are not intended for gaming. (A 960 or 970, or the equivalent low -mid range of the next batch of cards when they release this year - should do you just fine.)

One thing that hasnt been covered yet is peripherals - since you're planning to do photo/video editing, you're going to want something that color accurate -this points you towards an IPS panel (as opposed to a TN panel. The principle by which the screen updates pixels is the difference. TN panels are generally better for gaming as they are capable of much higher refresh rates, up to 144hz commonly, but a decent IPS will handle the games you listed just fine).

You'll have to shop around a little bit to find one with a solid color score as well as the features you want. If you want to be in 4K, as is in vogue right now, you'll need a beefier graphics card, (esp for gaming/video rendering) and a 4k monitor, which unfortunately have yet to come down in price by much.

Now, for typing, this comes down to personal preference, but if you want your hands to love you, buy a mechanical keyboard. Anything with Cherry MX switches is a pretty good option, but if you find another switch type that tickles your fancy then that's your prerogative. Mech keyboards are more expensive than your typical rubberdome, but taken care of properly (like not spilling drinks on them) they'll last virtually forever. They're also hugely customizable - you can get LED backlit keys, or custom keycaps, and even keycaps you can see through!


For audio recording, most people use Audacity, which is a free audio recording and processing software. If you want to do anythig more serious that just talk over VOIP, you'll want to get some variety of condenser microphone (as opposed to dynamic, which is commonly used in most (gaming headsets). If you'd like to have a boom style microphone on your headphones of choice, the Antlion Modmic is an excellent option. Otherwise, you can always use a freestanding microphone - the most popular has been the Blue Yeti for quite a few years now. If you just want something to start you off, the Samson Meteor mic is actually quite the bang for the buck.


Alright, sorry for the wall of text. Feel free to comment reply or PM me if you have any questions.

u/Limro · 2 pointsr/VoiceActing

Continuing the answer, /u/talbayne:

As mentioned above, XLR is a way to get super clear sound - more than USB.
The reason for this, is because the hardware converting the analog (actual) sound waves to digital input, called Analog-to-Digital-Convert (ADC), is better in a preamp, than inside the a usb-microphone... Or at least they used to be.

The ADC is actually just a small chip - or a part of a small chip - which are inside a regular computer chip. They have a number of input pins to register to register the sound from the actual microphone, as seen on this picture of a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 - the bigger, black chip, reading XMOS upside down.

16 of those small pins come from the first XLR-input, and 16 from the second. This is because it's a 16-bit preamp, which you can also see from this screenshot.

Now - these ADCs used to require quite a certain amount of power, but do no longer. They can now be powered by 5 volts (to convert to 48 volts) - the output of a USB-port. Or... at least some of them can, and quite a few of them do a pretty decent job.

----
Time for examples in the USB-section:

  • The Røde NT-USB ($169) review.

    I have a friend who uses this, and I have a hard time not hearing it being just as good as my own microphone (longer down the list).

  • Bill Dewees talks about the Apogee MiC 96k ($20).

    That man knows his shit - pro dude, who makes 4k a week doing voice over.

  • The Excelvan BM-800 ($25) is in the opposite price range. How can this cheap thing work? Well, like the XLR-microphones it needs what's called phantom power, which is 48 volts - this comes pretty cheap ($20)... or you plug it into your desktop (laptop won't work, I've read).

  • The Blue Snowball Ice ($45) being compared to a few others.

    This one is extremely popular with YouTubers - for a good reason.

    ----

    Well, that's all good and nice, but what about the XLR options?

    When you go XLR, you need a preamp, which provides the 48 volts I described before - also known as phantom power.

    If you'd asked one year ago I'd say 'get the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2', but that was what I knew worked.
    Today you have two other options (from the same company):

  • Scarlett Solo - $99.

    I takes only one input - but you only have one microphone, right? It converts upto 24 bits (where as my own only goes to 16 bit).

  • Scarlett 2i2 (gen 2) - $149.

    This takes two inputs, so when you plugin your guitar you get a separate channel for each... It is also 24 bit, where as my gen 1 is only 16 bit.

    Are there others? Yes - plenty, but I don't know them.

    -----

    So microphones with XLR?

  • I have a Røde NT1 (as a kit) for $269.

  • The Blue Yeti Pro ($245) are spoken of as the next step up from its little brother (USB-microphone, mentioned above).


    Steep price for a starter, right? Well, the sound from it is not too bad, and this is where you need to remember what I wrote in my previous post - Your clients want clear sound. You can get clear sound from the USB-devices as well, but there will still be some quality loss between them. Decide for yourself what you want, and how much you want to spend on it.
    This list can go on forever, but it's getting late right now, so I'll holdt that here.

    ----

    I talked about sound treatment, yes?

  • /u/sureillrecordthat has a great YouTube channel, where he posted a "booth" to record in (hear the actual recording at about 13:03.

  • If you don't have a walk-in closet, you can do as I already posted and make sure you cover the microphone from reflected sound waves.

  • If that's not an option, put up cheap panels to absorb the sound waves. They work SO DAMN WELL.

    Best of luck with your adventure :)
u/Du6e · 1 pointr/buildapcforme

Since you're new to the PC gaming world, I'll try to give you some recommendations that will prevent the some future regret.

Parts:

u/omnid3vil · 1 pointr/Filmmakers

I think others have said it, but your best bet is to forget about the camera and start with what you have. Even cheap phones work well enough for youtube as long as you can pump enough light into them. You are better off concentrating on the rest of your kit first.

Audio is the most important part of your video. Nothing will make someone skip your videos faster than having terrible audio quality, especially if you are wanting to do ASMR and mukbangs. If you are going to blow your budget somewhere I recommend going big on your audio. For starter mics I recommend the Audio-Technica AT875R. It is a killer mic and the best bang for the buck mic I have found so far. You will need a recorder, but to save money starting out you can record directly to your computer using a cheap phantom to usb adapter and Audacity.

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT875R-Gradient-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B000BQ79W0/

https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-1-Channel-Microphone-Condenser-Recording/dp/B076WF7DSP/

The other thing you will need starting out is light. Your footage is going to look terrible if you just record with available light inside. There are alot of cheap led lights out there but for the most bang for the buck I recommend going the DIY route. A pack of high cri led bulbs is cheap and will give you more light than any similarly priced panel will. You will need a trip to a home improvement store for a fixture and extension cord. I think FilmRiot has a tutorial on this setup, and you can even build a dimmer into the cord for about $10 more. Then you can diffuse the light through a frosted shower curtain for great soft light.

https://www.amazon.com/TORCHSTAR-Dimmable-Equivalent-1600lm-Daylight/dp/B07JMP9K7W/

https://www.amazon.com/Nuvo-SF77-193-Polished-24-Inch/dp/B01F4DSYDM/

https://www.amazon.com/Woods-General-Purpose-Extension-Black/dp/B000KKJUHE/

https://www.amazon.com/GE-Dimmer-Rotate-Almond-18020/dp/B002DNG3EE/

https://www.amazon.com/Hubbell-5320-2-Weatherproof-inches-Bronze/dp/B000BW3EK0/

The last thing you will need is a tripod for your phone. You aren't shooting anything that really needs or would benefit too much from alot of movement, so a gimbal or steadicam is just overkill and unnecessary. There are a million tripods out there, but for the sake of consistency I will link to one I found.

https://www.amazon.com/Acuvar-Aluminum-Universal-Smartphone-Smartphones/dp/B00SHJPMEU/

So there's the kit I would put together if I was starting out again. It will give you a great foundation to grow from and when the budget appears for a better camera it will still help you out (I still use my DIY lights in my home studio even now that I have a trunk full of much better lights). I'm not sure what you have lying around to make this cheaper, but by my rough maths you are looking at about $350 USD for everything on my list, and you could probably hunt around and get it even cheaper.

​

As to editors, I recommend ponying up the bucks for Adobe. It's a little expensive, but it's better to spend a little now rather than spend the time learning a cheap or free NLE and then having to relearn Adobe down the road if you decide to up your game. If you absolutely don't have the budget both Hitfilm's and Davinci have a free version that is pretty solid.

​

edit: forgot to mention software.

u/ArpinArp · 1 pointr/letsplay

Just thought I'd throw in my personal set up as well, if you want to explore multiple options

Capture device/software: Elgato Game Capture HD

The Elgato is incredible. It's very simple to use and comes with all of the cables you need. It's capable of capturing in 1080p which is a great plus. The software that comes with it is very easy to use and works very well. One of the best features of this capture card is that the files that it makes are remarkably small considering their quality. I'll record like an hour and a half of 1080p gameplay and only end up with an 18GB file but the quality still looks perfect.

It allows you to capture your voice from a microphone at the same time that you play, but I like to be able to change the volume on my own later so I use Audacity as well. The software also has integration with Twitch if you want to livestream, however I haven't used this feature yet.

Overall, the elgato might be a little bit more of an investment but it's DEFINITELY worth it. You'll get great quality and it'll make recording a lot easier. It also has support for legacy consoles and since it uses HDMI/component it should be compatible with the next generation of consoles as well.

Microphone: Blue Yeti

I use the Yeti but there are cheaper options by Blue that also have fantastic audio quality. If you're looking for something on the cheaper side, go for the Blue Snowball hands down or maybe the Blue Nessie. The Snowball is one sale right now on amazon and it's definitely worth that price. A lot of commentators over look audio and just use their headset or laptop mic. In my opinion thats a huge mistake and for many people that will make or break whether or not they enjoy your video.

As far as video editing goes, g4video is right, Vegas is the way to go. But its expensive software. Elgato comes with editing software as well which seems like a good start if you can't afford Vegas as well.

u/thepensivepoet · 6 pointsr/Guitar

Ableton is a great DAW and is my preferred software choice for recording/editing.

You can use the TASCAM to capture your performances and transferring those .wav files into Ableton for editing but you'll have a much better experience recording directly into your computer.

You can go a few different routes here. You can pick up an audio interface that accepts an XLR connection for a proper microphone like a Presonus Audiobox and an SM57 which will allow you to capture as good a single channel signal as you can really get outside of a big recording studio.

OR you can go with something cheaper like a Blue Snowball USB microphone. These things actually sound surprisingly good and have multiple settings for directional and omni modes for different situations.

Once you have a way of capturing audio directly into Ableton you can start building up your songs layer by layer. Experiment with things like EQ and compression/delay/etc to make your guitar tracks sound nicer. There are built in patched in Ableton for EQ like "Acoustic Guitar" or "Electric Guitar" and just dragging one of those onto your channel will be a great place to start.

That's a skill in and of itself but you have to start somewhere so start experimenting.

When starting out applying EQ to tracks I'd start this way :

  • Solo the track so you're only listening to the single layer

  • Create a single EQ filter with a high Q value so it creates a really sharp and thin "peak" and drag it upwards so it's amplifying a very narrow band of frequencies quite a bit.

  • Drag that "peak" left and right while the audio is playing and listen for something that jumps out at you as unpleasant. Now drag the peak DOWN to bring those frequencies down in the mix to remove whatever harshness you discovered. Bring down the Q value to make that trough a bit wider and smoother.

    Do that 3 or 4 times on a channel and you'll have something that sounds a bit nicer. If you do too much it'll sound hollow and empty so make subtle adjustments as much as possible. Don't dump that "bad frequency" all the way to the bottom, just bring it down a little bit so it doesn't jump out at you.

    You won't be creating drastically new tones this way, just polishing them so they sound nicer.

    Having a good pair of headphones or even some inexpensive studio monitors will also be extremely helpful so you can accurately hear what you're producing.

    Use the built-in metronome and record with headphones (so the click doesn't get picked up by the microphone) to keep things tight.

    Once you've finished your audio and it's how you like it THEN film your video and just play along with the click. Don't use any audio from the video recording and just pair the two back up in editing.
u/JohannesVerne · 14 pointsr/VoiceActing

Personally, I think the MXL V67G is a good mic choice for beginners. It has a warm tone that's pretty forgiving for a lot of voice types, it takes EQ decently, and it's only ~$65. It has a good bass response, which many cheaper mics lack, and the upper frequencies are fairly smooth.

For the interface, pretty much any full interface will work. I normally recommend the Behringer UM2 for the price (~$40), but as long as you avoid stuff like the Neewer phantom power supply (which isn't an actual interface) you'll be fine. If you have extra money, something like the Audient iD4 (or iD14 if you need two inputs/think you will in the future) or Apogee Duet are good choices. They both have a good amount of clean gain (no hiss from the preamps) and they don't color the sound much, if any.

You will also need a mic stand, XLR cable, pop filter, and headphones. To get all that, it's going to cost about the same as a Blue Yeti (minus the headphones, but you'd need to buy those for the Yeti as well) and will sound far better.

If you have the money though, look around and test mics out before you buy. Every mic is going to sound slightly different, and just because one mic is popular or fits one person well doesn't mean it's the best choice for you. There are plenty of mics under $1000 (even under $500) that are phenomenal, you just need to find the one that suits your voice the best. As for mid-price mics that you may be interested in, there is the Lewitt LTC 440 Pure, Aston Origin, Rode NT1, CAD e100s, and Audio-Technica AT4040. This is just a list to get you started looking, and by no means covers all the good mics, so look around for what you think will suit you. Test out what you can, because you don't want to spend that much money without being sure it will sound right for you.

​

More important than mic selection though, is acoustic treatment. Even the best, most expensive mics are going to sound terrible in an untreated space. You can buy panels or foam squares, but if you're tight on money you can improvise this pretty easily. There are tons of youtube tutorials, so I won't spend too much time on it, but some good materials are blankets (moving blankets, quilts, comforters, basically anything really thick with lots of dead space), cushions, and pillows. If you have a fully stocked walk-in closet, that's even better.

u/IMissMyZune · 7 pointsr/makinghiphop

I'm assuming you have a physical location to record & some type of computer.

Do this:

Get ahold of $100-$500. Buy a microphone & either some really nice headphones or some studio monitors (i recommend headphones if you can't do both). My first mic was a Blue Snowball. I love using my Audio Technica headphones. Probably not gonna win you any grammys but it will teach you some things until you can afford a better setup.

OBTAIN... in whichever way you see fit... some software to record on called a DAW. From the free software Audacity to something like Logic Pro X or Studio One. Just get one. There's hundreds of tutorials on youtube on how to use them. You're also going to want to get some Vsts. Google will be your friend for this section lol.

Practice making songs on here in the cypher & collab call threads. There's also a billion beats on youtube that nobody's going to know you used if you just keep it between yourself and some friends.

Do that for however long it takes for you to feel that you're good. There's plenty of forums out there like gearslutz and this one and some others that you can get info on.

When you feel like you're good start buying beats and all that stuff. Until then you're going to have to practice and learn what you sound like and what makes a good song otherwise it'll be a waste of money. It's much cheaper to collab with people though...

For networking if you make a good song and start sharing it with your friends it'll get around since you're still in high school. That's already 2k potential fans & they all have people that they know. Start with them. It's NYC and the world is much smaller than you think...

EDIT: Also never pay to do a show and stay on the lookout for scammers.

u/akjax · 2 pointsr/Twitch

First off I think it's fantastic you want to support his interests. That's awesome!

I see that he already has a PS4 and gaming PC. As others have said you can stream directly from the PS4. If you are able to obtain the specifications - CPU (processor) model, amount of RAM, and graphics card type are the key factors - I (or many others) will be able to tell you if the computer is good to stream on or if it would need an upgrade.

I see a lot of people saying you should get a Blue Yeti. It is a great mic, no doubt, but the Blue Snowball Ice is a fantastic alternative to the Yeti if money is tight. Get some kind of stand for it though, having a good mic is nothing if it can't be positioned properly.

Something like this is very common


Personally I use one of these mounted to this


I would HIGHLY recommend starting off cheap. I always recommend this to anyone starting out, old or young, money tight or not. I have seen dozens of streamers get incredibly stoked to start, spend hundreds (or thousands) on streaming specific equipment, and then drop it entirely after a few months. Start off with the basics, don't splurge on anything high end.

If the streaming goes will, it will start to provide income! Since he's just 13 and doesn't pay for rent or food or anything he can take that income and invest it in better equipment, more games to play, etc. It could be a great way for him to learn to manage money!


All that said - streaming is something that a parent should keep a close eye on. Your child is broadcasting himself for anyone that happens to drop in. The range of people that will drop in will be incredibly wide. There will be incredibly wonderful and supportive people, there will be mean people, but there will also be people who are "weird" and may make you or your child uncomfortable without actually doing anything that most people would consider a bannable offense. For example, some people will come in and start trying to discuss their personal problems which can be hard to deal with delicately.

I would urge you to try to learn as much about Twitch and streaming as you can, and keep a close eye on chat when he does stream. Get an account on Twitch and have you son make you a "Mod" in his channel so that you are able to ban bad actors. If you have the free time, watch some other Twitch channels to get an idea of what it's like. That's probably something you can do with your son! :)

If you have any other specific questions feel free to ask, I'll help as best I can.

u/GODDZILLA24 · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

(For tl;dr just look at the parts in bold)

I'm not the first nor will I be the last person to say this, but pretty much every brand is gonna be on this list. Personally, I've never had a large issue with any brand, nothing of the caliber to make me not buy from them again.

I feel that you should avoid certain products or product lines. Here are some things that I avoid/know of, for your consideration:

  1. Gaming headsets are nearly always garbage. Get yourself a nice pair of headphones, and a separate microphone. Here's my setup. I use the products right below. They're all fantastic, I've been using them all since last summer, and am happy to answer any questions about them. I also know some good alternatives.
  1. In general, a cheaper product is more likely to be lesser quality. I know, this isn't true for every single product, but that's why you should always do your research on something before purchasing it, no matter what it is (tip for being a smart consumer).
  • Example: Corsair's cheaper line of power supplies, the CX line, is of lower quality than their RX series. I've used both, and have had issues with neither, however I have heard of people having issues with the older CX series (it was revised, I think in 2015?). The RX series is more expensive than the CX series, but has higher quality components, and a higher effciency rating. Do your research.

  1. Since it is the most controversial brand on the list: Razer is a very hit and miss company. I have had 3 of their mice: The Deathadder Chroma, the Lancehead, and currently the Basilisk. I loved the Deathadder, but I decided to upgrade when the Lancehead came out, after trying it at Best Buy (the wireless version). Ended up not liking the Lancehead after 6 months, it didn't fit my grip well (and wireless version has a more "premium" material that's super sleek, looks nice, but isn't grippy enough for my taste (their usual material is better). So I ordered the Basilisk off of their website right when it was released (October 2017), after doing a fair amount of research, and I love it. No issues with the mouse so far. The software used to control it, Razer Synapse 3.0, is still in development, so it's pretty broken right now (it's shit currently, forgets my profiles from time to time, but I only change sensitivity so it's not a big deal), however it doesn't look like gamery trash like 2.0 did, so it's an improvement. I also had an OG Black Widow with Cherry MX browns that I found at Goodwill - worked good as new, ended up selling it to a friend, he still has it, it still works - I think it's about 6 years old now. tl;dr not everything Razer makes is shit.



    The 1TB Western Digital Blue HDD is probably the most popular component that I have never heard critizism for.
u/Aymanbb · 3 pointsr/EDM

Yes but M50x is the top of the line that you should get. It's also the most stable and popular one out of all, the others are kinda the "little brothers" of M50x.

I have had my pair for 7 years now, not even the x version but the older one and they are superb.

Few things I'll say off the bat though: Buying SRH840 EARPADS and replace the default m50x's ones is going to change your life. They fit perfectly and the comfort is so much better.

I had to take off the m50x after an hour or so as my ears starts to hurt. Once I bought the 840 earpads I could have it on literally all day without even noticing it's there. Such a massive difference.

That being said, despite M50x being incredible and fucking amazing for the price you're paying, it's also designed for mixing use, so it might not have the biggest soundstage or listening experience. It's amazing for hearing details, and has a nice bass. But I think there could be, not sure, something out there that is more based around soundstage and a wider listening experience, maybe lacks more in details but gives you a better party going in your ears.

But at the very least I can confirm that M50X is better than any other MX with a lower number. My brother has a M30X and the 50 completely blows it out both in sound quality + comfort.

u/Reddit4Play · 5 pointsr/rpg

You're going to have a few options here.

The first is obviously a headset. This is by far the easiest solution, since it's all-in-one headphones and microphone. The headphones are isolated from the mic, too, which means you don't need to worry about echo or picking up any noise otherwise coming out of your speakers.

Since you say you'd rather not wear a headset, though, that's out of the picture, I guess.

The next best option, I think, is some combination of headphones and mic (it's more of a pain in the ass to set up, since the components are separate, but it might get you a bit more quality, too). If that's not possible, I guess speakers and mic is it.

As for the microphones that you can pair with whichever sound output is your choice (speakers or headphones), you have a few options there, too.

The easiest of these are basically designed as PC peripherals that use either USB or 1/8th inch analog line in ports. Pretty much anything that comes up when you search "desktop mic" on Google will fit into this category. From general consensus, one of the best of these mics is the Blue Snowball mic. It's got very good quality and it's relatively cheap as far as high end desk mics go, and the USB format means it's usually easier to get working than the line in kind. If you want to get really fancy there are some good lapel mics out there, too, but frankly unless you're roleplaying on your tablet while walking around your house you can probably make do with a desk mic.

Beyond this stage is what might be termed "professional mics", at which point you need to become concerned with knowledge of condenser vs. diaphragm, phantom power, and audio interfaces (largely because your PC doesn't have an XLR-in port, which is the cable these microphones almost always use). This is probably somewhat above your price range and needs. If you really want I can explain more about them, though.

So now back to your specifics -

> I'd rather not wear a headset.

Headset's the easiest, but any mic paired with headphones is just as good (albeit more annoying to configure). Mic + speakers will often get you echo and unintentional pickup, but there's not much you can do about that as the end-user since echo cancellation is usually handled by the VOIP software and not your microphone.

> I'd like to be able to just talk normally and have the microphone pick up what I'm saying.

All microphones do this, since if they are turned on they are always transmitting data to your computer - including whatever you happen to say. Not all software does this, but if you configure your software of choice to pick up any noise over a given threshold (including a threshold of 'always on') you will get this effect.

> Ideally something that works in such a way that even 'push-to-talk' becomes redundant.

I'm not sure what this means. If it's important and I haven't covered it yet, please feel free to elaborate.

u/squidthesid · 1 pointr/letsplay

I definitely agree with you on game selection. I see so many people in a YouTube Gamers Facebook group covering the same games as PewDiePie, JackSepticEye, Markiplier and wondering why they don't grow at all.

I do think that it's fine to make videos on a game if you're new if you have a niche. For example, the PC version of NieR: Automata has a lot of issues, and there are plenty of user mods to alleviate those issues (by using the FAR mod, among other tools). Not many people have video tutorials on those (and none at the time I made the video, I think), so I made some tutorials on those.But that requires some research and knowhow on the game you're covering.

Between three of the videos, I have something like 7.5k views, which is not bad for a fledgling channel like mine (and I didn't really promote the videos on social media).

The AT 2020 is something you might want to link to in your article. I'm happy with my Blue Yeti, but I've heard people prefer the AT 2020.

I'd throw a shoutout for Hitfilm 4 Express as a great free video editing tool. It does pretty much everything you need to out of the box, for no cost, and you can buy reasonably priced upgrade kits to get fancier effects (I think the starter pack is worth the 10 bucks, but I didn't need it).

It doesn't seem to support MP4s with multiple audio tracks (only selects the first one), but if you're using audacity to record your mic, this isn't too much of an issue.


As for scheduling, really good information there. I actually didn't know that information about alerts.

I'd say game specific sub-reddits are fantastic for views. I do a lot of Warframe stuff, and if one of my videos gets popular there, I can easily see 10x the views on a video.

But yeah, great article as a whole and a good intro for newbies.

u/Ipp · 1 pointr/starcraft
  • Best reasonable price mic: Blue Snowball
  • Programs: Fraps for VOD Only, XSplit for livecasting (TwitchTV can upload to YT, so you don't need fraps if you live cast)

    I copied and pasted my response from a other caster I was giving advice to:

    You can't use viewer count for motivation. For a new caster each video is a lotto ticket, there is a very small chance one of your casts will make it on a site such as SC2Casts or Reddit but when it does you will get 1000 views and hope that 5% of those come back. Until that happens, just upload on a consistent schedule; for instance I just started live casting at 19:00 EST every day and uploading the VODs to Youtube. By setting up a schedule you are catering to "the 1%" who watch you, hoping they tell friends and such.

    If you still enjoy casting after following a schedule for a month or two, look into purchasing some gear to improve your quality. You can't look it like "I will buy a $100 mic and it will get me more views and pay itself off!". You're staying at home more and if you are like me staying at home means you are not going out to the bar; which is saving you money. It now becomes I saved $100 this month by not going out; I reward myself with a microphone.

    Don't advertise your video's until you are very happy with them yourself; you will only get flamed and demotivated. Every new caster can improve upon something; vocabulary, mic, and just over all quality. Watch every video you make and take notes until you get comfortable.

    If you want replays, I have been attaching replays to my YouTube casts lately http://youtube.com/RageQuitTV but if you just google "SC2 Replays" you will find many replays. However I sift through them which ensures they are good games.
u/Pointythings88 · 2 pointsr/animation

Yeah I could suggest a few.

[Blue Yeti] (http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418924712&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+yeti&pebp=1418924714123)
MXL 990 Condenser Mic
Audio Technica AT2035 I have owned all of these and they might be pricey for you, but any one of them are worth the investment. My favorite is the AT4040, but that is like $300. The AT2035 is a great alternative to that and it's what I use a secondary. Anyone of these are fine just read some reviews check out their manufacturer's webpage. It's important to get a good mic that is right for you. For example the Blue Yeti was nice, but I have a kinda high pitched voice and it was not picking up mid frequencies as well as I would have liked.

If you don't feel like spending that much a couple of good mics are:
Audio Technica ATR2500 $66 on Amazon.
and
MXL 770 $60 on Amazon

EDIT: Forgot to mention. We actually have pretty similar voices oddly enough as it is. Another thing I noticed was the amount of essing (the his sound while pronouncing s) and a little bit of pop on hard consonants. I would lean towards getting a mic with a good mid-range focus and a pop-filter.

u/_Diren_ · 1 pointr/podcasts

essentialy youwant to be able to do the following -

Record localy- despite what everyone may say , recording localy is a HUGE deal. yes it means you need to learn to edit, but say person X screams in the podcast - you can edit it out. say friend y talks over someone a lot? again cut it out. you have WAY more power to do it with. i highly recomend doing it. bonus - you can do it for free. we use a program called "open broadcast studio", which allows you to record incomign sound and outgoing sound. i advise if you are new to editing you start off by recording in and out and seperate them in something like audacity, which il lget into later. but more importantly yeah it will give you all individual files. that way if someone has bad internet it dosent matter. it takes some training but you get it

common problem we found was if people use headsets with a mic and headphones ,they will not be able to record seperately and will have to record them together

next - cloud storage. sounds dumb, but if you are working with people in different places you want a place you can dump stuff you need. take up the google drive 100gb plan. its $2 a month and my god, its just so usefull. we dump EVERYTHING in ours. books we are reading for the show, music for the show, notes, recordings, it makes getting the files so much easier and we dont have to think about ever hitting the limit.

microphones - any podcast with bad audio is not a podcast at all. you need mics, all of you. fortunatly you have options. blue yeti are good but there are pleanty of other options. i advise staying away from headsets with mics as they can cause problems in recording (it registers both the mic and the audio coming in from the headphones as both local audio and audio incoming, so it screws up all your settings) you can fortunatly pick up a cheap microphone. while i have an ok one samson co1u usb studio condenser my friend got this one yesterday for £13 works fine, does the job, audio is good and yeah. there are a bunch of accessories i could recomend but the main one is pop filters, they help out a hell of a lot

Edditing: did you say a joke that fell flat? did someone fart really loud and it was out of place and reduced professionalism? check out audacity. its a free and great starting place for audio edditing.

then you need stuff like logos, ideas,etc. honestly? if you wana have fun and do it quick just do skype recorder and record calls. but despite what it may sound like, podcasts are so much more than just a few friends on a phone call together. i recomend spending a few weeks discussing things and working together on it before you start. we hvae been looking at starting a podcast for about...2 years now, and this current project we are about to launch next month has been worked on for around a month and a half prior.

u/Solarbg · 2 pointsr/podcasts

In all honesty I think any mic should work out. all you have to keep in mind is that although the mic does play a big role, the DAW (editing software) plays an even bigger role. I recorded my first 10 episodes with this set up. unfortunately the audio quality is different from one episode to an other but thats only because i tried different things while I edited the audio.

​

The mic is the Neewer-700. I'm from Canada so this is the link i got it. hopefully you can find it where you are located

https://www.amazon.ca/Neewer-Professional-Broadcasting-Microphone-Adjustable/dp/B00XOXRTX6/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1536802291&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=microphone&psc=1

​

The mic in this is technically around 20 dollars. this mic is a more sensitive mic so you will need to play around with your gain (the knob on your mixer or audio interface) that changes the sensitivity of your mic.

​

I strongly believe either one of your choices will work out great. work with what you have and as you learn new things you will realize which direction you want to go with your audio. That was honestly the way I learn how to do it.

​

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me. I would be more than happy to help out a fellow podcaster (keep in mind im also new at this and still learning new things).

​

Take care,

u/Doneuter · 1 pointr/letsplay

Hey McDaddy,

Great question!

I'm doing something similar and have some advice for you.


The big thing that you're going to be looking to invest in is Audio equipment. A phone can be used as a camera if you would like a facecam.


As far as audio goes, you're probably going to want to go with a Preamp and a condenser Mic. This will allow you to work from the preamp, and fine tune the audio before it even gets recorded in the computer.


  • A great and Affordable* preamp that I have used for a while can be found here: Behringer Xenyx Q902USB


    This Preamp simply plugs into a USB slot on your computer, then you plug in a mic, preferably with an XLR cable in order to be able to use the features of the Condenser Mic.


  • A good, and extremely cost effective condenser Mic w/ Vice Arm and Pop filter can be found here: Neewer NW-700


    This DOES NOT come with a straight XLR Cable, so you would need to buy one was well, but they run about $8-10


    IF that is not affordable enough (We're looking about the $120-150 range currently), you could go with a cheap USB Mic. Someone below suggested a Blue Yeti mic, which wile good quality, is honestly not necessary.


  • I suggest this mic, which is what I used before working with Condenser mics: Samson Go Mic


    Beyond this, the only other thing that I could think that you may need beyond a computer would be a capture card, but ONLY if you are recording from a console. Even then you most likely only absolutely need one to record from a Switch or something that is from a previous generation of consoles.


    With decent internet you can stream a PS4/XB1 straight to your PC using PS4 Remote Play App or the Xbox Console Companion App respectively, which you can record in OBS.


    Feel free to DM me if you have any questions!

    *Not exactly the most budget friendly, but it's a great value for what you can do with it.
u/rolypolypanda · 6 pointsr/buildapcsales

Just feel like mentioning that a larger soundstage is nice for gaming, but will mean that sound leaks out of the headphones. If you live with roommates or in close-quarters (like a dorm), you absolutely should buy closed-back headphones or (even better imo) some nice in-ear monitors.

I just picked up the Massdrop x NuForce EDC in-ears and they are brilliant. Perfect for, well, every day carry. Throw them in my backpack, great for jogging, snug fit, crisp and deep profile.

Just throwing that out there.

I use the ATH-M50's at work. I replaced the ear cups with slightly larger and softer Shure ear cups, and I had to get a knit wrap for the headband, which was starting to flake. Overall, I highly recommend the ATH-M50 cans, they sound punchy and fun, but still flat enough to not overtly influence music to the point where I feel like using a software EQ. No amp needed, I plug directly into my MacBook Pro and play Spotify high quality @ 320 kbps.

u/DrProfJohnson · 2 pointsr/letsplay

I'm just starting out so I may not be the best help but here it goes...

We've done videos so far with either 3 or 4 people. We use the Blue Snowball Microphone and it's been pretty fantastic thus far. It's works great in groups.

We have that mic plugged into a MacbookPro (Which is hooked up to the TV) which is running the capture program Screenflick. Screenflick is pretty phenomenal and quite simple to use. The one issue is that it records both game audio and mic audio into one track so any kind of ducking or advanced editing isn't going to work.

That was our initial set up and it worked pretty well, however we ran into the issue of the mic picking up TV sound which made the videos sound... subpar. So I picked up a Belkin 5 Way Audio Splitter which has been working flawlessly so far.

I have a relatively simple set up but it's been pretty powerful so far. Let me know if you have any questions! :)

u/Lynchbread · 1 pointr/audiophile

Wow thanks for the detailed reply!
> This is a bit of a tricky setup, but as long as you only want to use the microphone on your PC it is pretty achievable.

Yeah I do only want to use the mic on my PC.
>
> Also if you want to play the sound off your PC and use a gaming console, you will require a mixer to play both sources. If you don't require this it makes your setup less complicated.

Yeah it sounds like I need a mixer since I want both sources. So it sounds like setup 1 will work for me.

> This will not sound as good as option 2.

Do you have any recommendations on how I could improve Setup 1's sound? I'm willing to spend more money if need be. If not though I'm sure the mixer will sound fine.

> As far as microphones go, try a USB one (this is a decent cheaper one, you can go more or less expensive: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014PYGTUQ) to reduce the audio noise your friends are telling you about.

That looks perfect! I think that's the mic I will buy.

EDIT: Also any recommendations on quality cables to buy to try an alleviate any of the static that may be coming from them?

u/the_krillep · 1 pointr/Twitch

This combined with an InnoGear Phantom Power Supply works really great as a starter kit. I bought it some weeks ago, and I was really surprised of the quality of the mic. To the price I thought it would be really horrible with all the other things that comes in the package, but it's really great. Works wonders especially if you have a good soundboard on your motherboard. The pop filter is really tricky to put on since it has a weird shape for it's clamp, so I bought this mudder pop filter and it fits perfectly on the mic. If you're on a budget or just don't want to go full ham with your blue yetis or other super fancy mics, then these items can be recommended for an aspiring streamer :)


But it's a really good guide you have made here, thank you! :D

Edit: the phantom power supply is from the uk, so you'll need a converter for it to work with your power outlet if you don't live in the uk. Else any other phantom power supply should work just as fine. There's not an XLR cable included in the kit, but they're pretty cheap and can be found in almost every electronics store or music department.

u/-Gamebomb- · 2 pointsr/LetsPlayCritiques

I definitely think you should invest in a better microphone. If you can save up some money and get your hands on a Blue Nessie or a Snowball, it would be the best idea. They are relatively cheap, and you can plug them directly into your computer without the need of an audio interface (meaning they are USB microphones, not XLR). You also might want to invest in a better camera for yourself. I can see that there is some frame bleeding, and I can assume that you're using a webcam. Got an iPhone? Those work better than most personal digital cameras.

Are you capturing your game footage, video footage, and audio with the same program? (Programs like Game Capture HD can do this) If so, you have more control over your content if you record everything separately, then sync them up on editing software.

But overall, you have some great content! People will definitely enjoy your content more as you evolve as a Let's Player, and you'll definitely be able to grow your fanbase. Just keep yourself consistent and try to be as entertaining as possible.

Good luck!

-Gamebomb

u/RealFREE · 1 pointr/youtubers

Hi.

Your channel does need improving, as you say the microphone quality needs improving, as well as the banner. I could highly recommend the Blue Snowball Ice, or the Turtlebeach PX21 headset for microphone quality (I use both)

The actual video quality is great, very clear to see, and the added bonus of 60fps. The only issue I have is the length of the videos. I know that a lot of people prefer watching a video that is less than 10 minutes long, sometimes up to 15 minutes. 45 minutes for a single video, personally, is way too long for a small channel. You could combat this by including key parts of the games only, and cutting any slow, or unentertaining sections out. This will also help create a more interesting video, and should help you get some more subscribers.

I would also recommend having an intro, around 5-10 seconds long at max, as this will show viewers that you are putting effort and time into your video, and show a little more professionalism in the beginning of your videos.

When speaking, make sure you are not saying "ur, erm" so on. This will show that you haven't really thought through what you want to say in the video. I personally have some notes on paper next to myself when recording a video which is not live, as this allows you to keep to the point, while also not forgetting what you are wanting to say. If you do this once in a while, you could look at cutting the section out. Also, try to edit the audio so that there is not a lot of silent parts. I usually record a point at a time, then edit the audio to allow it all to feed together, allowing it to sound like a single sentence. If you know what I mean.

You do have some work to do on the channel, but the majority of this will be easier over time to do as habit, and will improve the quality greatly. You have a good clear voice, you just need a good microphone to be able to show this fully.

Good luck with your channel.

u/giri0n · 1 pointr/youtubers

I'd second the Blue Yeti; they make great mics. I have the Blue Yeti Nano for quick laptop style voice overs and podcasting, and I like it as well. It's a little cheaper, but the sound is a bit flatter (some of that can be changed in post if you like)

As an alternative, I bought this mic from Audio Technica back when I first got into podcasting/video production. Its not super expensive, and there are deals occasionally. The connection is standard USB and the audio quality is very clean. If you're recording in a bedroom/studio or other area that isn't going to get outside noise contamination, this is also a great choice, but it WILL pick up other sounds around you if you aren't careful. But I love mine, and its been a couple years and works great, plus you can accessorize with your choice of pop filters, mounting arms, or whatever else you like.

I'd say as far as cost, with audio - you DO get what you pay for, but you can get really really good quality for under $200 pretty easily. Good luck!

u/Sen7ryGun · 1 pointr/PCSound

Depends on your total budget, but my best advice for a relatively cheap starter set for bringing your audio setup up to a solid standard on a stationary desktop PC goes like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XCKGLTP/ - Fifine cardioid USB condenser mic

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GRMF5ZE/ - Neewer mic boom arm and pop filter

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BDX1IVW/ - Status Audio CB-1 closed back headphones

Total price - $111 USD

Don't worry about an external audio interface until you're looking at a proper professional setup or are having specific audio issues that require you to move your audio processing solution to the outside of your PC case. I've been into desktop audio for a few years now and this is my ultimate "bang for your buck" setup I recommend to people looking to get away from gaming headsets while keeping to a gaming headset budget. I have a couple of friends now running this setup and they love it. The mic is nice and clear, the boom lets you get it out of the way and have it wherever you like and the headphones sound great and are incredibly comfortable for long ass listening or gaming sessions. There's no XLR adaption to worry about and everything will plug straight into your PC as it stands right now.

u/silentcovenant · 1 pointr/Twitch

I don't know much about mics, but I just wanted to let you know my experience(s) with the mic I just bought. I picked up a Samson C01U because it's a lot cheaper than the more popular AT2020 and and Blue Yeti condenser mics.

If you're on Windows 8+ like I am, the default USB Audio Device drivers, the one that will be installed when you plug in an USB mic, isn't as good as it was on Windows 7.

My same mic performs better on Windows 7 because of the gain settings. By default the mic is set to around 50% sensitivity level(gain). If you tried speaking into it on Windows 8, you'd have to pretty much put the mic into your mouth before you can hear anything. One Windows 7, it's still pretty soft, but at least you can see something moving on your recording software.

I have mine currently set to around 96% and my voice sounds good, but it also picks up everything else.. On Win7, to have it sound similar, I can leave the levels at around 80%.

What I do to combat that issue--I've tried searching everywhere for driver help, no such luck--I just use the Noise Gate feature on OBS, or any other software that uses that mic.

Anyways, to get back to your question get a condenser mic. The Rode Podcaster is a dynamic mic, which will most likely pick up more sound than a condenser mic. What the condenser mic does is pickup sound from a 'condensed' area, usually right in-front of the mic, not above/behind/next-to it. Keep in mind, if you do decide to go with a Dynamic mic, it isn't as sensitive as a condenser mic, so it might help with the background noise assuming it isn't too loud. Although, you'd probably have to speak louder than usual for it to be clear.

Also, if your computer can handle it, you can use Adobe Audition to de-noise/de-hiss your audio and output it to your stream/chat software. I've yet to try this method, might try it tonight.

u/TacticalPopsicle · 1 pointr/buildapcsales

There's tons of good options sub $100, HyperX Clouds are really popular on this sub, I haven't tried them myself but my friends like it and the reviews look good.


If you want a split headphone/mic system, audiotechina and sennhieser are pretty good that have headphones in sale somewhat often. Just be sure to get a decent mic like the snowball although this mic might push you over your budget with the headphonws i listed. Theres good headphones by phillips and monoprice that are ~$50 o keep you under $100. Or a cheap clip on like this zalman one I use this mic and the only issue I have is that theres no mute button but most chat programs have one so its not too bad.


As for the mic issue have you tried playing with the windows setting and your chat program? You could boost your mic and adjust the threshold to not pick up your breathing noises

u/forrestimel · 1 pointr/letsplay

Hey man,

Good stuff in that video, I gotta try that Cat Quest game! I have some small suggestions for video editing and then a major suggestion for sound.

For editing, it may seem really small, but how you pop things in to frame can add so much to a joke. This video on how Edgar Wright does visual comedy is great and goes over the theory of "popping" into frame. Just think of Kramer from Seinfeld. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FOzD4Sfgag

When things come from nowhere it seems haphazard and feels choppy (referring to the master chief and bayonetta joke). Having something smoothly rush in from the side, top, or bottom of the frame can add a lot to the humor. Especially giving things weight and giving it a little animated squash and stretch.

For the sound, I highly recommend you invest in a new mic. Let's Plays are essentially podcasts with some visuals most of the time, and if the audio quality is low people won't want to listen. I understand not everyone can afford the best mics, but if you can invest in the Blue Snowball it will drastically improve your guys' sound quality and you would only need one. A $70 investment ain't bad for a mic that could last you a very long time. https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Microphone-Textured-White/dp/B000EOPQ7E

But these are just some thoughts and suggestions, keep it up guys!

u/PowderedWigMachine · 3 pointsr/buildastudio

Pro Tools definitely isn't necessary if you're getting Logic Pro, but if it fits your budget at the end, go for it.

For Headphones, Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro, or Sennheiser HD280 Pro if you want to allocate more of the budget to other gear.

Assuming you're not going to doing large sessions, the Steinberg UR44 interface should meet your needs and is very budget-friendly.

The Shure SM57 is a must-have for any studio, great for electric guitar but can be used for just about anything. The SM58 should also definitely be considered.

You'll also probably want something like the Audio-Technica 2035 for recording vocals (or other instruments), and a couple of other mics that I'm sure other people will recommend.

The Yamaha HS8 is a great monitor that you'll find widely used in studios all over the world, and won't break the bank. This package also includes stands and cables.

edit I know it wasn't asked for, but price out what it costs to have someone come and tune a piano in your area. If it's reasonable, take a look on Craigslist, you can often find used upright pianos in great shape for free, being given away by people who are moving and don't play enough to justify the effort of moving it.

EDIT BACKUP DRIVES! Unless the people there have their own way of backing up the things they record, or even if they do, get a couple of hard drives and back things up often, just in case any tragedies should happen.

---

That's all I got off the top of my head, I'll come back and edit this post later if anything else comes to mind, hopefully this is a good starting out point for you.

u/DoctorYogurtButler · 1 pointr/recordthis

Hey, I'm really late, and not as active as I'd like to be, but I just wanted to let you know that I really like your check, great tone and excellent pronunciation. You've definitely got talent for VO work, you should look at getting a better mic and getting demos made.

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-Textured/dp/B000EOPQ7E

A lot of people have good luck with this one, and it's a good price.

u/skeletonmage · 4 pointsr/ColoradoSprings

I would stick with a USB condenser microphone. They're phenomenal as they have a built in condenser and some have built in noise reduction. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do post editing to the show (like running a condenser and noise reducer over your audio), but it helps shave a lot of post work off.

I run the XLR version of the Audio-Technicia AT2020. What I'm linking is the USB version and you may be able to find it used, or cheaper, elsewhere. It's a phenomenally powerful microphone for little cost.

If you want to go XLR, because you feel like you need to do some on the fly mixing, a Scarlet interface + the XLR version of that microphone is a great combination. You can go more advanced with a Behringer Xenyx Q802USB (what I am running), but if you're just starting out keep it simple.

Also pick up a microphone boom, pop filter, and a shock mount (that particular shock mount has a pop filter with it). Keep it off your desk and about 5-6 inches from your mouth when podcasting. You want to reduce all extra noise including mouse clicks, keyboards, or bumping your desk.

If that's too expensive, a Yeti or a Snowball are great introductory microphones. There is a reason everyone uses them. I cut my teeth on a Samson CO1U, but eventually upgraded to the AT because the sound quality is a bit better. Just...always get some kind of arm or tripod or something and keep the microphone suspended.

At the end of the day, as long as you're using some kind of condenser microphone, it doesn't really matter. Post production can help make the whole podcast sound a lot more enjoyable. Just make sure you're consistent, have decent audio quality, and are excited to podcast. I wrote up some dirty tips and tricks here if you're interested.

Good luck!

u/raygan · 3 pointsr/applehelp

You can't really record directly from the iPad to the Mac. I think you're probably going to want to look into getting a webcam. Nearly any USB webcam will work with the Mac.

This is a nice one on the cheap but not super cheap end.

You may also want to get a microphone. Many webcams like the one I just linked have one built in, but these are usually pretty low quality. You might give it a try first with the built in mic but if you want higher quality audio I recommend a nice USB mic like the Blue Snowball. Optional, but it'll make your videos sound 100% better.

All of these can be used as direct input for iMovie. iMovie is great for basic video editing and can upload your work directly to YouTube. It's great software that comes free with every Mac.

u/JayIkalima · 1 pointr/gadgets

Everyone will always recommend the Audio Technica ATH-M50's for a headset, but I'm pretty sure you're looking for a headset with deep, controlled bass, good looks, and stuff like that. V-Moda has awesome headphones and a 20 dollar add-on mini microphone that has decent audio.

The Samson Go Mic has decent audio, but I will recommend the Blue Snowball for better audio at nearly the same price. Many of my friends actually use the Snowball for their home studio setup/recording gaming commentary and more.

Just be careful; the original Snowball and the Snowball iCe aren't the same.

u/Mrmitch65 · 2 pointsr/streaming

For a mic, I recommend a blue snowball, its easy to setup, sounds good and has a stand.

To be honest, I really dont think that a webcam at this early stage would be such a good idea but a good one would be a Logitech C922x

As headphones go, a pair of corsair void pros would be great and have awesome sound quality. The wireless ones are great, plug them in overnight and then play all day and you are good to go! But for simplicity, I recomend the wired version as then you dont have to remember to plug them in

u/Joe_Paquin · 2 pointsr/audioengineering

Here’s my personal recommendations:

For an interface, this is the best bang for the buck on the market right now (again, in my opinion), especially if you’re just starting out :
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00QHURLHM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520813639&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=umc404hd&dpPl=1&dpID=41q-puettzL&ref=plSrch

For a mic(s), it really depends on how extensive (and what) you’re going to be recording, and specifically if you plan on recording real drums or not. I’d recommend just getting one or two mics to start with, and getting more slowly over time, because if you use sampled drums in the beginning (which is a reality for many small home studio owners), you can do quite a lot of work with 2 mics. I’d recommend the following:

Any large diaphragm condenser in this price range will get the job done, but here’s what I use:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00D6RMFG6/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1520814113&sr=8-14&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=condenser+microphone

An SM57 is a standard in many studios, and is also versatile and good to have around:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000AQRST/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520814292&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=sm57&dpPl=1&dpID=31KR2%2BJ86GL&ref=plSrch

Now, for a monitoring situation (a.k.a. How you’re gonna actually listen to what you’re recording and mixing), it’s not the smartest idea to invest in monitors (which will eat up a substantial amount of your budget) without investing in treatment for the acoustics of your room. You could easily spend $500 on these two things alone, so I’d recommend just getting a pair of decent headphones for starting out. I know mixing on headphones is a whole can of worms on its own, but while you’re learning, it’s really not gonna make a difference, as long as you have something better than apple Earbuds (not that they aren’t useful). Just get something where you can really understand the sound of it, and reference on a lot of different systems, especially your car. (Disclaimer, I wouldn’t recommend spending more than $100 on headphones, and try to look for something with a relatively flat response, instead of something with cranked bass and hi end, so you can hear as accurately as possible)

As far as DAWs go, I know how appealing it is to buy the same program that people at the top of the industry might be using, but the truth is that most DAWs nowadays can essentially do the same thing. If you only take one of my recommendations, let it be REAPER. You can use a fully functionally demo for as long as you want, and chances, it’ll do everything you need, especially while you’re starting out. Hell, I know professionals that swear by it, and for good reason; it’s insanely flexible and useful, and for the price point (basically free, but if you end up sticking with it, you really should buy a license, it’s only like $60), you just can’t go wrong.
http://reaper.fm

Edit: Unless you’re gonna be mixing 50 track songs right out of the gate, your MacBook will probably be just fine for the time being

Hope all of this helps, good luck!

u/brodoyouevencaduceus · 1 pointr/League_Of_Legends_

Not sure where your budget bracket falls into, but you can always find good microphones out of popular name brands (Razer comes to mind, I use their Blackshark headset and it's fine) but since you record a lot, you're going to be more focused on your microphone than a full-on headset, so I would recommend going for a desktop standalone. Sennheiser is one of the best makers you can come across, but not the most practical. I think your best bet is to just try one or two out that are Below $100 or so and just keep returning them to the store within a day or so if you haven't found the quality you're looking for.
Couple options I found after just searching a bit:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/snowball-ice-usb-microphone/3242031.p?skuId=3242031&ref=212&loc=DWA&ksid=3e33501a-bb4a-476e-aded-0a38dbf5dd86&ksprof_id=3&ksaffcode=pg213668&ksdevice=t&lsft=ref:212,loc:2&gclid=CjwKEAiA3qXBBRD4_b_V7ZLFsX4SJAB0AtEVX0thRWeC0I_T8xoQ_g66W5jwC3lCUrEQkPnKLful_xoC7U_w_wcB

https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Meteor-Studio-Microphone-Chrome/dp/B004MF39YS/ref=zg_bs_3015406011_7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=J8CFQ57YAJSP6MJ435XS

https://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Beach-Universal-digital-Streaming-TruSpeak/dp/B01GTL4YKK/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1479175250&sr=1-4&refinements=p_36%3A1253505011%2Cp_72%3A1248879011

Hope I'm not too far off the mark, good luck brother



u/jpat_games · 1 pointr/LetsPlayCritiques

I would definitely invest in a new microphone. The blue snowball is a great starter mic. I use it myself and love it. Here is a link. It's a little expensive, but you can sometimes catch them on sale for $40.

I would also recommend trying to move so you have a different background behind you. It just seems like there is a lot going on and I found myself looking at the stuff behind you more than you whenever I saw your facecam. If it's not possible, then it's not a huge deal.

Your commentary is good and it seems like you can come up with some good quips here and there while playing, which is a bonus. I hope this helped you out some! :)

u/jake1825 · 1 pointr/Twitch

Welcome to the Twitch Community!

Regarding the mic echo, I'd suggest to use OBS to stream. There is a Microphone Noise Gate in-built to the program, where you can tweak your microphone settings. If you know its room echo, then you could muffle some of it by putting ie. blankets around the room to cancel out any reverb or echo.

If you're still looking for a good microphone at a decent price, the Blue Snowball still stands proud in quality/price ratio. Its a very good microphone to start off. Currently its 59$ on Amazon, so 10$ over your price range, but you can trust me its well worth the savings. Keep in mind that audio makes 50% of your content and sometimes is even more important than your video.
Try and position your microphone close to your mouth without any obstructions in between. The audio will vary depending on the pickup pattern.

Good luck with the livestreams and recording. If you'd like any more help or some opinion on products, send a PM my way, and I'll reply ASAP. Once again, glad to have you in the community!

GLHF

u/Oneloosetooth · 1 pointr/microphones

I do not agree with previous responder at all.

So.... You are a starter and are probably dipping your toe into the pool for the first time. You are also on r/microphones asking about decent mics, I mean some of the people here will have spent $1000's on a single microphone.

There are plenty of decent entry level microphones from good manufacturers for about $100 or more. But there are also options for people who want something for gaming/streaming and do not want to spend a lot. Those of us who spend money on mics look down on them, but the reality is they are fine for low end stuff....

My friend, when he bought a mic for playing PUBG with me bought something like this...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00XOXRTX6/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1511793284&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Microphone&dpPl=1&dpID=41Eb5zzJy8L&ref=plSrch

I realise it is a UK link, apologies. But it is fine... A good bit of kit, we play PUBG and it is great. Would you want to record yourself singing on it? Probably not.

Now.... The biggest problem that you have, if you were to buy that kit, is powering it. The power is through the 3.5mm jack and Mac's cannot do that. Watch the following review:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLzEW-dm_vsRvIbU0CSlArUBwsmbtpiSZk&v=lUBS7JhQj7g

USB mics are a good way to go and can be got for less than $100. Here is the same reviewers budget mics playlist...

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzEW-dm_vsRvIbU0CSlArUBwsmbtpiSZk

Maybe a good middle road is a Samson microphone. Google Samson USB. It should bring up the Samson Meteor and Samson SAC01UPRO mic... Both fit your budget. But again, make sure of Mac compatability before purchase. You can then buy a cheap boom arm from Amazon.

u/Redtuzk · 1 pointr/microphones

I'd stay off the Snowball completely, it doesn't offer nearly the same voice or built quality as the other microphones that you listed, even the Meteor. A Yeti would fit your needs well. It offers superior quality to the Meteor/Snowball and has a couple of features that you'll probably appreciate. It's not for nothing that so many content-creators use it.

Another choice would be a RØDE NT-USB - it might be slightly outside your budget but offers similar quality to the Yeti (if not slightly better) and matches your colortheme.

There's also the AT2020USB+. It doesn't come with a particularly fantastic stand or anything, so a boomarm of sorts would be a good investment alongside it. It probably offers the best quality out of all the microphones listed above, along with having the correct color of course.

Finally, the only place I could find the black Meteor was on the US Amazon store, but unless you're willing to pay import taxes that's going to be a costly experience. The Meteor is imo the undisputed value king in all this though, sounds very good for the price. I bought one myself when they were on sale a while back for LAN purposes etc where I can't bring my entire main-mic setup.

Hope that helps you out!

u/Clint99 · 1 pointr/microphones

Hello everyone! I should be mentioning, I've been using the built-in microphone of my Astro A40s for 4 years, using Adobe Audition in conjuction with VB Audio Cable to make audio quality not-so-shitty through live noise canceling. But right now the mic is making some kind of slitherine sound I can't fix, so I really really should just get a good microphone and be done with it. The Astros are still working very good, hence I'm here asking for your help! My budget is currently at around €120, but I don't mind going just a tad bit over that (±20). If it's lower, and you think it's still a very good choice, I surely won't mind. My goal is just to have a decent all around mic, to avoid me the hassle of using Audition to live-fix my sound. I'd like to be able to record without the need of post-production for audio fixing. A friend linked me those two (very very low price-range), what do you think?

https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B00XOXRTX6/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1IM96RSBPC3L0

https://www.amazon.it/dp/B01KHMUQ2M?psc=1

I like the Tonor, but I don't really know much about microphones. I don't think he does either, to be quite honest. Are there any better mics for that price range?

I know I'm very likely being annoying at this point, but if you could recommend mics for different price ranges (e.g. 40-60, 70-90, 100-120), I'd be the happiest man alive.


TL;DR: Win7 64bit; Astro A40 headset (mic is broken, that's why I'm here); €120 max budget (±20); would be used for YouTube videos, Discord/TeamSpeak/Google Hangouts; I'd prefer multiple recommendations for different price ranges (preferably low-mid-high price).


Thanks in advance, r/microphones!

u/Cool_Stuff1234 · 3 pointsr/NewTubers

Continue to practice until you feel that you can overcome your nervousness. Redo the lines where you feel you stuttered, or edit them out. I've recently been given advice on my speech and audio quality as well.

This is going to be long, but I hope it helps:

My problem with my speech during recording is that air gets recorded as well (if I make popping sounds when I say a certain word such as Piano, Karen, etc.)

So, I've told to keep away from recording too closely, and I tested it out recently, and it's working perfectly!

As for the audio quality/mic, here a few links I've been given as well to improve it:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XBQ8UGG/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ACFAULC/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076HMR23G/

I also use audacity for audio editing (editing out stutter words or incorrect words, adding in the right words, increasing the audio volume, reducing background noise, etc)

You'll definitely get better the more you practice, and this is your first video, so it's not going to be perfect.

I didn't mean to make this long, but I hope this helps!

u/HybridCamRev · 1 pointr/Filmmakers

Thanks for the additional information. For interviews and documentaries intended for the web, you might want to consider [Referral Links]:

Camera and Support

u/Setari · 1 pointr/letsplay
  1. You're gonna need to upgrade your rig. As much RAM as you can afford(or 12-16GB IMO, some people may disagree but I run 16GB of RAM), a good graphics card (Can't go wrong with Nvidia GTX series: http://www.newegg.com) HDD for video storage (at least 1TB), using Windows 10 pretty much works with everything IMO that I've played so far running from when W10 came out into 2016 and it's the latest windows as well.

  2. Blue Snowball Mic 39.99USD Blue Snowball Mic(PINK FOR THIS PRICE) or a Yeti mic if you can afford it Yeti Microphone 100USD for a quality mic like the Yeti definitely is NOT a bad deal if you can afford it, but the Blue Snowball is a great quality mic as well. (And nobody's gonna see you using a pink mic and it's the cheapest right now!)

  3. By your wording you seem to think "steam games" is just a group of games with the same requirements for all of them, and they're not. Each game is going to have its own computer specs requirement, so make sure you meet the minimums for each game before you go around and buy a bunch of games to record after you upgrade your hardware. This ain't consoles.

  4. You don't need a facecam to be successful.

    Also one last tip: If you're going to be starting your own channel instead of contributing to someone else's or something, just play whatever the hell you want. Growth will be VERY slow unless you're a SEO/Marketing wizard. Just keep putting quality content out and subs and views will come.

u/Karma_Vampire · 6 pointsr/Twitch

A good microphone is probably the most important thing a streamer can have, other than of course a great personality and good social skills, so buying him a microphone would be a great idea. I read that you're looking at spending a maximum of $200. For $200 you should probably buy a USB microphone, as they don't require any kind of external hardware like a mixer or an audio interface. They're generally slightly worse quality, but that doesn't really matter because the audio quality will be compressed anyway, and only audiophiles would be looking for studio quality audio from a gaming livestream.

The higher quality option is an XLR microphone, but they require an audio interface. This will generally be a more expensive option because audio interfaces are usually just as expensive as microphones, so I wouldn't choose this option if I were you. An XLR microphone, a microphone arm, and an audio interface will cost around $250 if not more.

If you decide to go for a microphone, I would say you should go for an AT2020 USB microphone. It's by far the best option if you want good audio quality for a good price. You could go for the Streaming/Podcasting pack if you want headphones and a microphone arm included, which maxes out your budget. It's actually a bit cheaper than buying the mic and a good microphone stand seperately, plus you get a pair of decent looking headphones to go with it.

I can't really vouch for the microphone arm and the headphones as I haven't tried them personally, but Audio Technica is a really good brand. I would be surprised if it wasn't superb quality.

Let me know if you have any questions :)

u/novel__ · 7 pointsr/truetf2

There's no way you can be on a team without a mic.

Price an issue?

  • This Clip On Mic is only 8 dollars and is pretty high quality too.

  • If you can afford to go higher I can recommend a Blue Snowball for $60.

  • Also, maybe a CAD U1 for $30.

    Even a headset will do. Make sure you enable push to talk and are using headphones.

    Are you afraid? Get over it. Sorry for the bluntness, but consider your team to be friends. People you'd play any game with and still have a good time. If they aren't people you can relate to, don't join their team. It's that simple. Find people you can relate to easily. Find people that won't yell at you. Find people that will crack the occasional joke and laugh at stupid/amazing plays. You will create incredible bonds with these people, and have lifelong friends. These people must be more important to you than a random lobby player, so talk to them!

    And to be honest... most teams don't take people who can't/won't talk. Even if you were Clockwork or Ruwin.

    So, get a mic.
u/AdventureFilm · 3 pointsr/MMA

You need a condenser mic. They're like $30 and can plug right into your laptop to sync with your video. It will make your audio sound professional.

Half of what makes a video good is the audio. Same with a movie. Audio can make or break a video. Not shitting on you guys, just shooting you over some helpful tips. They're cheap and make all the difference. If a podcast is something you guys really want to do, you've got to get yourself better audio. You could get a single mic to sit in the center table in-between you guys, which range from $30 to $100 to thousands, but you can get something that does the job well for $100 or below.

For instance check out Rhett and Link they have a similar setup as you guys. But notice the audio? No echo, clean, sharp. That mic is probably a few hundred or a few thousand dollars but you can achieve the same results with most mics. The technology in mics are very simple.

Check out this mic $30 Condensor mic. Plugs into USB. High quality audio that plugs right into your laptop. You can set it in the center of your table, check the audio levels before you start, you can even put on headphones and talk a bit to make sure it sounds good, remove headphones and start your podcast. Keeps the workflow smooth and offers good results. I'm not saying you have to buy that exact Mic or anything, just a suggestion as there are many mics that will fit your need especially on a budget.

Best of luck guys, keep it up.

edit: oh and eventually you'll need to be in a room that has less echo in general. You can hang blankets outside of the camera, throw some rugs out, buy some cheap audio absorbing foam for the walls (out of sight of the camera of course) and that will also drastically reduce the echo.

u/onewordgo · 1 pointr/podcasts

There's a ton of great advice here already, but here's something I wish somebody told me at the beginning: Don't start with a USB mic. Get a Mixer and an XLR mic. I can't tell you how much I wish I'd have gone with this setup at the beginning, to allow for expansion in the future. Even just a little Behringer XENYX Q802 USB for myself and a potential guest, and an Audio Technica AT2020 XLR would have been an amazing way to kick things off. It's also crucial to include a pop filter and XLR cable, so this AT2020 bundle with the mic, pop filter, and cable all included, is a great deal. This is a much more solid investment, and as I said, I wish somebody told me this when I started.
Edit:
Even better, there's this AT2035 bundle. The AT2020 and AT2035 mics are very similar in quality, but the AT2035 comes with a shock mount, which is a great addition to any setup, in order to avoid all those little bump and vibration noises.

u/rock_kid · 1 pointr/VoiceActing

Honestly, thank you for telling me this sounded dull. I think this was my best of my earlier practice clips, but that doesn't mean I think it's great. I just started taking an online video course that's going to help with clarity/enunciation and posture, and later on get into emotion and tone. I have another lined up that's supposed to help with using different voices, which is kind of my biggest struggle with the idea of reading drama -- how do I voice different, unique characters (sometimes male) and not just sound like me? Female readers of The 100, Inkheart and the Hunger Games are my favorite examples but I'm just not there.

I feel like being able to do an actual drama is a ways off, though. Any recommendations on types of pieces to try for instead while I practice?

As for the sound quality on this particular link, I listened to both the upload and my direct file back to back with headphones and there was a little quality lost in the upload or something. I don't have a trained ear so I can't explain the difference aside from volume and "it just sounds better to me". So I'm not set on upgrading my mic just yet. But, you did mention noise reduction, and I could definitely see that. I'm still tweaking my set up to not have to use so much noise reduction, because I can really tell it makes me sound tinny. Is that maybe the "thin" that you described?

I haven't recorded in a couple months so I might not 100% remember my full process. But the issue I'm having trouble balancing is my volume versus the room noise hiss versus mouth sounds. If I'm close to the mic I can have more voice and therefore less mic volume (my mic has its own volume knob), so less room noise hissing but too much wind noise or smacking sounds. If I sit a few inches back I have to project more without over powering my hard sounds, and still pump up the mic volume and then have to reduce the hiss, creating that tinny sound. Would a proper pop filter help fix this, instead of a sock? I know they're dirt cheap so I'd be happy to get one. I'm also considering an actual mic stand instead of the 3" desktop tripod (which I keep on a stack of books so it's a little higher), so I can sit with better posture.

This is my microphone, for reference:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06XCKGLTP/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If there's something more highly recommended around $50, I'd consider spending more money if the mic really is the problem.

Thanks for the detailed input!

u/kinectking · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

Blue yeti is supposed to be really good, but I think the blue snowball is better because on sale with your budget, you can get the mic, a tabletop boom stand, and a high quality pop filter for about as much as the yeti costs on sale. Just make sure you don't get the blue snowball ice. They are different and the ice is waaaay worse. Also, dont listen to /u/NekoQt about us being fan boys. Those are good mics but I can personally tell you that blue mics aren't overrated. They're just regarded as good because they're good. Its really that simple.

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-Textured/dp/B000EOPQ7E its on sale from 100 to 50, and if you look at the frequently bought together the mic, pop filter, and boom stand amount of 75 dollars after sales, which amounts to less than the blue yeti which, on sale, costs 85 dollars. Hope this helped.

Also with the left over money you can buy a pretty good micless headset or an inexpensive headset and just not use the headset mic. Tabletop mics are almost always better

u/m00k0w · 2 pointsr/explainlikeimfive

One main issue is that most headphones/earphones have loud spikes along the frequency response. The ear and brain has a curve called the equal-loudness contour that defines how loud sound has to be to be perceived at an equal level. The problem is 99% of headphones don't follow this, and have certain frequencies at which they are upwards of 30db louder than at others.

This causes a big problem where at even a normal volume level, that one area is super loud, and most people don't notice because across the whole spectrum, the average loudness level seems normal. That is why you can ear the snare hits or clicks across the bus, but not the other frequencies. Unfortunately it is also at high frequencies that hearing damage happens more readily.

A pair of affordable headphones that most accurately matches the ear's equal loudness contour is the Superlux HD 681. You can buy them from ebay or amazon for $50 or under:

Superlux HD 681 on Amazon

Make sure you get the HD 681 and not the 681 EVO. This company is little known because they mostly make recording microphones. Coincidentally these cheap headphones are preferred by artists and recording mixers/engineers over thousand dollar headphones because of the clarity/quality due to this reason. Their sound signature matches the ears equal-loudness contour. THEY SOUND AMAZING because superlux actually knows how to design headphones for quality rather than looks. This is not a subjective claim - this is the objective reason behind why they sound good. You might want to also get the ear cushions called HPAEC840 for best comfort.

In theory headphones designed like these sound objectively perfect and will not create holes in your ear's hearing response because they won't damage small areas without you realizing. You can have the volume higher without unnoticeably feeding your ears sounds that are 30db higher.

Still, listen to music quieter and discover that the level you listen to is actually creating distortion. At a level most people deem normal, it is actually loud enough to cause your ears to engage mechanisms to dampen sound to protect themselves. Most people don't feel the mild ear pain and significant distortion that comes when you have sound over 90db, because they're just used to it.

Some people haven't damaged their ears and have also psychologically preserved their sound sensitivity by not raping it with distorted noise, and will continue to be able to hear as well as notice a pin drop until they're 100 years old.

u/ZoranTheBear · 9 pointsr/Planetside

If you don't want to pay for anything(Most bolded text should be clickable, otherwise google it):

Recording software: MSI Afterburners Recording feature to record. I suggest looking up youtube guides for it.

Livestreaming: OpenBroadcaster is a fantastic streaming program. Completely free with a lot of features.

Video Editing: Windows movie maker for simple stuff to put stuff and clips together.


-Now for what I use-

My Recording software: Dxtory. I use it because I have a ton more options than Fraps. Not to mention Fraps takes a lot more CPU than Dxtory does. Which for Planetside 2 is a god send. I also use a lagarith Lossless Codec with it. I suggest [THIS] video tutorial to get you a similar setup I have.

Video Editing: I use Sony Vegas Pro 11 because I won a legit copy from TGN ages ago. The latest is Sony vegas 12 (Which I'm sure a lot of people pirated. Which I don't blame em' it's tons of cash). I don't feel like buying the new version since it's practically a "big" patch with each new version.

Microphone: Any "decent" turtle beach microphone will do excellent when starting off. But, I use a C01U USB condenser microphone on a studio arm with a hand made pop filter. Sounds great for my type of voice.

Making videos, depending on what the video is. Takes a looooooong time, or just a few minutes. If you just wanna throw some clips together to show friends your MLG pro skills. My free option will do you nicely.

u/TheSockGenius · 1 pointr/youtubers

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&qid=1466624278&sr=8-3&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&qid=1466624278&sr=8-2&keywords=blue+microphones+snowball

Happy hunting!

u/rexorbrave · 1 pointr/podcasts

Uhm Behringer Xenyx Q802USB together with the Neewer NW-700 (Go with the kit). Would be a total of $90 +$27. Its a great starter combo, you could even get 2 mics on that mixer, but they require a treated room to get their full potential (Otherwise they are still good but more tinkering with the EQ settings on the mixer).

Another mic option would be the Samson C01. I have the USB version of this one, and regret not buying the XLR version. I LOVE my usb one and have had it for 7 years or so. The quality of the mic is great even in an untreated room like mine. The downside of both microphones is that they are condensers so they pick up a lot of everything that happens, unfortunately generally dynamic microphones are more expensive.

The Shure SM58 is a dynamic mic that would just fit your budget together with the mixer at around $100. Don't really have experience with this one myself, but its very very popular.


Before making any decisions go on youtube and listen to samples of these mics for example on podcastage or other channels reviewing them to hear the sound for yourself. Also look at some reviews for the mixer. Never make an uninformed decision, in the end, sound is a bit of preference as well (and it differs for everyone).

u/_Kai · 1 pointr/pcgaming

If you don't mind a separate mic and headphones, then /r/headphones should be a good place to check out, but at $50 you may not get too far. There are a number of good quality, decently branded, headphones that cost over $100 that are also sold by generic brands at about $50, since they come from the same place. So it would be good to ask them for any potential on-going deals.

If you had to opt for a separate mic, you have a few options:

  • a lapel or clip-on microphone, about $1-2 from eBay, or $10 for a Zalman ZM-1.

  • a mini boom flexible microphone that attaches to your headphones via tape, velcro or a rubber band, and an extension cable, for about $5-10 via eBay

  • a modmic for $50+

  • a $30 USB microphone like the FiFine 669B

    > Also, I see some people talking about the difference a dedicated sound card makes, how big is it?

    If you get a USB headset, then you would be using the headset's built-in sound card on the USB cable.

    If you connect via 3.5mm analog, then you'll be using the motherboard's sound chip.

    The difference isn't too bad these days, but you may notice it - it varies by motherboard.

    A good sound card should have clarity, and be able to separate sounds clearly without being muddy.

    It should be well equalized, or have a "neutral" sound signature, so one range of sounds aren't too stronger than another.
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u/justcasual · 3 pointsr/podcasts

You don't need to get super fancy (especially starting off). If you're audio sounds like a phone call, that's going to be an issue that will deter listeners. But mediocre audio quality will not hinder your growth, bad content will.

A few recommendations:

Cheap mics:

This works great as a portable mic: https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Mic-Portable-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B001R76D42/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1498145879&sr=8-3&keywords=samson+clip

I also used this to clip onto my headphones before: https://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1498145910&sr=8-6&keywords=clip+mic

Actual mics:

I've heard good things about the Snowball but I've never used it: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-iCE-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B014PYGTUQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1498146044&sr=8-3&keywords=mic

If you want an actual mic, this is the cheap mic I buy all my cohosts. It sounds perfectly fine. I've been using it for over 2 years now: https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR2100-USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B004QJOZS4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498146015&sr=8-1&keywords=atr-2100

You don't need a mixer. Instead, I would use zencastr to record the audio. It has a free version but I pay for the unlimited one ($12).
Otherwise, you can just record your own individual audio with Audacity which is free and GREAT!

u/dvtnlx · 20 pointsr/leagueoflegends

I like his commentary a lot and I think he has huge potential, so here a few little things that he could improve:

  • Get a widescreen monitor. 4:3 is very offputting if you're watching it on 16:9/16:10. I personally like the newer IPS panels, but an average TN will suffice.
  • Buy a better mic. The audio quality is very important if you are doing a lot of commentary and the average headset one isn't good enough most of the time. A lot of streamers/casters use this one since it's rather cheap, solid quality and looks awesome
  • Adjust your webcam angle and position. The image should contain mainly your upper body and your face while the camera is placed on the same level as your head or shoulders like this. Basically you want to give the viewer the impression that he is sitting right in front of you since it helps with presenting your personality and content. If you need a decent webcam with better quality and a better stand a lot of streamers use this one.

    If you have trouble with funding your hardware I'm sure redditors will be glad to help you out a bit.




u/Stahl_Konig · 1 pointr/DMAcademy

If I were in your shoes....

While you can get a mixer with fewer channels, I recommend getting a mixer with at least eight XLR microphone inputs - as you might, in the future, expand the number of gamers at your table.

This is the board we use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I0Q8LIO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_Zd5vk3i6OxmYg

Then there are a plethora of shotgun microphones available on Amazon as well. The can be hidden and do a pretty good job limiting ancillary noise.

These are the microphones we now use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQ79W0?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

(Other thoughts....

I tried USB microphones but had inconsistent sync issues in OBS.

The board we use has a USB 2.0 out and originally we used that to send audio to the OBS computer. Now we dual channel XLR out to a Shure converter to USB 3.1. The audio quality is more consistent and better - but we are always tweaking it....

In addition, we originally used cardiod lavelier microphones. However, they were inconvenient at the table and picked up way to much ancillary noise.

Obviously there are many other knickknacks you will need, and it would take forever to cover them....)

In my humble opinion, the biggest challenge that you are going to have is getting consistently good quality audio in you budget.... You might burn through $300 pretty quick....

Good luck!

Oh, here is our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/7SidedDie/ Please subscribe. 😀

u/day9-made-me-do-it · 1 pointr/elearning
  1. I think OBS is the most resource-friendly recording solution. I am able to record HD videos in 30 fps on a fairly medium office machine (Windows 7, i7, integrated graphics). Though to be fair, I have zero experience using either Macs or the Mac version of OBS. The OBS forums are usually a good place to look for solutions on technical issues.

  2. As long as you don't plan to record chat alongside your lesson, chat can run separately. I'd recommend at least two screens for that purpose. If you would like to show chat whenever you address chat questions, you can simply set up another scene in OBS that also shows chat. As soon as you start using scenes, I recommend using global sources instead of simple sources (look it up in the manual). Also, defining hotkeys for scene switching is a life saver for a smooth video. Also note that scene switching basically allows you to record videos in one take without the need for ex-post-edits.

  3. I haven't tried live streaming yet, but I have considered it. A platform like Twtch would be ideal, but it is restricted to gaming. Your best hope at the moment is probably Google hangouts (free) or Adobe Connect (not free). Hangout could look somewhat like this: https://youtu.be/Okwgrsb9WUA

  4. Hardware: Computer performance aside, a good microphone should be on the top of your list. What I mean by "good" is something like this

    http://www.amazon.com/Rode-NT-USB-USB-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B00KQPGRRE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459376263&sr=8-1&keywords=rode+nt+usb

    or this

    http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020USB-PLUS-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B00B5ZX9FM/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1459376263&sr=8-8&keywords=rode+nt+usb

    or this

    http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B00N1YPXW2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1459376263&sr=8-3&keywords=rode+nt+usb

    alongside a shock mount and proper stand. The quality of your voice transmission is the first thing people will judge you on, both positivey and negatively.
u/the_spazmataz · 1 pointr/YouTube_startups

thank you so much for the response! I just started really making videos and was having issues initially with my mic being picked up in general (during gameplay,) so that is how I started doing commentaries. I just fixed that issue last night though, so I am not sure how I will proceed. Because I didn't plan to do commentaries at first, I record with a headset that has a mic on it, but that hasn't worked the best as you can see. It gets the job done though so I can't complain too much.

I record gameplay with shadowplay (Nvidia's software,) and then I edit everything with CyberLink's PowerDirector and AudioDirector. I have a friend who is helping me out as well as I continue to upload videos and do things, and he suggested getting a real desk mic to use (as it will reduce a lot of the issues that come from doing a voice over with a headset.) I'm looking at getting this: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00XOXRTX6/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_F72Lyb8AQPW3E - any thoughts on that?

I sincerely appreciate your response again, and I apologize for the extended reply. I hope you don't mind another response, but I figured I would explain how things are going and see if you had any more expert advice! haha :)

u/ten_vrah · 2 pointsr/Gifts

Edit: I added links to Amazon products that are pretty nice and fit into your budget, if none of these work or you wanted advice on finding similar ones on slightly cheaper budgets just let me know and I'd love to help out!

​

I realize some people like them, and I mean no disrespect to u/MNLegoBoy but please do not get him a steam controller. I own one and me and everyone I've ever known who used one absolutely hated it.

​

If he only has one monitor in his setup I would highly suggest getting him a decent second monitor to have discord, youtube, or whatever else he wants up while he plays. It can be really helpful and never hurts to have.

​

If that doesn't work, you know about his setup...

and he uses a headset with a built-in mic I would suggest getting him this microphone and this interface. Even though they're cheap they're more than good enough and make people feel more legit because they're more like a streamer setup.

​

and he really likes his headphones/has really nice headphones but doesn't have a headphone stand or mount for him to keep his headphones on and keep his desk organized.

​

and he's into fighting games or older arcade games you could get him a fighting stick (be careful on this one, if he doesn't have room or likes using his KBM I wouldn't suggest it. It might also help to get one on a higher budget.)

u/wombocombo86 · 1 pointr/Guitar

nice thanks. i want to do both but probably more acoustic + classical guitar than electric. i think i will go for the interface + mic.

i just youtubed the two products in my description of other people testing it out with their guitars a few min ago and it seems alright but not very satisfying. i do want better quality audio than that.

so back to the interface + mic.

for mic: i think ill go for the AT2020 but i see two products on amazon. which one would be better?

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0006H92QK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458572206&sr=8-1&keywords=AT2020

or

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020USB-PLUS-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B00B5ZX9FM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458572224&sr=8-2&keywords=AT2020

for interface: from focusrite or presonus, will i be able to find a good interface for unde 100$? if so, can you link me a good one for the best bang for my buck?

Thanks again

u/DivideaConquer · 1 pointr/youtubers

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&qid=1458586302&sr=8-3&keywords=usb+mic

2. Blue Microphones Yeti

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1458586302&sr=8-4&keywords=usb+mic

3. AT2020

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020USB-PLUS-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B00B5ZX9FM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458586316&sr=8-1&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&qid=1458586861&sr=8-1&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 :)

u/Dyllionaire15 · 3 pointsr/headphones

Absolutely, and I don't think it would look bad with black pads on white headphones personally.

Here are the ones I bought. They took a little effort to put on there, but are very snug and don't move around. (The amazon picture isn't correct, as it looks like they are the plastic/leather pads, but what you get is the velour) http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016MF7W2/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These Shure pads apparently work as well, although I don't have any experience with them. Looking at the reviews they seem like they fit a little bit looser and can freely spin a little bit. http://smile.amazon.com/Shure-HPAEC940-Replacement-Velour-Headphones/dp/B005OM06RG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395931310&sr=8-1&keywords=srh+840+velour

When I get home tonight, I can take some pictures of them on my M50's if you'd like. I love them and well worth the $20 I say.

u/Servios · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Hey man, don't worry about asking "stupid" questions, there's no such thing, and we've ALL been there before. I still seem to ask stupid questions at least once a day, and I've been doing this for some years now.

You have two options here bud. You can buy something like this which is a USB microphone, (similar, but not the same to what the last guy said) a really common choice for beginners looking to just experience recording into their computer, but the quality is still surprisingly great. It can work on ANYTHING. Guitar/vocals/drums/farts whatever.

The second option is to get something with some "upgrade" capability if you plan on doing this for a long time. That would be to buy TWO things, one would be an audio interface (which has preamps built in) which can connect virtually ANY microphone into it, which goes into your computer via USB. This is a great one of those, simple and doesn't break-the-bank But then you'd also have to buy another microphone, like the sm57 or whatever. If you did it this way, your interface could last you many many years and it will provide usually a headphone output, one of two mic inputs, as well as gain control and leveling. A little more professional, but an extra thing to buy.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

u/DiscipleTD · 2 pointsr/Twitch

Try this (Blue Yeti Mic) and this mic stand

​

These might look a little like his buddies. But the mic is very recommended from streamers and such, I personally us it and it is great. If he likes his headphones then a new mic would be another step to improve his audio.

​

I would say that I am not sure this is ideal for him, just trying to help as much as I can based on the original post!

​

EDIT: This is a cheaper mic made by the same company that is also a great option. Best of luck!

u/Pyroraptor · 2 pointsr/letsplay

I have a few suggestions:

  • OBS Multiplatform. Works good for recording game play, is free, and allows for multiple audio streams. Can be used instead of Fraps or as a backup program.

  • Audacity: Free audio editing program that has lots of good features.

  • HitFilm 3 Express: Also a free video editing program. I would have a copy along with blender as a backup.

    For USB 3.0 External HDD i have heard good things about the WD Elements products. I had WD internal drives and have had no issues. I record 1080p 60fps. You'll have a little less speed with an external, so maybe do 1080p, 720p 60 fps, or 720p.

  • For a microphone I highly suggest getting a standalone mic and a headset instead of using the built in mic. You''ll get much, much better sound quality that way. Maybe a Blue Snowball, ATR-2100, ATR-2500, or Samson C01u.

  • For headsets, I suggest the Logitech G430, Steelseries Siberia V3, ATH-M30x, or a nice pair of Sennheisers.
u/mvrk10256 · 3 pointsr/headphones

Sound Review:

First let me say that the best way to describe them is to say they are nothing like my HD650s. Really if the HD650s are dead north, these are dead south. They have pronounced mids and highs, small bass, but they are exceptionally clear. You hear details that simply did not exist before. They take quite a bit of power to drive (the OTL wouldn't drive them properly). Anyone should be able to build these for less than $200. I would say that at that price point these are a great value. I dont know that these will be my go to headphone, but they are definitely different than anything I have ever used before.

EDIT: Do not use self adhesive felt on the drivers, get non adhesive stiff back from Michael's or similar. This will give you nice strong bass, with excellent extension. These bad boys sound amazing now. Now if I could just get the pads to stay on better...

Information:
Original thread.

Stuff to buy:
Fostex T50RP
Sticky Stiff Felt
Modeling Clay
Shure Replacement Pads
Double Sided Scrapbook Tape
Silverstone Audio Block

u/toucan38 · 1 pointr/audioengineering

Im looking to upgrade my audio into a xlr setup from a usb mic. I broadcast on Twitch (live streaming service) and I have some questions about what equipment would be best for my application.

For my mic, I was going to purchase the Rode NT1
Is a condensor mic best for what I'll be doing? (Disclaimer: I yell a lot)

I was going to purchase the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Is it worth it to purchase this two channel audio interface, or should I buy the single input version for a cheaper price? I'm only going to be using a single mic, but I read that the quality of the 2i2 build is a bit better.

My final question is on whether or not I should purchase a Compressor/Gate to reduce clipping when I yell, or is it possible or to compress my audio with a software program? Trying to see if dropping the money on the compressor would be worth it. This is the compressor/gate I was looking at: DBX 266xs

Thanks ahead of time! I really do appreciate your help! :)

u/kaeles · 1 pointr/MusicBattlestations

That mic is great, but you can get something like an SM57 much cheaper, if she's recording acoustic guitar.

If you want a pretty good vocal mic, that will also be cheapish you can get something like this.

Or just buy an sm58 which is a cheaper version of the other one you just showed, and is good for doing live stuff if you want to do that.

You can also get a 4x4 input thing so that she can multitrack into a daw, or just a smaller one if she's only ever going to record like 2 tracks at once.

I got something like this.

The SM57 and SM58 are pretty much standards in the music world.

That being said, IIRC the SM7b (the mic you're looking at) is what Micheal Jackson recorded a lot of his stuff on ( the bad album at least), so it's def pro level.

u/benj401 · 1 pointr/singing

I used this, with a pop filter for demoing privately for two years. It's pretty cool for personal use because of the plug and play nature. You can get a USB to lightning adapter and go directly into Garageband on the iPad. No power issues, or interface needed. Of course it has its own firmware and programming on-board, so you're surrendering a lot of control.. That said, it's great for personal use. Fantastic for speaking engagements like podcasts too (mine is out on loan for that now.)


If you're just trying to get in the habit of recording quick, easy and dirty for your own review - it's great. It's also salvage in post production considering how cheap the mic is.

Anyway, the Blue Ice is a great piece to have around to capture when you need to quickly! It'll be a gateway to better things later!

u/sennheissser · 1 pointr/headphones

I'm trying to figure out a good setup to work on my PS4 and PC. Let me just start off by saying I know very little about headphones and amps, soundcard thingys and such but I do know that the PS4 controller jack uses bluetooth and has compressed audio and headsets sound worse when using it. Anyways, I'm trying to figure out if this setup will work.
I want to use a Blue Snowball Mic
with Senneheiser 598
and Turtle Beach DSS to get the performance out of the 598's. Has anybody tried a setup like this? Would this even work? Is there a better/easier option to have a good desktop mic + headphones? If I'm able to put the snowball directly into the PS4 and then use the headset with the DSS plugged into the console then that would be perfect. Thanks for helping me figure this out.

I'm also strongly considering something like these just to save money and have a simpler setup.

u/Mr_Football · 1 pointr/podcasts

Question(s), from a noob but still important:

  1. We're starting a new podcast and balling on a budget. We have relatively quiet studio spaces, and have built two DIY "studio boxes" (professional condenser panels lining a 30 gallon plastic container with the same lining the outside). We're pretty set on buying a cheap pair of condenser mics, but seeing as we wont be in actual studios, should we bail and go to dynamic mics?

  2. Using the mics above, it has everything we'd need except for an AI... We're recording solo from two separate states via zencastr and then I'm editing the audio after, and don't have the budget for a few hundred bucks on mixers. Seems like an audio interface is the best bet. Looking for the best budget friendly AIs? Or do I need to even worry about one?

u/Elnrik · 1 pointr/ZReviews

Not knowing where to start is a bummer. Lots of good advice already offered, so I'll just throw in my 2 cents. I like to make recommendations based off of budget and preferred music genre. As a rock, classic rock, trance, etc. fan, I would recommend The Fidelio x1/x2. Lively sounding headphones, comfortable, easy to drive, and built like tanks. The Sennheisers already mentioned in another reply are good.

Also, I use a usb desk mic. I don't like boom mic in my face. I use this https://amzn.com/B00022TNHM. If you want to get fancy, something like this. https://amzn.com/B014PYGTUQ. It sits out of the way, and it works fine at my computer desk. USB mics don't interface with your sound card, so ground loop hums and stuff are rarely a concern. That might be an option. Hope that helps.

u/SysUser · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace
Here's the parts list. Every fan in the case (and CPU cooler) were replaced with 120/140mm Noctua Industrial fans. These things are awesome, hyper efficient, and can move a lot of air. They typically run under 1500RPM. The videocards are overclocked with MSI AB, +100 core and +400 mem, +120/90 on power and temp. The CPU is overclocked to just 4.375GHz.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item
----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-6850K 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor | $599.99
CPU Cooler | Corsair H115i 104.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $124.89 @ OutletPC
Thermal Compound | Gelid Solutions GC-Extreme 3.5g Thermal Paste | $12.99
Motherboard | Asus X99-DELUXE II ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard | $399.99 @ SuperBiiz
Memory | Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $262.69
Storage | Samsung 950 PRO 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $186.99 @ SuperBiiz
Storage | OCZ Vector 180 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $178.21 @ Amazon
Storage | Intel 540s 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive In Raid | $138.01 @ Newegg
Storage | Intel 540s 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive In Raid | $138.01 @ Newegg
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card (2-Way SLI) | $679.99 @ B&H
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card (2-Way SLI) | $679.99 @ B&H
Case | Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX Glass ATX Mid Tower Case | $189.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply | SeaSonic 1050W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $209.99
Case Fan | Noctua NF-A14 industrialPPC-3000 PWM 158.5 CFM 140mm Fan | $34.29 @ OutletPC
Case Fan | Noctua NF-A14 industrialPPC-3000 PWM 158.5 CFM 140mm Fan | $34.29 @ OutletPC
Case Fan | Noctua NF-A14 industrialPPC-3000 PWM 158.5 CFM 140mm Fan | $34.29 @ OutletPC
Case Fan | Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM 109.9 CFM 120mm Fan | $23.91
Case Fan | Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM 109.9 CFM 120mm Fan | $23.91
Case Fan | Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-3000 PWM 109.9 CFM 120mm Fan | $23.91
Monitor | Asus PG279Q ROG Swift 27.0" 165Hz Monitor | $799.00 @ B&H
Keyboard | Corsair STRAFE RGB Wired Gaming Keyboard | $129.99 @ Best Buy
Mouse | Corsair M65 PRO RGB FPS Wired Optical Mouse | $49.99 @ NCIX US
Mic | AT2020+USB with Auray pop filter
Webcam | Logitec C925e
Sli Bridge (coming soon!) | EVGA PRO SLI BRIDGE HB (1 Slot Spacing) Model 100-2W-0026-LR
u/fpneutral · 1 pointr/Music

Two types of mic:

Dynamic - Unless you're recoring professionally to release a single or something, a dynamic mic is probably what you want. Plug straight into your PC.

Condenser - Generally much more expensive and used professionally. They require phantom power + a preamp.

This Behringer C-1 condenser mic is considered excellent value for money. It's £35, then you'll need a preamp with phantom power, like this (or any other preamp for a mic, either with phantom power in it, or get get power seperately).

So basically you're going to spend ~£90 for a decent condenser mic+preamp+cables. For that money (or cheaper) you could probably get a really good dynamic mic without all the hassle.

You might want a mic stand and pop-shield, too.

As for software, Audacity is very popular, and free.

Lots of product reviews/guides on Youtube at your disposal.

u/aether_tech · 2 pointsr/HeadphoneAdvice
  1. A separate microphone and separate headphone is going to provide better performance overall than a 'headset."

  2. V7.1 is available through many different software sets, and you don't need to look at a headphone/headset that is 'natively' "3d/surround sound" capable -
    Dolby Atmos (paid); Windows Sonic (free,) - but a lot of the performance of Virtual 7.1 sound comes down to the sound-engine used in the game.

  3. Noise canceling is a completely different issue that a gaming headphone/headset wants to do. Are you sure you want Noise Canceling, or would a closed back (noise-isolating) headphone/headset work?

    If you're looking for an all in-one (headset, closed-back) package, the CoolerMaster MH751 (or the 752 with it's V7.1 USB dongle) is the best option. < $90

    If you want to get away from the headset; and get interdependent pieces: (will cost a bit more than the CM headset, but has advantages in doing so.)

    (prices are with Amazon Prime, so yours may differ - but you can usually ebay them for about the same prices I can see.)

u/RazzlePrince · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

oh sorry I was thinking of the snowball, but it's the ICE version, cheaper and it's just the same mic, but without the different modes, Microphone Link and here are accessories, the boom stand is much better than the tiny stand they give you, and it's better for freedom, and it comes with extra bits for future proofing Suspension Stand Here's some medium quality padding if needed Padding and a nice pop filter to stop the P's and S's slipping through Pop Filter This is all the same stuff I use and it is a wonderful starter kit, I highly recommend this to you!

u/I_HAVE_PHOBOPHOBIA · 1 pointr/IWantToLearn

I used to make educational screencasts so I'll put in my two cents.

The first thing you're going to need is a microphone. If you don't know where to start, you can't go wrong with a Blue Snowball. That being said, you should do your own research and figure out what mic will be good for your personal price range/intentions.

Assuming you know nothing about video editing, a great software to start with is Sony Vegas Pro. This is my, and many others on YouTube, video editor of choice; it's easy to use and quite powerful. However, it’s not the only software you can use. You could make a video similar to CCP in PowerPoint, if you have the knowledge to do so.

Once you have Sony Vegas, watch some beginner guides on YouTube and get comfortable with the editing basics. One key thing to know is keyframing. This is relatively easy to do in Sony Vegas and, if used effectively, can result in some nice looking animations similar to those found CCP's videos.

Other than that, just make sure you know what you're educating people on and that it's not too dry.

u/caprica6ixx · 1 pointr/horror

A little feedback on the audio from an audio geek:
The dynamic level change is a bit drastic between your opening theme (which I LOVE by the way, super cool) and when you guys start talking, which forces listeners to turn their speakers way up to hear the content. I would maybe decrease the levels on the intro to match the rest of the podcast.
It sounds like you guys are sitting around one shared cardioid mic (or maybe a built-in laptop mic?) and there's a slight echo in the room, I think you could improve the sound of your voices if you picked up something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-Gloss/dp/B002OO18NS/ref=zg_bs_11974631_4 (it has on omni pickup mode so it would register both your voices at the same level without taking turns holding it). Blue makes great mics for basic home recording for around $50-60.

As for the film, I couldn't even get through the Innkeepers personally. I thought it was way too slow getting started and the effects were cheesy. Did really like Ti West's segment in V/H/S though.

u/Cuddlemetocomfort · 3 pointsr/LongDistance

Check if you can trouble shoot the camera and the built-in mic first if you haven't. I have a very finicky old camera with built-in mic in my desktop that i have to unplug and replug the camera every time i turn off my computer. Sometimes I have to play with the skype settings to make it work.

I understand the headphones built-in mic since my SO has gone through a million and one pair and its not the comfiest for him. I use an in-ear earphones and its better for me and its my go to. I'm using these earphones for all around because they are cheap and they sound great for the price and pretty durable.

If you want a separate one and to invest, buy a nice quality mic that has a lot of reviews. I suggest going to amazon and reading the reviews there. I have heard a lot of good things with Blue Snowball mics and you can even use it for gaming or recording audios.

I hope it helps and you find something that works! Best wishes to both of you!!

u/xdigitdex · 2 pointsr/college

Skim through the materials already covered, but any essential concepts should be written or typed. To make note taking even faster, I use Windows speech recognition software to write down notes on a word document to review later. If your computer doesn't have a built in microphone, I would suggest getting one of these. They are some of the best budget microphones and really pick up words well.
So far tonight in about 2.5 hours of studying general psychology, I was able to make 4 chapters of vocabulary terms and practice question sets, and I am now only 6 chapters behind lecture. Anyway, good luck catching up!

Edit: I read the whole motivation thing right after typing and I would suggest treating school like a 9-5 job (even though it takes money from you). This mindset has really helped me make college one of my top priorities every day.

u/Adrerikoth · 1 pointr/Advice

I'm no rapper but i've done some animations on youtube so I can give some tips. As of writting, reading help a lot with that. You'll write awesome tracks before you know it. Now for recording, you willl obviously a mic. Any mic will do, even a 1$ mic can do the job just fine. Of course, if you want to invest in your hobby I suggest a Blue Snowball. Now for actually record your rap you'll need Audacity which is a free quality recording software. Good luck!

u/xevigold · 1 pointr/makinghiphop

I hear the blue yeti is really special. I use the Samson c01u, but it got the same reviews ass the blue yeti in terms of clarity. It doesn't matter which one you buy, if you get super good at EQing you'll sound pretty great, so learn how to mix well and stuff. You'll be fine.

https://www.amazon.com/Samson-C01U-Studio-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B00HXE4BYW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517773207&sr=8-1&keywords=samson+c01u

u/Lousy24 · 1 pointr/Twitch

How much of a budget are you looking for to spend on that Webcam? Because I can tell you right now, it probably doesn't exist. What you can do, and what I use on my Mac, is get a USB mixer, like this one, and a XLR microphone, like this one and an XLR male to XLR female, because that microphone comes with a XLR female to male 3.5mm jack only (and no it won't plug into your computer and work fine, it needs power provided by the mixer). This should run you less than $80. And it will work as a separate microphone from your webcam when you plug it into your Mac. On ElGato, choose the microphone input as USB Audio Codex when it's plugged in.

On the mixer, you have 2 channels: the XLR input, and a left and right channel through RCA inputs. There is also a left and right RCA out for speakers, and a 1/4" Jack out for headphones. There is also a USB assign to line, but you don't want to use that because it will make your computer audio go to the mixer and out the monitor and RCA outs, and you can not input at the same time to the computer. You can adjust your gain for the microphones separate from the line 2&3 RCA inputs, I keep mine a little more than halfway. And you can plug an extra audio source for music, like a phone or iPod, in through the RCA jacks (using an RCA male to 3.5mm male) and adjust that separately, and then you can boost the master output of both of those, I keep mine about 60-70%).

Edit: Or, I just thought of this. Get a usb sound card, the ones that are like $6 and have a 3.5mm jack for headphones and another for mic. Then, you can choose this as USB microphone in ElGato. But, I still think my first option gives you better quality and more control, and the benefit of adding that extra audio input through an outside source, at a reasonable price.

u/united654 · 4 pointsr/headphones

I've had these phones for about a year. I would recommend doing two things to improve the comfort, that is if you don't find them comfortable.

  1. Buy these if you think the ear pads are too small, or if they pinch your ears.

  2. I felt the phones were putting too much pressure right below my ears on my upper jaw. So I bought a sweat band and attached it to the bottom of the headband. They fit so much better now, and even though it looks silly, it feels great.

    I have to say that these two adjustments have made a world of difference. Cheers, hope you enjoy some great sounds with them.
u/KryptoBound · 2 pointsr/Twitch

Me and the Yeti have had our long hours and stressful history, months and months of adjusting trying to get it to work properly and I've learned more about this damnable mic than I have about basic math it feels like lmao. I had a constant humming problem but I ended up solving it by just getting it off my desk with an arm stand. A cheap one too! It's not the most stable, nor the most professional, but it works for me and my set up and is incredibly cheap. https://www.amazon.com/InnoGear-Microphone-Windscreen-Suspension-Snowball/dp/B07CN2C93T/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=mic+arm&qid=1574236902&sr=8-4

​

Otherwise definitely use a pop filter. From my experience you don't really need anything fancy, just a nice cheap one will do. https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Microphone-Stabilizing-Recordings-Broadcasting/dp/B01N21H9WY/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=pop+filter&qid=1574237097&sr=8-4

​

I don't use a shock mount. After fiddling with my Yeti for a while I don't seem to have a use for one right now so I don't really have any good recommendations for those. Hope any of this works out! Just skip around one of my VODS if you wanna hear an example of my set up but so far with the cheap stuff it's worked out well.

u/SilverSix311 · 2 pointsr/pcgamingtechsupport

I recommend getting some Studio Over Ear Headphones, and getting a Mod Mic or Desk Mic to go along with it. I bought an Antlion ModMic for the wife, and it works great. Sounds great as well compared to all the shitty gaming headset mics. My setup is a Razer Seiren Pro that I got on a banging deal almost $100 cheaper than typical pricing :). I have a mic stand that sits right above my monitors. It does pick up echoes if I have my speakers turned up too loud, but it's not too bad. I use voice meeter banana to route all my audio to 2 separate audio devices so I can just mute my speakers and put headphones on.

 

Recommendations:
Desk Mic: Blue Yeti - ~$120, Blue Snowball ~$50
Mod Mic: Antlion ModMic ~$60, V Moda BoomPro ~$30 (V Moda Mic wont work on all headphones)
Headphones: r/Headphones | Read about headphones.

 

They come down to preference for the user typically. I have M-Audio Q40's with Beyerdynamic's EDT 770 V Replacement Pads. You probably won't be able to find any Q40's online, but I bought mine back in 2010 and I still use them today. I've replaced the audio cable probably 10+ times now. They are built to endure, and they are not that comfortable with the stock pads. Put the EDT 770 V pads on and feels like a cloud. I personally also have a desk headphone amp to get clearer/crisper sound.
As I said, this all comes down to preference. You need to research specific items you are interested in. Try to find reviews on reddit or forums. I wouldn't follow "reviews" that are articles on web pages. Half of those are BS and are generally favored towards the provider of the equipment unfortunately.
Typical google searches would be:
M-Audio Q40 headfi
Blue Yeti Pro reddit
Blue Yeti Pro Issues reddit
mod mic reddit

 

Good luck on your ventures! Let me know if you have any other questions.

PS - If you have a mechanical keyboard, invest in o-rings/pads to help with the clickiness, or if you don't have a mechanical keyboard and you are looking for one, get silent keys. I forget the actual switch types names.

u/MookieFish · 2 pointsr/Songwriters

As far as mics go I have an AT2035 large diaphragm condenser mic which does the job on vocals and acoustic guitars, and I sprung for an SM57 which I guess is a very widely used dynamic mic for amps or other loud things. I recorded some harmonica the other day with it and it turned out excellent. Well as excellent as it can be in a horrible room like mine.
You might be able to find a cheaper condenser than that if you're on a tighter budget. It's my first, so I honestly can't offer any other advice lol

While not 100% necessary for songwriting, acoustic treatment and a good set of flat-response monitors or studio headphones will most certainly help you hear what you're actually creating.

u/EzeeMunny69420 · 4 pointsr/buildapcforme

Well, I'd start off with a basic desk mic that will offer superior voice quality over a headset paired with a decent pair of headphones. My personal recommendations for this would be:

The mic, a Fifine K669B: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XCKGLTP?ref=dp_vse_pc0

The headphones, a Philips SHP9500: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826138190

​

The K669B should provide great sound quality for talking, it's a perfect entry level mic that outclasses anything you'd get in a headset and the SHP9500 is an open back pair of headphones with great sound quality. Open back headphones allow you to hear things around you as they don't seal up to isolate the noise. They're perfect in a home use setting as you don't need to block out noise.

u/egamble · 2 pointsr/audiophile

This is a bit of a tricky setup, but as long as you only want to use the microphone on your PC it is pretty achievable. Also if you want to play the sound off your PC and use a gaming console, you will require a mixer to play both sources. If you don't require this it makes your setup less complicated.

Either way you will need an HDMI audio extractor, this should work: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BIQER0E Plug that into the output of HDMI switch then:

Setup 1 - With mixer. https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=614305 plug the output of the HDMI audio extractor and your PC (using 3.5mm to RCA cable). Headphones plug into mixer. This will not sound as good as option 2.

Setup 2 - With DAC. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0722FRQQ7 . Plug the output of the HDMI extractor (using an optical cable) and the PC in using a USB cable. Select one or the other using the toggle switch and it will play that source out to the headphones.

I would recommend setup 2, as the external DAC will be of higher quality.

As far as microphones go, try a USB one (this is a decent cheaper one, you can go more or less expensive: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014PYGTUQ) to reduce the audio noise your friends are telling you about.

u/The_DuGz · 1 pointr/buildapc

Hate to be that guy but a great soundcard won't have much of an affect on bad headphones. Most if not all "gaming" headsets and headphones have terrible audio quality for the money while you could get a great pair of studio headphones for a similar price.

Most modern motherboards have great integrated sound these days.

Edit:

Take a look at these:

Sennheiser HD 558

Sennheiser HD 598

They're around the price of the Tiamat 7.1 in the UK and they give brilliant sound quality since they're professional studio grade headphones along with being made by a reputable audio brand.

Pairing a pair of these with a decent quality desk mic such as the Blue Snowball would yield massively better results than trying to get a new soundcard to marginally increase the quality of the Tiamat 7.1.

If you're able to get a refund I'd 100% recommend this route instead.

u/Ignited22 · 1 pointr/NewTubers

I think you have some great energy and a good plan to move forward. I would recommend a better mic. Something like This works amazing and gives you the ability to edit your audio as well. Other then that..keep it up! #Roadto100Subs

u/TheRabidTiger · 1 pointr/Minecraft

Another tip as for mic wise, check out the Blue Microphones Snowball. (New to reddit, so hopefully you are allowed to post links to amazon... but I'll put the link at the end of this post. I'm linking to amazon, you might be able to find them cheaper or even on amazon if you don't want their "prime" service.) It is currently listed at $66 bucks and you can't get a better microphone for under $100 that compares to that one. Another to consider, if you want to save a little and make the jump is the AT2020 (Again, posted as the second link at the bottom.) I bought mine 2 or 3 weeks ago for $110 through their prime. (Seems to have jumped to $140 right now...) Very solid mic. Works great from a distance and close. If you plan on being close to any mic, invest in a pop filter (Link at the end again). Amazon has a great one for $15 that I use. If you plan on just putting it on the edge of your desk and talking, it'll work too, but you'll have to raise the mic levels, and thus get more interference and background noise. I talk close (probably a foot or so away.) to my AT2020, and get no background noise. Haven't personally tried the Snowball, but everyone I've talked to that has it loves it and recommends it. Food for thought when money becomes available. As for your current audio, it doesn't sound bad, seem to be doing a good job in Audacity, I was going to recommend that program until I saw you already use it :-). And if thinking about any other mics, just search them on youtube, people almost always have a comparison or such video to listen to them with. (And on another note, regardless of mics that I've used, I still put an EQ on them to drop off the highs and lows that speech doesn't use. Just a good thing to throw on, usually editing software has it.)

EDIT: Also in order of necessity, mic first obviously, and then the pop filter can come later if you are having problems with the "s" and "p" letters causing peaks. I also forgot to mention, if going with a condenser mic, it's a good idea to look into getting a shock mount that fits the mic, that'll stop vibrations from being picked up in the mic too, sometimes they become audible as a low or high hum that are difficult to remove.

Blue Mics Snowball
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-Aluminum/dp/B002OO333Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346788232&sr=8-1&keywords=yeti+snowball

AT2020
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-Condenser-Microphone-USB/dp/B007I53N0Y/ref=sr_1_12?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1346788324&sr=1-12&keywords=at2020

Pop Filter
http://www.amazon.com/CAD-EPF-15A-Filter-15-Inch-Gooseneck/dp/B0002E3FCO/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1346788628&sr=1-2&keywords=pop+filter

u/joelthezombie15 · -2 pointsr/randomactsofamazon

That is a big limit.

1lb Fat replica

Infant Circumcision Trainer(Great, now i have that in my browsing history)

Weener Cleaner soap (When your hand just isnt enough)

Can we have more than one item that we want as long as its under $2000?
If so, heres a few things. if not you can choose from that list.

4K Monitor $624

Microphone $57

Headphones $188

Keyboard $95

2TB External HDD $100

Computer Case $160

Power Supply $170

Graphics Card $340

I really need any of these so even one thing will help tons and i really appreciate the contest and what you are doing is both crazy and the nicest thing ive seen someone do. even if i dont win you are still and amazing person. Thanks again and good luck everyone.

u/dylangarrett15 · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

Not /u/fluffleofbunnies but any features can be matched with a decent pair of headphones, as for style just find a pair of headphones you like the look of and as for comfort, any headphones you pay a decent amount for will be very comfortable.

We aren't telling you you're wrong to get a gaming headset, we're just trying to explain that sound quality can be much better than a gaming headset and that any features and styles you look for can be attained also.

I have these headphones and this mic. The mic is a bit overkill but I used to make YouTube videos. The headphones however, are relatively cheap, great quality and very comfortable.

u/Spockrocket · 14 pointsr/ffxiv

Some constructive criticism. There is some potential here, but your sketches were all very predictable and/or unfunny. You're either rehashing jokes that everyone has already heard/seen a thousand times before, or your punchlines are falling completely flat due to lack of proper comedic timing and buildup. Take some time to study some of the comedic greats, and really focus on how they build up their jokes over the course of the sketch and how they deliver the punchlines.

On the technical end of things, see if your voice actors have the resources to invest in better microphones. Particularly the "new Lalafell woman"; the low quality of her audio really took me out of the moment. You can often find good quality microphones on the cheap if you shop around online. Generally speaking, headsets tend to have lower quality mics than what you'd want in a voice acting gig. Headsets are sufficient for talking on Skype or Mumble or whatever, but when you're doing voice-over work, you really want a good desktop mic. The Blue Snowball is a good option for amateur voice work. Good quality for the price you pay.

u/maximumjim · 1 pointr/letsplay

My buddy bought a Neewer brand microphone for pretty cheap. It would well enough and is about $20.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00XBQ8UGG/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1502818132&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=neewer+microphone&dpPl=1&dpID=513TvuH0TbL&ref=plSrch


Idk how to shorten links, but there's a great deal. Definitely better than a laptop mic, and great for starting out.

u/perfectbebop · 3 pointsr/boardgames

With only a single USB camera you're going to be limited in stream quality regardless so you are going to have to be creative in your production. doing it all live will capture everything, including your friend who can't figure out what he is going to do until its his turn and then spend 20 minutes deciding (Damnit Tim) which won't make for edge of your seat viewing since you can't edit out the down time.

Audio is going to be super important so you will also want to pick up a quality compressor USB mic that will be able to pick up a broad range (as opposed to literally just in front of the mic). Blue Snowball mics have worked well for me in this regards.

Not familiar with Open Broadcaster, so I'm not certain of what it provides that connecting directly to Youtube/UStream for a broadcast wouldn't already do, again especially with only one camera. From the site it looks like it'll broadcast your video games but I could be wrong. Graphic overlays?

From an ease of use perspective if you haven't done this type of thing before, I'd suggest sticking with Youtube. Easy to use, and with proper descriptions/tags will become more searchable by others who are looking for the games that you've previously played as it'll automatically make them available via youtube (one less step for you).

All this said, after a couple of broadcasts to work out the kinks/see if folks are still onboard with doing it, I'd recommend getting a domain that you can point to your youtube channel/website so its easier to share/promote. Redbeardtheimpalerplaysgames.com is easier to remember than youtube.com/watch?v=0hiUuL5uTKc or http://youtu.be/l-O5IHVhWj0

All this said, it can be fun, but make sure that your players are onboard with it. for the sake of showing you what minimal effort can get you, here is a live stream recording of Dice Hate Me Games Brewcrafters playtest that my group did a little over a year ago using the onboard mic/camera to a macbook pro via google hangouts on-air

u/Link1017 · 1 pointr/pcgaming

> Get a good headset (I use the Logitech G930s, but just find something comfortable and decent quality)

I strongly recommend getting a nice pair of headphones and a separate mic instead of a headset. Gaming headsets tend to have poor sound and mic quality when compared to a dedicated pair of headphones and a mic.

For headphones, try /r/headphones. For the mic, you could just get a clip-on like this zalman or an antlion modmic, or you can get a full blown mic like a blue yeti or blue snowball.

u/lukeman3000 · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Thanks for such a detailed explanation.

I've been using my iPhone to record videos. While getting studio-quality recordings sounds pretty awesome, I'm not sure if I want to deal with the perceived hassle of setting up multiple mics, having cables running everywhere, and etc. Furthermore, I don't think I'm good enough to warrant such a high-quality setup (lol).

I also am not crazy about the idea of having a big mic stand in my bedroom (where I play/record). Something that would take up a lot of space (or so I would think). I did some cursory searching on youtube and as I learned a little bit about dual mic configurations I was left with far more questions than I originally entered with.

I don't know. I could afford a couple mics, and an XLR to USB interface, and some kind of a mounting system. It's just kind of intimidating to me, and I'm not sure if it's currently worth all the effort given everything else.

For a bit of context, here's a video I shot with my iPhone. That video has the best audio I've ever captured with my iPhone. I know that's not saying much, but that's pretty good for my iPhone. So maybe the bar is pretty low, but I'm guessing I'd probably be thrilled with the quality from that audio technica USB mic that was recommended to me above.

What I'd really like is some kind of a simple solution. If I knew that I could set up a pair of mics easily and take it down just as easily, and maybe if I knew what the hell I was doing I wouldn't be so reluctant to try it. This appeals to me because it comes with a little tripod which I could sit on my desk, and that way I could use my webcam to record video (while that records audio). So I can be facing my desk to record, and it's relatively low profile and can be placed elsewhere without too much fuss when not in use.

Maybe a dual mic setup could be similarly convenient and low-profile; I don't know. What do you make of all this?

u/AlduinDoesGaming · 1 pointr/letsplay

My current microphone is a Neewer NW-800 with a pop filter, stand, power supply, & shock mount. In total, around 100 dollars (excluding shipping and the wire/adapter)
Microphone,
Boom Arm,
Pop Filter,
Power Supply,
I got mine for around 65 because the mic was on sale, so I would wait until it goes on sale again to be a bit more affordable.

PS: If you want to connect this mic to the PS4, I recommend these two:
Wire, Adapter

Yes, your specs are good enough for an LP series. I agree with Pyroraptor (Audacity, OBS Studio/Standard OBS, Gimp, I use Lightworks, but you could use HitFilm. The webcam seems pretty nice. Just remember that the Neweer is a condenser mic, meaning it will pick up almost anything, so it would be a good idea to either remove any potential background noise in Audacity or use a noise removal program. I would focus on the mic and software first, webcam later. Hope this helps! -Alduin

u/Chorrbs · 2 pointsr/Twitch

The Zalman Zm-Mic1 clips onto the wire of your headphones and is pretty good quality for under $10.

The Blue Snowball is a great desktop mic to start out with. It's great quality for the price as well. Many people use this when they are starting out and I think it is personally worth the investment. I have loved my since I bought it.

u/IncredibleGeek · -1 pointsr/Twitch

blue yeti not needed it's expensive. my mic is 30 dollars and with tweaking it can sound decent or pretty good Neewer NW-700 I have a power supply with it and it's highly recommended. Neewer 1-Channel 48V Phantom Power Supply. for other good or decent mics look up condenser mics. or alternative common twitch mics. the reason behind why i'm saying what I'm saying is alpha gaming check this out and your understand. how to set it up is gaming career within obs. hope this helps. total about $50 vs blue yeti $100+. unless you can afford it I'd go with $50. good luck and hope this helped

u/agentc0re · 1 pointr/letsplay

I don't think that adapter will improve how you sound. Microphones are made to pick up specific frequencies and no in between hardware will change that. It might 'alter' it by removing certain frequencies but if you may not want that because most cheep mic's only pick up a small range to begin with. I think your money might be spent elsewhere. That's just my two cents, and I'm no expert in audio either.


If you want to spend close to nothing, you could go steal your mom's/sisters/girlfriends pantyhose. You'll want to put this over the tip of the mic and cut excess away. Experiment with layers. This will be a homemade pop-filter. :D


Also, you can try voicemeeter. I have a tutorial on how to use it with dxtory. I need up update my tutorial, but make sure to choose the MME devices over the WDM ones. I would like to note that you don't necessarily need to follow my guide to get voicemeeter to work for you. If you need help, let me know.

Money options

I use a MS LX-3000. Cost me $20 USD. Along with voicemeeter, I think i sound pretty good.

Two of my friends use the Samson Meteor and really like it. It's around $70 USD on amazon.

Then there's the whole range of podcasting style microphones. They can range from the same price as the samson to thousands of dollars.

u/haragoshi · 1 pointr/audioengineering

looking for a budget audio input solution for podcasting.

I currently podcast with one friend, but would like to eventually add more friends to the podcast. I currently have a cheap microphone, but no stand and no USB adapter for it, and a wireless gaming headset.

For our first episode I planned to use the built-in mic of my laptop and the USB headset as inputs, but i couldn't get the USB headset to mix with the built-in mic.

I saw this article on best USB audio interface. My initial plan was to buy the Tascam US-2×2 to mix my non-USB mic and another cheap microphone. I would need to buy some cheap tabletop mic stands, but i don't know which brands.

An alternative would be to spend the $150 I would spend on a sound board on two new USB microphones instead of a USB mixer. One advantage of USB mics is I wouldn't need mic stands. I was thinking maybe the Meteor or the Snowball ICE

which is the better solution? USB mics or USB mixer?

If I go with the USB mixer, which cheap mic and tabletop stands should I buy?

Is there a cheaper alternative that I'm missing? I would like to start low budget and gradually upgrade as necessary.

u/CIockwerk · 5 pointsr/pcmasterrace

Of course, I'm happy to help! As for cheap mouse mats, I have this and love it. It's huge though, so you'll want to measure your desk to make sure it'll fit. If not, just about any mouse pad will do. Don't spend a whole lot of money on it (like getting one that's RGB). As for headsets, Amazon has a bunch that are great, and fairly cheap that you can look at. Personally, however, I would recommend getting a stand alone microphone like this guy and using a pair of headphones or earbuds. It might be a little more pricey overall, but I've found that most headsets are really uncomfortable for long periods of use. I splurged and bought some Bose headphones and have a standalone mic that I use. All personal preference, though. Now, for desks and chairs, I'm not sure about. I would maybe check your local Target for a desk, or IKEA if you have one nearby. I'd say the same for chairs. Don't buy a chair just because it has "gaming" in the name, either. Get a chair that you're comfortable in, who cares what it looks like?

Anyways, that's my two cents!

u/DangerDavez · 1 pointr/bapcsalescanada

I'd recommend looking at this list: https://www.reddit.com/r/Zeos/comments/57ml11/guide_gaming_headphones_mics/

My recommendation for under 100 are the Philips SHP9500s.

If you're looking seriously into podcasting, this kit may be pretty nice to get into it:

https://www.amazon.ca/Neewer-Professional-Broadcasting-Microphone-Adjustable/dp/B00XOXRTX6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1486951905&sr=8-2&keywords=neewer

Add in something like a focusrite scarlette or any decent audio interface and you're set. That boom arm is really nice for the price. I use it with a Neat Worker Bee condenser mic that I record guitar with and it's holding up well. The Neewer mic is not amazing but it's very, very good for the price and will definetly get the job done. If you ever get serious about it then you can upgrade to a good studio mic easily.

If you don't want to dish out for the interface then just get a snowball. It won't be amazing sound quality direct to USB but it'll do the job.

Hopefully this helps

u/D_A_K · 3 pointsr/gaming

The mic I use, and one I've heard recommended a lot for a desk mic is this:

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-White/dp/B000EOPQ7E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301863084&sr=8-1

It's pretty powerful, USB, it's a bit large, but has a decent look to it imo. Lots of people use it for podcasts and whatnot. It may do.

As for a 3.5mm mic... you're pretty much looking at stuff like those logitech desk mics for $20 and stuff like that, likely not the best bet. That zalman clip-on is more or less the goto for that style, otherwise you're largely looking at USB solutions. If it's not past your budget and you don't mind the beast sitting on the desk it's your best bet.

u/ThreeSilentFilms · 2 pointsr/audio

Honestly, get a blue snowball. They sound pretty great for what they are. I wouldn’t record a record with them, but for gaming or YouTube recording they are just fine, and probably one of the best sounding options out there. Certainly better than the options you listed.

Blue snowball amazon

Source: I use one for my gaming set up and I have apogee interfaces and high end mics at my disposal.

u/Keyster420 · 2 pointsr/NewTubers

Wow! I'm really surprised that you don't have more subscribers. You were really entertaining and funny through the video. If I was to critique anything is that you should do more videos like this on your channel and maybe look at the camera a bit more.

You just earned a new subscriber😎

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00XBQ8UGG/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1500864731&sr=8-12&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=mic

My brother uses this mic and it works really good.

u/TheGameReaperX · 3 pointsr/AskBattlestations

if she will be gaming on a Wii u you will need a capture card or a capture device that plug in via usb.

I recommend a good webcam like a Logitech HD C310 or Logitec HD C920

for a mic I would recommend a good dedicated mic, something like this or if you want your kiddo to feel like a professional streamer without breaking the bank, then [this](https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Professional-Broadcasting-Microphone-Adjustable/dp/B00XOXRTX6/ref=sr_1_8?
ie=UTF8&qid=1494912402&sr=8-8&keywords=computer+microphone)

Other then that, I would suggest grabbing the open broadcasting software to use to record her videos.

u/watchmarkie · 1 pointr/Fallout4PS4

Hey AltusJ, thanks for the kind words - the feedback is much appreciated! It's definitely a learning curve but I hope speaking to myself will become natural over time :)

I'm currently using the Blue Snowball Ice - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B014PYGTUQ/ref=twister_B0168R7CKY?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Yea I noticed the echo too - any recommendations on sound proofing?

Thanks again

u/fridaynightarcade · 1 pointr/letsplay

The only thing to keep in mind is you could potentially pick up audio from the television on your microphone. You would have to keep the TV turned down low if you don't want to commit to a headset.

A lapel mic would work but may not be very good quality for commentary. I've never had a lapel mic that recorded all that great. You could just set up a USB microphone with a longer cord and mic stand next to you on the couch.

Here is what I use:

https://www.amazon.com/Samson-C01U-Studio-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B00HXE4BYW/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CLIPHO/

If I'm recording at my PC, I just slide it over next to me. If I'm on the couch playing off a console, I just slide it over to where the mic is at appropriate recording distance from my mouth. I love being able to easily go back and forth between areas since I switch between PC gaming and old consoles.

When I'm jamming on the PC, I use a headset so the game audio doesn't get picked up by the microphone.

When I'm console recording over on the couch, I keep the TV turned down low and it's far enough away to where it doesn't get picked up by the mic although I've thought about getting a headset for the TV with a long cord so I can hear the game audio... I like to hear the music lol.

u/GentlemanOctopus · 2 pointsr/letsplay

If you're specifically thinking of recording the Wii U, you're going to need a capture card between the console and your PC. While I haven't tried to record any gaming on a VCR since hooking a Nintendo 64 up to one back in the day, I'm not sure that would work with a newer console (as I'm pretty sure the Wii U doesn't support the old red/white/yellow AV cords).

Elgato Game Capture HD60 is what you're looking for (there's an older "Elgato HD" that will support older consoles but not newer ones). Now that's a $US150 option, so I guess that depends how much you plan to spend on your daughter's make-believe. On the plus side, you shouldn't have much trouble reselling the Elgato down the line if she's just going through a phase, or indeed you could just keep it if you decide to do some game capturing of your own.

The Elgato comes with its own software. It's not too terribly difficult to set up the first time, and after that you barely have to do any set up ever again (especially if you're recording from the same console every time). It has the ability to record video/game audio and your commentary audio too. All you need is a mic-- even a headset mic would probably suffice for your daughter, but there's plenty of condenser mics out there if you want to splurge).

Out of curiosity, what channels or videos does your daughter watch? I'm fascinated by the idea of anyone under the age of 10 being interested in Let's Plays.

u/ConflictNerd · 6 pointsr/Yogscast

I believe they currently use something like the sE2200a which has been discontinued. If I'm not mistaken, Lewis uses the sE2200a II and the same mic was used to record Simon's vocals on Diggy Diggy Hole (based on the live-action video).

I personally use the Badaax UM900 (not to plug, but you can find an example of me using it here) which isn't exactly studio quality, but certainly gets the job done nicely. If you're looking for something that's more entry-level, there's always the Samson CO1U, the Blue Yeti, the Blue Spark Digital, or the Blue Spark.


All of these are very good microphones, and you should be able to find various tests of them on YouTube. Hope this helps. :)

u/GlancingArc · 1 pointr/pcgaming

Audio technica ATH M30 is a safe bet. They are like 40$ on amazon. BTW i wouldn't recommend a headset with a mic. Id honestly say get a nice headset and a nice mic. You dont need an expensive one but you can spend 50$ on a pair of headphones and 50$ on a mic and it will be much better than a 100$ headset. My personal setup is ATH M30 and a Blue Snowball The mic is ok but it picks up everything and the headphones are great.

u/sahbey · 1 pointr/microphones

[netherlands][60$]

Guys ive been doing some research for the past week for a good usb mic for gaming and streaming I dont want to spent hundreds of dollars but just a nice little something that has a decent output the budget is 60euro

I found 2 contestants:

1: samson meteor

2: Blue Snowball Ice

When I listened to audio tests i felled that the samson meteor sounded better just wanted to know what you guys thought about it

If you got some similar suggestions please do so and state why it would be better. (ps USB is highly preffered

I want to thank everyone who took their time to respond to my question in advance!

u/I_AM_INTELIGENT · 2 pointsr/PoetrySlam

Keep making these! My feedback is:

1.) Get a better mic. I use this one. I get pretty good quality recordings from it. I also have a pop filter. Here's an example recording with the mic.

2.) I felt like you were jumping around in a lot of different places. I don't feel like all the lines work together to create one vision or support one theme.

Great stuff :-).

u/Comafly · 15 pointsr/Cynicalbrit

TB, Jesse, and Dodger all talked about this in an old episode of the TGS podcast, and they all pretty much said produce, produce, produce. This is paraphrasing, but it amounted to: Find something unique that you can bring to the table - delivery, humour, editing, content, etc., get a decent microphone if you intend to do voice work, and keep making regular content. It takes months and years to find an audience, but as long as you stick to it, you will build one eventually.

It's also what most top youtubers say. If you're interested you should check out partnersproject! The interviews have a lot of little gems of information, and they talk with people like CorridorDigital and Freddiew.

Hope this helped!

u/ResilientFellow · 1 pointr/letsplay

So you would definitely recommend it? Were there any issues with set up or anything? Also, just to be sure, you mean this right?

http://www.amazon.com/Samson-Meteor-Studio-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B004MF39YS

Thanks for your help. Btw, you guys are great, lol.

u/Fafoah · 1 pointr/Filmmakers

I went with the AT875r because it lacked the gain issues that the NTG-2 had, but was still pretty affordable. I mostly shoot indoors and that influenced my decision as well. I've been pretty satisfied with it so far, but it is only powered through phantom so I reccommend buying a pack of high capacity rechargeable AAs for your H4n and having spares on you at all times.

u/rgrass · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

OK, so all you need is a microphone.

TheEternalNightmare's suggestion of the Zalman Zm-Mic1 will get the job done but this is a case of "You get what you pay for" at less than $10 it's not much. But it is a mic; you talk, they hear you (mostly).

If you're willing to spend more (around $50) the Blue Snowball iCE is a pretty good choice. Connects with USB.

If you need something like a standard headset boom mic the Antlion ModMic is probably your best bet. It sorta just sticks to the side of the headphone cups and connects to the
3.5mm microphone port. It's around $55

It just depends on what you want and what you're willing to pay for.

u/SalientBlue · 1 pointr/BerryTubeLounge

No problem! For voice commentary, the mixing task isn't as complicated as music mixing (a couple audio tracks as opposed to dozens), so HD 650s could be overkill. You might want to consider something like Sony-MDR7506 headphones. They're not as accurate, but they'll handle commentary mixing just fine for about 1/6 of the cost. I had these before the 650s and I liked them a lot; my only issue was that they weren't as durable. They lasted for about nine months of everyday use before the cord went out on me. I have a bad habit of running over cords with my chair, so they may last much longer for you if you don't do that.

Also, one thing I forgot to mention was that all the mics I mentioned above use XLR connectors. To hook an XLR mic into your computer you'll need an audio interface (something like this), which will run you a couple hundred dollars. If you want a USB capable mic, Snowball mics like this one get you pretty good quality sound (on par or a little less than an SM57) without an interface.

u/PhantomIsFrightened · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

For LANs, I recommend the Logitech G430s. For home, I recommend something like the Sennheisher HD 598s if you have a large budget and play alone in a room (due to them being open back) and pair it with a dedicated mic like a Blu Yeti. I, personally, would stray away from both of the headphones you have listed due to the fact that they are both marketed towards gamers, and generally, headsets of the sort will be of poorer quality (more on that here). If you're on a tight budget, but still want high quality sound, I'd recommend a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-M50Xs' with the Blu Snowball. I also saw you mention the kinds of headsets used by professional gamers. Pros usually are sponsored by certain brands, and in turn, use the brands gear (such as mice, keyboards, headphones, etc.). Additionally, pros generally use 2 separate pairs of headphones, one pair of in-ear monitors, and one pair for noise cancellation. The pair used for noise cancellation is generally one own of their sponsors. As you continue to search for a pair, please consider what I have mentioned, and feel free to ask me any questions.

u/finitemike · 1 pointr/HeadphoneAdvice

Topping D30 doesn't work with a boompro. You would need an AMP/DAC combo unit that has headphone out and MIC in, or you will get buzzing issues.


If imaging accuracy is your goal, I find the AKG 712 Pro to be damn near cheating, even better than my DT 770. My HD 800 crush it in sound stage width of course, but the imaging is actually fairly close between the two in games like PUBG, Battlefield 4, and Apex legends. Not bad for a $270 headphone! That leaves you in a tough spot if you want a boom mic. You COULD get an in-line mic like this:


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NXY5H9L/?coliid=I24BOF07FMCL76&colid=KE3MOM1DD6I5&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it


But your voice will sound thin and you would have to use push to talk so the mic doesn't pick up keyboard/room noise.


Best is to get a nicer USB mic and mount it on a boom-mic streamer-style. Something like this can get you started cheap:


https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Microphone-Suspension-Broadcasting-Recording/dp/B07DKB68DL/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=USB+mic&qid=1565999441&s=electronics&sr=1-5


Or you could go ALL THE WAY to the top with a Rode NT-1


https://www.amazon.com/Rode-NT1KIT-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B00GGGQK56/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Rode+NT-1&qid=1565999578&s=electronics&sr=1-3

u/Maverekt · 1 pointr/audiophile

Okay, so I'm planning on doing youtube stuffs, and I want to get a good mic and headset. So I already have the mic I'm getting a snowball, pretty cheap and I hear it has great quality: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-Textured/dp/B000EOPQ7E/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

So I wanna know thoughts/opinions on the mic, but also what headset should I get? I want a really good one for like listening to my commentaries, and one that looks/feels good. I was looking at some razer products but I don't like green as much and not sure on them. (more of a blue guy)

PS: Give some suggestions please, Tell me what you think :D

u/eeyore134 · 2 pointsr/gaming

I did a ton of reading up on this before making the purchase and I'm really happy with it. It's the Samson CO1U and I'd suggest getting a pop filter for it as well. I've never had any complaints about voice quality with it. You can get just the mic for a good bit cheaper, but I think the kit with the shockmount and stand is worth the extra money. Been considering a boom for it just to free up desk space since it has a pretty large footprint, but it's been more than fine without one.

u/cswithian · 1 pointr/microphones

I'm a newly partnered twitch streamer and looking to produce YouTube content as well.

I was planning on getting a better quality mic for videos/streaming, and yesterday my headset mic broke so I figured now is the time.

I have a budget of <$150 CAD. What are the best options? I was looking at getting these two combined:

NW-700 KIT
UM2

Is there anything better? Should I look at something else? I was also considering waiting for a sale on something like the Blue Yeti but I've been told the quality would be better by getting these and it would be cheaper. Thanks for any help!

u/Zynismus · 3 pointsr/pcgaming

On-ear is also an option. Koss Porta Pro is cheap and has a lifelong guarantee, and then you could just stick an AntLion ModMic on it. Both run you just about under 100$.

Btw, a Blue Yeti is decent and also usually doesn't cost 100$.

I also wear glasses, and decent headphones aren't going to be uncomfortable, they just cost more. It's an investment, but if you want something cheaper and portable I think the Koss are very decent.

ModMic: https://www.amazon.com/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone/dp/B00R98JVVU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1525683488&sr=8-4&keywords=AntLion+ModMic

Koss Porta Pro: https://www.amazon.com/Koss-Porta-Pro-Headphones-Silver/dp/B00001P4ZH/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1525683534&sr=1-3&keywords=koss+portapro

Some other recommendations:

SoundMagic E10: https://www.amazon.com/SoundMAGIC-Noise-Isolating-Earphones-Gunmetal/dp/B005HP3OB0/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1525683563&sr=1-3&keywords=SoundMagic+E10

These will actually sound amazing depending on the hardware you run them on. The better the source, the better they sound. They can sound as good, if not better, than In-Ears that cost double as much! They're rather neutral.

Yeti Blue Snowball: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B014PYGTUQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1525683616&sr=1-3&keywords=Yeti+Snowball

(Actually only 50$ right now)

u/FiveMinuteFools · 3 pointsr/Anarcho_Capitalism

Thank you for the help. Also, I appreciate the feedback on the Podcast as well!

We are all on Skype and use Snowball Mics. We used to use MP3 Skype Recorder as it was free but it was buggy. We have since upgraded to Audio Hijack and edit with Audacity. There is some cleanup needed still but it has gotten easier.

Good luck on the Podcast!

u/InHartWeTrust · 1 pointr/buildapc

Zalman Clip-on is kinda decent if you want one that is attached to your headset...but I would recommend a desktop mic for the quality of the voice capture. If you go the desktop route, I would take a look at the Blue USB Snowball. 1) they look awesome on your desk 2) they are really nice and give great sound quality, which your buddies that you play with will appreciate 3) they aren't expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EOPQ7E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

u/darkninja165 · 1 pointr/pcmasterrace

I got this condenser package and this power supply alongside my headphones.

I looked at mod mics but overall I'm much more happy that I got this package, the mic is surprisingly really high quality for the price and it comes with everything you need. Overall I would definitely recommend these two items over a mod mic, but I understand that some of that is just personal prefrence.

It also makes your setup look awesome :D

u/InhailedYeti · 1 pointr/headphones

Oh good, at least you figured out what's going on. Yeah Gigabyte has some questionable quality control in some of their products.

Onboard soundcards aren't always bad and if yours worked I'd imagine it would have been perfectly fine for your setup. I'm not sure you'd benefit much (outside of working audio) from a soundcard/amp/dac. As for PCI I don't really know, I haven't really ventured in that field much and an external amp/dac is almost always recommended here.

The cheapest (not bad, mind you) amp/dac that seems to be worth the money is the FiiO E10k. The only downside in your case is I don't think any external setups or interfaces have a 3.5mm mic in, at least I haven't seen one. I'd imagine you could keep the amp by your header mic in and just plug it in there with the audio in through the dac/amp.

If you stream, though, I highly recommend looking into a proper external mic as well, probably a condenser. The mics on headsets are acceptable for voice chat but if you want good audio for your voice the way to go is definitely an external mic. That would also leave you room to ditch headsets entirely and get a good pair of headphones :D.

u/SJ_holmes · 1 pointr/audiophile

Hey guys! I've recently decided to invest in a solid condenser mic and an audio interface. I would be recording keyboard, acoustic guitar, (maybe electric, but not a priority) and vocals. I am on a pretty low budget as I am also attending university, but would love some feedback on the options I have narrowed it down to, or suggestions for equipment I should consider instead would be welcome too! For the AI, I thought either the PreSonus http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00154KSA2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_3&smid=ATVPDKIKXDER
or the Mackie Onyx
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VZG550?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_4&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
would suit my needs just fine. For the mic, I have narrowed it down to between the Rode NT1A
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002QAUOKS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
and the Audio Technica 2035
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D6RMFG6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_2&smid=A4V0ATM4SIKP4
Once again any feedback/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!Thanks again!

u/brunerww · 1 pointr/Filmmakers

Glad I could help. If the Sennheiser is above your budget limit, I recommend the [$155 Audio Technica AT875r] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQ79W0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000BQ79W0&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) [Referral Link].

It does pretty well when compared to some pretty expensive microphones: http://vimeo.com/11451198

One caveat - this mic is phantom powered only (no battery), so you'll need the DR-60D to power it and you won't be able to plug it directly into the GH3 or any other DSL camera.

Again, hope this is helpful!

Bill

u/rawriorr · 1 pointr/buildapc
Step 1. copy of your build.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor | $378.95 @ OutletPC
CPU Cooler | Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $74.99 @ NCIX US
Motherboard | ASRock Fatal1ty X99X Killer ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard | $264.99 @ Newegg
Memory | Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory | $194.99 @ Adorama
Storage | Intel 530 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $109.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $51.99 @ Directron
Video Card | MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card | $349.99 @ Amazon
Case | Corsair Vengeance C70 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $98.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $59.99 @ Newegg
Monitor | Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor | $215.02 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Corsair K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard | $118.99 @ Amazon
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $1918.88
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-20 05:19 EST-0500 |
I dont think you really need a blueray player butttt thats just my opinion :P

As for webcam perfect.
CAN NOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENT 144hz MONITORS MAKE FOR GAMING.
I think your case cooling is alot, but thats you :P
Mics is where i think its meh.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AS6OYC?ie=UTF8&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&tag=ezvid02-20&creativeASIN=B001AS6OYC

or

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OO333Q?ie=UTF8&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&tag=ezvid02-20&creativeASIN=B002OO333Q

Are both good.

But real talk, you really dont need a 5820k. id say you should go to 4790k, or even 4790 non-k AND drop the cooling if you dont plan to overclock. however if you do teh k is fine. get a 4790k and a capture card.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $333.99 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler | Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $74.99 @ NCIX US
Motherboard | MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $126.00 @ Newegg
Memory | Team Xtreem LV 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory | $149.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Intel 530 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $109.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $51.99 @ Directron
Video Card | MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card | $349.99 @ Amazon
Case | Corsair Vengeance C70 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $98.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $59.99 @ Newegg
Monitor | Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor | $215.02 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Corsair K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard | $118.99 @ Amazon
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $1671.93
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-20 05:23 EST-0500 |

Downgraded to non-k 4790
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor | $250.00
Motherboard | MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $126.00 @ Newegg
Memory | Team Xtreem LV 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory | $149.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Intel 530 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $109.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $51.99 @ Directron
Video Card | MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card | $349.99 @ Amazon
Case | Corsair Vengeance C70 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case | $98.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $59.99 @ Newegg
Monitor | Acer GN246HL 144Hz 24.0" Monitor | $215.02 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Corsair K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard | $118.99 @ Amazon
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $1530.95
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-20 05:24 EST-0500 |

AGAIN, Capture cards. They make streaming decent to watch.
I think the 2nd or 3rd options are the most realistic. the 1st is pointless for you, and most people unless theyre doing nothing but editing/rendering on it.
u/SeafoodDuder · 2 pointsr/buildapc

IMO, it's one big gimmick and you would get better build quality and sound quality from music headphones. If you pay a little more then you get a little more.

A gaming headset mic is ok but a standalone mic like the V-MODA BoomPro, Modmic or the Blue Snowball would be better.

'7.1 surround sound' is basically gamer advertising for the soundstage I mentioned earlier.

Extras like the programmable keys, RGB and wireless are gimmicks too. I used to own Logitech G930s with programmable keys and wireless. I went into the other room and my wireless would drop in and out. I ended up not using the programmable keys because I already have a ton of keyboard keys and mouse buttons. It's plastic buttons and colors my friend.

I just want you to get something really well made and that blows everything else out of the water.

u/nicolass1101 · 2 pointsr/pcmasterrace

I personally have the Audio Technica ATH-M30x and they are really comfortable and sound really good. These are the best of the best though. For microphones, the Snowball is pretty good but I got the Yeti for $60 during black friday and its amazing

u/Icon_Arcade · 2 pointsr/gaming

Samson Meteor Mic is great for this.

Not too expensive. Records great audio, and looks great.

Best feature is the audio out feature on the actual mic. You can listen to yourself live. I found that there can be a good amount of latency with other USB mics. In other USB Mics the sound is picked up by the mic, sent to your computer for processing, then sent back out through your speakers or headphones.
The audio jack on this mic solves that latency problem.

50 Bucks.