Best mic for streaming

Iósif S

New member
Hello, I'm a newbie. In the last few months I've been giving lessons and lectures online through my laptop, using a standard mic (the one in the earphones of my Samsung phone). I want to improve the sound quality by buying a good mic (specially beacuse i've recently moved to a very noisy neighbourhood). I suppose I need to buy a condenser mic and a card to connect it to my laptop, but I don't know if this is the (only) best option. Reading through the internet someone recommended the Neewer condenser microphone NW-700 and the USB 48V phantom power NW-35 (this set is about 70$). Is this what i need? Is this the best option for that price? (I'm looking for something about 100$). My main requirement is to have the most noise isolation possible. :confused:


Thanks for your help ^^
 
Hello, I'm a newbie. In the last few months I've been giving lessons and lectures online through my laptop, using a standard mic (the one in the earphones of my Samsung phone). I want to improve the sound quality by buying a good mic (specially beacuse i've recently moved to a very noisy neighbourhood). I suppose I need to buy a condenser mic and a card to connect it to my laptop, but I don't know if this is the (only) best option. Reading through the internet someone recommended the Neewer condenser microphone NW-700 and the USB 48V phantom power NW-35 (this set is about 70$). Is this what i need? Is this the best option for that price? (I'm looking for something about 100$). My main requirement is to have the most noise isolation possible. :confused:


Thanks for your help ^^

You could do that.

Personally I would never use a usb mike. But if your total is 100usd then that may be your least worst option.
You would get better quality with an audio interface than with a usb mike using the realtek built into the pc.

Depends what you are doing and how noisy it is.
Are you teaching live with video in real time or do you record and then post to utoob or other place.
How much noise. From where.

You may want a cardioid to stop noise from behind you and an isolatoin shield to help other noise plus reflections of your voice
https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-A...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RVSR710WSADFBMJ25S01


Carefully check reviews and ratings on several seller sites as well as amazon.

here is what one list has from Top 10 Best Microphones for Recording Vocal 2019 – Ultimate Reviews
Rode NT1A Anniversary Vocal Condenser Microphone Package
Shure SM7B Vocal Dynamic Microphone
Sennheiser MD 421 II Cardioid Dynamic Mic
Rode NTK Tube Condenser Microphone
Neumann TLM 102 Condenser Microphone, Cardioid
SE Electronics sE2200a II C Large Diaphragm Cardioid Condenser Microphone
Shure SM58-LC Vocal Microphone, Cardioid
AKG P420 High Performance Dual Capsule True Condenser Microphone
MXL 770 Cardioid Condenser Microphone
Blue Yeti USB Microphone – Silver


For a budget operation this is what is said at this site
How I record voice audio for YouTube – Egee – Medium
My voice audio recording setup consists of this:
Audacity + Plugins (Free)
Shure SM57 ($100)
Shure X2U XLR-to-USB adapter ($100)
 
Budget minded and simple...... 'may' do what you want adequately for an OK starter microphone...... Audio Technica AT2005USB & ATR 2100. Both use the USB connection to your computer and can use an XLR cable if you should later get a USB interface. Each has a a headphone jack so you can monitor/listen to your recording. I do own the AT2005USB that I use for some specific applications.
A condenser mic will be prone to picking up ambient noises in your room and from outside. A dynamic mic such as the ones above may have better ambient noise rejection than a condenser.
While the Newwer mic 'might' be OK, it's not one I would recommend and rather than the 48vdc phantom power supply that may have been suggested for it, it would be better to get a USB interface which would have the 48vdc phantom included and would be your external soundcard connected to the computer through a USB port.
Example of an inexpensive USB interface....... https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UM...e&qid=1555186283&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-1

Some of the better Youtube reviews on the Audio Technica mics. May help give an idea how it sounds and if something like this would work for you.
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube
 
Thanks for the reply. I'm teaching in real time and mostly without video. The house is pretty close to a highway, so there is a constant noise coming from the outside. It is not that bad but sometimes a hunk pops up and it is pretty unprofessional. So, do you think the set cardioid + audio interface + isolation shield is a good not-that-expensive solution?
 
Thanks for the reply. I'm teaching in real time and mostly without video. The house is pretty close to a highway, so there is a constant noise coming from the outside. It is not that bad but sometimes a hunk pops up and it is pretty unprofessional. So, do you think the set cardioid + audio interface + isolation shield is a good not-that-expensive solution?

I had a friend who did something like that. He used a headphone with mike he wore on his head that was connected to his pc.
But we did not have a big noise problem in those apartments.

Best for you is to keep the mike very close to the mouth and gain way down to avoid picking up other sounds.
Might be easier with a headset than regular mike setup.

Do you have an SPL meter to measure the noise level?

If you are in a house can you move to a room in the back with less noise? Or a basement? Or worst case the bathroom?
 
Where uncontrollable noise is an issue, the best microphone is the one you are closest to.
Whatever mic you choose, I'd recommend getting a good pop filter or maybe even a foam ball on it, so you can get as close as possible.

Dynamic microphones are generally far less sensitive to air blasts and that sort of thing, so working very close to them is usually less problematic.

I'd recommend an sm58 on a budget, or sm7/re20 if you're feeling flush.
The interface to go with it would need to have plenty of gain!
 
First off, you are niot going to do this for $100, $200 is more the figure. Next my odd suggestion! One of these..Behringer XENYX Q1002USB Premium 10-Input 2-Bus Mixer at Gear4music Or a similar mixer from Mackie etc.

You will notice it does NOT have USB facilities? Reason for that. Due to the Real Time aspect you need some heavy EQ going in, especially LF cut and all the USB mixers I know of pinch the USB fee PRE EQ. AIs of course hardly ever have EQ on the mic channels, certainly not at these price points!

Next you will need the Behringer UCA202 interface. This takes the (EQ'ed) mixer signal and converts it via USB for the computer. The 202 is a 16 bit device but does not suffer the "USB whine" of many other cheap 16 bit devices and has easily good enough performance for close mic recording.

Microphone? Yes, a dynamic of some sort with, as said some heay pop shielding and have the mic to the side of gob, not blasting straight at it.

Traffic noise is mostly low frequencies and, together with the bass boost of the mic, cutting much of the LF will reduce the noise quite a bit. This is in fact the principle of a very famous BBC noise canceling mic seen in F1 pits for decades.
Other measures, do not clamp the mic to a desk and put the stand on a heavy base, MDF, better paving slab sitting on 30mm of foam. Put loops in the mic cable at the mic so vibration is isolated. Duvets and such erected around you will do nothing to beat traffic noise but will kill some room reflections and give you a better sound.

Dave.
 
I'd just go for a Blue Yeti and move your recording space as far away from the noise sources as possible. As Steen mentioned, get nice and close to the mic so the background noises are quieter compared to your voice. You can always play with expanders and gates if you've still got noise issues.
 
[UPDATE] Thanks to everyone for your replies. This is what i decided to buy:

1. The dynamic micro Shure SM57.
2. The audio interface Behringer UM2
3. A foam ball to avoid air noise and a pop shield

All of this for about $160 usd.
 
This sounds sensible. Don't forget that the really, really important thing with background noise is the inverse square law. Look it up, but the distance between the noise source and your voice doesn't change linearly as the mic gets closer. Move the mic from two feet from your mic to one foot, and the volume goes up not double, but four times. So you turn the gain down, and the background noise goes down with it. A few inches makes a difference. Too close of course and it also gets baser, which you may need to adjust out. The foam windshield should work fine - typical of how local radio works with their guests.
 
Iósif,

Please do come back after you have things up and running and let us know how it works for you, a brief review of sorts that could help others looking to do the same thing as you. What you like, don't like, and if you encountered any problems in getting it setup.
Good luck and have fun :)
 
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