Best MIC for me?

C

Codenirus

New member
Hello everyone, I've been really interested in a good sounding microphone. The requirements for me are simple, I'm a gamer who is peculiar about good quality mics,I also really enjoy making commentary video. I've been looking around some mics and I came across these.:

Audio-Technica ATR2100

Audio-Technica ATR2500

Both mics are affordable and decent. But I also want to make sure that I choose the mic that picks up the least amount of background noise(because I usually game with friends in the same room so it becomes annoying hearing them through my mic.) , while still maintaining a comfortable distance away from the microphone. This has been really annoying me lately because I couldn't find a definitive answer. Or perhaps there are better suited mics for me then the ones listed above?

Thanks you all so much for your time and consideration :).
 
Codenirus said:
But I also want to make sure that I choose the mic that picks up the least amount of background noise....while still maintaining a comfortable distance away from the microphone.
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Hey,
This won't happen.
Sure, there are mics with tight polar patterns, but there are no magic ones.
The rule of thumb is that if you can hear it the mic can hear it.

The only thing I can recommend is getting a headset mic or just conceding that you'll have to stay very close to the mic and turn the gain down.
You'll still have to accept some amount of bleed, but it'll be a lot less noticeable.

The other (acoustically ideal) option is isolation, but maybe that's not practical for what you're doing.

The final option is to mic your friends up and have them contribute. If you make a feature out of it it wont seem like a problem. :)
 
Sincerely, thanks for the input guys, as I previously said, your help is very much appreciated.

My mic set ups vary depending on what I game/record on. On PC I use an old XLR SHURE microphone that is very old. The main problem is that it picks up any little noise that goes on in the background, and the quality/features is very limited. For my PS4 I generally use a headset or the stock PS4 mic which isn't the best for voice clarity. Apparently the PS4 can take USB microphones and this is another reason why I'm very eager to get a USB microphone. I dislike headsets because most of them generally lack sound quality... unless you are willing to pay a premium price. I prefer using good sounding headphones. By comfortable distance I simply mean that I don't want to be hunched, over a microphone while I'm gaming.
 
Alright cool.
Other people might chime in with specific recommendations, but this comes up a lot and there are no magic bullets I'm afraid.

I've always believed that dynamic mics are no different to condensers in this way.
Yes, they're generally less sensitive, but they'll be less sensitive to your voice too.
You just turn the gain up and end up in the same boat.

I can't back that up; It's just opinion and experience, but even if there is some subtle difference, subtle's the key word.

I suppose you could pop the tv on in the back ground and just try a few different distances and positions to see what can be achieved.
If it's possible to work your friends into the null that WILL help a lot, but I suppose they have to see your screen, right?

Maybe you can seat them all to one side and have the mic point at you from that side?

It's going to be a balancing act, I think.

EDIT: It doesn't create an inspiring atmosphere but you could ask them to keep it down when you're recording. :)
 
arcaxis said:
Not sure why it seems to work that way with dynamics versus condensers, unless the extended frequency response on the top end of a condenser catches more ambient sound bouncing around a room. For the same given levels when recording I know my RE20 or SM7b will pickup less background noise than a condenser, but it also doesn't have the airiness of a condenser either. :)
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I believe that is true, for the the top and bottom as well. A lot of dynamics only go down to 40Hz, typical condenser is 20khz.
 
Wow thanks for all of the information! You guys really helped reduce my ignorance about mics :D I will be sure to take all of these great suggestions into consideration when I decide to buy a mic! Thanks and thanks again! :)
 
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