Hey everybody, I'm new to the forum so hopefully this kind of thread is acceptable here. I already tried giving the forum a search, and didn't really find anything that answered the question. (Cross-posted this to the Sweetwater forum but it hasn't even cleared moderation yet.)
Short version: What Shure (or other) microphone is best for a 6-12 inch spoken distance, and can tolerate a wide variety of volumes from quiet speaking to (almost) shouting?
Long version:
I'm a small-fry YouTuber whose primary content is live commentary of games, with occasional focus on game reviews and video logs. As such, the microphone is usually six to twelve inches from my mouth. My vocal range can go from quiet to quite loud, so I need a microphone that will not clip with loud speaking (near shouting volume) but will still pick up average-level voices.
I previously used a Blue Snowball, but after less than a year of ownership it started producing horrendous popping and clicking sounds during standard recordings, so I had to pitch it out. (Honestly, I didn't think it was worth its price, anyway.) For now, I'm using a webcam microphone that actually has okay quality, but obviously this is a temporary band-aid solution and I'm trying to replace it with something a bit more substantial.
Mostly I've been looking at three microphones: the Shure SM57, Shure SM58, and the Shure SM7B. I'd also heard good things about the Shure Beta 58A, but I haven't looked into it.
I've found some comparisons and done some research online, but I haven't been able to find a concrete answer about which is the best for picking up regular- and loud-volume voices. And more specifically, I'm not sure if the SM7B is worth the extra $250.
Which of these microphones is best suited for this job, and why? Or is there perhaps a better microphone I haven't listed? (Bonus question: Given that they're XLR microphones, is there a specific XLR-to-USB that would be beneficial to me?)
Thank you to everyone in advance for any advice!
Short version: What Shure (or other) microphone is best for a 6-12 inch spoken distance, and can tolerate a wide variety of volumes from quiet speaking to (almost) shouting?
Long version:
I'm a small-fry YouTuber whose primary content is live commentary of games, with occasional focus on game reviews and video logs. As such, the microphone is usually six to twelve inches from my mouth. My vocal range can go from quiet to quite loud, so I need a microphone that will not clip with loud speaking (near shouting volume) but will still pick up average-level voices.
I previously used a Blue Snowball, but after less than a year of ownership it started producing horrendous popping and clicking sounds during standard recordings, so I had to pitch it out. (Honestly, I didn't think it was worth its price, anyway.) For now, I'm using a webcam microphone that actually has okay quality, but obviously this is a temporary band-aid solution and I'm trying to replace it with something a bit more substantial.
Mostly I've been looking at three microphones: the Shure SM57, Shure SM58, and the Shure SM7B. I'd also heard good things about the Shure Beta 58A, but I haven't looked into it.
I've found some comparisons and done some research online, but I haven't been able to find a concrete answer about which is the best for picking up regular- and loud-volume voices. And more specifically, I'm not sure if the SM7B is worth the extra $250.
Which of these microphones is best suited for this job, and why? Or is there perhaps a better microphone I haven't listed? (Bonus question: Given that they're XLR microphones, is there a specific XLR-to-USB that would be beneficial to me?)
Thank you to everyone in advance for any advice!