He also apparently can't afford a $60 decent dynamic microphone that essentially cancels out 90%+ of noise that isn't coming from directly in front of the mic making the air conditioner excuse a moot point.

The moment I tune into a podcast and hear that kind of quality, I'm out. I'm trying to start one myself, and bought a shitty "podcast kit" microphone set for $60, and it sounds crystal fucking clear.

Tl;dr: put some effort in, boys.


Edit: To be helpful and not just bitchy, here's the kit I bought.

You might be able to find something cheaper, but that's the kit I normally recommend for people starting out. It's some of the cheapest gear I've found that will still give a quality good enough for professional work, and the mic is has a nice warm tone that is pretty good for a variety of voices. I'm in the US though, so I don't know what the prices of other gear would be in Canada. Basically, other than the mic and interface, you can start with the cheapest stuff you can find (there is debate about how much improvement you can get with more expensive XLR cables, but the cheap ones still work well enough to get you started). While there are definitely better choices for all the gear listed, the cost goes up pretty fast when getting it, and what you've listed will still be able to hold it's own.

​

If you're not sure if you want to go any VO work, you can also look into the Samson Q2U, and while it may not be the same quality (and still would require buying the rest of the gear if you decide you like it) it is a pretty solid mic, and one of the best USB mics I've heard. It has USB and XLR capabilities, letting you start with just the mic and get the rest of the gear later, and it's a dynamic, which gives you better off-axis noise rejection than a condenser (but also not quite as full of a sound).

You can buy this for the same price on amazon here

The Samson Q2U is the same Mic as the ATR2100-USB at a lower price

[Amazon Link] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001R747SG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

• Samson Q2U microphones. We used them in USB mode with no audio interface and I was very pleasantly surprised at the sound quality. The raw audio actually sounded better than the Shure SM58s through a Focusrite Saffire Pro which was our setup at the library.
  
  
• Eastshining adjustable mic arm with shock mount
  
  
• Aokeo pop filters
  
  
• I made the "soundproofing" out of some egg crate foam someone was throwing out by taping it to a pizza box. This has the added bonus that it folds up nice and compact when we're not recording!
  
  
• Recording directly into Reaper
  
  If anyone has questions or wants some advice on how to do this for low budget let me know! We did a lot of research and spent about $80 per person, and the sound quality rivals that of the legit sound studio we were recording in before. Also we used both USB mics on my computer and it was relatively easy to make work (on a Mac) so happy to offer advice on that front too.

You should really consider one decent mic for each person. And you should consider carefully before locking yourself into the USB ghetto.

I'd really suggest a recorder and a few decent dynamic mics unless you were planning on recording a Skype guest or something similar.

The Zoom H6 ($399) would let you just press record and then you can remove the SD card and import the four XLR tracks (and even a couple ambient tracks if you like or replace the supplied mics with two more XLR ports for a total of six). It also does allow you to act as an audio interface straight into your DAW as you see fit. But honestly, why would you? Unless you needed to mix in a Skype call or something similar it would be simpler.

http://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H6-Six-Track-Portable-Recorder/dp/B00DFU9BRK/

The default inexpensive dynamic mics that do a decent job are the Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB ($60) and AT2005-USB ($50) or the Samson Q2U ($38-52, the price varies), all essentially identical mics with the 2100 having a Limited lifetime warranty. They do a decent job of reducing crosstalk and ambient noise, especially for the price. All have USB or XLR interfaces.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR2100-USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B004QJOZS4/

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2005USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B007JX8O0Y/

http://www.amazon.com/Samson-Handheld-Microphone-Headphones-Accessories/dp/B001R747SG/

The Samson's price has been varying from $38 to $52 of recent. For the money they sound good and do a decent job of reducing the ambient noise. Plugged into a Zoom H6 they work well (never used the Q2U myself)

!

ATR-2100/ Samson Q2u

If you are recording everyone in the same room, you should definitely be looking and dynamic mics instead of condenser which are going to be much better at reducing ambient noise. I also have the MXL 770, and love it, but I only use that in my studio where it's just me. For "entry level" I would look at something like:

Shure SM58

Samson Q2u

Audio Technica ATR2100

A Samson Q2U is a good option since you mentioned breathing and keyboard noise. It's dynamic as well as both XLR and USB, so you've got both upgrade paths in the future.

If you're set on a condenser mic then the AT2020 is a great choice. I'm using one with a Behringer Q802USB mixer, but you can get a cheaper UMC22 or UM2 which will sound just as good.

edit: If you want to go with XLR and Dynamic, then I highly reccomend the Shure SM57-lc as it sounds absolutely amazing, and there is a ripoff version of it which sounds almost identical called the pdmic78 for $20, but some people say it's not as durable as the sm57 (you can run over that thing with a bus and it still works).

Appears to be on amazon for this price semi-often and even lower occasionally. Good mic for the price but if you miss it now not a big deal. https://camelcamelcamel.com/Samson-Handheld-Microphone-Recording-Podcasting/product/B001R747SG

i just got this mic and its fantastic. I literally cannot recommend this enough.

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001R747SG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We are looking at setting up an very basic, in-home podcast studio. Would anyone mind weighing in on what we are considering?

​

The podcast is primarily two hosts with an occasional guest (3 ppl max). Its all conversational. It doesn't need to be perfect, we are just hoping for a reasonable audio quality. We aren't trying to break the bank. So my research has been low end but quality items.

​

Here is the purposed setup:

• Mac Mini - It will be dedicated to the podcast. My understanding is that I can set it up to have multiple audio inputs.
  
• Audacity/GarageBand - We currently edit and do some single channel recording with Audacity, and my research indicates it can be set up for multi channel. But I'll explore GarageBand as well.
  
• Mics - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B001R747SG - This is what we're considering purchasing for our three mics.
  
• Mixer - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00I2J4TWG - This is what we're considering purchasing.
  
• Headphones - https://www.amazon.ca/Audio-Technica-AUD-ATHM20X-Professional-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR18 - This is what we're considering purchasing.
  
  ​
  
  I'd love to get some feedback. Thanks!

This is really cool. /u/GoldenChaosGod, is it your initiative? Website looks great. As a podcaster, I highly recommend you get CallRecorder for Skype (for recordings) and Auphonic (for easy post production). This will give you this kind of result. Little less noise, even with "bad" microphone. Good choice on Simplecast (y) I highly recommend the Samson Q2U mic (Amazon), it's a great bang for buck USB mic that I have used in the past as well. I'll chip in a couple of DAI if money is tight.

Hit me up if you need some feedback on the podcast. Feel free to ignore as well!


PS cool logo

Samson Q2u, if you are lazy and don't want to do the soundproofing, as it is a dynamic mic

Samson Q2U

https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Handheld-Microphone-Recording-Podcasting/dp/B001R747SG

If 30€ is a hard budget, I'd keep saving. This fits the bill, otherwise, and hits $40 USD when it goes on sale. https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Handheld-Microphone-Recording-Podcasting/dp/B001R747SG

> It's a condenser. Most Dynamics require XLR input and a separate audio interface, but recently there are ones that use USB.

>You might want something like this Audiotechnica Dynamic Mic + USB interface built in or this microphone by Samson

My post above has links to two Dynamic microphones with USB inputs, but there are probably more out there.

As for speakers for super budget, used logitech x230s. For a bit higher, I'd look into Edifiers like these

There's been a bunch of deals on Edifiers recently (check slickdeals) and I'm unsure how often they usually have sales.

Amazon has the Samson q2u that comes with headphones for $49 and then for software you can use Audacity which is free and very popular among podcasters

Oh shit son! The Samson Q2u is on Prime Day Deal. This is the best entry-level podcasting mic and I strongly recommend it for anyone on a budget who wants to do anything with their voice online.

If you don't have a mic and you want to be on the podcast with me and Hack, this is the mic to get.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001R747SG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_G-HlDbWKK3FA3

I am a stickler for audio quality, so...

You've picked a great day to ask. The Samson Q2U XLR/USB mic is 40% off on Amazon right now. Great starter mic that works on either a recorder that has XLR inputs or on a computer that has a USB input.

I am going to disagree with a lot of people here. I would not recommend a Blue Snowball or Yeti.

I just wouldn't recommend any condenser mic for this kind of task. Condenser mics are excellent for picking up a wide dynamic range. It's great for instrumental/musical recording.

For nearly everything else, they are a pain in the ass. They pick of a ton of background noise and always seem to have a low level of noise in the background.

For streaming, podcast, and voice recordings in general, dynamic mics are far better suited for the task.

Check out the Audio-Technica AT2005USB and the Samson Q2U. Both are excellent dynamic mics.

Another benefit they have is that unlike the Blue mics, you are not stuck with just the USB interface. Both of these mics also have XLR outputs in case you ever want to upgrade to a more professional audio setup in the future.

https://www.amazon.com/Technica-AT2005USB-Handheld-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B007JX8O0Y/

https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Handheld-Microphone-Recording-Podcasting/dp/B001R747SG/

We used to record on a Blue Snowball mic and then upped our game, and we did it without using a mixer based on some tips we got from this subreddit.

We have 4 people recording, and chose to use a Zoom H6. It can record up to six tracks (but the most we've used is 4). Our microphones are Samson Q2Us, which is the same as an Audio-Technica ATR-2100 mic. (We chose the Samson Q2Us instead because they came with headphones and cheap stands and cost less.)

We decided to get boom arms with shock mounts and pop filters in order to reduce noise. To be honest, the Zoom H6 alone, using the capsule mic, produces better sound than our Blue Snowball. I also like the H6 because I can take it on the road and record mobile interviews clearly, even in noisier environments.

Here's one of our latest podcasts recorded with this setup, and here's an old one with the Blue Snowball for comparison. (Jump around the episodes a bit and you'll see the difference.)

Good luck with whatever you choose!

You have TWO options

1)If you have cheap motherboard and dont have add-on sound card and you dont want to buy any equipment, the BEST one bar-non, praised in every review is Samson Q2U, it has both USB interface [so you dont need to buy anything extra] and XLR port so you can upgrade if you want like buying 50-70USD Mixer or USB Audio Interface or if you have good sound card 10$ XLR to 3.5mm cable and record directly to sound card in 24bit/48hz, you should Yyoutube search its model name and see big YT channels benchmark it and listen to their vocie.

On Amazon USA, its 59.99 for microphone with cable and there is "secret kit" for 62USD with free Samson Studio headphones and anti-wind ball

Mic: https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Handheld-Microphone-Recording-Podcasting/dp/B001R747SG

Bundle for just 3$ more: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FWN32HI

2) If you have good sound card, or you want even better sound for same price then the 20$ Behringer Ultravoice Xm8500 Dynamic Vocal Microphone is the best in this category, its not worst then Samson Q2A it just dont have USB, nor cables bundled so its cheaper, its just the microphone and plastic box, you can also search in YT and listen to reviews.

Then you also buy 40USD BEHRINGER Audio Interface 1x XLR/TRS 1x 1/4" 2X RCA USB, Black 1-Channel UM2, and for 60USD you have the best cheapest combo possible, just dont forget XLR to XLR cable, they go from 6 to10-15USD depends on length, Amazon Basics cables is great option, quality, but you can buy whatever you want, but amont cheap cables Amazons are known quality, no gamble.

So i guess it all comes to 70USD with the cable and youll have semi-pro beginner setup.

In any case, if you going to record on your desk and will do keyboard typing you want some space, you may add 23USD Microphone Boom arm that screws on to the table and has your MIC on it, you can lift it up when you dont use, also microphone "improves" sound quality because you wont have to touch the mic and it wont pass your touching noises or keyboard typing to the mic and it comes with Pop filter bundled.

Personally I was going to buy the first one but decided to buy the second one with XLR to 3.5mm cable since my sound card is good and will allow me 24bit/48hz and even 96hz recording

Also if it wont be good trough my sound card sicne it was so cheap i can always add good USB Audio interface.

Mic: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002KZAKS

Cable: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QMIT1YK

Audio Interface: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EK1OTZC

Microphone arm/Boom with Pop filter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JHCL3KS



P.S. No matter what, DO NOT BUY ANY MICROPHONE TYPES Except Dynamic! Otherwise you'll be cursing yourself.

Dynamic doesn't need phantom power [its a separate headache that most mics need 48v phantom power] and its the least sensitive type made for Voice, when you talk it will record just you, all others, especially the USB popular Blue brand mics will record your scratching, air conditioner, your cat, your neighbors and mouse farts across the street, they all good to use-in Audio treated room, when people isolate the room for audio or audio booth, in regular peoples room, Dynamic mics is the Best way to go.

The samson Q2U is a great usb dynamic mic.

It also has an xlr input should you decide to upgrade your setup with a nice interface.

You would probably be better off getting a dynamic microphone for on the road. Those condenser mics will pick up a lot of room noise. I have used the atr2100USB, a little pricier, but also has XLR output as well so can work with your other gear, works with an iPhone of you have the camera connection kit (lightning to USB converter).
https://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATR2100-USB-Microphone-Filter-Headphones/dp/B01HOYG0LW/
It is also branded as the Samson 2QU, a bit cheaper without the headphones etc.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001R747SG/

I also saw this https://www.amazon.com/CAD-U4F-Dynamic-Recording-Microphone/dp/B0167H0H5C/ which is a lot cheaper, no XLR output, haven't used one so can't comment on quality.

The Audio-Technica ATR2100/AT2005/Samson Q2U are very good podcasting microphones, and are versatile by having both USB and XLR connections.

The Zoom H6 is a good recorder. If you want to save money, get a Behringer mixer (1-XLR, 2-XLR, 4-XLR) and a Zoom H1 to record with.

The Audio-Technica ATH-M30x or ATH-M40x are good headphones.

Get any pop filter that fits your price. A Neewer boom arm is OK for podcasting (that's what I use), but the next step up is a Blue Compass, Rode PSA-1, or Heil PL-2T.

The Neewer boom arm comes with a plastic shock mount.

Monoprice.com has pretty good quality cables for cheap, but price almost equals quality for audio cables.

Audacity is a good audio editor.

Check out Better Podcasting, The Audacity to Podcast, School of Podcasting, The Feed, and Podcasters' Roundtable for podcast advice. Pod Squad is a Discord server that I help moderate where you can also get more help from other podcasters.

This is pretty much the basic starter set that will really serve you well.


ATR2100 or Samson q2u for mics. Very similar mics that can just be plugged into your PC via USB. They both also have an XLR connection which future proof them if you buy other equipment. Both do a great job of rejecting background noise and they sound excellent.



Basic Foam cover for the mic.



Neewer scissor Mic stand (or some stand to get the mic closer to your face). The stand that comes with these mics isn't what you need.

Currently using this Neewer stand with my Samson Q2U microphone. I run mine through a mixing board and the quality is really good for the money.

$60 USD Samson Q2U: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001R747SG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_PYRxDbX6NHYK4

$96 USD Behringer UMC202HD:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QHURUBE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_p3RxDbKEGEK61

Look at the manufacturer website for accurate information about specs. The Amazon listing for the 202 had info about the 404 model.

Samson Q2U is probably the best budget mic IMO. It is XLR and USB so if you don't have an interface yet you can still use it with USB.

Then I recommend getting three of whichever of these mics is cheapest at the moment. (They have the same features and about the same quality.)

• Audio–Technica ATR2100-USB
  
• Audio–Technica AT2005USB
  
• Samson Q2U (the headphones are worthless)
  
  Plug these into a Behringer Q1204USB mixer (or cheaper "1204" line). Get a basic split RCA to 3.5 mm TRS cable to connect the Tape Out of the mixer to your H1's input. You'll probably need to reduce the H1's recording level to almost 1.
  
  Depending on the price of the mics and which 1204 mixer you get, this would put you inside your $300 budget.
  
  

I'm shocked that this list does not include one of the following which would be the #1 microphone that I would recommend for podcasters:

Knox Podcasting Microphone

Audio Technica ATR-2100

Audio Technica AT2005

Samson Q2U

Some of the others (expect the Rode Podcaster) are condenser microphones which are problematic for the average podcaster to use without issues such are room reverb, echo, and background noise. I would not recommend those for your average podcaster

Try the ATR2100

Or the Samson Q2
Both super for starting out. Have either USB or XLR for flexibility. And they sound great.

Also it's a good idea to get a pop filter for it. These are like $5 and help audio quality a lot.

Just remember, it's not the mic that makes a great show, it's you.

Wow, thanks for the feedback! Really helpful stuff.

I hear ya on the sound problems - it feels like one of the main areas I want to work on. I used this mic with a regular old suspension stand and windshield.

For the earlier video (that I took down), I uploaded it with the 1080p preset, for this one I went with "Match Source - High Bitrate" and assumed they'd be the same - oops! I'll know for next time.

Also that's really solid advice on the music front. I will keep it in mind for the one I'm working on next.

Again, thank you for the feedback. I appreciate it.

Looking for recommendations for a good Dynamic microphone(?)

I am looking to buy one for my mom who uses her computer to talk to her family out of state.

She has a cochlear implant and she uses a device that attaches to a magnet on her skull where she can hear from so she cannot use a headset.

She has to use speakers, so it would be really nice if whatever microphone she is using for her family not to hear themselves from the speakers back into the microphone.


So far I have been recommended the Samson Q2U

Would this be a good choice?

Also can you guys recommend good speakers for a desktop?

I am at work right now, but I can literally show you everything I bought off amazon. Would this help?

Extensions: https://amzn.to/2Sa1Cbl - https://amzn.to/2Y0mxmu

• https://amzn.to/2S8cIxn - https://amzn.to/2LOhsY0
  
  Mic 1: https://amzn.to/2LMZNzF
  
  Mic 2: https://amzn.to/2JzGwz4
  
  Headphone AMP: https://urlzs.com/2ZuSf
  
  Mixer: https://urlzs.com/UfGH9
  
  Headphones: https://urlzs.com/J7buh
  
  I hope this helps. Thank you

The Samson Q2U is a just plain better mic than the ATR2100 for slightly less. You also don't need a separate pop filter or shock mount either as this type of vocal mic is primarily designed around handheld use, so it has a built-in shock mount and pop filter under the screw-on grill it comes with.

If you don't have an arm a, any old cheap arm should work with a mic this small.

I recently got a Samson Q2U. It was 45 dollars when I bought it though. I just checked and it picks up the blue switches in my number pad if I hit them pretty hard, but it doesn't pick up the Romer G switches in my keyboard at all. I also use an arcade stick, which I'm pretty heavy handed with, and my Discord says they can hear it, but it's not bothersome. That's with a desk mounted boom, and I haven't messed with any noise cancellation at all yet.

The Samson Q2U is a nice cheap and good sounding mic. It has both and xlr and USB as well as a headphone output.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001R747SG/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_0xy3DbGMPHB34

Audio Technica have a slightly cheaper USB Dynamic, the ATR2005. For another $5 less there is the Samson Q2u which some say has the exact same innards as the Audio Technicas, but i can't confirm that. Otherwise you may have to keep an eye out for sales. Just make sure you at least get a foam windscreen for each mic so you have some sort of pop-filtering.

Avoid Blue microphones because the chances of all three of you having recording environments where a Condenser microphone works better than a Dynamic are very low.

Checkout the Samson Q2U. It's a dynamic microphone meaning it's USB and XLR (for if you want to make sound even better and get an audio interface later on) and for $10 more you have a great sounding mic. Here is a review by EposVox

GLWB :)

Shouldn't be. Its the same price point
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001R747SG

Thanks for the reply, I'm thinking about buying the samson from amazon. If I bought that package I wouldn't need a power supply right?

the Samson Q2U Is IMO the best mic for new streamers.