Better Microphones for Podcasting

Posted on May 17, 2006
Filed Under Podcasting, Webcast |

In my post on Pointers for Successful Webcasting, I mentioned buying a better microphone, and also going one step further and setting up a podcasting studio as ways to improve your podcast and webcast sound quality. This post goes into a little more detail on microphones.

To do a podcast, you need a way to record your voice, and you need a way to turn that recording into some type of usable audio file (usually an .mp3 file). So, let’s start off with the microphone. There are a number of choices:

  1. radioshackCheapie Radio Shack mic, like this one. This mic looks alot like the mic that came with my Mac LC a long time ago… it has a 1/8 inch plug, so you’d plug it into your sound card. Cost? $12. This version has a clip so you can clip it on to your shirt or tie, like a lapel mic. That way, it’s out of your face.
  2. logitechOne step up - the Logitech USB Desktop Microphone. It’s a USB mic, so you plug it into a USB port on your computer. The Logitech site claims the mic sounds great… but I’m picky, so I doubt it. But still, it’ll work and it’s simple. Cost? $30.
  3. samsonAnother step up - the Samson C01U USB condenser microphone. It’s cool because it’s still pretty cheap, but it will sound HUGE. It has better internal “guts” and a better-quality diaphram (the little thingie inside all mics that captures your voice’s sound waves), so it will most definitely sound better than the two mics mentioned above. Plus (and this is a big one) it plugs into a USB port, so you don’t have to mess with audio soundboards or preamps (geeky musician stuff). Cost? $ 79.99 at Sam Ash.
  4. blue_snowball_USB_computerEven better… the Blue Snowball (yes, that’s really it’s name). It’s really much like the Samson mentioned above, but it’s a little better quality, and it looks REALLY COOL. Cost? $139.99 at Musician’s Friend.
  5. Or… you could just buy a Mac. Most modern Macs include a built-in microphone (all the laptops and the iMac do, anyway). It’ll sound similar to #1 or #2 above, but it’s simple - nothing to plug in. Cost? Free (of course, you have to buy the Mac to get the mic…)

Update: I just discovered another option - the Samson Q1u microphone - $50 at zzounds.com.

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Comments

10 Responses to “Better Microphones for Podcasting”

  1. david on May 19th, 2006 10:19 am

    Excellent! I’m thinking about upgrading and kept meaning to ask if you had any mic advice. I have the Logitech USB mic now and it does sound a little better than the built-in mic in my Mac. I’ve had my eye on the Snowball but a little pricey.

  2. K.G. Schneider on May 19th, 2006 12:16 pm

    Wonderful–I bought a microphone and had to return it because it just didn’t work with the computer. It was a fine microphone but clearly I was missing something. These suggestions will help.

  3. K.G. Schneider on May 25th, 2006 4:11 pm

    I’m thinking those USB headset/microphone combos might avoid the “moving away from the mike” syndrome–since the mike would be the same difference from your face no matter what. What say?

  4. david king on May 25th, 2006 8:32 pm

    Karen - here’s the deal: Yes, that will do just what you’re thinking. The headset/microphone combo would probably work fine, and a lavalier or full headset mic (the kind Britney Spears uses when she cavorts around the stage) would sound a bit better.

    The downside - they’ll also catch all those snorts, sniffs, coughs and murmurs extremely well, too. Maybe a bother… maybe not.

  5. K.G. Schneider on May 27th, 2006 5:46 pm

    Me as Britney Spears! The mind boggles!

  6. Dan Feinberg on April 9th, 2008 11:05 pm

    The Blue Snowball is soft, the amplitude is just plain too low. They have a firmware fix that adds 10 DB but that makes the Mic not work in Vista. (Don’t tell me to get a Mac, all my clients use PC’s and compatability in business is critical) We actually really like Vista anyway.
    Blue has been promising a fix for 14 months with no updates so far. I am going to sell mine and get something that works.

  7. davidleeking on April 9th, 2008 11:33 pm

    Dan - you might try the Samson C01U. It’s also a USB condenser mic, and it sounds really good (and outputs louder than the Snowball).

    Otherwise, go with the small sound board/soundcard method - then you can use any mic you want.

  8. Garry O'Neal on May 14th, 2008 9:41 am

    Thanks, I was looking at the snowball at musiciansfriend.com and found that the price must have dropped since your original posting. It is now $59.

  9. Garry O'Neal on May 14th, 2008 9:48 am

    Im sorry I was looking at the snow flake, not the snow ball. However the snow ball has also dropped to $99.99

  10. david lee king on May 14th, 2008 10:48 am

    Nice - those are great prices for USB mics - thanks for passing the info along!

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