The cheapest USB microphone setup for Video Conferencing & Online Content
There is a real demand for professional live streaming at the moment and it’s important to know what your options are.
For sites like Zoom to stream reliably, the sound is always massively comprimised anyway so quality doesn’t need to be amazing. It just needs to be clear.
Below are two incredibly cheap options to get you started!
Wireless vs Non-Wireless Microphones
The main difference between Wired and Wireless systems is cost against quality.
Therefore, the first question to ask yourself is, 'How far will I move from my video source and do I need that freedom of movement?’.
Are you teaching a Yoga class for instance where you’ll be often turning away from your camera?
The Super Cheap Wireless Option: FiFine KO37B - £43.99
Review the audio for yourself by clicking here!
Pro’s:
It’s under £50 - which is extremely low for wireless technology!
Compatible with almost all phones & computers
Sounds pretty good in comparison to more expensive ones
Low wireless interferance
Takes AA batteries
CON’S:
It’s under £50 - it’s going to be brittle plastic and easily damaged
There will be wire-noise and it will generally struggle with too much movement.
The body pack is quite large.
The sound won’t be good enough if you intend to ‘compete’ against popular Vloggers and Streamers.
The microphone connection itself is not compatible with other microphones so you cannot replace it with a better one.
The body-pack won’t fit Ursa straps - more about those later.
The headset is a useless gimic
Further thoughts and tips
I pay at least 20x more to get rid of things like wire-noise and bits like that - as well as size, quality etc. so you have to expect certain things won’t be perfect.
To limit wire noise, you create (and tape) one or two looms (loops) in the microphone wire. Make them loose enough that you can adjust the size of the loom but not so much that it doesn’t work. What a loom does is take the weight of any snags the wire has as you move around. Further this idea by creating fixed points on your body with tape - again, not tight so it feels like it’s pulling on you but it will create less wire moving around your body and you will hopefully barely realise it’s there.
To limit microphone noise, it’s a good idea to make sure the microphone is away from the body to limit hair, sweat or clothing noise. If you don’t want to use the clip on the outside of clothing then try taping it to the inside of the clothing item and using the dip in your sternum to help create space. (There are many tapes available that are hypo-allergenic and don’t leave adheseave on clothing. (Check out https://www.pinknoise-systems.co.uk/).
The Super Cheap Standing Option: FiFine K669 - £38.99
FiFine wins again. The price is crazy cheap.
Pro’s:
It’s 38.99.
Sounds pretty good in comparison to more expensive ones.
CON’S:
Again, it’s going to be poor quality in the long term but look after it you should be fine.
Condenser Microphone - more on this below but it will pick up background noise.
Single polar pattern - so doesn’t allow audio in from the back or sides like more expensive alternatives.
Alternative options: Blue Microphones, Marantz & Rode all make really great microphones across the board.
What about Podcasts and online content?
This is where costs defintely start to rise dramatically and I offer a personal service to rent the gear and recieve consultation on how to do it properly. I would normally hire spaces to do it too but we can’t right now.
Podcasting and online content is a competative market and make no bones, you are competiting in it. Podcasting in particular requires a depth in sound only achievable if you are willing to put resources into it and that ultimatly means moving away from USB options.
Dynamic vs Condenser Microphones
Due to cheaper manufacturing costs there are many more affordable USB Condensers on the market at the moment but you should understand them before you buy them.
The main difference between microphone types is that dynamic microphones have a very focused polar pattern whereas condensors are wider - which basically means they pick up a lot more sound from around them.
Remember karaoke when you pick up the microphone and unless you are touching it with your mouth, everyone starts shouting at you? Well, these types of microphones can be great when you don’t want anything else being picked up around it - but you have to make sure it’s next to your mouth!
If you don’t have a specifically treated room that limits room noise then using a condensor microphone can sound awful!
However, many dynamic microphones are not USB, they are XLR and you need to obtain a recording device (or interface) that allows you to plug an XLR into your computer.
USB Dynamic Microphone Option: Audio Technica ATR2100 - £100
Again, for the money this is a much, much better microphone then it’s alternatives, such as the Rode Podcaster.
It’s looks crap but it really isn’t.
Alternatives: Rode Podcaster but I really don’t rate this microphone.
The ‘Industry Standard’ podcasting microphones, like the Shure Sm7b are anywhere from £250 and up - so, similar price to this microphone - however, you need an audio interface or recording device to plug it in to and each talker needs a microphone.
Final notes on recording multiple talkers
A very loose & cheap option would be a USB condensor microphone that has many polar patterns (specifcally omni-directional), meaning you can open it up to accept sound from all sources but check out this video on one of the leading Blue USB condensor microphones in omni-directional. It sounds terrible really and what you need to understand is that to get omni-directional to sound great you absoloutly have to create a ‘dead-space-studio’ and realistically buy a microphone more capable to the task. In the end, this will likely cost more than giving everyone a cheap microphone.
Good luck everyone in these difficult times and feel free to email me with any questions.
sam@boyde.tv