Good picture requires good sound! If you’ve already set up a beautiful picture and the right light, then it’s time to take care of the microphone. The one for beginners or experienced streamers — it doesn’t matter, because you should be heard as clearly as you are seen. So if you are looking for the ideal mike for work, both in sound and price, then you are definitely in the right place. Which is the best device on the market? You will find out from our review.
How to choose a microphone for a novice content creator? To make the right choice, we have to dive a little into the theory and find out what microphones even exist. Why do we need this? For you to understand what type of device will suit your needs. To record a podcast, musical instruments, or an interview, you may need completely different microphones, so let’s take a quick look at the main types.
Cardioid is perhaps the most common type of microphone. Its task, so to speak, is to get as much sound as possible from the front and as little from the back as possible. Therefore, with such a microphone, you can easily get rid of extraneous sounds, such as cars outside the window or a refrigerator. As you can imagine, this is the best microphone for recording musical instruments such as drums or guitar, as well as vocals.
With a supercardioid, even less ambient sound is recorded, but such microphones have high sensitivity at the back, so if you position it incorrectly, it will most likely pick up unnecessary details. Supercardioid microphones are best suited for recording a single voice or instrument in very noisy environments.
Omnidirectional microphones are equally sensitive from all directions and are used when you need to record all sounds in a room. In sound recording, omnidirectional microphones are used to record choirs, orchestras, or multiple performers singing at the same time.
A bi-directional microphone records the same amount of sound from both sides within a 90-degree radius. Microphones with this polar pattern record stereo sound and are characterized by the most complete and rich sound possible. They are ideal for duets or single singers, but with maximum stereo effect.
Don’t forget that noise reduction is an important criterion when choosing a microphone, especially if you often record in noisy places, such as filming a travel vlog. The frequency range also varies depending on your goals: for recording musical instruments, the frequency should be from 30 to 15,000 Hz, and for working with voice and vocals — from 40 to 15,000 Hz.
Well, you already know a lot about microphones, so it’s time to choose the one that’s right for you!
The Røde Videomicro microphone has a cardioid polar pattern and a wide frequency range from 100 to 20,000 Hz. It’s only 80 mm long and weighs 42 g, making it perfect for camera mounting. The device has optimal directionality for a variety of tasks, provides rich sound transmission, as well as effective noise reduction. The connection is made through the microphone input of the camera.
An excellent condenser microphone, a real boon for streamers. The model features a tight cardioid pattern, which guarantees focused sound. USB-C connection supports 24-bit/48-kHz format. The microphone is equipped with a headphone output, gain control, and a mute button. This top-end microphone for streaming is suitable for MacOS and Windows operating systems.
JBL is one of the most recognizable audio equipment brands, so it’s no surprise that one of this company’s devices is on our list. JBL Quantum Stream is a wired microphone with the ability to switch directionality between recording voice and ambient sounds. Gain control is carried out using a PC or headphones. There is a backlit button on the case, which is responsible for turning the electronics on and off. For high-quality recording, there are two 14 mm condenser microphones with a sampling frequency of 96 kHz.
Fifine RGB AmpliGame A8W is probably the most daring microphone in our selection. At least when it comes to the looks. The white color of the device looks harmonious with RGB lighting. The dial, gain control on the body, and quick mute option, as well as the LED indicator, make using the device comfortable and simple. The presence of flat frequencies from 5 to 13 kHz allows you to record clear sound. The microphone can be used with different devices: PC and MAC, PS4 and PS5.
Your microphone is a key element to a successful YouTube video. So choose the one that suits your purposes and your wallet.
Useful! Thanks for the review!