Discussions

Howdy!  
 
So as per title, I have been having a difficult time deciding on a USB microphone to buy for myself, and I'm wondering if there's someone who could give me some input.  
 
For context, for the past little while I have been recording myself gaming and uploading the videos to Youtube for fun. I have been enjoying the process, but I definitely feel like I have been rapidly outgrowing my starter setup. I have been recording my audio with the microphone on my Apple earbuds, and while it does its job, as to be expected the quality of the audio isn't really holding up, like, at all.  
 
I know that I would likely be more comfortable and have an easier time using a USB microphone, and it would improve the quality of my audio in the process. (I have considered fiddling with the audio in post production, but as someone with absolutely zero experience in any form of audio engineering, I feel like that task is far too daunting save for the basics like noise reduction).  
 
My main issue however, has been the sheer volume of choices, especially since most USB mics run at least over $100, if not into the $200 range. Because they're so pricey, I would really like to make a solid choice the first time around and make a purchase that would last and be reliable for years to come.  
 
What mics have you all purchased? What are the pros and cons? I'm finding that most of the reviews I've been reading/watching focus heavily on the negatives and don't really tell me what each option is good for. I've been considering just getting a Blue Yeti as it seems to be fairly standard, but I am nervous because of some less favourable reviews, and at this point I'm wondering if any of them are even good, or if the reviewers have been so picky that they're pointing out things that a beginner like me wouldn't even notice.  
 
Thanks in advance for your input!

I've used a Blue Snowball before and I was pretty happy with it, but in IMO if you're ready to move beyond that it might be time to look into an actual recording setup rather than just trying to get the best USB mic

That's fair. I'm glad to hear that you had a good experience with the Blue Snowball. I was looking at it as a serious contender as well mainly for budget reasons.  
 
Practicality is the main reason I'm looking at USB mics (easy set-up, easy to use, don't have to worry about a mixing board, etc.). Though you are probably right. Do you use an xlr recording setup often? I've been putting so much time into researching USB mics that I don't actually know what I would be getting into using a different recording setup.

Check out the Audio Technica ATR2100 mic. It has great reviews and is often recommended as the best affordable mic. It’s cheaper than a Blue Yeti, has both XLR and USB output and great recording quality.

I used to do a bit of music recording as a hobby 10 years ago.  
 
If you don't want the audio recording part to be one of your hobbies, just get a decent mid-range USB mic. The quality will be better than some of the podcasts I've heard during covid. If you're making money off of it and still aren't interested in the audio recording side, sure buy the most expensive USB mic you can get.

Thanks! I'll give it a look!

Fair enough! I admit that the audio recording bit isn't as fun/appealing to me as other aspects like video editing.  
 
Thank you for your advice!