Some would argue that audio quality is even more important than video quality when it comes to content creation. While viewers might be willing to put up with a slightly lower resolution, they’ll rarely put up with your voice being carried by a sub-par pinhole or headset microphone. Thankfully there are plenty of options available these days for would-be streamers to sound as professional as they look.
Rode NT-USB
Rode is a well-known quantity in the world of USB microphones, and their USB microphone output in recent years has solidified their place as one of the top manufacturers. The NT-USB offers a built-in monitor via 3.5mm headphone jack, on-mic gain and mix knobs, a tripod stand, and an included pop filter for reducing plosives. It has a cardioid pickup pattern, which makes it great for streaming while reducing potential PC noise such as cooling fans in the background. It’s a great-sounding, simple, plug-and-play microphone that will get you up and streaming in no time.
HyperX SoloCast
HyperX has been expanding their hardware game from high-quality headsets to other peripherals for a while now. Their SoloCast cardioid microphone is specifically geared toward streamers and YouTubers with a tap-to-mute feature that includes an LED indicator. This means it’s quick and easy to mute the microphone mid-stream without having to fuss with your streaming software or an external mixer. It includes a small adjustable stand but is also double threaded with 3/8” and 5/8” fittings for mounting it to a boom arm. HyperX also states that it’s fully compatible with all manner of software, including Discord, TeamSpeak, Streamlabs OBS, OBS Studio, and XSplit, so you don’t have to worry about difficult configuration in your streaming software of choice.
Elgato Wave:3
Elgato continues to be one of the premiere brands for streaming hardware and accessories, as indicated by the number of streaming-focused features present on their Wave:3 microphone. It has a capacitive mute button, 96 kHz sample rate, low-cut filter, and compatibility with Elgato’s impressive Wave Link software suite. In the software, you have access to an entire mixer that you can fine-tune to your heart’s content. The knob on the front of the mic pulls triple duty to adjust volume, gain, and mix. It’s a solid, feature-rich microphone with great sound.
Razer Seiren X
Razer might not be well-known for their microphones, but that hasn’t stopped them from putting out some very good ones. The Seiren comes in both full-sized and mini versions, with the larger version featuring a super cardioid pickup pattern, LED-enabled mute button, and front-mounted volume knob. The stand it comes with also features shock-absorption, and it’s threaded for arm mounting. It’s a great starting point for anyone looking to get into streaming.
Blue Yeti
Blue was one of the key players in the USB microphone revolution that has been happening in the last ten years. Their Snowball microphone was an early darling in the content creation space, and their Yeti microphone remains a highly versatile microphone for all sorts of applications. It’s compatible with their broadcast software that features a de-popper, de-esser, and limiter for adjusting your sound. It has a tactile mute switch and volume knob, real-time monitoring, and comes with a heavy-duty adjustable stand. The back features a pickup pattern knob that supports several different use cases ranging from streaming to podcasting. Even though the Yeti design is a few years old, it remains one of the most versatile microphones on the market today.
Audio-Technica AT2020USB+
Audio-Technica constantly tops shopping lists with their ATH-M50X headphones, but they also offer several very compelling microphones for those looking to get into streaming. The AT2020USB+ features real-time monitoring, mix and volume knobs, and a pivoting tripod stand. It’s a great-sounding, no-frills microphone with a 48 kHz sample rate, 16-bit depth, and wide frequency response.
Proper microphone usage is a skill that takes some time to master, from being attentive to plosives and self-noise to understanding the different audio settings in the software you’re using. But finding a good, feature-rich microphone can take you the majority of the way there.
For more hardware guides check out 2021’s 4 Best Webcams with Built-In Microphones and 5 Best Budget Microphones for Streaming | Budget Streaming Mics on Pro Game Guides.
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