USB mics and tips for setting up to record

Recording from home/the office or remote recording

It's entirely possible to achieve near-studio quality sound using an inexpensive USB mic and the right acoustic environment. In this blog, we'll offer some top tips to achieve this.

USB or not USB?

Not too many years ago, the only way to produce clear, crisp audio was to route an XLR mic through an audio interface which required a degree of technical know-how and could prove quite costly.

However, thanks to the popularity of gaming and podcasting, USB mics are now plentiful and affordable. Just plug into your laptop, desktop or tablet for high quality audio.

But what mic should you choose?

Generally, USB mics use 'condenser' technology which are capable of producing great vocal sound, although they can pick up plenty of the background, too.

Some have pop shields built in or attached to their stands which are very useful additions. A pop shield limits the distortion of 'p' and 'b' plosive sounds which can be hard or even impossible to remove in post; a pop shield costs around £7 so well worth the investment.

So, here's a range of USB mics to consider with rough price guide (subject to change):

1. Top of the pile, Shure MV7+. Excellent quality and background noise rejection. You will need a separate stand and pop shield. Approx £250

2. Rode Podcaster USB. Again, great quality audio and noise rejection. Also needs stand but has built-in pop filter. Roughly £160

3. Rode NT USB. Comes with integrated pop shield and desktop stand so no need for additional kit although you may need to prop it onto a pile of books to get it at the right height for recording! Around £140.

4. Moving into budget range, FIFINE AM6 (and others in this range) are good quality gaming mics with stands and built-in pop shields. Approx £60.

5. Finally, the low-budget Bumblebee II which delivers surprisingly good audio which is certainly better than your laptop's in-built mic. We've shipped a few of these out to clients who wanted their guests to have inexpensive mics to keep after the recordings. Supplied with desktop stand but no pop shield. They can be bought for as low as £20.

Got the mic - now what?

Finding the right space to record can be tricky if you work in an office with limited quiet spaces but there's also the acoustic of the space to consider. Hard surfaces create reverb which requires stripping out in post. So try to find a 'dead' space that has carpets, curtains, soft furnishings, etc. Not as common in offices but more so at home; that's why a lot of podcasters set up in their bedrooms rather than in the kitchen (or worse still, the bathroom!).

Position the mic away from any noise sources - so if you have traffic noise from outside, set up with mic in front of you pointing away from the noise source. It's also good practice for remote video pods to face a window as you'll benefit from natural light creating a more balanced picture.

If there's a constant noise - fan of computer or air-conditioning unit that won't turn off (usually in offices) then record a few seconds of it clean so we can sample it and remove it in post.

Position the mic so its pick up is at the same level as your mouth. Difficult to do with some USB mics with built-in stands, so a pile of books will come in handy! Ensure the mic isn't blocking your view of the screen as you will no doubt want to read notes from it or monitor the recording.

If you've set up a pop shield, make sure there is a gap of approx 7-8 cm between the mic and pop shield fabric. You can then move in to speak to the mic around 15cm away from the pop shield or mic pick up.

Try not to turn away from the mic whilst speaking (if you're reading notes on the table, for example) as this will cause a noticeable change of audio signal that's hard to remedy. Ideally, your mouth should not deviate from the mic throughout.

Finally, always wear a pair of headphones if possible - no matter how cheap and cheerful. Wired ones are best as they don't suffer from low battery and interference that wireless ones do.

Without headphones, the audio from your guests comes out of your speakers and into your mic, causing a feedback loop. Apps like Teams and Zoom have an automatic 'gate' function to stop this feedback loop occurring and so do specialist recording platforms like Riverside and Streamyard, however with all of these, applying a gate will compromise audio quality. Shame to have invested in a decent mic and then spoil the audio for the sake of a £5 pair of headphones!

In conclusion...

By purchasing even the cheapest USB mic you will likely dramatically improve your audio quality. And if you get your acoustic space right with the mic positioned correctly, there's every chance we'll be able to polish your audio to a high standard resulting in greater production values for your pod.