- If you're looking for the best microphone to use
with your GoXLR audio mixer for live streaming,
then this video is for you.
We put this video together
with seven of the best microphones to use
for live streaming,
and you're gonna be able to hear each microphone
as we talk about the pros and cons
as we work through this list of microphones.
Now, for the purposes of this video,
I do recommend that you put on headphones,
that will make it easier for you to tell the difference
between all seven of these microphones
as we talk about them.
Obviously, there will be some value
for you without headphones,
but I do think that you'll have a better experience
and be able to hear more of the detail
and what I'm talking about if you're wearing headphones.
In terms of the criteria and how we chose these microphones,
we're looking for microphones that have been around
for a little while.
Most of these are fairly common,
highly recommended microphones,
they have good, reputable distribution,
they have good, reputable service,
and they have a good reputation for lasting a long time
and being a high-quality product.
We're not picking the dollar store brands
or Amazon brands or anything like that,
these are all ironclad,
and you really can't go wrong with either one of these.
I'm also gonna say that probably 90% of your audience
wouldn't be able to tell the difference
between any of these microphones anyway.
The things that I'm talking about in this video
are completely lost on a lot of your audience.
That being said, for those 10% that can tell the difference,
the nuance between these seven microphones
can make a pretty substantial difference,
so that's what we're gonna talk about
as we work our way through this,
Obviously, one of the biggest factors
with a microphone like this is going to be price.
If you're looking for current pricing or specs,
I'm not gonna say it in this video just because the price
of all these microphones does change over the time,
and I do want this video to last a while,
so we do have current pricing linked down
in the description below
where you can always find the current up-to-date pricing
from a variety of online retailers
to make sure that you're seeing the best price possible
as you shop around those multiple online stores.
If you're new to audio
and if you haven't bought audio equipment before,
I would encourage you to buy from more of a music store,
something like Sweetwater rather than buying from Amazon.
If you call Amazon for support with your microphone
or your GoXLR live streaming equipment,
they won't even know what you're talking about.
If you buy from a company like Sweetwater,
they do have experts on the phone and great ongoing support,
so I do ask you to consider that as well,
I think that's a really underrated point.
You might save a couple bucks buying
from somewhere like Amazon,
but you will get better value,
especially if you're new to streaming,
from buying from a company like Sweetwater
that has good online support.
Now, when you look at all these microphones here,
they fall into two different categories.
All of these microphones are XLR microphones
because they have to play nice with the GoXLR,
but these break down into two categories.
The first category is a condenser microphone
and the second category is a dynamic microphone.
We're gonna start with condenser microphones first.
So what sets condenser microphones apart
from dynamic microphones is they're very clear,
they're very articulate,
but they are susceptible to picking up background noise,
dogs barking, birds chirping, that sort of thing,
just because of how articulate they are.
They aren't necessarily as good
at background noise rejection,
and you do oftentimes need something like a pop filter.
For live streaming, that's not always ideal
because with live streaming,
you want people to see your face,
much like this video,
if I had a big pop filter in front of my face,
even if the audio quality is better,
that would distract from the overall value,
so that's something to consider as well.
Now let's start going through these microphones one by one.
The first microphone in this lineup is the NEAT Worker Bee,
this is a condenser microphone.
It comes with a clip-on pop filter and a shock mount.
It's actually the least expensive microphone
that you will see in this video today,
which makes it a very, very underrated microphone.
I find that it has a robust low end, a tight top end,
it sounds good, it's clear.
The only downside of this microphone, in my opinion,
if you're just getting started,
is it is quite big and it is quite stylized
with its yellow elastic band
and it has yellow on the bottom of the microphone as well.
So if it is right in the shot,
it might be a little distracting
depending on the brand of your live stream.
But overall, I do find that out of all the microphones here,
I'd be really tempted to say
that this microphone has the best value.
It sounds crisp, clear, has a tight polar pattern.
It is a condenser microphone,
so you are susceptible to picking up some background noise,
but I think it does sound great,
and I do recommend this for the money.
The next microphone that we're gonna talk about
is the Audio Technica AT2020.
In this video, I'm showing it with a third-party windscreen.
Again, for condenser microphones,
I do always recommend some type of pop filter,
so a foam windscreen is always a good idea.
If you're on a forum looking
for a live-streaming microphone,
it's very, very hard to get through that forum post,
that Reddit posts, or that Twitter post
without somebody recommending the AT2020.
At this price, this microphone sounds fantastic.
One of the things that I love about this microphone is
that its small profile makes it really easy
to sneak into the shot depending on the boom arm
or mic stand that you're using.
It is really flexible to work into your environment
no matter what you're doing.
It is a condenser microphone,
so it's clean, it's articulate, it sounds really good,
and overall, for the dollar value,
it is just a little bit more expensive
than the NEAT Worker Bee.
But again, it does have that longevity,
it's been around for several years now,
and it does come highly recommended.
Another pro for this microphone is
it's extremely versatile for other studio applications,
so if you do think that you're gonna do more home recording
or home studio work,
this is a really good starter microphone that you can use
as a platform for all types of musical instrument recording,
and it does sound great for your voice
for a live stream as well.
The next microphone that I recommend is the one
that you're listening to right now, the Rode NT1.
In this video, we're using it with the SMR shock mount kit,
this is an option.
Another option that comes
with this microphone is the SM6 shock mount kit.
I do like this one,
looks better, it's cleaner, it's tighter.
It looks better for being on video,
that's why I'm recommending it
and using it in this video.
In my mind, the Rode NT1 is hands down
the best condenser microphone that you can buy
for less than a thousand dollars.
It is almost ruler flat across the whole frequency range,
it's very, very accurate with its representation
of a recording or picking up the sound source,
and the good news is that
it costs nowhere near $1,000.
It is close to that $200 to $300 price range,
do check out the link down in the description below
for current up-to-date pricing,
there are always good deals on a microphone like this,
so do check out those links.
But overall, this microphone,
you really can't go wrong.
Much like the AT2020, this comes super highly recommended,
and you can use it for almost any instrument
that you can imagine.
It's clean, articulate, and flat.
The only downside to this microphone,
the reason that I don't use it more is
because my studio is not that good.
It is susceptible to picking up things
like dogs barking, birds chirping, and background noise,
so if you are in a well-treated environment,
I would say this is the top condenser microphone
that you should be looking at,
especially for the dollar value.
You get a ton of value from the Rode NT1,
and I highly recommend this microphone
as the best condenser microphone under $1,000,
even though it's about a quarter of that price,
for live streaming.
All right, next we're gonna talk about dynamic microphones.
So, opposite of condenser microphones,
dynamic microphones typically have
some sort of built-in pop filter
so you don't need a windscreen in front of them,
you can use optional over-the-top foam windscreens
with them, but they're not always necessary
so I don't always recommend them.
There is one microphone in this list
that I do recommend having a pop filter with,
but other than that, they're better at noise rejection,
so if you're in something like a square room
with just drywall,
these microphones will serve you a lot better.
If you're trying to live stream or record in a house
or you have a roommate,
you have other people that live with you
that are gonna be cooking,
moving around your space, banging around,
a dynamic microphone will be far less distracting
on your live stream.
They're definitely better value for live streams,
especially if you're someone that live streams
for one, two, or three hours, really long live streams,
I recommend dynamic microphones
because you're not always in control of your environment,
and these will be less distracting to your online audience
and give you more consistent audio.
So for that reason, I do recommend dynamic microphones
over condenser microphones for live streaming.
So let's get started walking through the four microphones
that I brought for this video.
The first microphone that I brought
in this video is the Shure SM58.
This microphone is notorious as the first microphone
that anyone should buy.
It will last a lifetime, it sounds great,
this is the baseline microphone
that all other vocal microphones are compared to.
It was originally built as a studio microphone,
and due to its low handling noise, built-in pop filter,
it took off as a live sound microphone
that many musicians use all around the world
and still tour with all the time.
But this microphone sounds great,
it has a low profile.,
you can get optional wind covers for it,
but I don't think that that's necessary.
In terms of why I don't recommend this microphone,
depending on the look and the brand of your live stream,
this just doesn't look as good
as some of the other microphones,
and for something like a video stream,
that can be important to some people,
but for the price, these things are usually somewhere
around 90 to 110 bucks depending on the day,
they're extremely affordable.
And if you do happen to rage quit a game
during your live stream and you throw this thing
out of the window of your 12-story apartment,
whoever is taking care of you can go pick it up,
bring it up, and plug it back in,
and it will still work.
There's people that throw these things in fires,
the ocean, drop them off 100-foot cliffs,
these things will always work.
You can roll it around in the back of your car, no problem.
You can hammer deck nails with this microphone,
it will always work for you.
This is by far the most reliable microphone in the world
because of its reputation that it can take a beating.
In terms of your live stream,
the only real downside to this microphone is
that it doesn't look like a studio microphone.
It is used all the time for broadcast recording,
and it is a great microphone as you can hear right now.
It really does accentuate the frequencies that are required
in delivering a good vocal recording to your live stream.
Next, we have the Rode PodMic.
This microphone is one of the newer microphones
that I brought to this video,
and it was designed as a vocal dynamic microphone,
a studio dynamic microphone for live streaming,
podcasting, and home recording of voice.
My knock on this microphone is
that the internal pop filter is not as good as advertised,
it's advertised as not needing an over-the-top wind screen.
I think this microphone does benefit
from an over-the-top wind screen.
Also, with this microphone,
I find it's just not as full
or it doesn't build that authority
because of the low frequency response is just lacking
compared to the other dynamic microphones.
Now, there are reasons to use a microphone
with this frequency response.
It would cut through game noise a little bit better,
but my personal preference
and my personal feeling about the Rode PodMic is
that it does sound a little bit thin
compared to the other dynamic microphones.
I don't really recommend this microphone a lot,
but I brought it to this video
just because it is so highly recommended by other people,
so I figured that I had to bring it on to talk about it,
but the low, the lack of low end frequency response
sounds like there's a built-in high pass filter,
and it isn't my first choice
for a broadcast dynamic microphone,
which I do recommend typically for live streaming.
But this is what the Rode PodMic sounds like,
and it is a very comparable price to the Shure SM58.
Again, for my money, I'd rather spend the money on the 58,
but if looks are really important,
maybe the Rode PodMic is a better fit for you
around this price range.
Next, we have the Shure SM7B.
It's hard to move anywhere on the internet
without somebody recommending
that you go buy the Shure SM7B.
This is a mainstay in broadcast recording studios,
so that does make it really popular
for things like live streaming.
Now, the downsides of this microphone
are very well-documented.
It can sound a little bit muffled
depending on your opinion.
Some people say it's muffled,
some people say it has a robust, low end.
It really depends on how you look at it,
but this is also on the upper end of most people's budget.
Now, it is often highly recommended with the GoXLR
because the GoXLR is so expensive on itself,
people kind of figure that you are spending
about a thousand bucks on your home streaming audio setup,
and in which case, if you can afford the GoXLR,
perhaps you also have the budget for the SM7B.
A lot of people don't get the SM7B because of the price,
but this is extremely popular for home recording,
podcasting, live streaming, broadcast recording.
Vocal recording is what this microphone is made to do.
Commonly, a lot of people brag about the fact
that this was used as a vocal mic
on Michael Jackson's albums
and it's on "The Joe Rogan Experience,"
so a lot of people see it in famous podcasts like that,
which makes other people perpetuate the cycle
of recommending this microphone.
It is a great microphone.
It has really good noise rejection.
It is very, very good at rejecting things
like tapping the mic stand
or clicking on the table or that type of thing,
which again just does make it
a professional-grade studio vocal microphone.
You really can't go wrong
with something like the Shure SM7B
if you do have the budget for it.
Next, we have my favorite.
This is the last microphone in this video,
and unfortunately, it is the most expensive microphone.
This microphone has all the characteristics
of the SM7B,
but to me, it does have a lot more top end clarity.
The frequency of response on the upper frequencies
really do bring you closer to the person who's speaking,
and it sounds a lot more natural.
When I go back and forth between the RE20 and the SM7B,
it really does sound like the SM7B is muffled
compared to the RE20.
But again, depending on your environment,
you might not want sensitivity in the upper frequencies
that come with the RE20.
This will make it a little bit more prone
to background noise and the types of things
like HVAC systems and fans and other things
that may be going on in your environment,
but what it often comes down to for radio stations,
broadcasting, or professional-grade microphones,
if you're going for the top of the top vocal microphone,
most people will be on team RE20 or SM7B.
Not a lot of people like both microphones,
it is quite polarizing if you go into the community
under which one is better and more highly recommended.
For my personal opinion, I like the RE20 better.
I like that upper end clarity.
It is still really, really good at noise rejection.
If you look at the venting down the side of this microphone,
that's for its Variable-D technology,
which tries to preserve the frequency response
of this microphone if you are moving around the microphone
a little bit.
It is more forgiving with proximity effect
compared to the other dynamic and condenser microphones
that we have here.
The frequency response is much more forgiving
as you move around the microphone,
so that is a nice thing for live streamers as well,
knowing that you don't always have to be in the sweet spot
of the microphone to maintain the same frequency of response
throughout the duration of your live stream.
So like I said, this is the most expensive option,
but this is my favorite option,
it's the one that I recommend all the time.
If you do have questions about any of the microphones
that we have in this video,
I'd love to hear your comments as to
which one you thought sounded best.
Now, do keep in mind that with a live stream,
you're not always going for outright sound quality.
You want a microphone that sounds good
as you move around a little bit.
You want something that's consistent,
that will last good.
You want something that doesn't necessarily
require a large pop filter in front of your face.
You want something that's robust, durable, will last,
and that you don't have to be overthinking
or upgrading again in a year or two
as you get more serious about your live stream.
So I am very curious to know what you think
about all these microphones as we went through them.
Which microphone do you think works the best
or provides the best value for live streamers?
It's not always about buying the best microphone
because as we know,
you often do pay for the higher end equipment,
so which one of these microphones
do you think provides the best value
and which one of these are you looking at buying?
Perhaps you own one of these
and you know the upsides and the downsides,
maybe I missed something in this video,
it is just a quick overview of all these microphones.
I'd love to hear back from you
and do check out the comments section
to see what other people are saying
about these microphones as well.
If you do want pricing or specs,
again, for anything that you see in this video,
we do have links down in the description below.
We do also have a lot of comparison videos
on our YouTube channel
where we compare these microphones in heads up battles,
so if you are narrowing it down to one or two,
please do check out those videos,
I do think they're helpful.
And if you wanna see more videos like this in the future,
please like and subscribe.
Thank you for watching
(upbeat music)