I've tested seven USB mics available right now. I've got the most popular USB mics, budget picks,
high end mics, some are better for singers and others are better for spoken word
or podcasting and streaming. watch through the whole video to find out which one
is best for you. i never like to keep you waiting on the best part of the video so
let's get started right now. here's a blind test of a song i recorded with all the mics.
in this comparison make a note of your favorite and i'll reveal which is which
after later in this video i'll share samples of spoken word recordings as well.
walk in your rainbow paradise walk in your rainbow paradise walk in your rainbow paradise
walk in your rainbow paradise walk in your rainbow paradise walk in your rainbow paradise walk in
your rainbow paradise before i reveal which mic is which. if you're new around here i'm Sanjay C
i have tons of videos about audio production and budget gear on my channel consider subscribing if
you haven't already. i bring you the latest gear reviews and comparisons so you can record at home
even on a budget. all right i'm going to reveal which is which but remember some of these
sound very close in quality so you're going to want to learn more about the other features, build
quality and the software they include. if you use the links in the video description below
to buy any one of these USB mics it does help out my channel and you still get the best deals.
strawberry lipstick state of mind
I get so lost inside your eyes don't you believe it you don't have to
say you love me you don't have to say nothing you don't have to say your mine
just let me adore you
honey i walk through fire for you just let me adore you that's the only thing i'll ever do
it's the only thing i'll ever do...
here's more about each mic and i'll tell you what i think of each and who i think they're
good for. i want to start with one of the most popular mics available especially for podcasters
because it really surprised me on my vocals. the Blue Yeti it was pleasant for everything
i did. the sound was personal like a 'fireside chat' .it was very even across all frequencies.
i couldn't find anything to complain about but at the same time it didn't excite me in any way.
a couple mics in this comparison grabbed me the first time i listened. not this one. the yeti has
a frequency response from 20 hertz to 20 kilohertz which is the same as most of the mics here. it also
has multiple polar patterns although most of us will probably just use cardioid for a single
vocalist. the omnidirectional and bi-directional patterns may be useful if you want to
record the whole room or in stereo. a couple other mics here also offer these other patterns.
the blue yeti doesn't really include a competitive software bundle just the companion app for
desktop control. hey i want to know why you're considering a USB mic over a traditional XLR mic.
is it convenience? portability? price? let me know in the comments below. next up the Shure MV7 is the
mic i anticipated most because it's inspired by the Shure SM7B which is an industry standard and
just sounds so good. for so many people the Shure MP7 is brand new. it's a dynamic mic unlike the
other mics in this comparison. this is the only mic that also offers both USB and XLR connections. it
also offers some cool touch controls for headphone volume gain and mute. the companion software
also features the auto level mode that adjusts the mics to gain depending on your preferred distance.
the sound of this mic is just outstanding. the MV7 covers lows, highs, clarity, smoothness like a true
champion. loud vocals are pleasant and smooth. this is the mic to beat now at $249
it isn't the cheapest or the most expensive here but it's well worth the money. other mics in this
roundup offer more features for streamers but if you have your own streaming software you don't
need it. i should note that this is the only mic in this roundup that doesn't come with a stand. you'll
need a mic arm or a mic stand or maybe extra money to Shure to get one of their desktop stands. they
should have included one in my opinion. okay so the Shure has an extra XLR connection so what
if that's all you need? if you've got an audio interface already an XLR mic is actually going
to be more convenient if you want to check out my top XLR mic options check my video comparison here.
all right let's move on to a budget pick from this comparison. the Mackie EM USB is a $99 USB
mic with all the features you need. although this is one of the budget picks it really stood out
in blind tests. the Mackie needed a little EG help but i loved my vocals with this mic. it wasn't as
smooth as others at loud volumes but i enjoyed it both for spoken word and singing. among the $100
mics in this roundup i prefer my voice recorded with the Mackie. the Mackie also has all the core
controls right on the mic including headphone, volume, gain, control and a mute button. the Rode
NT-USB Mini although the same price only offers the headphone volume the Mackie EM-USB includes
some recording software and plugins to get you started. but nothing really geared to streaming. if
you want a real streaming beast let's look at the Presonus Revelator next. if you're recording songs
at home you should be releasing them yourself. yes even as an independent Artist DistroKid the sponsor
of today's video makes that really easy. you can upload your music from your computer at home
so people can listen on Spotify, Apple music and more... pretty much everywhere else DistroKid distributes
your music to all the popular platforms all at once and they'll collect earnings from all the
platforms so you get paid for downloads and plays. there are lots of features on DistroKid to help you
market your music as well or just make your music interesting to listeners you can even add lyrics
so that when your song plays on an Instagram story people see your lyrics. i know you've
seen this before. it also works on Apple music. one of my favorite marketing features of DistroKid
is hyper follow. once you upload your music your unique hyper follow page allows you to promote
your music anywhere you want to share that link and it's an easy way to get people to follow you and
to keep up with your future releases. i've actually created two dedicated videos on DistroKid to
give you all the details about how it works, how you upload and how you get paid and the features
that you don't want to miss. make sure you watch that video here. the Presonus Revelator is one of
the newest mics really focused on streaming and i think that's where it really shines. like the
Blue Yeti it also offers three mic patterns. the sound was okay not my favorite in this comparison
for singing but for a spoken word it was fine and that's where this thing is going to win you over.
this is a streamer's dream when you pair this with the included software. you get a lot of control
including loopback which will allow you to combine multiple sound sources on your computer maybe you
want to play music while you're speaking or play your video games while you speak. this will let
you do it. the software also lets you apply effects to your voice like compression EQ delay and reverb
right in the software and you can create presets and then select those presets using a button
on the mic. that's kind of cool. the software is simple but powerful with mixer controls that just
makes sense. Presonus also adds a bunch of music production software really top quality stuff
included with this mic. this was not my favorite when i recorded my song but for streaming purposes
i wouldn't look any further than this mic this just simplifies the whole process. all right next
i want to take a look at another budget mic in this round up the Rode NT-USB. the clear benefit
of this mic is the size. this is the smallest form factor of all the mics in this roundup
but it doesn't skimp on quality. the sound quality was really good, warm very even, across the
frequencies and smooth when i sang. but it doesn't really stand out among the others in this roundup.
and when it comes to features the Rode NT-USB Mini is kind of lacking compared to the other
budget mics here. there is no hardware gain control which is essential in my opinion
and no companion software. if you just need a no-nonsense tiny USB mic this may be a good
option for you. so what happens when you move up to the high-end mics? i'll talk about the Earthworks Icon
in a second. but first let's take a look at the Behringer Bigfoot. yes Beringer Bigfoot ...Blue Yeti
Bigfoot... Yeti. something similar here. the Behringer is pretty much a clone of the Blue Yeti
for $30 less. actually it just dropped in price again so now it's $50 less.
so it's a $79 USB mic. does it sound any good? well it's decent certainly not as natural sounding
as the Blue mic or the others in this comparison. the Bigfoot also accentuated some mids and highs
in my voice which was fine for my song mix but it didn't really give a true sound for my voice.
as far as features the mic includes the gain, headphone volume, mute button it's all there
if your budget is really low and you still want all the features this is a decent mic. all right
last i've got a high-end USB mic. actually the most expensive USB mic i found on Sweetwater.
it's $349. this is the Earthworks Icon and it's beautiful! i can't tell you how well built and
gorgeous this mic is in person. it's all metal and it kind of reminds me of an airplane or something.
okay but how does it sound? it sounds excellent it sounds professional. i like it almost as much
as the Earthworks SR314 which is a $700 mic. the SR-314 also hits some resonating lows in my voice
which i really liked. the icon seems to kind of do the same so if you have a singing voice like mine
i think you'll really like this. the Icon has a good deal of high-end sparkle compared to
the other mics here. not very even across all frequencies but it's very pleasant for modern
vocals. spoken word was great but honestly the Shure MV7 had a more natural quality to it. also
when i raised the gain of my recordings really high i heard a slight buzzing sound but that was
only at extreme volumes during silence otherwise it sounded excellent. when choosing any of these
mics trust your ears with the samples i've included in this video. you don't need to agree
with my assessment. choose what sounds good to you. if you have any questions about any of these mics
leave them in the comments below thanks to zZounds for sending me a couple of these mics to test out.
zZounds has great prices and some exclusive deals every now and then so check them out if you plan
to buy studio stuff in the future. hey if you found this video useful hit the LIKE button and
don't forget to SUBSCRIBE. Keep Making The Music You Love and i'll see you again in my saturday Sanjay C NEWS
reports for some free plug-ins the latest news and the best music year deals. see you later
(Dharti's Poem) she stood her toes dug into the sand
arms wide open
sunshine wrapped her all around
she stared into the skies of floating dreams of paper planes gliding above the clouds
aside from being heard on classic records from Michael Jackson John Mayer and
countless others the Shore SM7B has enjoyed a run as the hottest podcast microphone on the planet