Update

I think after reading a lot of the comments on YouTube, I'm going to upgrade again. The stand mic I purchased is "omnidirectional" which means it is picking up a lot of noise from around the room, including computer fans which I can't exactly turn off.

I just ordered one of these: https://amzn.to/3i1GWU0

This is a more expensive unidirectional mic with noise cancelling, which means it should only capture me and not the rest of the room. This bad boy should be here by January 6th, so I'll post an update when I get it.

I'm out of the office until Jan 5th anyhow. Don't worry. I've got videos queued up for you all next week. Take care, have a good new year. Be safe!

Comments for Mic Test

Age	Subject	From
4 years	Microphone	Brent Rinehart
4 years	Mic Test	Juan C Rivera
4 years	New Mic	Michael Johnson
4 years	Background noise	Hendra Gunawan
4 years	Mic	David Semon

Subscribe to Mic Test
Get notifications when this page is updated

Intro

In this video, I test out a new stand microphone to compare its sound quality with my previous headset mic. I talk about my experiences using different microphones over the years, some of the challenges with headset mics, and why I am considering making a switch to a stand mic. You will hear audio samples from both mics as I switch back and forth and discuss the pros and cons of each setup. Let me know your thoughts on which microphone sounds better.

Transcript

Hey guys, new year, new microphone. I'm testing a new stand mic.

One of the things I hate the most about my job - I do not really hate it, but I do not really like it - is having to put my headset mic on. I have tried a million different mics in my 20-some years of doing this, and some have really sucked, some have been really good.

I just got a new one. It is a stand mic. It is next to my laptop, so I want to make sure it sounds good. This is the new mic.

Just for comparison, I switched back to my old mic so you can hear what it sounds like. It might sound a tiny little bit better, but I think one of the problems I had before was that, and you guys have noticed this sometimes, I pause, I move the microphone, and now I move it back toward my mouth somewhere and then up here. I am just moving the boom mic that goes in front of your face.

Sometimes I do not have it exactly positioned where it was, and it causes the volume to go up and down.

Oh, wow, I just heard that last segment. I just played it while I was doing this, and yeah, I can see a huge difference. I think there might be a short in there somewhere, too, when I move the boom up and down. So, I do not know. I think this new mic sounds fine. Tell me what you think.

I have tried all kinds of different mics. I have tried expensive professional quality ones. I have tried crappy ones. I have tried heavy, big monster headsets, wireless, wired. The one I have been using for the past year works well as long as I do not move the mic - the boom mic on the... set up a little bit. It is what you call it, the thing that goes in front of your face, the little mic arm.

I feel like I am working in a drive-thru taking orders. I mean, it is a good little mic. It only cost me like 30 or 40 bucks, but it worked.

Okay, this new one is on, and it is not super expensive, about $50. It plugs in USB, sits next to my laptop.

Here, I will switch back to the old mic one more time.

All right, here is the old mic, and again, this one is a pain because sometimes I want to record a short video and I have to go find the headset, put the headset on, and I might want to do a little voice dictation for an email or something. I have to put the headset on. I do not want to leave the headset on all day, because then I cannot hear anything else, listen to music, and it is just weird.

So, I would like this boom mic to work. If you think it sounds good, then let me know. Here, I will switch back to it one more time.

All right, back to the new mic, and I think this one is going to do it. I think it sounds okay. Let me know your thoughts. Post them down below, tell me what you think, and I will go with what the consensus happens to be. If this mic does not work well, I will try a different one because I really kind of like not having to wear a headset.

My desk is set up, I have monitors up high, so I do not know if I want to have a boom coming over the top of those. I do not know. We will see. We will figure something out.

So yeah, let me know. Give me your feedback. Thanks. Bye. See you next time.

One more: there, I turned the volume up to max on the recording. I think the recording was a little lower before compared to the old mic, so see if this sounds any better. Okay, now I am really done.

Quiz

No quiz available.

Summary

This is just a brief update from me as I try out some new audio equipment for my videos. As the new year begins, I have picked up a new stand microphone and wanted to share my thoughts and get some feedback from you.

One of the things I have never really enjoyed about making these tutorials is having to use a headset microphone. Over the past twenty years, I have tested many microphones - some were excellent and some not so much. My latest experiment is with a stand mic that sits next to my laptop. I am hoping it makes my recording process easier and improves sound quality.

To offer a fair comparison, I switched between the new stand mic and my old headset mic during the recording so you can hear the difference. The headset mic did its job, but the main issue was a noticeable fluctuation in volume whenever I moved the mic. Since it is attached to a boom arm right near my mouth, even a slight adjustment could cause the audio to rise or drop. In fact, after listening back to part of the recording, I could hear the difference myself. There may even be a short in the wires causing additional problems.

I have tried all types of microphones over the years, from high-end professional models to budget versions. I have tested both wired and wireless sets, lightweight and bulky headsets. The headset I used most recently cost about thirty or forty dollars and worked fine as long as I kept it still. The problem is that wearing a headset is not always comfortable. It can feel awkward, especially if I am just recording something quick or dictating an email. Keeping it on all day is not ideal when I want to listen to music or hear other sounds at my desk.

The new stand microphone I am testing now cost around fifty dollars. It connects via USB and sits neatly next to my laptop. I switched back and forth between the two mics several times so you can hear how each one compares. I am hoping that this new setup solves some of the issues I have been facing, and if you agree that it sounds all right, I may switch to it permanently.

I am also considering my overall desk setup. With my monitors raised high, using a boom mic over the screens is not really practical. I want a solution that is simple, effective, and comfortable.

I would really appreciate your feedback on how this new microphone sounds. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below. If the consensus is that this microphone works well, I will stick with it, but if not, I am open to trying something else.

I also tried turning the recording volume up to its maximum since I noticed the new mic was a bit softer than the old one. Let me know if you notice any improvement with the higher volume setting.

Thanks for sticking with me and for providing your feedback. I will see you again next time.

You can find a complete video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on everything discussed here on my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends.

Topic List

This is a personal message testing and comparing a new microphone setup for video/audio recording, and asking viewers for feedback on sound quality.

Links

Update