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The proprietary micro-USB cable Razer tends to use on many peripherals is a bit of a pain. It keeps you from using third party cables because they simply wont fit. I can't express enough how much I hate when a hardware company does this. If you lose that cable for whatever reason (which happens), the mic is useless until Razer's replacement arrives. Sample rate is the number of samples of audio recorded every second. 48kHz is the most common sample rate you'll see on many microphones, and you shouldn't be any lower than that.
The 2i2's twin-preamp design lets you run two microphones through a single interface. This has always been a pain point for anyone who tried to plug more than one USB mic into a PC. That value alone is worth the price of admission, but there's a lot more to the 2i2 that we love. The gamer-centric HyperX Quadcast S is an excellent microphone for the gamer or streamer looking for an easy-to-use, clear-sounding mic. While it doesn't quite match up to the Yeti X in terms of sound quality, the Quadcast S makes up for it in design and feature set. You might be wondering why there's a gaming headset in our best microphones guide, and the reason is it comes with a microphone that's genuinely up to the grade of a discrete one. That's not something I say lightly, as we've come to expect decent, but not amazing, mics on most gaming headsets. The ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet bumps that trend.USB microphones are among the most prevalent for gaming and streaming fare, but you'll sometimes see the more widely used professional connection standard, XLR, make its way into high-end units. Hybrid USB/XLR can offer you the best of both worlds but tend to be more expensive. The USB Type-B Micro/XLR connection will be the big draw for a lot of folks. It gives you the best of both worlds by providing the adaptability of XLR (especially if you use professional audio interfaces) and the versatility of Type-B Micro inputs for recording on the go with laptops and mobile devices.
Regarding microphone quality, the CM25 MkIII is as much a great condenser microphone as you could want from a setup at this price. It's functional and straightforward, and its all-metal construction gives me a lot of faith in its longevity. The tone is balanced and crisp, though you will need to be closer to the mic than you might otherwise with some popular USB microphones to get the tone you're looking for. That might suit you well if you're competing with ambient noise, though you might have to boost the gain a little higher than you'd like if you need to keep the mic further away from your face. Shure's first hybrid XLR/USB microphone manages to provide pro-grade sound with minimal set-up and expertise. While it is more expensive than your average premium mic, its versatility completely justifies the cost. It's hands-down one of the best microphones I've used for recording. Sennheiser Profile Streaming Set gives you everything you need to start your podcasting or streaming journey. And in a straight shootout for sound quality between the two, who comes out on top? It is, inevitably, a matter of opinion. The Snowball Ice sounds like it’s already been through a bit of compression and EQ by the time it reaches your ear from your recording software. The Seiren Mini, on the other hand, achieves a really high fidelity, dry, flat sound in the best possible sense. There’s no flabby bass, no artificial mid-scooping. Some might say it sounds a bit lifeless next to the Snowball Ice, but this reviewer’s ears prefer it. And not just when I listen through a pair of studio cans, but even when hearing the rendered audio through a smartphone or Macbook speaker. Audio is tight and restrained, not as showy as Blue’s signature sound but just as clear and broadcastable. The Seiren Mini’s sound quality is, perhaps, even easier to work with if you were considering dropping in a few plugins. Features and Software
This excellent boom arm will probably last longer than your podcasting career, honestly, and the Sennheiser Profile does everything a good mic for streamers' needs. It's easy to use, and the onboard controls give you much control over your sound. A boom arm certainly helps achieve both of those things. These almost always clip onto the side of your desk and are super handy to keep your mic close to hand while off your desk, saving precious real estate. On the software side of things, the HyperX Quadcast S uses its proprietary Ngenuity software to handle all things RGB, and that's pretty much it. I mean, you canadjust things such as the mic level and get a description of each polar pattern. But other than that, it's pretty light in options when compared to the Elgato Wave: 3, which comes with a digital audio mixer or Blue Yeti X's Blu! Voice software that lets you apply audio filters. With the added complexity of XLR comes a great deal of flexibility that you otherwise wouldn't be able to access without even more complex digital mixing software on a USB mic. You can mix, adjust, and monitor an XLR mic before it ever touches your PC, and that's a massive boon if you're looking for a more complex setup. The downside to XLR is that they will require additional equipment to connect to your PC. It is nothing wild, just something to interface between the mic and PC, such as the many devices by that name, which often comes with mixing functionality built-in. How much should I spend on a microphone?
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