Best microphones 2021 for video calling, podcasting and streaming

 

(Pocket-lint) - You need to ensure that you are heard loudly and clearly while playing with friends, streaming to your audience or creating content for YouTube or any other site. A built-in microphone is often packaged with gaming headsets, but they are not always perfect and definitely not as good as a dedicated microphone.

We've got you covered if you've been thinking about adding a dedicated mic to your setup, but aren't sure what to buy.

We've compiled a list of the best USB microphones, most of which are easy-to-use plug-and-play devices with decent audio capabilities. These are nice looking and capable microphones that your bank account won't destroy.

Shure MV7 podcast microphone

• USB and XLR connection options
• Auto level software controls with gain, EQ, limiter and compressor options
• Works with PC, Mac, iOS and Android
• Stand and boom arm mountable

For those seeking a studio-quality microphone that is comfortable and easy to set up, the Shure MV7 is the company's response. For its versatility, user-friendly alternatives and superior sound capture, it stands head and shoulders above the competition.

By incorporating USB compatibility and the ShurePlus Motive applications that function on the desktop or smartphone, this microphone takes the iconic Shure SM7B and makes it more available to the masses. The app is meant to function like an audio engineer, changing sound levels to capture your voice no matter how loud you speak.

It can be placed on both a desk stand and a boom arm, so you can operate it in the most comfortable position for you. It fits best on a boom arm, close to your lips, but even when used on the desk, we were impressed with this mic's pick-up capabilities.

Also, a specific pick-up pattern helps reduce background noise and keeps your voice concentrated.

The MV7 is also interesting because you also have the option of using XLR in addition to the USB link. Attach it to the GoXLR Mini or the Rodecaster Pro, and you have a strong professional microphone that can be tweaked until your heart is satisfied.

It may be pricier, but for good reason, than other USB microphones out there. This is a wonderful microphone that the investment is well worth.

HyperX Quadcast S condenser microphone

• 16bit / 48khz recording sampling rates
• Stereo, Omnidirectional, Cardioid and Bidirectional polar patterns
• 20Hz–20kHz frequency response

An fascinating alternative, the HyperX Quadcast S really raises some eyebrows, not just because of the snazzy style, but also because of the amount of features it packs into its tiny frame. The Quadcast S, with the addition of RGB and some interface tweaks, is an update to the previous Quadcast.

Thanks to the various interface features you will usually have to pay extra for, the HyperX Quadcast S is instantly appealing. It comes with a shock mount built into its base, a pop shield housed within its shell, and a beautiful strong stand to hold it on your desk.

This mic also has four polar patterns, making it handy for downloading, voice-overs, podcasting, or whatever other usage you may think of for audio. The recording quality is outstanding, and combined with the built-in pop shield, the anti-vibration shock mount holds most unwanted noise at bay.

Every part of this microphone has been thought out cleverly, too. Simple access, quiet feature, gain control wheel and tap-to-mute button make it easy to change sound without thumps, clicks and knocks ruining your recording or stream.

Thanks to its RGB lighting, the stylish HyperX Quadcast S architecture stands out even more at night or during successful streaming sessions. The lighting is split into two zones that enable users to display their audience some nifty RGB lighting or just illuminate their desk or gaming region. With Ngenuity, it's controllable and really looks the part. It also lets you know you're alive, as RGB lighting is off when the mic is muted.

This USB microphone also has the ability to install on a boom arm like the others and has an adapter that fits both 3/8inch and 5/8-inch thread sizes.

Elgato Wave:3

The Quadcast S is the full package and is also available at a great price, although the style may not be to the taste of everyone.

• 24-bit/96Khz sample rate
• 70 - 20000 Hz frequency response
• Cardioid polar pattern
• Capacitative mute button
• Intelligent audio routing software
  

The Elgato Wave:3 is an addition to the line-up of items targeting streamers and content creators from Elgato. It may not be much to look at, but this microphone is filled with innovative technology and features to really help you shine online.

It's a lightweight condenser microphone designed to pick up your voice, but not much else, with a cardioid polar pattern. And if you get a little over-enthusiastic (or shouty) when recording audio, it has an internal pop filter and intelligent Clipguard technology designed to avoid your audio peaking.

It also provides excellent audio capture with a 24-bit/96Khz sample rate. The audio from this microphone is rich and impressive as usual, but it continues to please in other areas as well. For example, the simple interface on the mic itself allows you not only to change mic gain easily, but also to adjust the monitoring if you have a headset plugged in. A capacitive mute button ensures that, with only a gentle touch, you can silence your mic.

This microphone's highlights come when you pop it on a boom arm and plunge into the Elgato Wave Connect app. This is a free microphone app that allows you to do some pretty clever stuff with your audio. It is basically an audio routing device. For example, you can add audio sources to it, such as Spotify, the microphone, game audio, Discord chat and more, then individually change each of them and even adjust levels not just for yourself, but for what your audience can hear.

For that software alone, we love this microphone, as it means you can not only customize the listening experience, but when you go live on Twitch, Mixer or YouTube, you can also easily control what your audience is going to hear (or is hearing). It is this feature that makes the Elgato Wave:3 a bit of a streaming kit killer.

It's also compatible with Elgato's Stream Deck, as if that were not enough, giving you simple touch controls for your audio and on-the-fly tweaks as well.

You get a nice bit of kit here for the money and you can also do it even better with a boom arm and shock mount.

Shure SM7B dynamic microphone

• Dynamic microphone with Cardioid polar pattern
• 50Hz-20kHz frequency response
• 150 ohms output impendace
• XLR connection

The Shure SM7B is a totally different creature on this list from any other microphone and not only because of its price tag. It's a microphone of studio quality that is world-renowned for its capture capabilities, rich sound and capable background removal.

It's also an XLR microphone that needs a pre-amp before your computer can be paired. As with the other microphones on this list, there's no USB connection here, which means you need to spend some extra money on something to power the microphone and monitor it.

We would recommend anything like GoXLR for streamers, and there's the excellent Rodecaster Pro for podcasters. These are major additional expenditures, but they also provide you with all kinds of other controls and customization options for your audio.

Perhaps the best looking microphone on this list isn't the Shure SM7B, but it's almost definitely the best sounding. If you take voice capture seriously and have only the very best quality, then this is the microphone you need.

We have used it for streaming and voice over work and the outcomes are great. You need to keep it close to your mouth to get the best results, because of the way the Shure SM7B picks up sound, so a good boom arm is a must.

In the context of hardware settings, the mic itself doesn't have much. It has a bass rolloff switch on the rear and a presence boost adjuster, but otherwise, the pre-amp controls the setup.

Especially when tuning stuff such as compressor, de-esser, noise gate and more, it can be fiddly to get the sound correct, but the end result is undeniable.

All told, the Shure SM7B is the best microphone we've tested to add to your arsenal and a highly recommended piece of gear. It may have a strong price tag, but every penny in our minds is well worth it.

Blue Yeti Nano

• 24bit / 48khz recording sampling rates
• Omnidirectional and Cardioid modes
• 20Hz - 20kHz frequency response

The Yeti Nano is a lightweight, premium USB microphone with a serious punch. If you are looking to upgrade your mic and want fantastic sound quality without taking up too much space, this is a great addition to your desk or gaming area.

The Yeti Nano, considering its size, delivers amazing results with support for 24-bit/48kHz high-quality recording that sounds fantastic whatever you do. If you plan on streaming your gameplay, making YouTube video material, or just chatting as you play with your buddies, then this is the microphone for you.

It's a USB microphone that has a simple plug and play feature. It can work out of the box with everything from Discord to Twitch, Audacity, Skype, XSplit, OBS and more.

You can also download Blue Sherpa software to adjust Windows settings so that when you're filming, you don't have to fiddle with any knobs. This means that by simply clicking your mouse, you can quickly update firmware, change mic gain or switch between polar patterns.

Cardioid and omnidirectional modes are featured in the Yeti Nano, so it can be used in various environments. For streamers, VOIP calls, and voice-overs, Cardioid is perfect as it just picks up sound coming from in front of the mic. Although Omnidirectional collects all surrounding sound, it can be used for conference calls and cases in which the recording process involves several people.

If you want to reduce background noise and unwanted noises, this mic comes with its own stand, but also has regular threading for mounting on a boom arm and shock mount.

They are also nifty and smart with these little microphones. You can also set up your PC so that you can concurrently use two of them - for podcasting, interviews or whatever else you want.

Razer Seiren Emote

• 8-bit Emoticon LED Display with stream reactive emoticons
• Hypercardioid condenser microphone with built-in shock mount
• Interchangeable gooseneck
• 48kHz/16bit sample rate
• 100Hz–20kHz frequency response 
• 100dB signal-to-noise ratio

The selection of available colours is another highlight of these microphones. Choose one to suit your own style rather than being stuck with the same colour as anyone else.

The Razer Seiren Emote is a microphone that is emoticon friendly with its very own built-in LED show. If you're a streamer, the concept is easy enough, so you can set up this mic in front of your webcam and use the show to entertain your viewers in different ways.

Under some conditions, you can use it to link to Twitch or Stream Labs OBS and then view various visuals.

For instance, when someone follows you, it will display one emoticon, another for a new subscriber, another for a new chat message, and so on. To choose from, there are over 100 animated and static emoticons, giving you plenty of ways to play around with.

When your audience does, you can set a standard background Emote or RGB effect or custom display to be on all the time and then multiple others to respond. It may sound a little gimmicky, but it's pretty cool and definitely unique in fact. So if you're looking for something out of all the other streamers out there to stand out, then this mic will help you do that.

All the customization is done through the Streamer Companion App and that simple interface also has plenty of control.

In other respects, the Razer Seiren Emote is also interesting elsewhere. It comes with two separate gooseneck height stands, a fairly heavy padded base and a shock mount built-in. It's also easy to use Plug and Play and Dead.

All in all, this microphone is definitely fascinating and worth taking into account. It doesn't quite ooze the same design and quality of construction as other microphones on this list, but it definitely makes it stand out from the LED display.

Samson G-Track Pro USB microphone

• Cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional modes
• Dual back electret condenser
• 50Hz–20kHz frequency response with +6dB FS/PA sensitivity
• 16 or 24-bit with a sample rate of up to 96kHz
• Built-in headphone output and instrument input
• USB compatible with PC or Mac

If you want a microphone with a lot more presence and lots of class, then it might well be the Samson G-Track Pro. This is a heavy-duty microphone that is thoroughly imposing and doesn't pull any punches. It stands above the Blue Yeti Nano's head and shoulders - at least in terms of height - and can lift an eyebrow or two when you see what it can do.

This is an all-signing, all-dancing microphone that is perfect not just for gamers, but can also be used with tools. That's right - there's an input on this mic for a guitar, so if that's your bag, you can entertain your Twitch audience while streaming.

In a lightweight and aesthetically pleasing frame, the G-Track Pro provides "professional grade" recording capabilities. The scale, weight and construction quality of this microphone instantly struck us. There's no mess here, you can tell right away you're getting what you're paying for.

There are also plenty of alternatives, without the need for any tools to faff around. You can quickly switch between the three pick-up patterns - cardioid, fig 8 or omnidirectional - with buttons on the mic itself. You may also choose to record, tweak recording volumes and even mix the levels of attached instruments and the mic in mono or stereo tracks. With the built-in stereo headphone output, zero-latency monitoring is also possible, so there are plenty of content development choices here.

This is a microphone that is extremely versatile. This mic is more than capable, whether you are planning to podcast with several people in the room, jamming out or simply capturing a voice over for a gaming video.

We are also fans of the heavy padded base that tends to serve nicely as an alternative to a shock mount to prevent the recordings from getting any of the noise from your desk. Of course, the Samson G-Track Pro is also friendly with the boom arm, so if you feel the urge, it is easy to get even more serious with this mic.

However, you need a lot of space on your desk for this professional microphone. The tiny control light on the front is one minor highlight for us. When the mic is switched on, it's green as normal, but if your recording levels reach the top, it turns red to let you know that things are too noisy. It's clever little characteristics like this that make all the difference.

Blue Yeti X

• 48 kHz/24-bit sample rate
• 4 Blue-proprietary 14mm condenser capsules
• Cardioid, Omnidirectional, Bidirectional, Stereo polar patterns
• High-res LED meter with multi-function knob and customization options
• Blue VO!CE broadcast vocal effects
• Logitech G HUB integration

Another beautiful USB microphone from Blue is the Blue Yeti X. This microphone has some unique features that make it interesting, as well as being an intimidating figure with a high-quality design on your desk.

Not only does it have all the standard features you can expect from a high-quality USB microphone, plug and play, but it also has some pretty neat enhancements that you don't see that are fantastically helpful elsewhere.

The first is a basic LED metering device that works on the front of the mic as a colourful visual alert system to let you know how much audio the mic gathers and whether you are in danger of reaching the ceiling and ruining your recording. Within the Logitech G-Hub app, this LED lighting can be modified so that you can change it to show whatever colours you want, but the default traffic light system is sufficient to give you the alerts you need during recordings or live streaming sessions.

Software is the other appeal of the Yeti X. This microphone works with both the Logitech G-Hub and Blue Sherpa apps. This is the latter app that helps you to access Blue VO! Technology for voice effects broadcast by CE. This device allows your audio to be changed live to give it a much greater sense of broadcast quality.

Clearly, content owners have the ability to edit voice-overs in the post and do stuff like noise reduction and normalization, but these things live in this software. For streamers who want the best audio for their fans, this is obviously a bonus.

You can change high-pass filter, noise reduction, expander, de-esser, compression, limiter settings and more from the app. There are also different presets to choose from, the option to tweak and save your own and you can also import other populations. While a system like this is never going to be flawless, we have actually found that background noise and the quality of recordings have made a major difference to the programme.

A durable stand and the ability to install it on any standard sized boom arm are also part of the design of this mic. It suits well on the compass boom arm of the firm and even functions with the shock mount.

In addition to the excellent quality we have come to expect from Blue, the result is a capable microphone with a lot of different features going for it. It's much larger than other microphones, so if you only have a small desk, the Yeti Nano may be a better match, but otherwise, the Yeti X is a brilliant piece of equipment.