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Looking for a budget game streaming mic that handles background noise well


Themurloc

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My current setup is quite compact, with my speakers roughly 3 feet from my face, and a subwoofer at my feet (with lowered bass) I get uncomfortable with things on my ears, so changing to headphones isn't an option for me. Therefore, I need a mic that handles background noise well. My first mic was an at2020, and that turned out to not handle the speakers very well, obviously. I've been looking for cheaper alternatives ever since. Currently I'm using a Dynamic mic, which picks up too quiet, and needs a lot of extra gain, which introduces background noise. I also just recently tried a moukey MCM-1 "shotgun mic" but the advertised unidirectional pickup pattern wasn't as precise as advertised, and had the exact same issues as the AT2020 with background noise.

 

I'm not exactly a rich man, either, so finding options on a budget has been rough. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good mic with low background noise under $100, preferably under $50, and even cooler if it's not intrusive on camera, like a lav mic, or what I had hoped to achieve with the shotgun mic to no avail. I've been looking at the BOYA BY-M1, but the low price seems too good to be true, and reviews I've seen don't really put it to the test against background noise.

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I think:
a) you're not going to find anything right for you at the budget level you're considering
b) you're kinda posting in the other place....  other forums could be more helpful for you than this one
c) having your speakers only 3 feet from you while expecting to record pristine dialogue is unrealistic, get rid of the speakers, use headphones/earphones, and get your mic to you as close as possible (even if that means having it on camera)

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Don't believe a mic has a frame of view, the way a lens does. Things to the sides and rear will get picked up, even with a $$$ directional mic.

 

Don't ever believe the ads about how directional a mic is, or whether it can 'zoom'. The only meaningful spec of this type is a set of polar patterns... which have been measured in a proper acoustic space. In your room, even those patterns are likely to be off.

 

In your situation, the best solution is a tiny head mic, placed a fraction of an inch from the side of your mouth. That lets physics work for you, rather than against you, by changing the relative distances to your voice and the speakers. And you might consider running your speakers a little softer...

 

(BTW, if a dynamic gives you much more noise than an equivalent condenser, you need a better preamp. In terms of pure physics, dynamics generate a lot less noise than condensers. But with modern equipment, both of their noises are so low not to worry about.)

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No idea what to recommend as a budget option. But like the others have said, try getting the mic way way closer to your speaker's mouth.

 

Maybe look for a good gaming headset with an integrated mic. Like this:

 

CorsairHS50.jpg

 

 

You probably know more about the options than I do, but here are a couple lists that --might-- have decent suggestions:

 

https://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/best-pc-gaming-headset-1322675

 

https://www.themasterswitch.com/best-gaming-headsets

 

Perhaps your players/interviewees already have these...see if you can tap into their audio. Or maybe consider buying an inexpensive lav mic and taping it right next to their mic and feeding that into your own system. I'm not sure which lav mic to suggest for your budget, unfortunately. Maybe there's a forum with YouTubers or streaming gamers who can make good suggestions?

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