Been watching the microphone space for a while. Although I bought the Rode NT USB for $99, it is still unopened, so planning to return it as I need one with mute button.
Sad to let the Rode go. I am not sure with this one either bcz spending $142 for just those meetings seems like an overkill but I went by the ozbargain(er) moto "Buy First Think later"
cos every second person on planet Earth wants to be a twitch streamer or YouTuber these days ;)
Nah! no such plans… on board mic on the work machine sucks big time that I constantly need to dial in…
https://www.pccasegear.com/products/2885/zalman-zm-mic-1-mic…
I’ve used these with set of headphones for years and never had a complaint.
Yea I've been asking that question myself ever since I bought it… all I need is a decent quality microphone. I was OK with the Rode NT USB but my gripe with that is the lack of mute button, didn't realise it until it was shipped…
Anything you would recommend under $50 that's been tried and tested…
To cover half the screen in a Twitch stream for cred.
Only good in a silent studio, otherwise the background noise is rediculous.
Usually people make the mistake of setting gain at the mic or interface which amplifies all noise and makes voice sound unnaturally harsh if speaking close to the mic. This is what 99% of guides tell them to do.
You want to lower the recording volume as much as possible, remove noise if applicable then apply gain. This way you are lowering noise volume while increasing signal that you want.
You can do this using VST plugins such as reaplugs.
Typical processing is:
MIC ->
gate -> downward expander (noise removal: turns off mic without cutoff when not speaking) ->
gain ->
compressor ->
OUT to listener.
Can you do that without a preamp in real time? Win10 used to have a gain and sensitivity fader but no longer. I struggle with my USB mike because win automatically ups sensitivity and it picks up all the noise..
More like the toxic mentality of FOMO these days. Need to keep up with the Jones mate.
The Jones! I can't even keep up.with the Simpsons.
It's FOMO and the need have world + dog know my thoughts & opinions.
A hard earned outrage needs a big bold mic. And the best bold mic is Yeti, Blue Yeti….
But Blue Yeti is actually the Brynne Edelsten of the mic world. Great to be photographed with, but not a lot else going on with it
The Audio-Technica AT2005 and Samson Q2U are cheaper and have far better voice quality.
I use this model myself for work purposes, I have it hanging just above my monitor and webcam. I present at work, hosting events to large audiences and I made the call that a higher quality microphone was worth the cost over any inbuilt/in-line headphone microphones if hundreds of people were going to be listening to my audio. It's worked well and I don't regret getting it.
Yes, for your purpose of hosting events to large audience, it's worth it.
But for those who are just using in office Zoom meetings with just a few work colleagues, this mic is large and in-your-face. They probably don't care about what you have to say in the meetings anyway XD
Just a heads up, this mic picks up EVERYTHING
Doubles as a vacuum cleaner hey?
Agree. It is a condenser not a dynamic mic. Terrible for casual use in my opinion.
I'd keep my rode NT and avoid spending an extra $50. I think you got the rode for a good price and it's plenty good for your needs. If you insist on upgrading maybe try price matching JB or Officeworks. Never buy from Harvey.
Never buy from Harvey
Keen to hear your thoughts as to why?
For a rant, have a look at this
https://www.channelnews.com.au/exclusive-what-harvey-norman-…
For a "normal" news type
https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/harvey-norma…
There's other stuff over the years too, but I think the GST thing was the major turning point - he basically represents everything that Ozbargainers are opposed to.
Edit - quoted the important bit below to save you clicking:
Since the introduction of the GST in 2000 Australians have copped the tax if they spend more than $1000 from an overseas website.
Not many people realise that from July 1 this year [2017], they'll also have to pay GST on items worth less than $1000, plus digital products such as movie streaming, e-books, apps and games and services such as architectural and legal services.
Some people call it the "Gerry Harvey tax" since Harvey, the co-founder of Harvey Norman, was one of the most vocal agitators for extending the GST to all overseas purchases to create a "level playing field" for local retailers.
I found the Rode NT far too sensitive for noisy environments such as home office.
If you need quick/easy noice removal, give nvidia broadcast a try. It works very well and is easy to set-up
yes you could spend $100+ on a blue yeti desk mount mic OR you could spend $45 on a Kmart Anki USB Mic with desk mounted Scissor arm with Shock mount and pop filter.
it honestly does the job for me for simple discord calls with the ease of using a scissor arm
I would just hang onto your Rode - save your desk space and money, also I think mute buttons are likely to cause more problems than it solves
Don’t give up the Rode until you tried it with the Rode connect software made for it. Super nifty little mixer, very handy, and has “preamp” built in so improves mic output without noise. Try it thank me later.
Available on OW, same price with free shipping!
Why would you need a microphone this high quality unless you were doing podcasts or recording music?