Microfones

Sobre Microfones

  • SennHeis Mic

    • RØDE / SHure A Shure SM-58 microphone, with a XLR soundcard to go with it.

I always wanted to get a good microphone for voice calls, thankfully a friend of mine had more than a dozen of them, of all styles: dynamic, condenser, long range, cheap, expensive, etc… We spent a couple of hours trying them.

First thing: condenser microphones are great… in a studio. You are probably not in a studio, so if you use one of them, people will hear all the noise around you. Dynamic microphones, usually cardioids, are definitely the best as they, are less affected by outside noise. You can even use speakers and not get annoying feedback. There is one inevitable drawback: you need to have it close to your mouth. It wasn’t a problem for me, but it is something to consider if you are doing video, because it will most likely be in frame. It also makes aesthetics a valid consideration.

Now, why the SM-58. Well, it is possibly the most famous microphone in existence, for good reasons. At around $100, it is relatively affordable, it is indestructible, it is an industry standard and it sounds good enough for famous singers to use it. There are cheaper alternatives, some of them excellent for less than half the price, like the Lanen TT1, and higher output level too, but I just like the way the SM-58 sounds, and it was within my budget. There are also podcasting mics like the Shure MV7. A bit expensive, sound quality wasn’t worth the extra for me, but it has convenient features, and arguably looks more in place in a video call.

And generally, you should get a XLR microphone, they tend to be much better value for money than the USB or Jack type. That’s what the pros use, and getting a XLR input is not expensive. I bought a Behringer U-Phoria UMC204HD for a bit less than $100, but there are cheaper options that work fine (and also better, more expensive ones). Note that for dynamic microphones, you don’t need phantom power.

Note that these are wired microphones. The wireless kind tend to be prohibitively expensive. You can get wireless kits for XLR though, they start at around $100.

– I use the same Behringer UMC204HD interface but I paired it with a SM-58 “clone”: the Behringer XM8500 [1]. I think its performance is unbeatable considering the price. I love the combination.

– I used to use an SM7B in to a DBX-286 in to an RME DA/AD but I sold them and switched to a Sennheiser Profile USB, it’s much quicker for me to switch between my different systems, works without drivers or software, saves on desk space and is a fraction of the price. It sounds like a dynamic mic and doesn’t even pick up my typing sounds during calls. I’m only using it for calls, delivering training and co-working though. If I was recording an audiobook or doing music production I would switch back to my previous setup I think.

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