Help choosing a USB mic for Zoom / Skype / Teams

Hi, I know nothing about microphones but am considering purchasing one for virtual meetings.

I have been using my AirPods Pro but I always have issues reconnecting them via Bluetooth, especially when using Skype.

So I’ve decided to get some speakers and a separate mic.

I’d preferably like the mic out of shot, but I have this image of people on the radio, podcast hosts and recording artists literally mouth to mic.

Are there any usb mics that can work effectively whilst at desk height or off to the side out of camera shot?

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I would really steer you away from speakers and towards a good pair of headphones (wired ones, if you don’t want to mess with bluetooth). Video conferencing apps try to filter out your speaker noise to avoid feedback, but they’re not perfect. Headphones are a much better, more foolproof option.

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As @ChrisUpchurch pointed out, having a mic and speakers puts you at risk of feed back. The majority of people I know that have a dedicated mic always end up using headphones to avoid the feedback problems.

I looked at getting a Mic & Speakers but eventually went for a speaker phone (Jabra 510) which so far I’ve been very happy with.

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Amazon.com: Audio-Technica ATR2100X-USB USB/XLR Microphone Bundle

$110 gets you the mic, a pop-filter, and boom arm.

This is the microphone that gets recommended most of the time for anyone who is not a professional podcaster.

I use this on Zoom all the time with the mic out of camera range with speakers on my desk. It causes no problems. I only use Zoom, so I can’t speak to other situations, but I’ve had no complaints about audio problems from people on the other end of calls.

I don’t use the pop-filter in that situation, but I do use it when recording audio only.

I bought it in April and have been extremely pleased with it, and it was a lot cheaper than I was expecting for a good mic. YMMV, of course, but it is returnable to Amazon if it doesn’t work well for you.

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Thanks for the recommendation! Was looking for something similar as I don’t need a dedicated mic - just for Zoom. Looking forward to trying it.

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The ATR2100 is the microphone that I got too (I got a cheap monoprice arm since I get amazing deals from MP when buying for work). I don’t really use the pop filter for zoom (I got a cheap wind screen cover for it that works well enough).

I’ve gotten comments on my amazing audio quality without doing much else. I also use headphones (my airplane Bose QC2 since for some reason I seem to be flying a lot less lately).

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I’m using a Jabra Evolve 65 for all my calls. Initialled bought it when I had conf calls on the phone. Now it’s indispensable for all my Teams and Zoom meetings.

Bluetooth worked fine on the (Android) phone, but was far from excellent on the Mac. With the included dongle it works great though. Audio quality is more than enough for calls and meetings. Not suited for podcasts, etc.

For calls and meetings I’d never use a separate mic and speakers. Especially not speakers.

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Røde Podcaster is still going strong for me. I recently added a sock instead of a pop filter because I’m using it at a distance mostly instead of up close and the boom arm to keep it out of view (or at least mostly out of view). I have no complaints about this mic and setup.

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This is a great mix and I’ve had mine for awhile. I use it for my podcast too and, for me, sounds good! Highly recommended and quite the deal with the boom arm too.

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If not already sorted, I would suggest looking at the Rode NT USB Mini. If you have the interest/time, the compression and and effects you can run on this mic can really improve your audio. It will need to be in shot, but you can boom it from the side. Getting the mic out of shot usually needs acoustic treatment for the room to get clean audio, due to moving the mic away from you.

I would also second the headphones suggestions, but this really depends on each call. I have my AirPods sitting on my desk to grab when there is an echo or noise but I still use a discrete mic for the calls (Rode NTG).

I was just thinking about getting a lapel mic after watching a WWDC video. Anyone have any suggestions for or about those?

Again, Røde has some great options.

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I have multiple small group meetings over zoom every week. I’ve been using an Amazon Basics Desktop Mini Condenser Mic (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TBGTBFV) and would suggest looking at that as a less expensive option with quite good sound quality.

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This is worth your time to review…
https://marco.org/podcasting-microphones

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