In this section we will devote ourselves only to external microphones and not to those integrated into headphones.
Before proceeding, consider that every situation in which a Microphone records is different: background noises, external sounds, size (and height) of the room in which you are, sensitivity of the microphone (Gain) is on the mic. itself and on Windows will affect the quality of your voice and the general sound recorded by the device.
Having said that, Microphones must be divided into two macro categories:
USB: they have the management of the drivers integrated in the USB port and therefore more ’ easy to set up and use (they are often plug & play).
XLR: “send ” the audio via XLR cable to a sound card which consequently processes the sound on Windows; they are more complex ’ to set up but allow you to have superior audio quality and additional features without necessarily weighing down your PC.
When you buy an XLR Microphone always check if it is Dynamic or a Capacitor:
– i DYNAMICS transmit audio by electromagnetic induction, are slightly less sensitive and do not need an additional power supply (called Phantom) in order to function.
– a CONDENSATOR use the capacitive effect, they are more ’ sensitive to puffs / puffs, external sounds but also to physical stresses so we recommend mounting them on a Shock Mount (cushioned support) and if necessary combine them with a pop filter or a wind filter.
In addition, the other macro category (both on USB and XLR) is regarding i listening pattern, or how the Microphone takes the sound:
Basically the Unidirectional Microphones (or cardio) are the most ’ used on the Gaming & Streaming side as it allows you to exclude external sounds by recording only on the front (and therefore only your voice), the other types are used for Podcasts / recordings music etc ...
Consider that with a good sound card / Mixer such as the GOXLR, the XLR microphones can be configured very well and excellent qualities are achieved even with the more ’ economic / semi-economic ones ... and remember that the most important thing for a Live is not to have interference and background noises.
