Budget Microphones vs High-End: Which Is Better for Your YouTube Setup?

A microphone is an indispensable piece of equipment for recording YouTube videos. It’s also one of the most technically perplexing items on your TVCMALL shopping list. You may be tempted to skip the technical learning curve of understanding the specifications and opt for a pricey microphone. After all, the thinking goes that an expensive microphone must be better than a budget microphone for YouTube videos. Think again.

 

Different Microphones for Different Jobs

When you think about the recorded audio that surrounds us, whether on television, the radio, or YouTube, it’s easy to see that microphones are used for various jobs. And, of course, the type of microphone you need for recording music is a lot different than the microphone you need to record, say, home videos.

The type of videos you record will dictate the best microphone for your YouTube video. Often, a budget microphone will do the job just as well as a high-end microphone.

 

Choosing a Microphone for Your YouTube Video Needs

The first step to figuring out if a budget microphone will fit your needs is to determine the type of YouTube videos you are creating.

 

Studio vs. Street YouTube Videos

Your recording location will determine how you need your microphone to perform. Ask yourself the following questions:

● Will my location have a lot of background noise?

● Will the background noise be the low-frequency hum of digital devices, or will it be something louder, such as traffic noise?

● Instead, will I be recording in a dedicated studio or quiet room?

 

Voiceover vs. Interviews vs Active Recording

Next, consider what type of audio you will be recording. Sound from a voiceover recording comes from only one direction: your mouth. If you’re recording an interview, you’ll want to pick up sound from at least two directions. Finally, if you’re recording a product demonstration, you will need to move around and use both of your hands.

 

Overall Investment of Both Time and Money

High-priced microphones come with a learning curve that requires more time and equipment. Consider if you’re ready to purchase a sound mixer and digital audio workstation needed to get the most out of an expensive microphone. If not, a plug-and-play microphone, which is both simple and an improvement over your camera’s built-in microphone, may be your best option.

 

Types of Microphones for YouTube Videos

Let’s get into a microphone’s basic specifications and how they apply to your YouTube audio needs.

 

Dynamic vs. Condenser vs Lavalier

Microphones can be divided into three groups.

● Dynamic microphones are the type you see at music concerts. They have a coil wire coming from their ends, which is probably what you think when considering buying a microphone. But these don’t offer the clear sound free of background noise you need for a YouTube video.

● Condenser microphones, on the other hand, offer clear, crisp sound and are built to eliminate background noise. They are also more sensitive to vibrations and prone to damage. Condenser microphones are ideal for YouTube videos recorded in a studio. If you’re shooting “on the street,” you can also get condenser microphones that mount on a DSLR camera with wind muffs to reduce background noise.

● Lavalier microphones are small microphones that attach to your lapel. They are a hands-free option perfect for YouTubers who are active while recording.

 

 

XLR vs USB

A USB microphone sends sounds directly to your smartphone, laptop, or camera. Using a USB microphone is a simple and inexpensive way to improve the audio of your YouTube videos. The drawback of a USB microphone is that the audio quality depends on the sound card installed on the device to which it is connected.

XLR microphones, on the other hand, send sound to a sound mixer, which is, in turn, attached to your laptop. A sound mixer contains a sound card that is likely an upgrade from the one on your laptop. Using a sound mixer preserves the raw quality of the recording.

 

 

Budget Microphone Perfect for Your YouTube Setup

Now you have a list of the basic specifications you need for the type of YouTube videos you create. You can use these specifications to find the best microphone within your budget. But what is the biggest difference between a budget microphone and a high-end microphone?

Without getting too technical, the priciest microphones produce sounds as close to the original audio as possible. But before you despair and think you have to shell out big bucks for an expensive microphone for your YouTube channel to THRIVE, remember making music is one of the most common reasons people buy microphones. As you can imagine, slight variations across multiple instruments and microphones can quickly reduce the quality of the music recording.

These same barely perceptible distortions won’t be noticeable on a YouTube video with one or a few speaking voices. So you can confidently buy a budget microphone from TVCMALL for your YouTube video setup for professional-sounding audio quality.