On today’s show, I’m finally going to answer the question I get most often, “Which microphone should I get?” Well, sort of. The answer is, “It depends…” It depends on your budget, your voice, your preference, your studio setup, and that elusive factor of how it feels to you. 

In our last episode, I discussed the various types of microphones. For podcasting, I can help you narrow down your search quickly. Unless you are building a professional recording studio with carpeted and sound-treated walls, you probably want to skip the condenser microphones. They generally pick up every sound from lip smacks to the HVAC system. If you do have the budget and desire to build a soundproof studio with carpeted walls and all the sound-absorbing foam, then go for a high-end condenser microphone like the Neumann TLM103. 

And, incidentally, if David Spade or Jerry Seinfeld or one of the other gozillionaire celebrities that has ventured into podcasting (YouTubing, etc.) is listening, and you can actually afford the good stuff, please, for the love of all that is holy, at least buy a decent microphone and headphones. You don’t have to get the whole professional studio in its own soundproof building, but I’m so sick of seeing a YouTube video of some celebrity being interviewed over Zoom using his Apple EarPods. That kind of shenanigans is reserved for the pre-2015 podcast pioneers who had to figure out how to create their own RSS feeds and record in their closet on a laptop using the hanging clothes as soundproofing. 

So, if you’re not a big-budget celebrity, I suggest a good dynamic microphone. If you’re just starting out and you’re not really sure you want to podcast for the long haul, or if you really don’t have the budget for a better mic, then I might suggest a USB Microphone, such as the Audio Technica ATR-2100 or the AT2005. They run about $75-$100 on Amazon. They both have an XLR output and a USB output for use with a mixer or direct input into a computer. If you simply cannot spend any money, but you already have a pair of iPhone headphones or a gamer headset, you can get away with that at the beginning, but the sound quality will turn some listeners away.

If you have a little more money to spend, but you still want to stick with the USB option, I recommend the Shure MV7. It’s the closest thing to a high-end USB microphone you’ll find. However, they cost upwards of $250, so if you’re looking at the MV7, you may as well go all in and get a separate interface (I like the Focusrite Scarlett line) and a high quality dynamic microphone like the Shure SM7B, the Heil PR40, or the Electro Voice RE20. That setup will push you into the over-$500 range quickly. If you are leaning that direction and still aren’t sure about spending that much, you can save a bunch on the microphone and get the Shure SM58 or SM57. They’re both great mics that are used on stages all over the world. They’re just not as sexy-looking in a podcast studio as the ones I mentioned above. The sound difference is almost negligible.

Personally, I own the Heil PR40, the Audio Technica AT2005, and the Shure SM7B. I am currently using the SM7B. 

There are a couple other suggestions worth considering, depending on your circumstances. If you’re going to be doing an interview format with video, you may want to consider lavalier (aka, lapel) mics. On the other hand, if you’re doing audio only, on-location interviews, you may want to just use a handheld recorder that has the mics built into the recorder (though many of these recorders have inputs for external microphone connection).