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<small>[[Working From Home Resources|back to hub]]</small>

<small>[[Working From Home Resources|back to hub]]</small>

You can get surprisingly far with even a potato mic, as long as you use it properly. A proper one will always help, though. On this page you'll find recommendations for microphones in every price range.

You can get surprisingly far with even a basic mic, as long as you use it properly. A proper one will always help, though. On this page you'll find recommendations for microphones in every price range.

When looking at a mic, make sure you take a careful look at its connectivity - if it has USB you'll be good to just plug it into your laptop, if it has only XLR you'll need an external audio interface as well. Most of the mics on this page will be USB unless otherwise indicated.

When looking at a mic, make sure you take a careful look at its connectivity - if it has USB you'll be good to just plug it into your laptop, if it has only XLR you'll need an external audio interface as well. Most of the mics on this page will be USB unless otherwise indicated.

== Budget Zero ==

== Budget Zero ==

You'd be surprised how good an earphone (e.g. EarPod) mic can sound, if you use it properly. We'll put some guidance on our [[Working From Home Resource/Microphone Technique|mic technique]] page on how to make it sound better, the tl;dr is to put it close, but not too close, to your mouth.

You'd be surprised how good an earphone (e.g. EarPod) mic can sound, if you use it properly. We'll put some guidance on our [[Working From Home Resources/Microphone Technique|mic technique]] page on how to make it sound better, the tl;dr is to put it close, but not too close, to your mouth.

At a pinch you could use your laptop's built-in mic, but we wouldn't recommend it. With a laptop mic you have far less control over positioning, so if at all possible use an external one, even on your earbuds.

At a pinch you could use your laptop's built-in mic, but we wouldn't recommend it. With a laptop mic you have far less control over positioning, so if at all possible use an external one, even on your earbuds.

If you have a gaming headset, or indeed any headset with a mic, lying around, that can work quite well as well. Similar guidelines apply: position it 3-5cm from your mouth, while angling it to avoid air going directly into the mic, because that'll cause popping, which sounds awful.

If you have a gaming headset, or indeed any headset with a mic, lying around, that can work quite well as well. Similar guidelines apply: position it 3-5cm from your mouth, while angling it to avoid air going directly into the mic, because that'll cause popping, which sounds awful.

== <£40 ==

== £50ish ==

At this price range you can't go wrong with the '''Samson Go'''. It's a small condenser mic that plugs in via USB and can sit on top of your laptop (it's really that small!), or on your desk. Don't put it too close to your mouth though, because it is quite sensitive.

At this price range you can't go wrong with the '''Samson Go'''. It's a small condenser mic that plugs in via USB and can sit on top of your laptop (it's really that small!), or on your desk. Don't put it too close to your mouth though, because it is quite sensitive.

== <£75 ==

== £80ish ==

At this price range we'd recommend the Go's bigger brother, the '''Samson Meteor'''. It also plugs in via USB, but has a bigger sensor, so it'll sound much nicer. Just like the Go, put it a bit further away from your mouth.

At this price range we'd recommend the Go's bigger brother, the '''Samson Meteor'''. It also plugs in via USB, but has a bigger sensor, so it'll sound much nicer. Just like the Go, put it a bit further away from your mouth.

The Shure PGA58 comes in below this range, but you'll also need an audio interface for it, and a stand as well, since it doesn't come with one and suffers from bad handling noise, so when you add it all up it'll end up costing something around this. You could start building up a pro audio setup - having an interface will mean that you can use more advanced mics later down the line - but if all you'll be doing is radio, you'll be better served spending it all on one mic.

The Shure PGA58 comes in below this range, but you'll also need an audio interface for it, and a stand as well, since it doesn't come with one and suffers from bad handling noise, so when you add it all up it'll end up costing something around this. You could start building up a pro audio setup - having an interface will mean that you can use more advanced mics later down the line - but if all you'll be doing is radio, you'll be better served spending it all on one mic.

== £100 ==

== £100ish ==

At this range a good option is the '''Blue Yeti Nano''', or if you can stretch the budget, the full-size '''Yeti'''. There's also the Yeti Studio, but the only real benefit of that is that it has an XLR port, which you probably won't need unless you already have XLR hardware (if you have to ask, you don't).

At this range a good option is the '''Blue Yeti Nano''', or if you can stretch the budget, the full-size '''Yeti'''. There's also the Yeti Studio, but the only real benefit of that is that it has an XLR port, which you probably won't need unless you already have XLR hardware (if you have to ask, you don't).

== Accessories ==

== Accessories ==

=== Pop Shield / Muff ===

=== Pop Shield / Muff ===

You've seen them - a thin piece of fabric in front of the mic. They're there to stop plosives (for an idea of what a plosive sounds like, say the word "plosive" loudly) from destroying your sound quality.

You've seen them - a thin piece of fabric in front of the mic. They're there to stop plosives, the sounds that you can hear when you're speaking too close to a mic (for an idea of what a plosive sounds like, say the word "plosive" loudly), from destroying your sound quality.

While with adequate mic positioning you won't need one, it never hurts to have one. Again, look on whatever shopping website you prefer - make sure, however, to check how the pop shield attaches to your stand, to avoid buying something useless.

While with adequate mic positioning you won't need one, it never hurts to have one. Again, look on whatever shopping website you prefer - make sure, however, to check how the pop shield attaches to your stand, to avoid buying something useless.

=== Audio Interfaces ===

=== Audio Interfaces ===

Almost all the mics listed above are USB, so you don't need an interface, but if you're looking into more advanced gear, or eventually recording multiple mics at once, these may be useful.

An audio interface is like a really basic mixer that plugs directly into your computer. Almost all the mics listed above are USB, so you don't need an interface, but if you're looking into more advanced gear, or eventually recording multiple mics at once, these may be useful.

A common URY bodging tool is the '''Behringer U-Phoria UMC22'' - we use them for a lot of events and OBs where we don't have the space or time to set up a full mixer.

One that the Engineering and Computing Teams use a lot at URY is the '''Behringer U-Phoria UMC22''' - we use them for a lot of events and OBs where we don't have the space or time to set up a full mixer.

If you want to get fancier and need more inputs, good options are the '''Native Instruments Komplete Audio 2''' or the '''Focusrite Scarlett 2i2''', although these do have a price tag to match the fanciness.

If you want to get fancier and need more inputs, good options are the '''Native Instruments Komplete Audio 2''' or the '''Focusrite Scarlett 2i2''', although these do have a price tag to match the fanciness.

As already stated, '''you probably don't need an audio interface'''. The options are here in case you're interested, but for most simple use cases, a mic and a pair of headphones will do you just fine.

As already stated, '''''you probably don't need an audio interface'''''. The options are here in case you're interested, but for most simple use cases, a mic and a pair of headphones will do you just fine.