Tested: Microphones for Podcasts, Livestreams, Vlogs, and Virtual Meetings!

4 thoughts on “Tested: Microphones for Podcasts, Livestreams, Vlogs, and Virtual Meetings!”

1. Thanks for the tips! Although this video and the one on cameras was focused on live streaming and zoom calls, these tips are great for doctors and clinicians working through telemedicine. I’ve been forwarding this and the camera video to physicians I work with and they have been forwarding them along to others.

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2. Hopping on this comment, I’m a teacher and teaching from home at the moment and this has been SO SO SO useful for me! We’re new to this kind of filming, recording, streaming ting and knowing how to get a good, effective, and cheap/reasonable cost set-up together (almost always out of our own pockets) so that we can maintain our teaching has been a real learning curve! These videos, and other great guides on YouTube have been a God-send.

   For those curious, currently, I’m using a Blue Yeti Nano – good audio, good price, and I’m always using it at a desk so no problem with it not being mobile. Coupled with this I have an HD Aukey/Anker webcam and my Android smartphone or my iPad as a secondary camera and to use as a second screen for whiteboards, slides, and other materials.

   I’d love to figure out how to get my mirrorless Sony in use as a primary camera but that’s proving out of my skill set for now!

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4. Disclosure: I am in no way affiliated with the item below. I just like it and think listeners in need of a solution like this should know about it. I’ll try to be as thorough as a Tested review would be.

   In an area that might bridge the gap, I totally recommend the Fifine K053. I’ve purchased about 30 of these for my company and we ship them out to presenters to help improve their self records.

   It’s a cardioid USB lavalier that can be found for under $20. It’s very hard to find a cardioid at this price range, and I think this is what sets it apart from it’s competitors. It can’t compete with Pro-level lavs like the one you recommended, or a mic like the Yeti, but it’s far above the camera mic or laptop mic, and more discreet than a headset. It’s PNP, great for those who are non tech-saavy, and at the price you can send it to someone else and if you don’t get it back it’s not a big deal. It also has a dedicated headphone out built into the USB end. It’s also got a decently long cord.

   The disadvantages are that you cannot use it in conjunction with other mics on the same system (at least not without a software mixer), and the frequency range is not as good as some other mics, which for voice isn’t really an issue. The build quality is a little less than perfect, so don’t expect it to hold up under a long time of abuse, but I’ve found it to be the best “disposable” USB lav. I also wish the soundcard enclosure were a little less wide. It sticks out rather far. Prob. a necessary evil though. Finally, the windscreen on the newer model is rather large, the old model was smaller and more discreet.

   Thank you for this video! For that matter, thank you for being Tested!

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