Have you noticed how bad audio can ruin a podcast or video? Having a great mic really helps improve audio quality. One of the gifts I received for Christmas was a Blue Microphones Yeti, which is a great USB microphone suitable for just about any of your audio needs. I wanted to illustrate the difference a good microphone makes, so the remainder of the blog post is in an audio file. It’s essentially a 4 minute podcast where I talk about why a good mic is needed and let you hear for yourself a comparison with common microphones that people use for podcasting.
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Scott, how do you combat physical environmental issues? I’ve tried a number of different mics, on a number of different mounts, including the Blue Yeti. Ultimately, I always go back to a headset mic (a Heil Pro Set Elite currently) to try and combat the normal ‘room noise’ issue (tapping on a keyboard, mouse clicks, and other physical sounds).
Well, don’t touch anything. :)
I reduce the gain on the mic and speak close to the mic. This limits the external sounds that are picked up. The real trick is reducing percussive sounds (touching the desk, typing, mouse clicks) that are carried through the mic base. You need a separate stand, potentially with a shock absorbing mount.
Shock mounts haven’t helped. I’m probably doomed to live in a dynamic world. As much as I love my condenser mics ;) What I do is training, clicking and typing is part of the game. :)
Have you tried a stand that isn’t attached to the desk? Using a boom stand will prevent the mousing and keyboarding from being picked up through the stand.
From what you are saying, it sounds like a reduction in gain is what you need.
That said, you’re using a great mic with the Heil. If it does the job, there’s no reason to use another mic. The real problem is using your average gaming headset or a phone headset and expecting good quality audio to come from it, because it won’t…
All my stands have been desk-based, but did include shock mounts (like an AKG Perception mic). Gotta say, I do enjoy the Heil for audio quality… its just that headsets are annoying :) Might have to try a floor stand and see what happens.