Best Microphone and Best Headset?

[34xdxd]

Hello,

I am currently building a gaming PC and I have many questions to ask. I am getting an ASUS Z87-K mobo with my setup. I will want o start recording High Quality youtube videos as soon as I get my new PC and all the peripherals. But... to record it, I need to have a microphone, wether it is a desktop one or a headset mic.
My budget is arround 80$.
I want, in case of an headset, a 7.1 product. If a desktop microphone is my final choice I have some headphones I can use. I need the best MICROPHONE QUALITY, not the best sound quality. I need a comfortable headset, as I will be playing 3-4 hours non-stop.

So, my questions are:

1st: Is it better to have a headset or a desktop microphone like Blue Snowball?
2nd: I have heard that the desktop microphones catch all the noise in the background. Is it true?
3rd: In case I get a desktop mic, which is the best one within my 80$ budget?
4th: In case I get an headset, what is the best one within the same budget?

Some of the products I am considering to buy:

- Blue Snowball (I know it is arround 100$, but I can get it for less)
- Turtle Beach X12

Thanks,

34xdxd

 

[toughtrasher]

Blue Snowball desktop mic, from what I've heard, is pretty bad quality. My friend told me that people hear his background noise all the time and has since sold it.

X12 headset for it's price is a much more viable option than any desktop mic. Just my opinion

 

[ssddx]

the "quality" of recorded audio on the blue snowball is quite good considering the rather low price. it also has a cardioid pickup pattern to help eliminate other noises but its not perfect.

most people feel the need to place it right in the vicinity of their keyboard and mouse and yet are the first to complain when it picks up on those noises. they blame the microphone first instead of looking to see if it might be something else. one thing to note is that the (non ice) snowball has 3 pickup patterns to pick from. if its on anything but cardioid it picks up EVERYTHING. if you absolutely do not want to hear anything else then you need to worry about the placement of where you will put the microphone. many people put the microphone on a boom with a shock mount and pop filter for best audio.

for a low budget i would say a snowball mic or atr2500 or samson c01u. if you want to hear your own voice in your headphones you need to use one with a headphone jack. any of these will be far greater quality than sound from a boom mic. with the rest of the cash you can get yourself a stand and shock mount. you can buy or DIY a pop filter.

 

[manofchalk]

1. Desktop microphone, if microphone quality is your main concern then headsets shouldn't even be a consideration. Quite simply a $100 headset isn't going to beat a $100 microphone or $100 headphones in their respective areas. If nothing else look at the size of the snowball and compare to a headset mic.

2. I reckon this has more to do with your rooms acoustics, your audio setup and level of noise in the background to begin with. If you wanted something that would only capture your voice, the best you could get is probably a throat mic, which records the vibration of your throat rather than the vibrations in the air. No idea on how good they are though.

3. No idea to be honest, not too clued into audio equipment and I'm wondering the same question myself. Though in my situation, the Snowball is pretty much the only readily available option.

 

[ssddx]

@manofchalk
if you want to discuss mics you can pm me about it and i'll have a discussion with you about it. i've done quite a bit of research lately on them.

@op
there are ways that you can isolate the microphone from desktop noises. if quality is paramount then you want a desktop mic. if you just want super easy to use and can deal with so-so quality then a headset is easiest. you need to pick whats most important to you.