USB mics?
 

Hey all!

So I'm hoping to start a Youtube channel soon where I will do some covers and originals. I will be using mostly acoustic guitar and vocals maybe some uke and piano too. Would a USB mic fit my needs. What are the benefits of doing a whole set up with audio interface and everything over just a usb mic? and are there any mics you recommend (I do have a pretty tight budget tho that's why i'm thinking USB)

Thanks!

budget is ?

less than 100$ including stand and shock mount

Full disclosure, I've never used a USB microphone, but have been using an interface (well, now on my 3rd) for some years, and it's just always made more sense to me. If nothing else, I can plug in 2 or 3 or 4 inputs at the same time, and sometimes do, and that alone makes the choice a no-brainer.

That sort of setup is, admittedly, not easy to do for your budget, however. So, if you want a YouTube channel that people watch, it might be useful to know what kind of content you expect to put there. And how you expect to use the USB mic to create that content. I mean, you are saying *YouTube* and that implies video, so where does the USB mic fit in, and what would be your plan for the first couple of videos? Phone recordings, computer webcam, or??? How does the audio get sync'd? Etc.

ya I see how my budget would be a problem with that. I would like to make a few videos recording from a phone or some sort of camera and then record the audio to garage band at the same time i'm recording the video( just need too find a way to trigger them at the same time) then put them into a video editor software where I'll cut out the audio from the video and just use the audio from the mic. I would probably record voice and instrument at the same time but idk I'll have experiment with different stuff .

I basically just want a decent mic setup that will allow me to get good clear audio for Youtube videos and that will work for vocals and instruments. Im planning on only recording acoustic for now too.

There is a Presonus audio box Itwo artist set that comes with mic, interface, and cables that is in my budget. Would something like this work for what I want to do?

As you can tell im very new to recording:D

That Presonus kit would be much better for you than a USB mic. About 50% more than your budget, but worth it.

USB mic drawbacks: You can only use that one microphone, by itself (there are ways on Macs to use 2 USB audio input devices at a time, but it is fraught with problems). Monitoring options are limited (there may be latency in listening to a track already recorded while tracking a new one). If you want to 'move up' to a better microphone, the USB mic won't do you any good, you'll be starting again.

The presonus I found comes is in my budget but it doesn't include the software that most of the kits come with. Would this be problem or could I just use it with garage band?

A USB mic is a one trick pony. A decent dynamic or condenser can be used in the studio and on stage.

Garage Band will find that interface

I've got some decent mics, but I've been using an IK iRig Mic Studio (condensor mic) for recording lately. Again, it's about $50 > your limit, but I've found it to be excellent, and the included software works very well. Plus, it has a separate monitor output with a dedicated level knob.

Yes, Garageband will use any interface that works with the version of MacOS you have. I've not used it other than brief looks, but my impression is that it's become "Logic Pro Lite" -- which is a good thing: Logic Pro is good software at a relatively low price (and someday you might upgrade to it).

Your essential problem is that you have a low budget (I can relate to that, I started recording with a cassette recorder and its little plastic mic). The advantage of an interface and mic vs an USB mic is that you gain some flexibility, which can be useful as you try to stretch your dollars and "stage" the growth of your podcast.

Mic quality at your budget level is not a big worry compared to the challenge of getting your content together and establishing the workflow to record it.

I absolutely LOVE my Shure MV51! I use it for YouTube and Facebook cell phone videos.

I want one that I can plug into my phone. If you download Open Camera you can select External Mike for recording

Given what you say you want to do, I would really recommend trying to get a clearer picture of what you might need. A USB mic has several intrinsic limitations, at least from the viewpoint of folks using audio interfaces with multiple mic/inst/line inputs, but folks do use them, just like they are using phones for video - something that not long ago insured a lousy, if even watchable, result.

You might start creating videos with just your phone, and when you have a good handle on the video side, you might have a better idea of what problems with audio you'll need to address, and whether a single mic is going to work, and if so, will one that is tethered to your computer via USB is going to fit into the video. And, in the meantime, maybe you can save a few dollars to give you more flexibility.

My personal feeling is that a single mic is very hard to use to capture a good quality guitar+vocal unless the performer can naturally balance the voice and instrument and mic positioning is easy to determine and replicate. It also forces you to not use a close-micing technique, so the room becomes much more of a part of the recorded sound. If you're pre-trial video with just the camera is exposing a lot of audio problems with the room, I would worry about a single mic technique. Recording each part separately is an option, of course, but creates another problem - video editing (IMO/IME).

I tried recording with just a phone but when the camera was far enough away there was a lot of fuzz but when it was closer it sounded great. However being that close won't work for how I want to take at the video. Thats why I want a mic so the camera can be farther away and the mic up close. If I have to I can record them separately I have done some video editing and was able to match up audio so i'm not too worried about that. plus I'm planning on putting photography and other stuff in my videos too not just me playing the time. still trying to work out all the details.