Searching for the best cheap microphone for YouTube can be a bit of a struggle for those of you that are new in ‘the business.’ You are probably thinking of ways to cut on your costs for buying one, but you also want to get some decent quality of sound. After all, you are in a period when you want to found out what works best, but you also know that beginnings are an important step in a career.
To help you find the microphone that works best for you, I made a list of the best cheap microphones for YouTube videos and explained what their features are. Now, let’s start.
1. Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone
- Great sound quality
- Compatible with Windows and Mac
- Very easy to install and use
- The microphone’s performance has been certified by Skype
- The microphone doesn’t have an on/off switch
The Blue Snowball iCE USB condenser microphone is a very good USB microphone with an interesting design. The microphone is shaped like a ball and it is meant to sit on the tripod stand that comes with it. The tripod stand is adjustable, and it allows you to position the microphone whichever way you prefer. It comes in black and white and it has the Blue logo beautifully made out of metal and put on the microphone’s front side.
Being a condenser microphone with one capsule, the Blue Snowball USB iCE offers you great quality of sound regardless of what type of a YouTube project you’re working on. The frequency response of this USB microphone falls in the range between 40Hz and 18kHz. Its USB cable is also a high-quality one and it comes at a convenient length of 6 feet (1.8 meters). All this being said, you’re guaranteed to have your webcasts, podcasts, game voiceovers, interviews, song covers, presentations, and every other YouTube projects ones of great quality.
An interesting fact about the Blue Snowball iCE condenser microphone is that it is a microphone that Skype has certified for its great-quality performance.
The Blue Snowball iCE USB condenser microphone is compatible with Mac and PC. The microphone is very easy to use, and you’ll only have to put the microphone on its stand and plug the USB cable into your Mac or PC without having to install any additional drivers.
2. Rode VideoMicro
- Nice sound quality
- A very compact and small shotgun microphone
- Comes with a deluxe furry windshield
- There’s no need of a battery for the microphone to work
- The microphone doesn’t work on all the cameras
The Rode VideoMicro shotgun microphone is a nice budget choice if you have a YouTube channel or are planning to start one. The microphone offers you a nice sound quality with a frequency response from 100Hz to 20kHz. It has a maximum SNL of 140 dB, and it is a condenser microphone using a cardioid polar pickup pattern to avoid picking up rear noises.
Rode VideoMicro is a pretty compact microphone, and it comes lightweight at a weight of only 42 grams. This cardioid condenser microphone is also very small, meaning it is only 80 mm long. It’s body is, however, all made of metal, making it robust and not easily breakable.
What’s great about this microphone is that you won’t need to buy batteries for it to function. Instead, there is a cable that you can use to connect it to your recording device. The cable is replaceable, so you’ll be able to get another one in case of damage without having to buy a new microphone or go the extra mile to get the damaged cable fixed.
The tiny Rode VideoMicro comes with a Rycote Lyre shock mount to avoid any interferences to the sound made by mechanical noises and other sorts of vibrations. The microphone also comes with a WS9 furry windshield with foam inner cell that will filter out the wind noises you wouldn’t like to hear on your recording. Also, if you want to use you Rode VideoMic with a smartphone, you could also get the TRS to TRRS cable .
3. Blue Yeti USB Microphone
- Tri-capsule technology that enhances the quality of sound
- Offers you a choice between three polar pickup patterns
- Includes a headphone output so that you can keep track of your recorded material while recording it
- Simple and easy to use
- You might experience some struggle while mounting the microphone
The Blue Yeti USB microphone is a nice gadget to have when a YouTuber. This microphone’s properties allow all of you fellow gamers, singers, instrumentalists, podcasters, interviewers, and you doing voiceovers on YouTube to have easily made and good-quality recordings.
That being said, the Blue Yeti USB microphone is a condenser USB microphone that uses Blue’s tri-capsule technology for an enhanced audio quality. The microphone also offers you many pickup patterns to use when recording, the patterns being cardioid, stereo, omnidirectional, and bidirectional.
The quality sound of the Blue Yeti also comes from its great frequency response from 20Hz to 20kHz. This is a great frequency response range to have since us, humans, can hear the sounds that fall in between those frequencies. You also have the option for gain control, and there is a button that instantly mutes your microphone when you need that.
To connect to an electronic device, the microphone uses a USB cable. That being said, the Blue Yeti USB microphone is compatible with Mac and PC.
The microphone is also pretty easy to use, and its design allows you to position it the way you want in order to get the best sound sensitivity. You can also use the 3.5 mm headphone jack to plug in your headphones and monitor yourself in real-time so that you’re aware of your recorded material with no latency delays. All in all, it’s a good microphone ‘package’ that comes at an affordable price.
4. TAKSTAR SGC-598
- Decent quality of sound enhanced with a cardioid on-point pickup pattern
- 10 dB sensitivity enhancement
- 200Hz low-frequency attenuation
- Easily connectable to your camera
- The cable for connecting cannot be replaced if damaged
The TAKSTAR SGC-598 is a shotgun condenser microphone that comes at a very affordable price and can be used in YouTube interviews, lectures, and other YouTube projects. To use this microphone, you’ll have to connect it to your camera with its universal connector, which is pretty easy to do. The microphone can be connected to Nikon and Canon cameras and DV camcorders. It has a cardioid pickup pattern meaning that it was designed to only pick up sounds coming in the direction of its top.
TAKSTAR SGC-598 is a cardioid pattern condenser microphone, and it will definitely improve the sound of your camera microphones to a certain extent. You can also choose to enhance the microphone’s sensitivity with the help of the 10 dB button located on its side. Furthermore, there is also the option for a 200Hz low-frequency attenuation.
When it comes to its build quality, the TAKSTAR SGC-598 will not fail you with its decent alloy materials design, which makes the microphone solid enough for a microphone at this price category.
Also, the shape and structure of the TAKSTART SGC-598 makes it be resistant to shock. This means that the microphone’s sound will remain decent even when there are vibrations applied to the microphone that come from physical sources, such as touching the microphone or walking somewhere near it.
The microphone comes with a windscreen and a little bag to put it in when you want to transport it somewhere.
5. Boya BY-M1
- A dual microphone design suitable for many situations
- A condenser microphone with an omnidirectinal polar pickup pattern
- The microphones are very sensitive to sound
- Compatible with many electronic devices
- It’s great that the cable is as long as it is, but one could trip on it
Our number five pick for best cheap microphone for YouTube video is the Boya BY-M1. This is a lavaliere dual microphone for the YouTubers out there who want to do interviews, webcasts, and podcasts together with someone. That being said, the gadget has two separate microphones, each of them having a discrete channel, and a 4-meter-long cable to meet the needs of every interviewer, webcaster, or podcaster with a YouTube career.
The microphones use the omnidirectional polar pickup pattern when picking up the sounds from their environment. That way, you and the other person that’s participating in the recording can freely move your heads while speaking and express yourselves better without having to worry that the microphones won’t pick up the sound of your voices. You’ll be also able to enjoy a hand-free conversation since both of the microphones come with a clip that you can attach to your clothes.
Furthermore, the Boya BY-M1 microphones are two very sensitive microphones. They have a nice signal-to-noise ratio and a frequency response ranging from 65Hz to 18kHz. Also, the microphones are condensers which explains their good sound quality.
The Boya BY-M1 microphones are device-friendly, meaning they can be connected to multiple electronic devices such as smartphones, camcorders, audio recorders, computers, DSLR cameras, etc. This makes them very convenient and easy to use.
If you decide to purchase the Boya BY-M1 lavaliere microphones, you’ll get them with a nice storage and transportation carrying bag.
6. Seacue 3.5 mm omnidirectional condenser lavaliere microphone
- Clear and loud sound with reduced background noise
- Compatible with multiple electronic devices
- Comes equipped with an extra long chord of 78 inches
- Portable
- Nothing at this price
The Seacue 3.5 mm omnidirectional condenser is a lavaliere microphone practical for vloggers. The microphone comes with an adapter which you can use to connect the it to various electronic devices. However, if your phone has a jack that is compatible with the sleeve of the microphone, you don’t need the adapter.
Since it’s a condenser microphone, the Seacue 3.5 mm offers a nice sound quality for its price. In general, condenser mic tend to pick up sounds with more sensitivity, offering you a high background noise reduction and a loud and clear sound.
Furthermore, the omnidirectional polar patterns of this lavaliere microphone makes sure that it picks up the sounds coming from every direction, so don’t worry about your voice not being picked up.
Seacue 3.5 mm is also highly compatible with electronic devices including iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android Smartphones, Windows Smarthphones, Samsung, and other phones, computers, cameras, etc.
The cord that comes with the Seacue 3.5 mm is 78 inches (2 meters) long. This is a very convenient length, and you can move freely when using this microphone without experiencing any inconveniencies that you might’ve had experienced with a microphone with a shorter cord length.
The Seacue 3.5 mm also comes with a lapel clip and two sleeves. The clip is pretty durable, and it is designed to make your usage of the microphone easier. The extra sleeve comes in handy in case of damage to the originally used one.
What to expect from a cheap microphone for YouTube
Shotgun, USB, and lavaliere microphones are one of the most used types of budget microphones for creating YouTube content. The things you expect from a cheap microphone for YouTube will depend on what you need the microphone for and the microphone itself.
For instance, shotgun microphones are most suitable to use in a outdoor environment. Their features and structure allow them to capture and isolate the sounds even when in very noisy environments and further away from the source of sound. Shotgun microphones are great for most of the YouTube projects you want to work on.
USB microphones, on the other hand, are most suitable for recording indoors since they will often provide better quality audio when in less noisier surroundings. You can use them for webcasts, podcasts, tutorials, lectures, game voiceovers, home studio, etc.
Furthermore, lavaliere microphones are good to use when you are in motion. That’s great if you want are outdoors or want to have your hands free. Or, maybe you just don’t want the microphone to be visible. These microphones are good for interviews, vlogging, pranks, etc.
Finally, you should also mind the sound quality of the microphones. This is directly related to their frequency response, bass cut-off, and maximum SNL. Also, whether they come equipped with windshields, shockmounts, microphones’ structure, and other accessories for sensitivity enhancement. You should expect that a budget microphone for YouTube offers you these features with decent quality.
Conclusion
Every cheap microphone for YouTube has its own advantages. Make sure you do some more research before purchasing one. I hope that this review helped you on your journey to the best cheap microphone for YouTube. You may also want to take a look at condenser mics under $200.
