Despite the simplicity of the idea and concept, the audio considerations are significant. Recording 5 people around a table with quality balanced levels, that don’t interfere with one another, requires, at the very least, good noise rejection.
There are ZERO simple and tidy software options, and the cheater hardware options (eg one big mic in the middle) come with significant obstacles. If I were you, I would dig deep for a used Podtrack p8 and 5 xm8500 microphones. $450 seems like a lot, but the amount of headache you avoid with this setup cannot be underestimated.
I record most of my stuff on cheap dynamic microphones like the Behringer XM8500 or SL75C. I have some condensers too but if there is a little bit of background noise these condensers pick that up too while the dynamic ones are more forgiving (and a lot cheaper in this case too).
These days you don't need an expensive microphone to get good results. I had the luxury of trying a few mics before I bought them so I knew what I was getting.
If you absolutely want the cheapest option I guess going for usb is the way to go but I think it's not the right decision if you plan on expanding later. With an audio interface you can get cheaper microphones and swap later or plug in other instruments or use it for both your MPC and computer.
The XM8500 is insane for the price. I even modded mine to look like an SM7B using [this guide.](https://darksideofthemic.co.uk/post/649454811868217344/blog-turning-the-the-xm8500-into-a-mini-sm7b/amp)
There are videos on YouTube comparing it to much more expensive mics too. Check it out !
The SM7B isn't even a good choice (too noisy/low signal, needs a nice preamp to sound good), it's just a "famous" mic for some reason. Cyan has one and she switched to the much cheaper Behringer XM8500 for streaming, the same mic I've always used. We actually prefer their sound!
At the end of the day, the main thing that matters with mics is the type/pickup pattern and how noisy they are with your audio interface. To adjust the sound to make *you* sound good, you should use processing like EQ and compression. It's kind of pointless to pick a mic just by its "sound", because that's something you can change for free with EQ.
I need to play with more mics, but from what I've heard, the PodMic is pretty solid. Looks like u/DannyBrownCaptivate has some good input.
You might also consider the Behringer XM8500. They're not as pretty as the PodMic or Shure MV7, but they get the job done and are dirt cheap at $20. I used those with a roundtable style show for years. You just need to make sure you're on them with a pop filter to avoid bleed and plosives.
Top External Microphones on Reddit
1
Shure
SM58
79% positive of 373 users
Indestructible live workhorse; but muffled for studio vocals.
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