RØDE - PodMic

Depends on your setup. For USB: Blue Yeti or Audio-Technica ATR2100x. For XLR: Shure SM58 or Rode PodMic. I us an ATR2100x with Podcastle AI for podcast editing - . Unless you're doing in-person interviews regularly, start with USB and upgrade later if needed .

If you want a mic that sounds great, lasts long, and cuts down background noise, go for a dynamic XLR mic like the Audio-Technica AT2040 or Rode PodMic—both are solid for voiceovers in your budget. Pair it with an interface like the Focusrite Scarlett Solo, and you’re set. If you ever need cleanup or mixing to make your recordings sound even better, I can help with that too.

WARNING im not a audio pro. this is just my expierence i use a rode podmic with a Behringer UMC202HD and never have any issues. would recommend voice meter and maybe a different audio interface. if you want a different mic the shure sm7b is pretty good also pretty comon. idk what your plans are with the mic but if you want more of a remote option the DJI mic is good.

I do use a rode caster duo with a podmic. Also I got rode nt-usb and the nt-mini.

This is what I did and it works! Phone is a Samsung Galaxy s24 Ultra Starting with the power:  PD 128W charging block.  To chubby cable 4 foot (usb c to c) (ASIN B0CRB6CB3Z). Please note that power from your charging block goes into the PD port of the SmallRig interface or the system wont charge or provide power to the mic. The microphone concoction starts with a  SmallRig 4 in 1 USB- C powered hub (ASIN B0DNJP5PLD) I Velcroed this to the back of the phone stand for useage. Now this provides not only power for the phone and mic but also allows the transfer of data through the phones single USB-C connector.  Back to the mic: Rode PodMic (ASIN B07MSCRCVK) mounted on a generic boom arm. I like this mic as it works great and I feel that it gives the best bang for the buck.  The mic then runs through a  Pig Hog PHM3 XLR cable (ASIN B004GHB66U) on its way to the xlr-usbc interface. The signal is then reformatted from XLR to USB-C with a Shure MVX2U interface (ASIN B0C8W8D4PD.) The MVX2U is the priciest part of the setup but with other interfaces I could not get enough power to the mic. And finally an additional chubby chubby cable 4 foot (usb c to c) To the SmallRig hub. The chubby cable goes to the USB C hub in any of the 2.0 or 3.1 ports.  The SmallRig hub then finally plugs into the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra  ........ The phone recognizes this setup as a powered usb mic and a message is displayed when using the camera app.  The hub seems to provide enough power for everything. With generic cables this setup did not work.   The SmallRig hub needs to be removed to hear the audio back. I have not tested it with Bluetooth or any of that as I do not have that need. The Shure MVX2U does have a monitoring connector for a 3.5mm headphone jack but I have yet to test it.  The setup works great. I am unsure about other phones or hardware that will work.  FYI- I have listed the Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) for the hardware that worked for me. I put this together awhile ago so some may not be available. Take this number and search it in the search bar of Amazon.com and after the sponsored listing the product should be displayed.  Good luck with your setup! 

Dynamic XLR mics + audio interface with 4 inputs. eg: rode Podmic + Rode Casterpro.

I use a Rode podcast mic when I stream. Quality is great, especially for the price. The issue is that it's not a usb mic. You'll need a mixer of sorts. Mic > mixer > pc. Does he stream or just an avid gamer?

I would argue that the best mic is one that you can edit from in post production. Rode PodMics are a solid starting mic and an affordable option. They do have a USB options, as does Shure. USB could be accomplished with an interface which I would recommend over a USB mic personally. If money is no object I would go Shure SM7B, it’s as good as advertised and that’s a reason it’s popular. I have mine paired with a Focusrite Vocaster but that has a max of two mics, for the price it’s amazing though. The Rode Procaster II would be my recommendation for the amount of mic ports you need though. Again, all of this is just you spending money if your post-production skills lack. I know people that make their Shure SM58 sound incredible. The good thing is given your need, your options and combinations are effectively endless. What you need to determine is your total budget. I don’t think you’ll be happy with USB mics though and will ultimately upgrade so I would’ve personally just skip that.

If you are on a shoe string budget I would advise a Zoom Podtrak4 and four Samson Q2U or four Audio Technica 2100X. If you have a pretty powerful budget you can aim for a Rode Procaster II and four Rode Podmics with table stands or boom arms, or four Shure 7dBs if you really want to spend some money. There are two extremes for a four person podcast with XLR for separate channels, there are lots of options in-between.

If you want to get into streaming I wouldn’t drop $800 on a mic. You can spend $200-300 and be more than fine, perhaps less. Check out Rode mics. The nt1a is good (I use this as a partnered just chatting streamer) so is the Podmic, but you’ll need to have some understanding of how sound treated your space is.

We used to run Blue Yeti USB, and recently switched to Rode XLR. MASSIVE difference in audio quality, ease of operation, and customization. Not close