RØDE - PodMic USB

Make sure it's the PodMic USB as opposed to the XLR-only version. The latter needs an audio interface, while the former is USB as well as XLR, so can plug straight into your Mac to start with. Disclaimer: I'm Head of Podcaster Support and Experience at Captivate.

\+1 to RODE Podmic USB - great on plenty of voices, good range, great sound.

Don't get a condenser. Dynamic mics are far better for spoken word and untreated audio environments. Fine 688, Rhode podmic, shure MV7 are a few of my recommendations. Blue yeti, quadcast all that should be avoided.

I hace... Is a gret Mic... BETTER than so mouch others!

Wired always if you’re sitting at a desk, if you already have a headset mic and it sounds fine just use that but if you’re buying something go wired. And I say that as someone that hates wires. I recommend elgato mics or the pod pod mic

Love my Rode PodMics. Just get the extra WS14 pop filters too. Well worth the extra $20.

First... You are smart to invest in a good microphone. Sound quality trumps everything in your production (outside of the content, of course). Second, if you are trying to keep the budget low they you probably want a USB microphone because then you don't need any adapters or to plug into a mixing board. You can even plug in directly to a smartphone and record high-quality sound. For $99 you can get the older version of the Rode PodMic. \~$200 you can do the PodMic that has USB and XLR connectors. I personally use the Shure MV7+. It is excellent.

Yes, the MV7 is worth the extra money. To my ears, it's a much better sounding mic. Think about it this way, the PodMic is a $99 mic. You pay an extra $100 for them to make it USB. The MV7 is a $200 mic and you pay another $100 for them to add USB. The Shure mic is the mic I recommend to all of my clients because it just sounds good and I haven't heard a voice it doesn't work with. I've easily edited at least 20 different people using the MV7. The Podmic sounds fine in the video comparisons,. It will get the job done, but,a gain, to my ears, I prefer the sound of the MV7 by a wide margin.

I have the Rode pod mic and the Rode A1 interface. XLR from the interface to the mic. then USB-C to the comptuer from the interface. I've had 0 troubles and it sounds great for the price. I came from one of the blue yeti mics from back in the day and wanted something a little more prosumer. If I didn't have a budget for my hobbies and just wanted the best, it would be a shure SM7B and a focusrite 2 channel so I could plug in another mic if I wanted to. edit: but even then, i've heard the differences on discord/teamspeak and audio calls and there really isn't much difference. It's only when you record the audio and send it uncompressed does the shure mic stand out a little bit. Rode did a VERY good job IMO.

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you're not Placido Domingo. Put your expensive mics away, and use a podcast mic. The Rode gets surprisingly good sound, and is very forgiving with background noise. You still don't want to bang on your desk or anything, but I'm a room away from a clothes dryer and it's pretty much undetectable. What that does cut out you can probably virtually eliminate with some subtle EQ.