The year 2020 intensely changed the landscape for office employees, sending masses of people home to handle conferencing, collaboration, meetings, interviews, and even high-profile presentations from their personal spaces.
To make a great impression and command attention in such situations, your voice should sound as clear, present, and intelligible as it would in person; for that you need a high-quality microphone that wonât bog you down with a complicated configuration. Thanks to these clever and flexible USB mics from AKG, RĂDE, Samson, Shure, and THRONMAX, you can easily attain superb voice quality when working from home.
Big Condenser Sound on a Small Budget
First up is the THRONMAX Pulse M8, an ultra-affordable and compact USB condenser microphone with two selectable pickup modesâcardioid for standard front-facing directionality and the impressive (and uncommon) noise-canceling mode, which employs active noise cancellation to provide maximum reduction of background noise.
Unlike most mics at this price point, the Pulse M8 can operate at up to 24-bit/96 kHz digital resolution, and it features adjustable volume, mute, and zero-latency headphone monitoring. Not only can your voice be clear, but youâll be able to hear it without any annoying echo. If cost, size, and background noise (think keyboard clacking or construction down the street) are your biggest concerns, the Pulse M8 may be the ideal mic for you.
A Dual-Output Dynamic
Another similarly priced USB mic is the Samson Q2U, available in gray. Compared to the Pulse M8, the Q2U is a completely different take on a USB mic. Whereas the Pulse M8 is a condenser with two pickup modes, the Q2U is a traditional cardioid-only handheld dynamic mic with an on/off switch. The Q2U also boasts digital USB and analog XLR outputs, so it can be connected directly to your computer or plugged into an audio interface or a mic preamp.
The Q2U tops out at 16-bit/48 kHz, but it is compatible with iPhones and iPads if you snag an appropriate connection adapter. Like the Pulse M8, the Q2U is equipped with adjustable volume and a headphone port. Note that because the Q2U has a dynamic capsule, it has a lower sensitivity than condensers; keep it closer to you to capture a strong vocal signal.
RĂDE Studio Quality
If you want to acquire the trusted sonic quality of a RĂDE studio condenser microphone without dropping a hefty load of cash, check out the NT-USB Mini. This cardioid USB Type-C mic delivers crisp RĂDE clarity at 24-bit/48 kHz in a space-saving design packed with a host of thoughtful appointments.
A built-in pop filter helps tame those distracting plosives that occur on jarring “p” and “b” sounds while the special detachable magnetic desktop stand inhibits bumps as it sits on your worksurface. The NT-USB Miniâs integrated swing mount allows 360 degrees of adjustment for effortless and precise mic positioning, whether it is attached to the magnetic base or affixed to a boom arm.
Setting up the NT-USB Mini couldnât be more straightforward; just plug it in and forget about having to download drivers. Since it is class compliant, the mic works with Mac/Windows computers, as well as iOS/Android tablets (Apple camera connection kit required for use with Lightning-equipped iPads). When you connect your headphones to the NT-USB Mini, youâll appreciate the micâs studio-grade headphone amp and selectable zero-latency monitoring. Leave it to RĂDE to treat what you capture and hear with equal attention to detail.
The Versatile Legend
For ages, AKG has been producing some of the worldâs most popular mics, ranging from everyday workhorses to legendary, inimitable vocal mics. With the Lyra USB Condenser Microphone, AKG applied its vast engineering experience to create a highly versatile and intuitive USB mic thatâs sleek on the outside and slick on the inside. Donât let the fact that it has a four-capsule array daunt you; it has four capture modes, simply labeled and easily selected, to provide optimal pickup in a range of scenarios. With intelligently named modes (Front, Front & Back, Tight Stereo, and Wide Stereo), the Lyra requires no familiarity with technical jargon to understand how it works.
With 24-bit/192 kHz capability, the Lyra boasts 4K-compatible, Ultra HD audio quality for sonic performance sans compromise. Hiding beneath its attractive exterior are significant internal featuresâa shockmount, a sound diffusor, and Internal Element Overload Protectionâmade to keep your sound clear and free of distortion and rumble.
Whether you use a computer, phone, or tablet for your work, the Lyra provides painless plug-and-play setup. It comes with a USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable, but you can hook up to iOS/Android mobile devices with the right adapter (e.g., an Apple camera connection kit or an OTG adapter cable). When you do need to tweak settings, rest assured it will be easy. The front panel has dedicated controls for headphone volume and mic mute, while the rear panel offers knobs to adjust the mic gain and select the capture mode.
Like the NT-USB Mini, the Lyra also has a headphone jack for latency-free monitoring. Its integrated desktop stand can be removed to allow attachment to a boom arm or mic stand, and it has in-built cable management to keep the cord appearance tidy. If youâre not opposed to showing off your mic on camera, the Lyraâs eye-catching visual impact should please you and any meeting participants. It may even serve you as a reliable conversation piece!
High-Tech Polish
The lofty Shure SM7B vocal microphone has been reincarnated for the digital age in the form of the Shure MV7 (available in a traditional black hue or a striking silver finish), featuring XLR and digital USB outputs, as well as embedded tech for instantly polished audio. Drawing from decades of experience in broadcast production, studio environments, and mobile recording, Shure engineered the MV7 to surmount the challenges of working in suboptimal conditions and deliver a powerful vocal presence liberated from the burden of background noise.
Far from your typical dynamic transducer, the MV7 features voice-isolation technology to push extraneous room noise into the background, yielding a robust, professional sound. Taking that a big step further, the auto-level mode of the MV7 automatically manages gain and compression to make the capture of your voice stable and consistently intelligible with no manipulation required from you.
As if that werenât enough, the MV7 is outfitted with simultaneously active XLR and USB outputs, making it a potent solution for conferencing at home, podcasting, or recording in the studio. Like the SM7B, the MV7 utilizes a built-in mount to allow smooth positioning and secure attachment to a mic stand, boom arm, or desktop stand (all available separately). For additional convenience and customization, the MV7 supports configuration via the ShurePlus MOTIV app for iOS/Android mobile devices and Mac/Windows computers.
