Level 9 Masterclass: Selecting The Top 9 Portable Microphones For Professional Podcasters

9 Best Podcast Microphones of 2024 for All Levels

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you are just starting your podcast or would like to take it to another level, then you need to have the right microphone. After all, the audio quality is the most important thing in your podcast and should not be taken lightly. Thankfully, with the help of a reliable podcast microphone, you can certainly improve the quality of your audio. Since there are so many options out there, I have handpicked the 9 best podcast microphones at entry, intermediate, and pro levels.

• Part 1:What to Consider while Buying a Podcast Microphone?
• Part 2:Top 3 Podcast Microphones at Entry level
• Part 3:Top 3 Podcast Microphones at Intermediate Level
• Part 4:Top 3 Podcast Microphones at Professional Level

What to Consider while Buying a Podcast Microphone?

To select the best podcast microphone to meet your requirements, I would recommend keeping the following things in mind.

Consider the microphone type

Microphones can be classified based on their placement or working. For instance, you need to decide if you want to get a podcast microphone with a stand or a handheld one. Similarly, an omnidirectional microphone would function differently than a cardioid one.

What and where are you recording?

Getting a microphone to record speech would be different than the one to record music. Also, consider your setup and check whether the microphone would work with your other devices. Getting a podcast with polar sensitivity is better in almost every environment.

Check the specifications

Furthermore, make sure that you check specifications like impedance, connectivity, working frequency, ease of use, etc. before you purchasing a microphone.

Budget and user reviews

Lastly, make sure that you stick to a budget while filtering podcast microphones and check the review of its existing users to make up your mind.

The 9 Best Podcast Microphones at All Levels

To make things easier for you, I have listed the 3 best podcast microphones from entry, intermediate, and professional levels.

Top 3 Podcast Microphones at Entry level

1.Blue Snowball iCE USB Microphone

Easy to use and carry, this plug-and-play podcast microphone would meet your basic requirements on a budget.

• This entry-level microphone is ideal to record podcasts and voiceovers.
• It features a custom condenser capsule to deliver clear voices for recordings.
• It is based on the cardioid polar principle with a bit depth of 16-bit.
• The microphone has a frequency response of 40-18 kHz and is compatible with third-party apps (like Skype and Twitch).

Pros

• Seamless USB connectivity for plug-and-play
• Easy to carry and set up

Cons

• No gain control feature
• A mute option is missing

Price: $59.98

2.Samson Go Microphone

This corded electric podcast microphone from Samson is extremely popular and will certainly come in handy for you.

• This best podcast microphone comes on a budget and you can plug it into almost any device.
• It comes with an inbuilt IOGEAR4-Port USB feature for fast connectivity.
• The bundle also comes with its adapter to extend its use.
• It provides quality bass performance to record podcasts and music alike.

Pros

• Extremely easy to connect and use
• Pretty lightweight (only 1.19 pounds)

Cons

• Limited features
• Recording quality is not as good as other microphones

Price: $69.94

3.Audio-Technica ATR2100x

If you are looking for the best podcast microphone with a stand on a budget, then you can also consider ATR2100x.

• The podcast microphone has USB-C connectivity and provides XLR analog output.
• Comes with a stand and a sturdy tripod so that you can easily use it to record podcasts
• Based on cardioid polar pattern recording with automatic noise inhibiting technology
• The microphone supports recording in 24-bit rate with a sampling rate of up to 192 kilohertz.

Pros

• Direct XLR output
• Stand and tripod included

Cons

• No Mute feature
• The stand quality is average

Price: $99

Top 3 Podcast Microphones at Intermediate Level

1.Blue Yeti USB Microphone

One of the most popular podcast microphones of the present time, Blue Yeti comes with an adjustable stand and offers a gain control feature too.

• It features a three-capsule array to record clear audio for podcasts.
• The Blue Yeti microphone supports an audio sensitivity of 120 dB with a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
• You can pick a supported pattern for recording (between cardioid, Omni, bidirectional, or stereo).

Pros

• Gain control and mute features
• Adjustable stand included

Cons

• Some users encounter connectivity issues

Price: $139

2.HyperX QuadCast

QuadCast by HyperX is often considered the best podcast microphone for gaming. You can readily use it on Twitch, Skype, and other services.

• It has an inbuilt shock mount with anti-vibration technology.
• Supports recording in stereo, Omni, cardioid, and bidirectional ways
• One-tap to mute the microphone with an LED indicator
• A dedicated control adjustment for gain control is also included

Pros

• Four pattern recording support
• LED indicator for muting

Cons

• A bit expensive for its features

Price: $175

3.AKG Pro Lyra

AKG Pro has been around for a while and is often considered the best podcast microphone for its multipurpose use.

• Different stereo and front/back polar pattern for recording are supported
• The podcast microphone supports a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz with 16 Ohm impedance.
• The microphone will let you record in high-definition (24-bit/192 kHz)
• It has a vintage design with all the modern features like mix control and zero latency

Pros

• Easy to use (plug and play)
• Inbuilt control

Cons

• The mounting option is not the best

Price: $149

Top 3 Podcast Microphones at Professional Level

1.Heil PR40 Dynamic Performance

This is a dynamic performance podcast microphone that would certainly provide one of the best recording experiences for you.

• It is a unidirectional microphone that weighs just 0.9 pounds.
• The microphone has an aluminum diaphragm with a frequency range of up to 28 Hz.
• Supports cardioid polar pattern with an inbuilt noise reduction option

Pros

• Premium built
• Dynamic recording

Cons

• Restricted polar patterns are supported

Price: $317

2.Aston Stealth

This is the best podcast microphone that you can easily hide since it doesn’t look like a standard microphone. Though, it is packed with tons of advanced recording features.

• The podcast microphone offers four different recording and polar settings
• Internal gain control feature and noise reduction options
• Also has a Sorbothane internal shock mount and resistive feature to get clear recordings
• Supports a frequency range of 20Hz – 20kHz (+/-3dB) with 1kHz sensitivity

Pros

• Excellent noise reduction
• Active and passive modes

Cons

• A bit complicated to set up

Price: $379

3.Electro-Voice R20

Lastly, if your budget allows, then you can also consider getting Electro-Voice R20. This best podcast microphone is mostly used by professional broadcasters.

• It has a Variable-D design with internal filters to reduce noise and amplify your voice
• The podcast microphone has a hum-bucking coil that is enclosed in a premium steel case.
• It provides a 3-pin XLR output with a cardioid polar pattern (180-degrees off-axis support).
• Other features include a bass roll-off switch and voice tailored frequency.

Pros

• Best in class features
• Internal shock-mount technology

Cons

• Expensive than other microphones

Price: $449

I’m sure that after reading this post, you would be able to pick the best podcast microphone to meet your requirements. Now when you have a suitable podcast microphone, you can start recording your episodes. For this, you can consider using Wondershare Filmora as it comes with tons of audio editing and voiceover features that would make your job a whole lot easier!

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

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