Lapel vs desktop microphone

[newconroer]

I'm trying to get back into doing some recordings as well as voice comms for games. I've been using in ear bud headphones for a while, and would prefer not to go back to a standard headset arrangement.

I am curious if a half decent desktop condenser microphone, or a lapel microphone would be better?
Ideally either has some type of quick mute button.

Any thoughts on which style would be better?

Thanks

 

[Bill_Bright]

Any thoughts on which style would be better?

A headset.

The problem with desktop or lapel microphones is the SPLs (sound pressure levels) of your voice as picked up by the microphone change as you tilt your head side to side and up or down. What if you need to turn in your seat to grab a piece of paper behind you? Or turn your head to see what the dog is doing? Your voice may sound muffled with a lapel mic, and with a desktop mic, you may become totally inaudible.

With a headset and the mic positioned in a fixed point near your mouth, you can stand up, sit down and spin around and the SPL stays the same. If wireless, you'll have even more freedom.

 

[Kursah]

Desktop mic IMHO. I have to disagree on a headset mic only from personal experience. Nothing against what you offer Bill, because you make valid points.

I use a Samson GoMic, well used to, my oldest son took it over for his YouTube channel videos, and compared to the 2 other gaming headset mic's he used before the difference was amazing. $35 well spent IMHO. It is made for podcasting, YouTube voice recording, VoIP, etc. Works better than any headset mic I've ever setup...including adopting a flex boom bic to a pair of headphones. What you might lose in SPL you'll gain in transient noises from cables rubbing during normal use and movement that while can be filtered out, can have negative effects. That being said there are some decent headset mic's out there...not for $35-45.

Using noise filtering, a room that you can isolate yourself from background noises no matter the mic setup, and taking time to practice and test feedback, sensitivity, mic setup/staging, etc. will have a HUGE factor in the return on quality.

Get a mic better designed and better quality, something you won't find on a headset unless you look at something higher end from Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, etc. There are other desktop mics that are twice the price of the Samson, and they might be worth looking at depending on your budget...the Blue Snowball is one of them. These are the mic's that a lot of podcasters, Internet radio hosts, VoIP streamers, YouTube hosts use (ironically some use these while their video shows them with a headset mic positioned as if it were being used... ).

Also both the Samson and Blue Snowball are decent quality condenser mics, something you won't find on a gaming heaset.

I'd steer clear of a lapel mic for the same reason I wouldn't rely on a headset mic, usually not the same quality as a desktop mic. You'll pic up movement noises, have less clarity, and possibly more issues. I've only tried a couple and both really sucked...they were passable for gaming with some friends...but not for anything else.

 

[newconroer]

A headset.

The problem with desktop or lapel microphones is the SPLs (sound pressure levels) of your voice as picked up by the microphone change as you tilt your head side to side and up or down. What if you need to turn in your seat to grab a piece of paper behind you? Or turn your head to see what the dog is doing? Your voice may sound muffled with a lapel mic, and with a desktop mic, you may become totally inaudible.

With a headset and the mic positioned in a fixed point near your mouth, you can stand up, sit down and spin around and the SPL stays the same. If wireless, you'll have even more freedom.

Isn't the way to mitigate audible level issues on a desktop microphone, by using phantom power?

In terms of wireless microphone with headset, I haven't found any.

@Kursah

I was aiming at this or something very similar

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Micropho...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VD93XS9A0TPFFJXX7N4R


How far away did you use Samsung GO Mic? If I clip to top of my monitor (IF it's thin enough bezel), I'd still be about three feet away. It seems as most whom use these microphone's are really close and I don't want to be that near it.

 

[Kursah]

I've used it around 24-36" away with good results.

I have always turned the base so it sits below my monitor or TV as a monitor. I did clip it to my laptop screen once and it worked flawlessly. it does have an adjustment switch to choose how wide the recording angle is as well. Plug and play, no extra drivers necessary.

The on you're looking at would be a closer proximity, but with the screen to prevent pops (from being so close), might produce good results if it has a lower sensitivity to reduce background noise. That will be your biggest challenge. Though again if you use your environment correctly that can be a non-issue as well.

With my son, we have him close his door, he keeps his windows closed...no issues. Now if his door is wide open and we yell that it is dinner time or he needs to go take a shower...well that does end up on his video stream and he has to edit it out (LOL). Between mixing filters, technology and common sense, you shouldn't have many issues.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Desktop mic IMHO. I have to disagree on a headset mic only from personal experience. Nothing against what you offer Bill, because you make valid points.

Good points on your side too.

If you are a disciplined and experienced mic user and can keep your head front and center when speaking with a desk or boom mic, then I agree that definitely is a good way to go.

But having done some sound engineering before with radio broadcasts, I have noticed even with experienced speakers, they move their heads around. This is particularly noticeable when there are others in the room (guests for example) or when there are multiple monitors in front of the speaker. Just moving side to side looking at monitors can affect sound levels and that can be annoying for listeners.

I have also noticed that some speakers are dead set on the type and placement of their mics. And no matter how sound (no pun intended) your logic for a different mic or mic placement, they are using their mic and putting it where they want.

I like a headset for the reasons I stated. Also, my desktop real estate is rather precious. A desktop mic has to sit somewhere, but not get in the way of my keyboard, or line of sight to my monitors. A boom mic can help with that, as long as I don't look down to see what my fingers (which often have minds of their own) are doing at my keyboard. Fortunately, I'm a pretty good touch typists so don't have to look down often.

Changes in sound level is affected a great deal by the sensitivity and noise suppression characteristics of the mics. In a professional studio, for example, you don't worry about the mic picking up background sounds because there aren't any. You basically are in a sound-proofed room. So a sensitive mic may work best. But in a make shift studio in a bedroom or basement for example, there could be kids running around, etc. so you don't want to pick up background noises.

All I can really say at this point is stay away from lapel mics. Not that there aren't great ones, there are - but you pay for them too.

Isn't the way to mitigate audible level issues on a desktop microphone, by using phantom power?

No. Phamtom power is just a means of providing power to a microphone. Perhaps you are confusing that with dynamic volume control - often used where the mic is handed from speaker to speaker so the listener is not straining to hear speaker one, then covering their ears with speaker two.

In terms of wireless microphone with headset, I haven't found any.

Not sure why not. There are not as common as wired, but there are still plenty to choose from.

 

[newconroer]

@Bill_Bright

My comment about phantom power/power source was in regards to condenser type microphones not being loud enough unless powered. It's like an amplifier for headphones that need a lot of power to drive them.

Really I want a semi quality hands free microphone solution that will work within three feet of where I am sitting and yet not sound too roomy, e.g. pick up background all the time.

If the Samsung GO can do that great. If it's better to buy something like the Neweer, I can do that too.

 

[Rehmanpa]

I have used a variety of different mics (high end sennheiser wireless, wired and lapel mics) on a high end sound system. I can tell you unless you're doing really professional recordings, it's not worth the cost. I am running a blue yeti usb desktop mic with my sennheiser hd 598s (I think that's what they're called) and it's working great. The yeti is great for audio recording and it had different modes for the direction it needs to record (directional, bidirectional, complete surround and one other). The yeti I got like new on Craigslist for 90 bucks and haven't looked back to my turtlebeach headset. It's infinitely better imo.

 

[newconroer]

I bought that Neweer kit that included the phantom power and some other pieces, then an additional 15cm pop filter and a desk clamp spring arm. It was cheaper than a mini yeti or whatever that ball version is, and I suspect will turn out to a little better.

Thanks all

 

[Bill_Bright]

My comment about phantom power/power source was in regards to condenser type microphones not being loud enough unless powered. It's like an amplifier for headphones that need a lot of power to drive them.

Right. But that has nothing to with turning your head away from the mic and dropping sound pressure levels, which is what I said was the problem with lapel or desktop mics. Your comment was in response to me commenting about that problem, not about the the use of condenser mics.

 

[nuwb]

I'm going to vote for headset mic. But if I had to choose between desktop and lapel for a kind of dynamic hands-free style and I were concerned about room noise, I'd pick lapel. But you have to be careful about not rubbing against them. Desktop mics can obviously work well but you'll want to work it close if you are concerned about room noise which means a boom. And if you are working close, then moving your head or body around can change the signal level a ton, probably more than even a lapel. Those changes can be compressed away but that's extra work.

Headset avoids all those problems and just requires a bit of initial thought for placement to avoid plosives.