The best USB microphones in 2022 | Laptop Mag

The best USB microphones can evangelize your lovely voice to the audience whether you picked upwardly a regular old laptop to record a podcast or a gaming machine to stream the latest indie craze.

First: Understand that there are generally four recording modes you lot can find in the all-time USB microphones: cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional and stereo. You need to know which i best suits your needs earlier you option out a microphone.

Before long nosotros will be adding some new USB mic reviews and there are some new challengers for the top spots on our Best USB mic listing. I will add that 1 contender the Movo UM 300 may be taking a spot away from i of our longtime residents.

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Cardioid records sources that are in front of the microphone (good for streaming), bidirectional is front and back (expert for a ii-person podcast), omnidirectional is each direction (expert for multi-person podcasts or conference calls) and stereo builds off omnidirectional by using both left and right channels (good for musical instrumentals and ASMR).

Those looking to update their setup all around should as well check out our roundups of the best noise-cancelling headphones, best external laptop webcams, best gaming monitors and best gaming mice.

The best USB microphones y’all can buy today

1. Shure MV7
2. Rode NT-USB Mini
3. JLab Talk Pro
4. Blue Yeti Nano
5. HyperX Quadcast Southward
6. Elgato Wave 3
7. Razer Seiren Elite

Every bit soon as you open up the box and get a hold of the Silver Shure MV7,  you know information technology means business. From its high-quality all-metal build to the professional studio look, it screams “you improve bring your A-game.” Drink some hot tea with lemon and get your vocal cords fix, it’s business time.

The Shure MV7 is worth every penny of its $249 cost tag. From its sturdy all-metal construction to its professional person studio quality audio recording that focuses on your voice thanks to its Voice Isolation Technology, it is without a uncertainty the best microphone I have reviewed to date. The Shure Plus Motiv EQ software makes the overall experience even better, getting the most out of the microphone and out of your voice. There is something to be said for simplicity, and the user interface is a joy to use.  What puts the Shure MV7 above the rest is the selection to use either USB or the more professional XLR connexion.

See our total
Shure MV7 Review
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The Rode NT-USB Mini is crafted to produce studio-level audio recordings. For $99, you lot’re not going to find a better USB microphone, and in fact, it’s better than some more expensive USB mics I’ve reviewed. What information technology lacks in features and style, it makes up for in plug-and-play usability, with a lot of “let’south get this recorded and sounding peachy” know-how.

The Rode not simply sets itself autonomously with its simple square styling, magnetically attached base, and one dial push-push command, simply the sound produced by the studio-quality condenser is equal to many XLR microphones I’ve used. Lastly, the costless Rode Connect software takes everything up several levels. And then allow’s swoop into the Rode NT-USB Mini microphone and discover out why it may be ane of the best USB microphones of 2022 for under $100.

Run into our full review Rode NT-USB Mini review

The JLab Talk Pro isn’t afraid to go after the Blue Yeti Pro USB Mic. There’due south nothing shy about the Talk Pro at all; with its satin matte blackness cease with blue centre at the summit and blueish, red and dark-green lighting on the front end, you lot almost don’t observe the stylish blue ring calorie-free at the bottom. The JLab Talk Pro screams, here I am; permit’s tape cracking content and await sexy doing it from the moment you pull it out of the box.

Come across our full review JLab Talk Pro Review

If Tony Stark designed USB mics in his spare time for the weekly Avengers podcast and streaming sessions, the $99 Bluish Yeti Nano would exist the microphone he would’ve come up with. It’s the dynamic little powerhouse brother of the much larger and stately Bluish Yeti Blackout and Blue Yeti Pro. The Yeti Nano is plug-and-play for both Mac and PC and is easier to go going and hooked up than Brad Pitt on Tinder.

You can as well unscrew the microphone from the mount to attach a microphone stand to the bottom. Hands down, the Blueish Yeti Nano is my favorite USB mic. The $99 mic records in loftier-quality 24-bit/48Hz, producing beautifully clear, crisp, and warm audio. Throw in the fantastic build quality, sexy applied science, and visual appeal, and Blue has a winner on its hands.

See our total
Blueish Yeti Nano Review.

The all-metal satin-black HyperX South has a stand-out design and excellent audio quality, making it 1 of the best USB mics on the market. The HyperX Quadcast S as well features customizable RGB lighting effects to adjust your mood and helpful software for tweaking your recordings.

In the end, the HyperX Quadcast S excellently combines eye-pleasing aesthetics with high-quality audio recording and streaming performance to justify its high price.

See our total
Hyper X Quadcast Due south Review

1 of the all-time new microphones, Elgato’s new Wave three microphone has arrived, and information technology’south non to be underestimated. The company’due south first entry into the USB mic space, the Moving ridge 3 hits the footing running. Teaming with Lewitt, a renowned audio company, the Moving ridge 3 delivers crystal articulate, high-quality audio in a lightweight, portable packet. Its proprietary Wave Link software, Elgato even solves a recurring problem for content creators: recording with multiple mics and sound sources all in one application, without a physical mixer.

My favorite part of this mic is the seamlessly integrated capacitive mute button at the peak. It takes merely a gentle tap to mute, yet information technology’southward not and then sensitive that yous will find yourself accidentally muting mid-recording. On the back of the Moving ridge three, y’all will find a USB-C input and the iii.5mm headphone monitoring jack.  The Elgato Moving ridge three is a serious contender.

See our total
Elgato Wave 3 Review

From its blackness metal styling to its excellent weight, it screams let’s practice this! Razer created the Seiren Aristocracy to not just look adept on twitch simply, to make sure you sound your best and to have your subscribers swoon over the creamy warmth of your vocalisation, that this microphone produces. Ready is as easy every bit plugging it into an bachelor USB slot. I thought there was going to exist some software to download and install but, happily, that isn’t the instance.

The Razer Seiren Elite sounds beautiful. The base is easily removed to connect to another stand or an adaptable suspension boom arm.  With elementary, directly styling and a wonderful feature set, the Razer Seiren Aristocracy is one of the better streamer USB microphone options on the marketplace today. From its sexy blackness satin finish to its sturdy well-built huskiness, Information technology produces rich, clear, and smoothen recordings, it would be a major upgrade for any streamer, gamer, or podcaster.