Which Mic Should I Choose for Zoom Presentations?

If you are wondering which mic you should choose for your Zoom presentations, that's a good sign. It's important to have quality audio, so choosing the right mic for Zoom is key. I'm going to share lessons I learned from my mic-buying experience, a quick tip everyone should try, and the trade-off you need to make for quality sound.
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[@FitLabb]

Very thorough video! Sound is SO important in content creation & for Zoom calls. I use the AKG P220 usb mic for my Zoom calls, but I picked up a Rodecaster Pro & a quality XLR mic to use with it for my Zoom calls & future live streams/podcasts. Expecting a big improvement when I switch over to that setup over what’s already high quality. 👍

[@taipomendes]

From all of these type of videos with people trying to fancily explain how to choose a mic with all sorts of videos and explanations... you managed to actually explain it simply and very clear. It made me understand what i need to get for myself. Funny enough i also struggle with Blue Yeti. :) Thank you for the great explanation.

[@ourcollectivewisdom8769]

Great video! My own red line is all about the mouth noises. I can’t stand the audio which captures so much you know ever time they smack their list, chew, swallow, and even breath.

[@LoveAudioProduction]

Hey Cat! On the replay here and so good to hear you explain in easy to understand terms about the microphones and the audio options. Speaking my language! 😁

[@marvinsmate]

I find Nvidia Broadcast microphone filters to be super helpful and simple. Using this with the Elgato Wave 3 and the Nvidia software have been simple for a basic user like me.

[@happysnappess]

Thanks. :) The Blue Yeti Pro works with both XLR or USB connection :) Cost more of course.

[@Mohi7-]

Loved the video. Thanks

[@silverstangs]

Well it’s been about two years since you released this video, so I just wanted to drop in my two cents and say that I recommend the RØDE PodMic USB with the Rode Streamer X. The Mic has both USB-C and XLR, so you can connect it directly to anything that uses USB-C. The Mic also has a headset out jack, so you can hear what you sound like when talking through the MIC, and of course, it has XLR, for those types of interfaces. With the Rode Streamer X, I was able to eliminate the Elgato Cam Link, and the Focusrite Scarlett and OBS just to video with audio and presentations. The Streamer X also captures video and it’s always in sync.

[@CatMulvihill]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@StevePotter]

Cat, you are an expert in something you did not mention here: getting the loudness of your voice right. Not the mic gain, but the amount of air you are pushing across your vocal cords. All of your presentations and livestreams are just perfect that way, with your mouth the right distance from the mic. There is a psychological factor here to consider: How intimate do you want to be with your listener? Some podcasters who lean on the mic foam are nearly whispering into my ear, and I find that uncomfortable, especially when I have headphones on. I only want my wife to be that close to me! The same goes for people sitting so close to their camera you can see every pore on their face. So unless you are trying to give that intimate experience to your listeners/viewers, back off please! Consider how far you would be from the person if you were conversing face to face.

[@CatMulvihill]

Great point about the psychological factor to consider! And that you for the feedback about my voice and getting the right amount of air 😊

[@hsjawanda]

I often keep my computer's sound mixer window open to frequently fine-tune the Zoom app's volume output level 🙂(need to change according to the speaker).

[@NolanKeala]

I had this exact same experience with my Blue Yeti. I used VoiceMeeter and the Reaper plugins to deal with the ambient noise, however, the solution was too complex. If something stopped working it took a few min to track down where the problem was. So I bought the Shure MV7 have not had any problems. I even just use my PC speakers which are behind my mic by about 1 1/2 feet and it does not loop back into the mic/meeting.

[@kamalranatunga]

Thanks Cat for sharing your genuine personal experiences and a great presentation as always. I was struggling a lot to finding a good mic for zoom teaching and ended up in a lavalier, even a cheap BOYA BY M1 would make a big difference with advantage of hiding in your dress.

[@thinman927]

I use an Apogee HypeMic and I generally love it - although the pop filter broke even though I took extra care after reading that could be a problem). Easy to use, sounds great. Mostly. A few times I have received feedback from others that my voice seemed lower-pitched than actual. This has happened with Zoom and MS Teams. I have switched settings back and forth and disconnected and reconnected and it corrected magically sometimes and not others. : (

[@keith.messier]

I just realized the hands on your clock aren’t moving. EDIT: And I just got to the point in the video where you explain why! 🙃

[@BarronLau]

Biggest pet peeve is seeing the mic in the shot when you could just boom the mic

[@artjohnson01]

I use a boom for the mic for a “produced” video only. If I’m doing any kind of social media type posting, I PREFER having a microphone visible. Viewers know that I’m talking into a microphone, therefore it is not distracting. Many reporters, sportscasters, variety shows, singers, TV hosts, etc. have microphones in their shots…that must drive you crazy.

[@jesslorenzo]

Excellent audio. How are the settings on the MV7 set uo for you? Near mode? Tone neutral? Thank you for this video

[@artjohnson01]

Really good information here, Cat. Some folks have expressed to me a concern with the visibility of a microphone in their video. My reply has always been to ask them if they thought that viewers thought they were speaking without a microphone. My point is this: For a talking head video like a Zoom presentation, having a microphone in the shot is not only natural, it’s expected.

[@LesterGreenberg802]

Thanks Cat! Your videos are really helpful and well done. I am not doing presentations but as a market researcher, I am doing hundreds of interviews in Zoom (and starting to use ecamm with it). My question is what are you listening with when there is a back and forth like a conversation? I am thinking good in ear monitors would be best as they can be hidden. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[@adjectivemarcus]

Hi Cat, any plans for a video or live stream about doing a KZbin live stream?

[@azppmd]

10000000%!

[@Lucida1818]

I don’t like bad video or audio. Sniffles isn’t good either.

[@cristiana.banosvalencia3161]

Hello Cat Mulvihill I saw your video Best Teleprompter for KZbin Videos 2021 (+ Facebook Live, Zoom Webinars, etc!) with live streaming pros and was wondering about your teleprompter set up. I am very interested in getting the same one but do not know which one you have. Please advice! Cristian,

[@FenBender01]

Sorry, I did not have 30 mins to listen through this. What mic do you recommend?

[@keith.messier]

Just go back and watch the video when you do have thirty minutes to spare. There’s a lot more great information here beyond just what mic to get for your Zoom calls.

[@xuanaraya]

Shure MV7

[@securityeverafter8627]

Totally agree! You MUST go back and listen to yourself if you every want any chance of knowing what it is like to be on the receiving end of you. Bonus tip - set a recurring reminder.

[@dsaltz]

Plosives! Listen to yourself frequently. Make test recordings. Most importantly - learn proper mic technique. If you find that you need a pop filter, then you need to work on your mic technique.

[@HigherEdutech]

The RØDECaster Pro definitely has a preamp (it has 4, so you need 3 more mics!), but some people still use a CloudLifter with a dynamic mic as kind of a pre-preamp

[@billharper8248]

I’ve been in so many meeting where someone will repeatedly tap their pen on the desk.