Microphone Demos from the User Community

David Anderson
By David Anderson

What microphone do you use?

Whether you record in Presenter or an external program like Audacity, you already know recording is the easy part. For most elearning designers, the real challenge is in choosing the best microphone.

And it makes sense considering there really isn't a way to demo microphones. Maybe someday there will be Microphone Stores where you can walk in and try out a dozen or more mics before buying.  But until that day, we'll have to trust our ears and our community.

Knowing microphones are such a hot topic, we asked you to tell us which microphones you used and to include a sample recording.  The  response was great and below you can hear the shared examples.

Want to share your own?

If you'd like to share your own examples, use the comment below to include your microphone model and a link to a recording sample. We'll update the microphone demos to include your contribution.

Click to view the microphone demo example

You can also download the PowerPoint template from the PowerPoint Templates gallery.

Post written by David Anderson

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42 Comments
Greg Scheelar
almost 13 years ago06/10/11 at 8:48 am (UTC)
Patricio--i saw this on another thread (https://community.articulate.com/discussions/recording-question#15402) Perhaps it might be of help for you... Laurie Gilmore said: An alternative to consider because it's sooo cost effective: www.narratorfiles.com You choose from six different voices male/female, send them the script. They charge $20 per page and have it back to you in 48 hours. Recorded in professional sound studio, sounds great, fantastic service.
Mike Enders
over 12 years ago08/06/11 at 6:56 pm (UTC)
I'm late to this party, but I've found the Rode Podcaster Mic (http://bit.ly/nCYmUO) to be pretty awesome for a straight USB mic. It's a heavy beast, so you'll want a strong stand, but for basic voiceover work where you don't want to invest in preamps, xlr connections and the rest, I think the quality is better than most. It's also got a built-in head phone jack so you can plug-in the ear phones and monitor the sound quality. I use it for my Screenrs if you'd like to hear a sample. http://www.screenr.com/LGP
Nick Varney
over 12 years ago11/09/11 at 3:23 am (UTC)
I was all set on the AT2020 when I read this review about its' supposed latency issues. http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R1T68NDCT5RPJY/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R1T68NDCT5RPJY Can anyone confrm that this is a problem with this mic? Although I need the mic for narration purposes, and therefore don't need to keep strict timing as I would with singing to a clicktrack, I guess it could be an issue if syncing to animations? Or does it handle this particular level of accuracy well enough?
Bruce Oberle
over 12 years ago11/09/11 at 4:18 am (UTC)
Hey Nick, If you search on usb microphone latency issues (no particular brand) you will find endless posts and suggested fixes. Sound cards, settings, software, and system resources can all come into play. Ultimately we just want to keep it simple and have it WORK right? If you have already tried a usb mic on your system with success you might want to give this one a shot, as long as you order from a supplier that will accept a return if it's not for you. USB convenience is great, yet I still prefer using a mixer and going into the line input of the sound card. I'll do a Screenr later today to explain why and post a link here. Happy Hump Day!
David Anderson
over 12 years ago12/09/11 at 2:01 am (UTC)
@Scott - the Blue Snowball is one of the more popular mics. @Dale - thanks for sharing your setup. How do you like the Zoom H4 option? I know journalists like that mic because it doubles as a good field mic and studio card. @CC Excelent mic choice. I've had one for over five years and it's my favorite mic. It's a good mic and requires a very quiet room otherwise it picks up everything.
Dale Hargis
over 12 years ago01/04/12 at 8:49 am (UTC)
David, I like the Zoom H4 if nothing else for its versatility. I can use is as a sound card, USB mic, record directly on the device-whatever I want. However, I would recommend always plugging in a solid condenser mic for any real narration work. The built-in mics are fine if you're doing an interview or NPR-type story, but they pick up too much ambient noise for close-up narration.
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