JustVelvet
Member
Currently, I don't have a microphone nor a headset, but I just want people's opinion if whether I should get a headset or microphone. 
Headset or Microphone?
- Thread starter JustVelvet
- Start date
Jawad Soomro
I'm a Human!
Buy the headset with built in MIC
SauceOne
The Sauce
It all depends what you are going to use it for. If you're looking to record gameplay w/your voice, then going with a headset wouldn't necessarily be the worst idea. You can find some pretty affordable headsets + you get the headphone part of the headset to listen to game audio/other media/music with. The overall audio quality isn't going to be nearly as good as a stand-alone microphone, though.Currently, I don't have a microphone nor a headset, but I just want people's opinion if whether I should get a headset or microphone.
If you think you'll be recording something else, like vlogs or something in the future, then you may want to invest in a stand-alone microphone, right off the bat.
Overall, I'm more of a proponent of stand-alone microphones, because 9 times out of 10 you're going to have better quality in the audio and also in the device itself. Most people I know have broken a headset at least once, and that's because they're rather finicky and easy to drop or sit on.
Some good starter/mid-range microphones would be:
CAD U37
Samson C01U
Blue Snowball
Audio-Technica ATR2500
There are, of course, higher quality microphones out there, but I don't see the need for forking out the extra $150 if you're just starting out.
The only real downside to buying an external microphone is that some of them pick up a lot of background noise, although you can easily fix this issue by using a free program called Audacity. The audio quality of each microphone I have listed is very good, and a definite step up from headset audio.
FYI: I own a Blue Snowball. It's a pretty good microphone, but any of the other ones I listed could do as good as or better of a job at recording high quality audio.
CrusherVII
I've Got It
I think that just comes down to a personal preference, but I would go with a headset cause you can listen to your own music if you wanted to without it interfering with your recordings 
EnragedThunder
Well-Known Member
I agree with Crusher. It depends what you need it for and what you like most. I have used both a headset and a standalone microphone. I used the Blue Snowball (standalone) and the Turtle Beach PX22 (Headset). I got better quality from the Snowball, but the headset worked better because it did not take up desk space. They both had good enough quality for a good price.
Hope I helped
Hope I helped
Jenna no manga
YTtalk Mad
I bought a cheap headset and the mic was not good so I have a microphone too now 
I would go for the microphone, you can use a pair of headphones to hear your system audio. The quality of your headphones doesn't affect the sound quality your audiences are receiving, the sound of your microphone actually does. I think it does not matter what kind of channel you have, good audio quality is an actual must since viewers are not going to watch a video with poor audio quality. It's important to deliver a good amount of quality if it comes to audio and video.
ClassicNerd
I've Got It
I know it's kind of beating a dead horse at the moment, but thought I'd chime in real quick.
I run a gaming channel, and I used to use the Razer Kraken Pro to record audio, but people were complaining about the quality and I started to feel a little self conscience because I would start noticing audio issues that did not make me sound like a professional. I bought a Blue Yeti Pro condenser mic and omg, I don't say omg ever, but seriously, the difference is CLEAR.
To answer your question, it really boils down to what you will be doing and how comfortable you are with talking into a camera/mic. Vlogging would probably be better if you had a condenser mic and maybe some software like Audition to get rid of background noise, but you don't have to jump straight into a $200+ mic, there are good, cheap mics, Blue Snowball for example. For gaming, a headset is worth starting out with. Now, I did mention how comfortable you are with talking into a camera or whatever. If you are shy, I'd suggest a condenser mic that can do a Cardoid mode recording because even if you are shy and quiet, it will pick up your voice a lot better than a head set.
Only issue with mic is it gets expensive... A pop filter is pretty important, or a foam sleeve (I use both). A good mic stand depending on the space where you will be recording, and a shockmount. Plus, if the mic were to malfunction and no longer work properly, the repair is not cheap. You could probably just replace the head set if it stopped working properly.
I run a gaming channel, and I used to use the Razer Kraken Pro to record audio, but people were complaining about the quality and I started to feel a little self conscience because I would start noticing audio issues that did not make me sound like a professional. I bought a Blue Yeti Pro condenser mic and omg, I don't say omg ever, but seriously, the difference is CLEAR.
To answer your question, it really boils down to what you will be doing and how comfortable you are with talking into a camera/mic. Vlogging would probably be better if you had a condenser mic and maybe some software like Audition to get rid of background noise, but you don't have to jump straight into a $200+ mic, there are good, cheap mics, Blue Snowball for example. For gaming, a headset is worth starting out with. Now, I did mention how comfortable you are with talking into a camera or whatever. If you are shy, I'd suggest a condenser mic that can do a Cardoid mode recording because even if you are shy and quiet, it will pick up your voice a lot better than a head set.
Only issue with mic is it gets expensive... A pop filter is pretty important, or a foam sleeve (I use both). A good mic stand depending on the space where you will be recording, and a shockmount. Plus, if the mic were to malfunction and no longer work properly, the repair is not cheap. You could probably just replace the head set if it stopped working properly.