Please help (microphone)

[Girl01]

Using the Blue Yeti or other USB mic with a DSLR isn't an ideal situation. What you would do is plug the USB in to the computer so that the mic has power and then using a double ended minijack cable, plug into the mic headphone jack and the camera from there. The suggestion that the Snowball is "perfect" for you is also flawed as recording audio separately adds unnecessary complication to what you're doing. If you were recording with a webcam on the computer itself, I could see potential benefit but the way you're describing it, I'd avoid podcasting mics.

The Rode mic on the other hand mounts directly on the DSLR and requires no outside power source.

So would you perhaps advise a rode mic for General me infront of a video recording and then if I'm recording voice overs or whatever then the yeti or snowball would be a good option?

 

[Tarmack]

So would you perhaps advise a rode mic for General me infront of a video recording and then if I'm recording voice overs or whatever then the yeti or snowball would be a good option?

Honestly, there's no need for a second microphone. If you're recording VO, just use the Rode mic with an extension cable to your computers mic input.

I never recommend Blue mics. It's not that they are bad, so much as they are overpriced for the quality level and only really are worth buying when you can find them for about 40-50% off. If you want a good professional condenser mic for podcast style recording, my standard recommendation is the AudioTechnica AT2020.

Blue microphones are successful primarily due to customer ignorance. Enormous numbers of people recommend them as the best thing since sliced bread, all the while having no experience or knowledge of any other mics. YouTubers are especially guilty of perpetuating this uneducated admiration of their hardware.

 

[JTMulcahy]

Honestly, there's no need for a second microphone. If you're recording VO, just use the Rode mic with an extension cable to your computers mic input.

I never recommend Blue mics. It's not that they are bad, so much as they are overpriced for the quality level and only really are worth buying when you can find them for about 40-50% off. If you want a good professional condenser mic for podcast style recording, my standard recommendation is the AudioTechnica AT2020.

Blue microphones are successful primarily due to customer ignorance. Enormous numbers of people recommend them as the best thing since sliced bread, all the while having no experience or knowledge of any other mics. YouTubers are especially guilty of perpetuating this uneducated admiration of their hardware.

AudioTechnica AT2020 - $129 On Amazon
Blue Snowball - $49 On Amazon

It's an affordable mic that provides an exceptional performance. I didn't realize being aware of my finances was being ignorant...

 

[Tarmack]

AudioTechnica AT2020 - $129 On Amazon
Blue Snowball - $49 On Amazon

It's an affordable mic that provides an exceptional performance. I didn't realize being aware of my finances was being ignorant...

The OP stated she has a £110 ($175 USD) budget for a microphone to use primarily with a DSLR, and you suggested an entry level USB podcasting mic. That is not a financial awareness issue, rather it is being unaware of appropriate microphone recommendations.

The Blue Snowball does not provide exceptional performance. It provides mediocre performance, substandard mounting ability due to the proprietary bracket and obtrusive oversized design for any use outside of a podcast. It is only potentially appropriate for those who have an extremely low budget and of course only when it is on sale. The Samson C01U can frequently be found in a similar price bracket ($50-$60) and is far superior in every way. In either case, a condenser is not in most cases the right choice for someone recording with a DSLR.

It is often offensive, but I stand behind my comment that the only people recommending the vast majority of Blue mics are people who don't have microphone experience. There is nothing wrong with people not being overly experienced in the tech of microphones, but far too much false positive information exists surrounding Blue mics in the YouTube scene.

Don't mistake any of this for ire or anger directed at you in any way. Microphones are my thing and I unfortunately spend a great deal of time attempting to help filter out incorrect information on this forum in that regard.

 

[JTMulcahy]

The OP stated she has a £110 ($175 USD) budget for a microphone to use primarily with a DSLR, and you suggested an entry level USB podcasting mic. That is not a financial awareness issue, rather it is being unaware of appropriate microphone recommendations.

The Blue Snowball does not provide exceptional performance. It provides mediocre performance, substandard mounting ability due to the proprietary bracket and obtrusive oversized design for any use outside of a podcast. It is only potentially appropriate for those who have an extremely low budget and of course only when it is on sale. The Samson C01U can frequently be found in a similar price bracket ($50-$60) and is far superior in every way. In either case, a condenser is not in most cases the right choice for someone recording with a DSLR.

It is often offensive, but I stand behind my comment that the only people recommending the vast majority of Blue mics are people who don't have microphone experience. There is nothing wrong with people not being overly experienced in the tech of microphones, but far too much false positive information exists surrounding Blue mics in the YouTube scene.

Don't mistake any of this for ire or anger directed at you in any way. Microphones are my thing and I unfortunately spend a great deal of time attempting to help filter out incorrect information on this forum in that regard.

That's all fine and dandy, but it's one thing to be ignorant and another to be ill-informed. I probably am "misinformed", but I am merely going by my personal experience with mics that I've used in the past. To this date the Snowball has preformed the best out of the ones I've used, but I will take your word that it's most likely not the best there is.