Best USB Microphones for Home Recordings

The Blue Microphones Nessie USB mic sports a condenser capsule with a cardioid pickup pattern, giving you a strong and direct sound that eliminates unwanted room noise. The mic itself also comes equipped with a built-in pop screen to reduce pops and hisses. The Nessie also features adaptive processing, including an EQ, de-esser, and auto level control, truly a rare combination of tools to include in just a microphone. All of these components give you a huge advantage by making sure that you get the recording right when you do it, and saves you time of having to fix so many minor details in post-production. The Nessie also has a zero-latency headphone output, giving you even more control and awareness of your recording via direct monitoring.

In search of a USB microphone that captures your voice perfectly? The Blue Yeti USB Microphone is a professional USB mic that helps in clarifying and boosting the sound quality for a variety of mediums, including Zoom meetings, YouTube videos, podcasting, music recording and more. You can even add different effects, improve HD quality, and incorporate advanced modulations to further upgrade sounds through the Blue Voice software. The mic features four pickup patterns that help in improving sound quality and which would otherwise require a variety of mics to be able to capture.
The super cool thing about this mic is that it is so easy to use, even children can use them on their own. Simply plug the microphone into the computer or connect it to the mic stand/boom arm, and you are ready to record any kind of sound or music.

The Samson Meteorite is a USB condenser microphone compatible with Mac, PC, and iOS devices. The unit’s cardioid pickup pattern is ideal for those who want to record their voice for a memo, podcast, Skype/FaceTime session, and more; you’ll be sure that you’re just getting the source of audio that you want to capture, and not unwanted room noise. The mic’s 16-bit, 44.1k/48k resolution provides CD-quality sound that goes far beyond the device’s modest price and size (we did mention this thing weighs just half a pound and has a diaphragm size of 14mm, right? Getting started with the Meteorite is simple as you just plug in with the included USB cable and start recording. No drivers are required and it gets all of its power from its USB bus.

Blue Microphones’ Snowflake USB microphone is the perfect tool for podcasting, voiceover work, voice recognition software – basically anything where you need to capture or record your voice when placed in front of your computer. The Snowflake’s low-profile design makes it an easy component to add to your desk or mobile situation. No drivers or software are required to get started; just plug it in with the included USB cable, and you’re ready to go. Whether you’re making personal records for your own use or recording files that you intend to share with the rest of the world, the Snowflake represents a hassle-free and great-sounding method to getting the job done, at a price that is super affordable.

The Samson C01U Pro USB microphone is a large-diaphragm condenser that easily interfaces with your computer and digital audio workstation. Simply plug it in and you’re ready to go. Its high-quality analog to digital converter provides a 16-bit/48kHz sampling rate, which helps it reproduce sound in a pristine way. It’s also durable, thanks to its die-cast construction and heavy gauge mesh grill. The Pro’s built-in headphone amplifier allows users to monitor their signal with zero latency, giving them an accurate and useful way to make sure the signal and recording is going well. This USB microphone also comes with a mini tripod stand and swivel mount for easy setup and versatile use.

Fittingly, the Blue Microphones Snowball USB mic looks just like a snowball; this isn’t your traditional-looking mic, as its spherical shape clearly indicates. This shape works well for this USB mic, though, as it allows you to capture the sound in the room thanks to its omni-directional pickup pattern; this can also be switched to a more conventional cardioid pickup pattern if you just want to record your voice. Because of its more “social” capability in terms of type of sound it can pick up, the Snowball has often been an ideal choice for those looking to record live events or podcasts involving multiple people having a discussion. The mic also features a -10dB pad to protect against extra-loud audio sources. Setting up the Snowball is easy; simply place it on the stand and plug in via USB cable (both are included), and you’re good to go.

The Blue Yeti Pro USB microphone does the job of a USB mic with flying colors, offering 24-bit/192kHz digital recording resolution; this means that your signal is going to sound pristine when you plug it into your computer for recording. The unit itself offers four different pattern settings, allowing you to record in stereo, cardioid, omni-directional, and bidirectional; there are few scenarios that this USB mic can’t perform well in. The unit also features an analog XLR output, giving it a leg up on many USB mics that don’t venture out of the digital realm. The Yeti Pro also comes with a custom base and headphone output, making it great for broadcast recordings like podcasts.

Shure’s MV51 maintains the quality and reliability that the company has instilled in all of their microphone products, while also bridging it over into the new era of digital proficiency and technological advancements. It might seem odd that a USB microphone has a design that looks like a vintage mic, but that may just be a nod of respect to the great Shure mics of the past, a sentiment echoed by the MV51’s clear-sounding capsule. This device comes equipped with five onboard DSP preset modes specifically tailored for uses such as instrument recording, vocals, and voiceover. A built-in kickstand also allows for extremely easy set up anywhere you take it. The MV51 also comes with cables to allow it to easily connect with any Mac, Windows PC, iOS, or Android device.