Microphones

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Microphones

Selecting your microphone

It is not just a case of finding a plug that fits. There are issues of quality and levels.

	This is a standard computer microphone. The quality is good but not up to studio standards. The pink moulded plug is a good pointer that the mic is compatible with your computer. The homemade foam rubber surround was added to cut down the noise from the computer.
	This is a headset with boom mic. It is good for answering the phone or dictating to some speech recognition software but is not up to audio recording quality. However, the mic does have one clever feature. It can cancel out much of the background noise by removing the ambient sound behind your voice. The two plugs have icons moulded onto them so they can be plugged into the correct sockets.
	This clip-on mic can be positioned very close to, and at a fixed distance from, the speaker. It has its own battery and provides a good quality output.
	This is a quality mic. It is possible to link this to a computer sound card with adaptors and electronics but the low output levels are better suited to specialist recording equipment.

A microphone is an investment. The technology is stable so next year's model will be pretty much the same. They last almost for ever so be brave and buy quality.

A good, solid stand is vital. You do not want the stand to transfer vibrations.

Another good investment is a 'pop' screen that intercepts the Ps and Bs. You can improvise one of these with a piece of thin foam rubber that removes the 'wind' from the vibrations.