Suggested price points: $100, $250, and $400USD. Another suggestion: pick popular equipment (be it microphone, interface, or mixer) that a newcomer might buy and put together a budget build around it plus an upgrade path where equipment is all equal. Mixer should handle 1-3 mics for live streaming on one end to 3 people podcasting from a garage - bring your own mic type set-up.
Don't forget about looking for used audio interfaces and microphones on online classified (facebook marketplace, etc). I was able to score a Steinberg UR22mkII for a very good price when all audio equipment was non-existent when the pandemic lockdown first hit in my country in March/early April.
Agreed. I really dig this series and the different price points are great. I would even buy a commissioned link to support this channel of any of these complete kits.
I never skip the ads. I don't know how much that's worth to you, but it's just one simple way I can support the best channel of this genre in all of RUclips.
4:34 Yeah, I bought one of these cheap mic boom arms a couple months ago and was horrified at the sound it generated. The vibration through the springs was actually somewhat worse than what I got with the little tabletop mount that came with the mic. Fortunately I realized it was the springs that were the problem so I got some old hand towels and wrapped them around the springs and it completely silenced them. :)
I have one and it fell apart and my mic dropped on the floor. I had to get a new mic. Now I put my mic in a milk basket surrounded with sound foam and it sits on my desk. Not perfect and I don't have the quality I want but I never do.
First setup is surprisingly good. Is amazing how minimal improvement is for upping price on audio equipment. For anyone trying to get in to audio, whats nice about the first setup (or 3rd) is you can easily upgrade mic or interface and still be able to use the other one of the pair while saving for the other upgrades. Vs if you go the usb route, and you get a good mic, you also need to get an interface. I thought the 3rd had the cheap condenser sound where the first 2 actually sounded decent. But just my opinion. I usually like the kinda tinnier condenser sound of like nta1's vs the boomier sound of dynamics, but this one was too far. I vote $300 next. Would also be interesting if at the end you compared it to the best of the $150 ones to see the improvement.
The nice thing about the second setup is that the Q2U is a hybrid microphone. So you could upgrade to using an audio interface with it vs. its own USB audio interface.
Wow, mic no. 2 is amazing! The headphone jack is a great touch, plus the adaptability from USB to XLR at that price is awesome because you keep using it as you upgrade or as a spare.
I spent the night watching nothing but your vids and have come full circle back to having absolutely NO idea what to buy! 😆 Thank you for every single vid though! Always entertaining and informative!
Nice tips. To local russian market I would recommend to use Proel cables and mic stands as well as Amazon stock, cheap and still work well for me (bought before XLR and guitar mono cable). XM8500, confirm, it's nice option, in Russia prices are still good for it, Q2u is hard to get here (2 months ago?) I think analog of amazon boomarm in russia is called NB-35 with different noname brands (dekko, for example). Hope, my info can help someone. I used XM8500 for some voice-over even without post-processing, and it worked really well. Nice job, Bandrew, thank you for the review, develop this segment of the show
· Beside price, i would appreciate goal-oriented starter builds like 2/3-people podcast, streamer, online tutor/instructor etc. · Because i am a basic consumer in terms of audio equipments, I would say you can assume that people have good set of headphones, and build the rest of the studio planning onto this. · Also due to being a basic consumer, I would suggest $250 price point ($100 mic + $50 interface + $50 noise preventing equipment + $50 things i dont know but needed) · Lastly you can build a popular build and compare its price with a price/performance build with the same cost. By saying popular i mean best seller things like scarlet 2i2, at2020+ usb etc. Love your videos, appreciate the effort 👍
I was able to find a good deal on my first mic: Samson C01u pro recording pack w/headphones and software for $59.99. I added a Dragonpad boom arm/pop filter combo for 25 bucks. I used some blankets I already had, so all in I was under $100 for my beginner audio book recording setup. I did skip the bean burritos, though. ;)
It is amazing what $150 can buy in the digital recording world. All three systems sound acceptable for podcasting, streaming, etc. Most listeners would have a tough time distinguishing among these and even between these and setups costing 10X more.
great vid. i liked usb mic for guitar, but behringer condenser was also nice. you should shoot these setups in your untreated room setting up them blankets and showing difference there, cause they all sound very nice in your studio.
PSA to all my Linux heads out there fyi; I'm lead to believe from several forums that the Behringer does work with several distros. I think that adjustments have to be made in Jack or Pulse Audio. ( I've been using Zorin awhile so I've not had to deal with either one ). But bottom line, it should work in Linux
Great video - I use setup #1 and have done since watching your reviews of the XM8500 and UM2 interface. I also use the Neewer arm, and added a shock mount / pop filter desk stand combo which after the legs were unscrewed is the same thread as a mic stand. It's done me well for voiceover and gameplay videos, but now I've started singing too I'm swapping out the XM8500 for a C-1 as I love the condenser sound for singing.
the review he made about this UM2 was the video that made me purchased it, and still have it and use it till today. back when earthling was 5K sub. Oh my, it has been along time!
Thanks for the video. Sometimes my friends ask me for low-budget setup and I usually can't help them. But now, I think I'll be able to, or at least be able to share that with them. So yeah, thank you!
I like this series! I liked the C-1 setup. I always like having at least one "Do-it-all" microphone in the setups I've had over the years. And to me the C-1 was the best. The other setups were pretty good"do-it-all" mics as well. My ears just liked the third one the best!
Amazing timing for this upload for me personally. I'm looking to get a decent mic in the near future and came across someone who recommended the Samson q2u, as well as linked to your sound test of it. From there I found this and was happy to see the q2u again, since many other good options I've checked out are either out of stock or more expensive.
Really like this video idea. Personally, I can't really see you being able to go any cheaper with the price there so instead it would be cool to see what you could to with an extra $50. $200 limit with the same categories: XLR dynamic, XLR condenser and a USB mic of some sort. Great video Bandrew, can't wait for episode 2!
Or maybe you could do an episode where your try to put a pack together for a 2-or-more person podcast which would mean 2 mics and a multi-channel interface for $200.
Love this series idea. I am a newbie and just finished my budget setup. Used a lot of your info to build it out for work calls, voiceovers, and streaming. Samson #Q2Ucult - $50 (inlcuded pop filter, xlr cable, boom arm) Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen - $80 (used, NIB) Klark Teknik CT1 - $30 (not really needed up like that I don't need to use high gain anymore) Phillips SPH9500 / V-Moda pro mic - $50 (used, NIB, came with the mic so made the deal better ) Total = $210 Really happy with the end product and sound it can produce. This is my first time getting into studio setups and allows me to learn how to get the sound i am looking for in the future when I need it.
Setup #3 was the best, nowadays everybody has a headphone atleast, and sound proofing is important but these mics do great for beginners and can work surprisingly well without sound treatment
Ok honestly, I’ve been looking for a series like this because I’m planning on doing a beginner streaming/VA setup giveaway and this is exactly what I would recommend. I think with a budget of $250 you can have a REAL SOLID setup, good mic, interface, and heck, even good headphones! Please do $250 next!
I started with three of the items of your first budget set: the xm8500, the Amazon basic cable, and the Neewer boom arm. I still use the boom arm. My xm8500 is the back up now to the Samson Q2U (part of the second set) only because I think it's a bit better for my voice. But, honestly, that first set is, I think, plenty for most people to get the sense for whether or not they want to continue podcasting or recording in general. Throw in some free Audacity software--and some tutorials on RUclips, and you can honestly make a great sounding recording.
Champagne podcasting on a beer budget... great work. Love to see an $800.00 price point complete package. Some info on the DAW you use would be great as well as info on live processing if looking to live broadcast the podcast. Cheers!
I always love and appreciate the content you share! If possible, I'd like to see a video that considers upgrade paths. Or, perhaps the next video in the series you can have one of the setups be based on one these starter setups to upgrade to keep it "under budget." Personally, I'm looking to improve my gaming recording audio, and am looking to start at a low budget, but purchasing equipment that I may not necessarily need to replace. I'm also going to use what I have (like earbud headphones) so I don't purchase the "I'm only getting this because it fits in the budget but it sucks" stuff to replace later. So, I'm thinking the Neat Worker Bee, Neewer stand, Amazon xlr cable, Behringer UM2 for an extra $15 would be good. Upgrade paths would be sound treatment for the room, I think you were happy with the filter that came with the Worker Bee (the better one if not), then down the road a better audio interface? The UM2 sounded fine to me but maybe I don't understand it's limitations.
I really like this concept. Well done; it's a compassionate and informative approach to building a useable rig. My whole career as a musician has been based on the premise of "enough gear to do the gig" and that's been a good mantra. I know nothing about podcasting so cannot comment however regarding the gear, I have lots to say and I'll try to be brief. Seems to me that Bandrew NEVER makes it about the money or the toys; he makes it about getting the the gig done and his extensive test/review regime has been useful to me on many occasions when I was looking for a particular item. Cheap-assed old me almost always has to buy used gear though so for the sake of an experiment here's what I did: I took the budget on offer here, $150USD, and went looking at all the usual online used gear sellers/platforms and got some eye-opening results. Buying the stuff mentioned in this review new is at the level of "enough gear to do the gig" but the upgrade maniacs will be wanting more very quickly so buy their gear from them if you like what's going on here. If more is always more except in the wallet, go back over a few of the reviews from this channel and buy used stuff recommended herein from a source that allows returns or comes with some kind of buyer protection. Use all Bandrew's hard work to best advantage. Enjoy your audio. The only thing worse than not doing it is not doing it because of $$$.
I discovered your channel recently but I guess I saw most of your shootouts. You made good choices there but I would go for the t.bone, offers quite good quality for price
Bought the Behringer as a field interview mic replacing a broadcast quality mic and thinking it would be pretty poor. It's really phenomenal at the price point. Easily an excellent, possibly best, option for budget constrained vo / podcast starter. 👍
I think this is a fantastic idea for a series. I've been putting together a studio slowly (in the $400 range) and it's exactly what I was looking for at the beginning of the summer. Your videos have been so incredibly helpful in that already, thank you so much. 💜 If you're curious: I haven't bought the mic and interface yet (I have a usb condenser filling in while I work things out), but I'm thinking a Motu M2 with a Neat King Bee or Worker Bee if their new production is delayed further (I talked to Neat and they were hopeful but not 100% certain about more King Bees being available this year). I have a decent Pyle boom stand with a tablet mount attachment (I'm recording an audiobook) and I'm building acoustic panels for a closet vocal booth. Hopefully everything will be ready to go by January. Thanks so much again, hopefully that's not TMI. :)
Please include the Motu M4 in a follow up video - it's fantastic and has 4 channels! Maybe in the $500-750 budget. Or the M2 for smaller / cheaper setups.
I bought the xm8500 a couple of years ago and that microphone is pretty sweet for the price. If I would of had a video like then when I was first getting interested in RUclips and recording I would of helped a lot. I think going on tater raiders comment I would like to see setup around the rode videomic ntg, of course considering the price it would just be the mic, boom arm, and the included foam windscreen or deadcat. Last thing I would say is to tell people to get good at the equipment they have and make sure it’s what they want to do before looking at the next upgrade to fix a bad habit or think it will instantly make them sound amazing and famous. Yes that last part was a little bit of self reflection but thankfully I’m getting an okay return selling all the equipment I never used and I’m a gear head at the end of the day so I’m glad I can pass on the information to others who want to get started. P.S. the 2# option price breakdown features the xm8500 instead of the Samson
CAD U37 is same price as C1, but is USB and has a stand. And a ball foam top can be used. If you don't mind China stuff, KZ makes good-sounding earbuds for $20
The ball windscreens work pretty well if you can pull them out a bit so that there's some empty space between the microphone grille and the foam. Use a cable tie to tighten it a bit if its too loose.
Doing videos on various budgets works, but possibly also note items from more expensive setups that would be good upgrades for previous recommendations.
Pro tip: Taping around the neewer arm's springs almost completely eliminates the sound. However it still suffers from squeaking sounds whenever moved around.
Btw, some of this stuff is a lot cheaper in Germany. The C-1 is 29€ for starters. A reasonable mic stand is about 10-20€. A decent K&M like the 27105 is 23,50€. I can certainly verify that recording in a closet works very well. I've recorded rap vocals and VO in such situations, all on condensers. Personally I'd go with the XM8500 and save up for a Neat Worker Bee. A young friend of mine might go for one of your described setups, so thank you for putting this together and providing these highly useful demonstrations.
Dude the more of your videos I watch the more I like you. You're just a cool guy in general. Also I think you should name the series "Price Point Packs".
I would love to see a video that takes these setups and suggests upgrades. Which do we upgrade first? Microphone? Preamp? Is there software we should buy? What are the most critical items, given a limited budget?
I'm actually gonna recommend you go a lil unorthodox with the monitoring actually go for option 1 but get some earphones instead. You can get better 20$ earphones than headphones for the same price (if you go option 2 you have an extra tenner to play with). Atleast then you can at the very least hear what others hear considering most people use earphones in the 20-30£€$ range.
Pic a mic, example you mentioned “Worker Bee”, choose lowest cost set up that would compliment that mic and benefit the user Name: “Pick and Mix” or “Pick and Mics” if preferred. Amazing full on channel just love your style of presentations full marks
Pretty cool video, I think it would be cool if you could make a video with a "starter podcast studio", for example if you want to have a podcast with 4 people, you could get 4 samson q2u (those come with foam filter), the Behringer UMC404HD, the 4 cheapest boom arms, cables and such... and then to make it "next level", if you want to upgrade, what would you upgrade to...
Awesome video! Really good work! One tip if you don't want the springy table arm: I recently picked up the Gravity Gooseneck and Gravity table clamp from Thomann. They came up to 15,60€ combined, and I like it a lot! It even holds up a large diaphragm condenser mic on a spider adaptor, once I got the hang of it.
Oh, man, it comes in the perfect time. I need to build a studio ASAP for my new coding channel. What about to name it "G.E.G." which stands for "Good Enough Gear"? I'll be waiting for the $500 budget series :)
I found this on Amazon: Moukey USB 3.0 Audio Interface, Microphone Preamps, with 48V Phantom Power, 24 Bit, Support Smartphone, Tablet, Computer and Other Equipment Recording - MSc1 Currently $66.00 Price is low but I only see one review and that's always a warning sign. I have a nice setup so I'm only interested because of curiosity. I also have a Pemotech pop filter on a Audio Technica 2035 for a mic set up for vocal but mostly mid/far guitar amp balance and depth. It's not bad for sung vocals.
Great video! Just wanted to bring something to your attention -- the graphics at 13:58 appear not to have been edited like the others, so we can't see the EQ. I'd be interested in those screenshots if you can share them somehow. Thanks :)
Wow! I have been looking for this kind of video. its hard for beginners what to choose. I thought at first if you buy a microphone like at2020 it is bundled with audio interface and cables. This is a good price range. Thanks for this video!
While the XLR setup is reasonable, I dread purchasing equipment that I'm going to ultimately replace with something else. I feel for a budget person it is a waste of money do do so, which is why I like the USB option better because it provides a cleaner upgrade path with less of a hit on equipment that just takes up dust later on. Which might make a great series too. What to buy now, and what to upgrade to down the road. Starting with the Samson Q2U you can use USB and better headphones for $150 and then move to a higher quality interface next Christmas when you get the $150 gift from your parents. The following year you can upgrade the microphone to something higher quality dynamic maybe the PodMic. This is a very good path to getting started and not having to replace $150 of equipment each time. NOTE: The Samson Q2U can still be used as a usb microphone when you travel, so it is a zero loss upgrade.
I used my award points from my former employer to buy an SE V7 (shiny chrome version). The Behringer UM2 looks interesting. I definitely need a boom arm. 🎤
My money is on the brains of the setup. I would start with the Motu M2 audio interface and build outward by selecting items that will not need an upgrade path first (ex. good shielded and balanced XLR - 1/4" cables and a good mid price set of headphones such as the Sony MDR-7506's. and last but not least the Rode PSA1 boom arm. Studio monitors, fethead or cloudlifter, dynamic or condensor mic's, and a shock mount can all be upgraded at a later point.
Good suggestions. Your audio sounds better than my audio does with these budget setups. I have an Audio-Technica ART2100, one of those Neewer boom arms, and a foam ball on my mic to handle the plosives. I'm using the USB connection with the mic though, and I don't have any other sound treatment in my room. Maybe I can improve things with some sound treatment and by using the XLR connection of my mic instead of the USB. I just need to get the audio interface too if I'm going to use the XLR.
Sound treatment will make a big difference. So will room size. I use an MXL .009 USB (record at 96000Hz in Audacity, like Audacity’s noise removal filter more than Adobe’s and edit/post process in Adobe Audition.) I ordered a portable mic paddle studio type deal and fused it with a soundproofed closet.
Lol as a complete beginner to audio, I've been doing research for the past week for a cheap setup and I have essentially come up with the same cheap build, went with the UMC22 (essentially a UM2) and the xm8500/neewer boom.
Name suggestion: Econo-mics 😁👍
pog
Suggested price points: $100, $250, and $400USD.
Another suggestion: pick popular equipment (be it microphone, interface, or mixer) that a newcomer might buy and put together a budget build around it plus an upgrade path where equipment is all equal.
Mixer should handle 1-3 mics for live streaming on one end to 3 people podcasting from a garage - bring your own mic type set-up.
Don't forget about looking for used audio interfaces and microphones on online classified (facebook marketplace, etc). I was able to score a Steinberg UR22mkII for a very good price when all audio equipment was non-existent when the pandemic lockdown first hit in my country in March/early April.
Agreed. I really dig this series and the different price points are great. I would even buy a commissioned link to support this channel of any of these complete kits.
$50 too
@@therewasanattempt1961 If $50 is all you have, just get the Samson Q2U and use the usb interface. It comes with everything you need to get started.
@@bwillan thank you. Let's push it, how about $20 any recommendations?
"Podcasting for the Piss Poor"
I relate to this.
I never skip the ads. I don't know how much that's worth to you, but it's just one simple way I can support the best channel of this genre in all of RUclips.
20 minute adds...
Clicking on them would give him way way more money rather then if you just watch them
4:34 Yeah, I bought one of these cheap mic boom arms a couple months ago and was horrified at the sound it generated. The vibration through the springs was actually somewhat worse than what I got with the little tabletop mount that came with the mic. Fortunately I realized it was the springs that were the problem so I got some old hand towels and wrapped them around the springs and it completely silenced them. :)
Weird. I have one and have had no problems with it. I use it (with a BM800) for video conferencing, Discord, Tutorial VO ...
I have one and it fell apart and my mic dropped on the floor. I had to get a new mic. Now I put my mic in a milk basket surrounded with sound foam and it sits on my desk. Not perfect and I don't have the quality I want but I never do.
Yeah boom arms without the springs outside are better in not only quality but you also won't get that awful sound
First setup is surprisingly good. Is amazing how minimal improvement is for upping price on audio equipment. For anyone trying to get in to audio, whats nice about the first setup (or 3rd) is you can easily upgrade mic or interface and still be able to use the other one of the pair while saving for the other upgrades. Vs if you go the usb route, and you get a good mic, you also need to get an interface.
I thought the 3rd had the cheap condenser sound where the first 2 actually sounded decent. But just my opinion. I usually like the kinda tinnier condenser sound of like nta1's vs the boomier sound of dynamics, but this one was too far.
I vote $300 next. Would also be interesting if at the end you compared it to the best of the $150 ones to see the improvement.
The nice thing about the second setup is that the Q2U is a hybrid microphone. So you could upgrade to using an audio interface with it vs. its own USB audio interface.
@@xHadesStamps Oh I didnt notice that. Thats a cool feature. So ya option 2 is also a good setup.
Idea for a name: Pick a Pack
that is a good idea
Considerin' there are many ways to make ur studio i think thats a great idea
Pick a pack was cool
Great series
Up
Wow, mic no. 2 is amazing! The headphone jack is a great touch, plus the adaptability from USB to XLR at that price is awesome because you keep using it as you upgrade or as a spare.
I spent the night watching nothing but your vids and have come full circle back to having absolutely NO idea what to buy! 😆 Thank you for every single vid though! Always entertaining and informative!
lmao same here 4 years after xd
I really like this series. Good for people just starting out, and we’ve all been there.
Thanks Bandrew!
dude you have no idea how much your videos have helped me, you are for sure one of my favorite ppl on youtube
Wow I really like this segment, please do more of these
Ask and ye shall receive!
Nice tips. To local russian market I would recommend to use Proel cables and mic stands as well as Amazon stock, cheap and still work well for me (bought before XLR and guitar mono cable). XM8500, confirm, it's nice option, in Russia prices are still good for it, Q2u is hard to get here (2 months ago?) I think analog of amazon boomarm in russia is called NB-35 with different noname brands (dekko, for example). Hope, my info can help someone. I used XM8500 for some voice-over even without post-processing, and it worked really well. Nice job, Bandrew, thank you for the review, develop this segment of the show
The dynamic microphones sounded a lot nicer to me. For your voice I found the Q2U to be the best option.
DUDE! What an amazing series! Had you did this years ago I could have afforded several thousand taco bell burritos today! Q2U for the win!
· Beside price, i would appreciate goal-oriented starter builds like 2/3-people podcast, streamer, online tutor/instructor etc.
· Because i am a basic consumer in terms of audio equipments, I would say you can assume that people have good set of headphones, and build the rest of the studio planning onto this.
· Also due to being a basic consumer, I would suggest $250 price point ($100 mic + $50 interface + $50 noise preventing equipment + $50 things i dont know but needed)
· Lastly you can build a popular build and compare its price with a price/performance build with the same cost. By saying popular i mean best seller things like scarlet 2i2, at2020+ usb etc.
Love your videos, appreciate the effort 👍
Thank you for putting this together. Has I found something like this a few year ago, it would have saved me tons of stress. I've since upgraded.
I was able to find a good deal on my first mic: Samson C01u pro recording pack w/headphones and software for $59.99. I added a Dragonpad boom arm/pop filter combo for 25 bucks. I used some blankets I already had, so all in I was under $100 for my beginner audio book recording setup.
I did skip the bean burritos, though. ;)
I have the same mic and I'm currently looking for a boom arm that supports this mic and doesn't let it fall off.
Did Dragonpad pack do a good job?
Antuan Muñoz yeah, it’s been great so far!
Nice! Thanks for making this AWESOME video! Imma get the no. 1 which is the XLR Dynamic setup which is perfect for voiceovers!
It is amazing what $150 can buy in the digital recording world. All three systems sound acceptable for podcasting, streaming, etc. Most listeners would have a tough time distinguishing among these and even between these and setups costing 10X more.
great vid. i liked usb mic for guitar, but behringer condenser was also nice. you should shoot these setups in your untreated room setting up them blankets and showing difference there, cause they all sound very nice in your studio.
The most stupid name for this segment, and still the closest to name of the channel:
"Pod Cost Edge"
Hahahah
Hahahaha !!! =) this guy he is an idiot, but a funny one!
PSA to all my Linux heads out there fyi; I'm lead to believe from several forums that the Behringer does work with several distros. I think that adjustments have to be made in Jack or Pulse Audio. ( I've been using Zorin awhile so I've not had to deal with either one ). But bottom line, it should work in Linux
Great video - I use setup #1 and have done since watching your reviews of the XM8500 and UM2 interface. I also use the Neewer arm, and added a shock mount / pop filter desk stand combo which after the legs were unscrewed is the same thread as a mic stand. It's done me well for voiceover and gameplay videos, but now I've started singing too I'm swapping out the XM8500 for a C-1 as I love the condenser sound for singing.
the review he made about this UM2 was the video that made me purchased it, and still have it and use it till today. back when earthling was 5K sub. Oh my, it has been along time!
This is such a great video, it will surely answer most of those discord questions! I loved setup 1 & 2!! Definitely want more of these videos!!
Thanks for the video. Sometimes my friends ask me for low-budget setup and I usually can't help them. But now, I think I'll be able to, or at least be able to share that with them. So yeah, thank you!
That's awesome. 😊
I like this series! I liked the C-1 setup. I always like having at least one "Do-it-all" microphone in the setups I've had over the years. And to me the C-1 was the best. The other setups were pretty good"do-it-all" mics as well. My ears just liked the third one the best!
the music production series
been watching you for 5+ years, very happy for your success man. much love.
i'm stunned at how little the differences are with the vocals and how huge with the guitars
Amazing timing for this upload for me personally. I'm looking to get a decent mic in the near future and came across someone who recommended the Samson q2u, as well as linked to your sound test of it. From there I found this and was happy to see the q2u again, since many other good options I've checked out are either out of stock or more expensive.
Really like this video idea. Personally, I can't really see you being able to go any cheaper with the price there so instead it would be cool to see what you could to with an extra $50. $200 limit with the same categories: XLR dynamic, XLR condenser and a USB mic of some sort. Great video Bandrew, can't wait for episode 2!
Or maybe you could do an episode where your try to put a pack together for a 2-or-more person podcast which would mean 2 mics and a multi-channel interface for $200.
Thanks for putting this together, Bandrew. It’s good for beginners to know that they don’t need to spend thousands getting started.
Love this series idea. I am a newbie and just finished my budget setup. Used a lot of your info to build it out for work calls, voiceovers, and streaming.
Samson #Q2Ucult - $50 (inlcuded pop filter, xlr cable, boom arm)
Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen - $80 (used, NIB)
Klark Teknik CT1 - $30 (not really needed up like that I don't need to use high gain anymore)
Phillips SPH9500 / V-Moda pro mic - $50 (used, NIB, came with the mic so made the deal better )
Total = $210
Really happy with the end product and sound it can produce. This is my first time getting into studio setups and allows me to learn how to get the sound i am looking for in the future when I need it.
That’s a great setup right there. Well done.
Setup #3 was the best, nowadays everybody has a headphone atleast, and sound proofing is important but these mics do great for beginners and can work surprisingly well without sound treatment
Ok honestly, I’ve been looking for a series like this because I’m planning on doing a beginner streaming/VA setup giveaway and this is exactly what I would recommend. I think with a budget of $250 you can have a REAL SOLID setup, good mic, interface, and heck, even good headphones! Please do $250 next!
Love the idea of this series for you! I think this series will definitely take off. Best of luck to ya!
I started with three of the items of your first budget set: the xm8500, the Amazon basic cable, and the Neewer boom arm. I still use the boom arm. My xm8500 is the back up now to the Samson Q2U (part of the second set) only because I think it's a bit better for my voice. But, honestly, that first set is, I think, plenty for most people to get the sense for whether or not they want to continue podcasting or recording in general. Throw in some free Audacity software--and some tutorials on RUclips, and you can honestly make a great sounding recording.
The cable does affect the sound of the recording?
Champagne podcasting on a beer budget... great work.
Love to see an $800.00 price point complete package.
Some info on the DAW you use would be great as well as info on live processing if looking to live broadcast the podcast. Cheers!
I always love and appreciate the content you share!
If possible, I'd like to see a video that considers upgrade paths. Or, perhaps the next video in the series you can have one of the setups be based on one these starter setups to upgrade to keep it "under budget." Personally, I'm looking to improve my gaming recording audio, and am looking to start at a low budget, but purchasing equipment that I may not necessarily need to replace. I'm also going to use what I have (like earbud headphones) so I don't purchase the "I'm only getting this because it fits in the budget but it sucks" stuff to replace later. So, I'm thinking the Neat Worker Bee, Neewer stand, Amazon xlr cable, Behringer UM2 for an extra $15 would be good. Upgrade paths would be sound treatment for the room, I think you were happy with the filter that came with the Worker Bee (the better one if not), then down the road a better audio interface? The UM2 sounded fine to me but maybe I don't understand it's limitations.
I really like this concept. Well done; it's a compassionate and informative approach to building a useable rig. My whole career as a musician has been based on the premise of "enough gear to do the gig" and that's been a good mantra. I know nothing about podcasting so cannot comment however regarding the gear, I have lots to say and I'll try to be brief. Seems to me that Bandrew NEVER makes it about the money or the toys; he makes it about getting the the gig done and his extensive test/review regime has been useful to me on many occasions when I was looking for a particular item. Cheap-assed old me almost always has to buy used gear though so for the sake of an experiment here's what I did: I took the budget on offer here, $150USD, and went looking at all the usual online used gear sellers/platforms and got some eye-opening results. Buying the stuff mentioned in this review new is at the level of "enough gear to do the gig" but the upgrade maniacs will be wanting more very quickly so buy their gear from them if you like what's going on here. If more is always more except in the wallet, go back over a few of the reviews from this channel and buy used stuff recommended herein from a source that allows returns or comes with some kind of buyer protection. Use all Bandrew's hard work to best advantage. Enjoy your audio. The only thing worse than not doing it is not doing it because of $$$.
I love this series! The Beginner Budget series! The Budget pack series! The Price Point Packs! (I really like that last one)
I discovered your channel recently but I guess I saw most of your shootouts.
You made good choices there but I would go for the t.bone, offers quite good quality for price
Name for show: "Maximum gain" or "Limited gain" love the show idea!
Great name!
you got it
For SEO purposes, hopefully Maximum Gain won't lead people to workout videos. Haha 😅
Bought the Behringer as a field interview mic replacing a broadcast quality mic and thinking it would be pretty poor. It's really phenomenal at the price point. Easily an excellent, possibly best, option for budget constrained vo / podcast starter. 👍
I think this is a fantastic idea for a series. I've been putting together a studio slowly (in the $400 range) and it's exactly what I was looking for at the beginning of the summer. Your videos have been so incredibly helpful in that already, thank you so much. 💜
If you're curious: I haven't bought the mic and interface yet (I have a usb condenser filling in while I work things out), but I'm thinking a Motu M2 with a Neat King Bee or Worker Bee if their new production is delayed further (I talked to Neat and they were hopeful but not 100% certain about more King Bees being available this year). I have a decent Pyle boom stand with a tablet mount attachment (I'm recording an audiobook) and I'm building acoustic panels for a closet vocal booth. Hopefully everything will be ready to go by January.
Thanks so much again, hopefully that's not TMI. :)
Please include the Motu M4 in a follow up video - it's fantastic and has 4 channels! Maybe in the $500-750 budget. Or the M2 for smaller / cheaper setups.
Good video, I wish something like this would have been available eighteen months ago when I was shopping for starter audio gear.
Great video! The c-1 was your best buy! Its the clearest and goes up against some really expensive mics!
Thanks for watching and thanks for the kind words.
Hi, I really enjoy your videos. I have been following you nearly since the beginning of your channel and it is really nice to see you grow.
I bought the xm8500 a couple of years ago and that microphone is pretty sweet for the price. If I would of had a video like then when I was first getting interested in RUclips and recording I would of helped a lot. I think going on tater raiders comment I would like to see setup around the rode videomic ntg, of course considering the price it would just be the mic, boom arm, and the included foam windscreen or deadcat. Last thing I would say is to tell people to get good at the equipment they have and make sure it’s what they want to do before looking at the next upgrade to fix a bad habit or think it will instantly make them sound amazing and famous. Yes that last part was a little bit of self reflection but thankfully I’m getting an okay return selling all the equipment I never used and I’m a gear head at the end of the day so I’m glad I can pass on the information to others who want to get started.
P.S. the 2# option price breakdown features the xm8500 instead of the Samson
CAD U37 is same price as C1, but is USB and has a stand. And a ball foam top can be used. If you don't mind China stuff, KZ makes good-sounding earbuds for $20
What's up with the blurred screen shots?
The ball windscreens work pretty well if you can pull them out a bit so that there's some empty space between the microphone grille and the foam. Use a cable tie to tighten it a bit if its too loose.
Hey Bandrew, just a heads up!
In the usb setup you've labeled the Q2U as the XM 8500 still.
Overall I liked the 1st combo the best.
I would be very courious what you would suggest for $400, great idea doing this new series, thanks!!
The Q2U is the mic I use for my podcast. Liked the series.
Doing videos on various budgets works, but possibly also note items from more expensive setups that would be good upgrades for previous recommendations.
Pro tip: Taping around the neewer arm's springs almost completely eliminates the sound. However it still suffers from squeaking sounds whenever moved around.
Btw, some of this stuff is a lot cheaper in Germany. The C-1 is 29€ for starters. A reasonable mic stand is about 10-20€. A decent K&M like the 27105 is 23,50€. I can certainly verify that recording in a closet works very well. I've recorded rap vocals and VO in such situations, all on condensers. Personally I'd go with the XM8500 and save up for a Neat Worker Bee. A young friend of mine might go for one of your described setups, so thank you for putting this together and providing these highly useful demonstrations.
That moment when you switched from the Neumann to the XM8500 made me go 🤔
Love your work, well done.
Very entertaining to watch.
Keep on rocking.
Really appreciate the kind words!
Great video, hope to see more "the no-name" series oftennn
Dude the more of your videos I watch the more I like you. You're just a cool guy in general.
Also I think you should name the series "Price Point Packs".
I would love to see a video that takes these setups and suggests upgrades. Which do we upgrade first? Microphone? Preamp? Is there software we should buy? What are the most critical items, given a limited budget?
I have a video on upgrade order: ruclips.net/video/MNeqQC9iyI4/видео.html
I'm actually gonna recommend you go a lil unorthodox with the monitoring actually go for option 1 but get some earphones instead. You can get better 20$ earphones than headphones for the same price (if you go option 2 you have an extra tenner to play with). Atleast then you can at the very least hear what others hear considering most people use earphones in the 20-30£€$ range.
Great suggestion!
All good, though I thought you'd take Behringer C1U - that's a USB version, so less costs for the interface
c-1u is noisy and quiet, this isn't worth it
Love the series! Keep it rolling... maybe $250 then $500 then $1k
I liked the first and 3rd setup. Also, I'm tossing "Poverty Podcasting" as a title into this ring.
Pic a mic, example you mentioned “Worker Bee”, choose lowest cost set up that would compliment that mic and benefit the user
Name: “Pick and Mix” or “Pick and Mics” if preferred.
Amazing full on channel just love your style of presentations full marks
Pretty cool video, I think it would be cool if you could make a video with a "starter podcast studio", for example if you want to have a podcast with 4 people, you could get 4 samson q2u (those come with foam filter), the Behringer UMC404HD, the 4 cheapest boom arms, cables and such... and then to make it "next level", if you want to upgrade, what would you upgrade to...
Awesome video! Really good work! One tip if you don't want the springy table arm: I recently picked up the Gravity Gooseneck and Gravity table clamp from Thomann. They came up to 15,60€ combined, and I like it a lot! It even holds up a large diaphragm condenser mic on a spider adaptor, once I got the hang of it.
Great series idea, and I appreciate your attention to detail. Looking forward to the next installment- I’d be curious to see $500 and $1k options!
Oh, man, it comes in the perfect time. I need to build a studio ASAP for my new coding channel.
What about to name it "G.E.G." which stands for "Good Enough Gear"?
I'll be waiting for the $500 budget series :)
I love the HD 650
Do you know how to mix vocals?? If so would you consider doing a video showing how?
I found this on Amazon: Moukey USB 3.0 Audio Interface, Microphone Preamps, with 48V Phantom Power, 24 Bit, Support Smartphone, Tablet, Computer and Other Equipment Recording - MSc1 Currently $66.00
Price is low but I only see one review and that's always a warning sign.
I have a nice setup so I'm only interested because of curiosity.
I also have a Pemotech pop filter on a Audio Technica 2035 for a mic set up for vocal but mostly mid/far guitar amp balance and depth. It's not bad for sung vocals.
Thanks! Just picked up XM8500 from Sweetwater for $19!
شكرا جزيلا لك على هذا الفيديو
Thank you so much for this video 🙏🌷
I Don't know how to name it... but shure as hell I will continue watch this series!!
Great video! Just wanted to bring something to your attention -- the graphics at 13:58 appear not to have been edited like the others, so we can't see the EQ. I'd be interested in those screenshots if you can share them somehow. Thanks :)
I would also love to see your "Ultimate" Pro, one-man setup as well as your wishlist setup
The acoustic guitar sounds amazing on the q2u
Love this series man, right on the money
Wow! I have been looking for this kind of video. its hard for beginners what to choose. I thought at first if you buy a microphone like at2020 it is bundled with audio interface and cables. This is a good price range. Thanks for this video!
You're welcome. Thank you for watching! Best of luck on the recording, have fun!
For the first setup i would pick the Superlux hd681,because they sound very good for 20 dollars
...they sound really decent, but they can break very soon. At least that's what happened to mine (loose connection after 6 months)
While the XLR setup is reasonable, I dread purchasing equipment that I'm going to ultimately replace with something else. I feel for a budget person it is a waste of money do do so, which is why I like the USB option better because it provides a cleaner upgrade path with less of a hit on equipment that just takes up dust later on. Which might make a great series too. What to buy now, and what to upgrade to down the road.
Starting with the Samson Q2U you can use USB and better headphones for $150 and then move to a higher quality interface next Christmas when you get the $150 gift from your parents. The following year you can upgrade the microphone to something higher quality dynamic maybe the PodMic. This is a very good path to getting started and not having to replace $150 of equipment each time. NOTE: The Samson Q2U can still be used as a usb microphone when you travel, so it is a zero loss upgrade.
I used my award points from my former employer to buy an SE V7 (shiny chrome version). The Behringer UM2 looks interesting. I definitely need a boom arm. 🎤
#Q2UHype!
Great setup series, I liked the ideas in the comments for doubling the budget from this initial one.
Now we need room treatment on a budget series!
My money is on the brains of the setup. I would start with the Motu M2 audio interface and build outward by selecting items that will not need an upgrade path first (ex. good shielded and balanced XLR - 1/4" cables and a good mid price set of headphones such as the Sony MDR-7506's. and last but not least the Rode PSA1 boom arm. Studio monitors, fethead or cloudlifter, dynamic or condensor mic's, and a shock mount can all be upgraded at a later point.
"Podcasting On Pennies" sounds good to me
This video was extremely helpful and insightful thanks for all the research
The Q2U used to come with some over the ear monitors. Does it not anymore?
Good suggestions. Your audio sounds better than my audio does with these budget setups. I have an Audio-Technica ART2100, one of those Neewer boom arms, and a foam ball on my mic to handle the plosives. I'm using the USB connection with the mic though, and I don't have any other sound treatment in my room. Maybe I can improve things with some sound treatment and by using the XLR connection of my mic instead of the USB. I just need to get the audio interface too if I'm going to use the XLR.
Actually, the fact that I record using Zoom is probably another reason my audio quality isn't the best.
Sound treatment will make a big difference. So will room size. I use an MXL .009 USB (record at 96000Hz in Audacity, like Audacity’s noise removal filter more than Adobe’s and edit/post process in Adobe Audition.) I ordered a portable mic paddle studio type deal and fused it with a soundproofed closet.
Hey Bandrew!! Can you do mix-minus or remote calling with audio interface?? If you can, then show it how. Thank you :) !!
Lol as a complete beginner to audio, I've been doing research for the past week for a cheap setup and I have essentially come up with the same cheap build, went with the UMC22 (essentially a UM2) and the xm8500/neewer boom.
If you are looking for a good USB Condenser USB mic, the Samson Co1U is a good pick. Yea it is a bit more than the C1 but you dont need an interface.
Luv the series. I want to see more!