So, I have deiced to invest it a highish quality usb microphone and I am more than stuck on which to chose. I will be using a boom stand and shock, as of right know my top two choices are ATR2500 or Blue Yeti which one would you guys chose and why or if you have any other suggestions I am all ears. Thanks!
AT2020 - The Tek uses it, and I use it.
Actually a very good mic, definitely beats the blue yeti. I even think it sounds better than the more expensive blue bluebird.
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The usb version is $200+(CAD) does the xlr version work without a preamp or anything?
It needs 48v phantom power.
I found mine used for $50 (USD) - it didn't come with any paperwork or a box, but I don't need that anyways, and it works just fine.
If you live in America, the MXL 770 is good
Yeah, but I could pay $160(CAD) for one of the mics I listed with a boom and shock mount or $225 for the AT2020 so is it worth the extra price.
EDIT: would a xlr to usb wire work?
I hate to self promote (let's face it, no I don't), but you can decide yourself:
https://youtu.be/o7KxRsJBwFk (jump about 0:30 in to where I start talking)
Also: again, if you want to avoid the shameless self plug, the mic with the grey and white fuzzies on it seen in front of Logan in the Tek is an AT2020 with a deadcat on it (which is what I have on mine as well)
edit:
per your edit:
Yes I think so, make sure it mentions that it can drive an unpowered mic. I'd do some research for you if I could, but not at this moment.
boom and shockmount are good but usually the ones that come included aren't very good. Don't worry about the shockmount you're not a musician yet :).
The stand I want to buy comes with one :)
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That's a plus
So, here's my take:
If you are going to be commentating over PC games or...for that matter, think you might be using your keyboard while you commentate (such as live streaming or something) then, yes, I think a shock mount and a stand is necessary...and a popfilter is good too. You can get all of these off of amazon REALLY freakin cheap, but...yeah, I can assure you, they are definitely cheap. They get the job done, and that's all that matters. However, having these does obviously affect the cost of the whole mic set up if you are on a tight budget.
If that's the case: having good audio quality is all that REALLY matters. It doesn't need to be exceptional, or professional sounding. So long as it's good, then that's really it, so if the Yeti or Snowball is cheaper, then I say go for that so you can make sure to get the stand, shock mount, and pop filter.
So i'm going to bite the bullet and get the at2020 do you know any good but cheap preamps if they are more than $70CAD I will just get the usb version.
Unfortunately, I don't know any from any trusted brands.
The cheapest soundcard I could find from a trusted brand is the PreSonus AudioBox iOne - which retail is $90USD - if you can find it used for cheaper, it's pretty nice for it's price. The knobs feel cheap on it, and while it does have an aluminum construction on it, the fit also feels a bit cheap, but what matters are internals, and it definitely sounds great...in fact, for a $90 sound card, it blows me away at the quality of the sound.
It has headphone monitoring, 1 XLR input and 1 1/4" input, plus 2 1/4" out (left channel/right channel)
I don't know about raw mic preamps, since I do music as well, I tend to go for more all-in-one solutions (like the above mentioned soundcard).
PreSonus does make a mic preamp unit, but...funnily enough, it costs more than the AudioBox. Maybe it's because it has a really sexy analogue VU meter in the front...regardless, it goes for $130.
Regardless, I noticed that the Blue Icicle (a XLR to USB) has 48v phantom power built in. It'll probably do the trick well enough, and I trust Blue as a brand ('ve been drooling over their Blue Dragonfly for years now....droooooooooooool)
No real benefit to using a sound card anymore. Better off getting an external amp or a USB DAC.
I wasn't talking about a "soundblaster" card of the old days, trust me, I know those aren't needed. I am talking about..well, really what I am talking about is a DAC...but also they are called soundcards.
These soundcards I am talking about are meant for music, and they are very much necessary. They have MIDI input/output, XLR input, 1/4in inputs, plus phantom power, monitor playback (headphone ports), and 1/4in outputs.
My bad, just saw you mention sound card and thought of a add in sound card, not an external solution.
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Depends on what you plan on using the microphone for, gaming and YouTube recording doesn't really need a preamp and you should just go with the USB version and save a few bucks. USB is easier to setup and use. You really only have to worry about the gain. For mics with no gain knob you can change it in the OS.
Music recording or good monitoring headphones are a different story.