Microphone placement and technique guide
Microphone placement and technique guide
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The easiest audio upgrade is often free: move the microphone closer and make sure you're talking into the correct part of it.
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For microphones such as the AM8, K688 and SM7B, Brandon's normal starting point is roughly a fist away.
Talking slightly across the capsule instead of blasting air directly into it also helps reduce plosives.
When the microphone is a foot or two away, you have to raise the gain to compensate. That also raises the room sound, reflections and background noise.
Moving it closer improves the ratio of your voice to everything else.
Hanging a microphone upside down does not matter. What matters is where the capsule picks up sound.
Side-address microphones such as the QuadCast need to be spoken into from the correct side. Cardioid patterns can reject much of the sound from the rear, but only if the mic is oriented correctly.
An SM7B three feet away can sound worse than a budget mic positioned properly. The same is true of premium interfaces and inline preamps.
For most normal creator use, USB vs XLR matters less than good mic technique. XLR can provide more control and upgrade options, but it cannot compensate for bad placement.