PC microphones are available in an expansive assortment of styles and may be used for multiple purposes. If you are looking to choose the best pc microphone for you there is no deficiency of alternatives. There are microphones that are ideal for gaming online, or for use in a corporate or home office, or microphones that are great just for chatting. This article will help you decide on the best microphones for each of these uses.
Microphone Headsets
Headset mics can be used for nearly any of the needs I listed above. Whether you’re chatting, speaking with business contacts, dictating to voice recognition software, recording a video or audio clip, or playing online games there is a headset for you. Most headset mics also include stereo headphones, which help to keep other people from listening to your conversation. Even though it is almost standard nowadays, be sure to check for noise cancellation on your headset.
Avid gamers will usually want to get a headset with earphones that entirely enclose the ears so they can muffle out other sounds in the room, particularly if the Television or some music might be going while they are playing. There are top notch microphone headsets available so avid gamers can be fully immersed in the experience with high quality sound.
Desktop Microphones
Desktop microphones work well in situations where multiple people in the room can be collaborating in the exchange or the recording. There are no headphones so the audio can clearly be heard by all, and anyone can speak into the mic to be heard. This works well for meetings or chatting when the whole family is present.
Wireless Microphones
Wireless mics might look like standard headsets, lapel mics, or earpieces such as Bluetooth microphones. Perfect for multitasking, these microphones mean you can retain your mobility while dictating documents, speaking with contacts, recording video and audio, or even just chatting. In fact, avid gamers love these also because they don’t have to worry about cords getting in their way.
Direction of Sound
Another way to classify PC microphones is by the direction the microphone can pickup sound from. There are three classifications of microphones, which are omnidirectional, unidirectional, and bidirectional. There are also some subtypes for unidirectional microphones.
Omnidirectional Microphones
Omnidirectional microphones are able to pick up sound from all directions. While this may seem like a good thing (and often is) there are times when this will result in background noise. This is troublesome when trying to use some type of voice diction software or when chatting online because it can make it harder to understand you. One of the areas where this is useful is when recording live music so that it can pick up the sounds of all performers, regardless of where they are positioned.
Unidirectional Microphones
These are great for picking up speech. Because sound is generally only picked up from one direction, there are not many problems with background noise or interference. This results in crisp clear audio for recordings, chatting, voice commands, and voice transcription.
There are a few subtypes of unidirectional microphones. First, the cardioid microphone, which receives sound from the front and the sides. The subcardioid microphone will pick up sounds from the front and sides, as well as some sound from the rear, but not as well or as far off as an omnidirectional microphone. Hypercardioid and supercardioid microphones both pick up sound from all directions in a super tight area, with a much expanded front area of sensitivity.
Bidirectional Microphones
These type of microphones will pick up sound only from the front and the rear. These microphones are less common than the other two types. In fact, not many bidirectional microphones are designed to be used with computers. One of the primary applications of a bidirectional microphone is for an interview. This is because these microphones are almost as good as filtering out background noise as unidirectional microphones are, but the two participants of the interview can use the microphone without having to flip it around.
As you can see, there are many types of microphones that can be used with a PC. They have many different uses and each type serves a different purpose. Microphones can be classified by the design of the mic, such as wireless headsets, or by the direction it can pick up sound from.