Here's the full PodMic USB review if you want to know more about the features, specs, USB functionality and some in-depth looks at how it compares to the original PodMic: ua-cam.com/video/wPBtk26SxQ8/v-deo.html
Just watching this made it abundantly clear to at least my ears and my taste. Hands down, the two champs in this VERY WELL produced review are the RE20 ( I mean seriously,...its still the best by a country mile and yet it gets very little love) and the Earthworks ETHOS (a soon to be legendary mic in its own right and especially in the condenser world). I'm soooo thankful to own the RE20 and will one day soon follow up with the ETHOS for the Condenser side. Thanks for another stellar review Tom!
I previously owned a RE320, because I have quite a "boxy" voice and most mics like the SM7B clouds my voice more. Because the RE320 was said to be brighter I went for that instead of the RE20 thinking it would just cloud my voice more. Several months later I had the need to buy another mic and this time I just thought of giving the RE20 a shot. Boy was I proven wrong about the muddiness. The RE20 just has a way of smoothing out the low end unlike anything I've ever tried and I've tried many of these 25 mics to get the sound I like. The mic is so full but clear at the same time, I just cannot explain it. In no way is the RE320 a bad mic, I really enjoyed it, but the RE20 makes me happy to listen to my own recordings, which isn't something I had with any other mic. This just showed me that you really need to test it out on your own voice and don't just jump on the popular choice (for me that was the SM7B).
@@NilankaGrrr I'm a happy RE320 user, but I also have a microphone habit/addiction. And you're making me want to try the RE20. Another mic that seems like a top candidate is the SE Dynacaster DCM8. I recently picked up the DCM3 just for kicks and I am pretty impressed.
The brightness and clarity of this video is insane!! First time to this channel, please please send out the video and lightning gear that you guys use!!
Many thanks for producing this video! I am looking for a new mic, since I was going with the Rode NT USB mini since its release, but somehow felt the need for something new. I watched this video over and over again on different headphones and speakers (Genelec, ELAC, Sennheiser HD610s, Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, Nocs NS400A, Bose Soundlink mini, iPad, MacBook Pro & Air). My personal conclusion: I absolutely love the look of the Rode Podmic USB, but best sound signature for your voice is: Rode NT1 > Rode NT > Sennheiser Profile. The more I tried consumer grade devices, the more I liked more boomy mics. On good speakers the PodMic adds some weird fizzling noise in the upper mids, which gets quite annoying over time. Finally I am impressed how good the Sennheiser MKH50 is catching the audio with that distance. Wow! So.. will I now head for the best sound or design... xD #decisionstomake
I love how you guys talk a lot in between mic comparisons! It shows that what really counts isn't the microphone itself but the content you're talking about. Talking about interesting things makes you forget about the microphone itself and pay more attention to what you are saying. Nowadays, most microphones can sound pretty decent, as long as you don't mess up with clipping or distortion. The main thing is to keep the content interesting. I loved the format of this video Tom! Awesome job!
Great video guys! I don't want to sound like that old mic guy in the corner, but the RE20 stood out as being the most flattering on both of your voices for me while having much less room tone than the condenser mics in this test. So great having two different voices on the mics :)
My wife used to test 9v batteries by touching both leads to her tongue. She repaired electronics back in the 80s-90s. Oh, and now you just mentioned it!
I will say the most surprising revelation from this video was how similar the Podmic USB is to the Lewitt LCT240 Pro when listening to my Apple AirPods. The LCT240 pro is one of my favorites as well, so I like that there is a similar audio profile to my my ears for a dynamic option compared to Lewitt as a condenser. Really cool. Great video. I enjoyed the conversation even better than the mic comparisons. Lol. The first couple of live-streaming!
28:07 SOME CDs had “bonus tracks” where either the last track had dead air for a while, then another song played on the same track, or there might even be a bunch of minimal (1 second) tracks, and the last one was a bonus track. The only one I remember is Counting Crows having a cover of Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell) as a hidden/bonus track. They were often covers.
2 weeks with my Rode PodMic USB and enjoying it!!! I started yesterday with Unify for Mac Beta, it has some bugs in the Noise Gate Threshold that in Rode Connect works great. The best sound is the 28:38 ElectroVoice RE20 it is a pro broadcast mic.
Fun fact, and I know I’m late to this, but the SM57 debuted in 1965 and the SM58 in 1966 while the RE20 was first released in 1968. So you have two mics that predate the RE20 in production time.
truly a great video. i didn’t expect to be so engaged throughout the testing as i did, but i really enjoyed hearing you guys talk about whatever. my personal favorite mic of the bunch was the earthworks ethos. most broadcast style mics get a little too dark for me and as someone happens to be quite sensitive to certain lower frequencies, i find the earthworks to be quite smooth without getting too muddy or boomy.
Such a great, comprehensive, and entertaining review of all these mics. Your chemistry and humour with your lovely wife kept my focus and interest high through this long and helpful video. I use an SM7B and was happy to see it is still relevant and sounding great. I was thinking of getting the RODE NT-1 5th Gen for the USB, but hearing this, I'll stick to my SM7B for a while longer.
Fun fact, Jimmy Dean was a country singer and a talk show host before becoming a frozen processed meat mogul. The Jimmy Dean Show was where my favorite muppet made his first appearance! Rolf the dog was introduced, and often in bits where he was injured, due to Jim Henson operating Rolf on his own, while traditional controls required two. This would allow them to put the unoperated arm in a sling! A lot of these bits are on UA-cam, it’s a fun rabbit hole to fall down.
Loved the video. Came for the comparisons, stayed for the chemistry and chatter. What’s very clear to me is there are sooooo many mics I prefer the sound of over the PodMic USB 😆 Special shout outs to the LCT440 and especially the RE20.
Love the RE20. Good that it only took a few decades to finally add a black version! 😅 If they’d modernize the color palette, EV would likely sell more. The outcome of your review: I’ll likely add the PodMic USB to my “run & gun” setup, recording directly to the iPhone. Also, you should definitely consider more “couples” episodes. Your on-screen dynamic is great and feels very authentic. :)
Glad you enjoyed it! I saw Rode posted a video of someone using the PodMic with their phone at a beach and it sounded incredible. Definitely a great run and gun setup! And thanks for the kind words! My wife and I do a weekly stream over on her channel @heatherjustcreate which isn't super related to the topics here but it's a ton of fun 👍
Aside from West-Coast-specific items, this whole video brought me back to my childhood in so many ways! And then you mentioned when you graduated 8th grade, and that explained EVERYTHING! I also finished 8th grade in 1999, and BTAS was the perfect animated show. Also, as a half-Japanese, half-Filipino-American kid, that mention of food that kids would make fun of me for was so relatable. Excellent video!
Dude, natural wonders was incredible. Before I discovered the arcade, I spent hours in that store. My brother and I got so many of those rubber/soft plastic dinosaur christmas gifts as a 6/7 year old from there. Broke my heart when it left our mall. Those Lewitt's still sound incredible.
The Samson mics have a great quality for the price. The Lewitt mics are pretty good too. The second one adds so much presence. Congrats on this test, it's by far the most comprehensive one on UA-cam. And your image is also top notch !
Hello from a 78 yr old Norwegian retiree living in Thailand. I really enjoyed your warm and charming presentation! Q: I have just enrolled in a course to prepare for online podcast/tv interviews related to my recently published book - what would be one or two of your recommendations for below $150? And would there be any mic that you think would make a difference if the budget limit was raised to $300? (Secret: I also would like to do a bit of singing to background music- would there be any of the recommended that would be excellent both for speech and vocals/singing?) Would be great to hear back from you!😊
Wonderful and so relaxed and spontaneous conversation, bursts of laughs, great editing and tons of patience and invested time. So grateful you did this comparison. The mics that sounded fantastic on both your voices will be the only ones I'll mention here: Røde Podcaster big muffy and beefy mic sounded great! Also the Ethos, persuaded me once more I want their SR314 Shure SM58, great but very plosivey.... RE20 of course Lewits - yeah! Neat souned great on Heather. It somehow emphasized Tom's already bassy voice. VideoMic NTG was great. Just my 2c 😅
Secret tracks are a thing! I had a few indie albums that didn't start for like 20 minutes at the end but some like 5 minutes later. Listened to one of those albums semi recently on spotify and it was long pause was still there lol. Great video! Super fun. Tons of great ideas for the video essay creators out there lol.
I've noticed a few bands have finally cut out the long pauses, but I definitely remember going into GarageBand and trimming them off before loading songs into my iPod way back when.
Oh wow, that's awesome! I booked a trip once several years ago and the travel agent had the same name too haha. Our email chain got pretty confusing pretty quickly.
Loved this video. There's are points I completely forgot I was watching a microphone comparison. I just ordered the Earthworks ETHOS can't wait to use it.
@@tombuck Love your videos, very informative and honest reviews. I have just recently ordered the ETHOS my self, and can not way to give a try. I was wondering if you would be releasing a video with the presets you use on the ETHOS. Thank you for your time and hard work.
I just got my first usb/xlr mic its a tonor td510 and I genuinely love the mic while i do want the podmic usb the price kills me despite how much I trust brands like Rode and Shure
@@tombuck Just an idea for future reviews - can you check mic performance with dictation software? I ask because I had a hand injury for about a year and could not use a keyboard properly and I got interested in disability devices and software. It seems that some excellent broadcast mics are not actually great with dictation software - MS or even the all powerful Dragon/Nuance stuff. Anyway - just an idea! Keep up the good work.
There is a twofold difference in capsule size between Rode nt USB + and Rode NT1 a 5 GT, and one is 24 bit and the other is 32 bit. The price differences are also very close. Which one would you recommend for broadcasting on a computer?
I don’t have the money for it, but the Ethos basically kills the SM7B, and to be honest, the Podmic USB is the BEST USB mic out there. It has a built-in DSP (or at least I think bc you can save audio processing on the mic), it doesn’t sounds too bassy like the MV7 sometimes sounds, and it isn’t absolutely atrocious like the BEACN Mic’s capsule. We have yet to see the AT2040 USB, but I highly doubt it’s better if the XLR one is anything to go by.
i really just watch the whole videos, GREAT Videos, I can relate to all the things yall talking about i was born in 86, crazy thing i remember most of the 90's stuff!!
Thoughts... PodMic or MV7 or Sen Profile.... I'm mainly using it for online classes, but it needs to be USB and Portable. Any suggestions? Thanks! Nic Vid!!!! Lite Bright! hahahaha
Dang, that white arm looks pretty awesome! I'm wondering if they'll do a white version of the regular Wave arm? I've never used one and would definitely love to try a white one.
43:00 I remember Lunchables! My sister and I used to get the pizza ones in addition to the little sandwich cracker ones. I still see Lunchables to this day at my local Food4Less and Buy Low (now called Número Uno).
The “S” was the logo for Stussy. Thank you for the 90’s revival and the great mic comparisons! And yes there were secret tracks on some CDs……just had to wait like 3 minutes of silence and then the secret song would start. Lol
22:55 I first had Lik-M-Aid/Fun Dip from a Ben Franklin dime store, when I was about 9. Thought they were new. Found out, as an adult, that they have been around since the 1940’s.
I wish you did some comparisons where you both talked at the same time in different parts of the room to show show the cardioid pattern works. I have returned way too many microphones because me and my gf both use separate mics in the same room and we hate it when the other person's voice comes up on mic
Pretty much any of these mics would be hard to distinguish from any of the others with a little EQ matching here and there, and keeping your face the right distance from the actual capsule (the thing that picks up sound) inside the mic. The Shure Sm7b has the capsule recessed inside its big empty schnozz, so that you CAN'T get up close with the capsule and get a big proximity effect (bass boost). That can be good for people who don't have mic skills... it keeps their tone from varying as much when they move toward or away from the mic. But if you keep the right distance from the capsule, an SM-57 or SM-58 sounds very much like the SM-7b, for a quarter of the price, and it doesn't stick its nose into your video frame as far. (You can put a big SM7b foam windscreen on a 57 or 58, sticking way out past the capule, if you want the big schnozz effect.) If you remove and bypass the impedance-matching transformer in the handle of the 57 or 58, it sounds even more like the 7b, with similarly wimpy output that you need more preamp gain for. (There are videos on YT about that.)
Another great video! That Ethos sounds great. It’s the winner IMO but I understand everyone has a sound they love. Y’all should do more videos together btw
The SM57 is the exact same microphone as the SM58 only without the windscreen. That's the only difference. Allegedly the windscreen has some filtering properties but the internals of the two microphones are identical.
Heather - you just nailed it - “Tom Buck-Blue” this needs to be an official color. Call crayola- make it a crayon, marker, and paint color at your local hardware store! Let’s makes it happen people! 😂🤪🤣
44:07 Blue Yeti, just absolute incredible unmatched plug & play experience. i bought the ntg, but comparing them here i already regret it. daaaaaamn. also, Deity V-Mic D4 isn't really fair, it records much more quiet than the rode videomics, so it is 100% processed, at least normalized in volume
I was literally saying the whole time I hope Heather mentions Pogs 🤣🤣🤣 and that Simpsons Pog clip lives in my head rent free 🤣 great feel good video. Quite literally you two are the DYNAMIC duo.
Hi Tom! Thanks for the video! Any chance you heard, tried or tested the Austrian Audio OC16 beside these mics? I wonder how it compares to the Lewitts!
38:00 I'm watching to hear about the microphones but find myself wondering what version of the world did she grow up in where MTV didn't exist well before Macarena became a thing, where broadcast TV stations didn't have programs where they played videos of chart topping music, and things like that.
Want a real chuckle have a look at that Jimmy Dean commercial and picture Matthew McConaughey. You're welcome. ....and Michigan J Frog was a Warner character from the 1930s.
Okay, I will admit that the PodMicUSB sounds better than the PodMic - I really hate the sound of the PodMic. But the PMUSB is an improvement. Will it displace my RE20? Unlikely, but I enjoyed the comparison video! Too bad you had to return the CMIT...
Hi Tom, thanks for the overwhelming info. What mic (or type) can you recommend for a sit-down monolog with the mic next to the face not to close like 15cm distance (not so obstrusive like the Rode NT-1 5th Gen) the Blue Sona, ETHOS or or do you have any other suggestions of mics that sound great at 15cm distance? To my understanding, the sm7b needs to be closer. Also considering usb mics. Your expertise would be appreciated.
all of these mics sounds amazing but I'm surprised that you have never owned Shure sm58 until this video I think that needs it own video on how it stacks up against the sure mic you own
I don't see anyone commenting about the "Got Milk" campaign...my grandparents were dairy farmers. Historically, dairy farmers were paid based on milk quality and fat content. Then in the 80s low-fat diets and the marketing of non-dairy replacements for milk, cheese, butter, and all happened. Milk and dairy became unhealthy and "bad". Between the switch from everyone drinking whole milk to 2% and skim and a new demand for low-fat milk dairy farmers started losing money and had to even change breeds of cows. The same thing happened to eggs which led to "The incredible edible egg" campaign.
Intersting! I do remember the "Incredible Edible Egg" ads. On a related note, I was watching a hockey game last night and saw that the Toronto Maple Leafs' main sponsor on their jerseys is just "milk" 🤷🏻♂️
Truly a great video that is Tom, the two you are just... fun to watch... and even more so after hearing the little... let's call it 'file issue' you had 👍
It wasn't so much of a secret track than most the ones I encountered were more like we didn't hit stop on the recording for about 30 minutes. You throw a disc into the computer and be like yeah that song 30 minutes long I wonder what's at the end.
Here's the full PodMic USB review if you want to know more about the features, specs, USB functionality and some in-depth looks at how it compares to the original PodMic: ua-cam.com/video/wPBtk26SxQ8/v-deo.html
@Tom Buck have you tried the Neumann KMS 105, BCM 104 and BCM 705?
Just rewatched this and laughed out loud many times 😂 Love making videos with you darling! 🥰💜
loved this video u guys are hilarious together 🥰
FYI. There's a full conspiracy behind got milk. The fat electrician YT channel has an episode called government cheese that covers it.
looking forward to your next collaboration
you guys are cute
As a former Lighting Designer, I love that you understand how to use colors that will pop in your video.
Thank you! That means a lot because so many times I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing 😁
Forget the mics, the 90s references were amazing.
Just watching this made it abundantly clear to at least my ears and my taste. Hands down, the two champs in this VERY WELL produced review are the RE20 ( I mean seriously,...its still the best by a country mile and yet it gets very little love) and the Earthworks ETHOS (a soon to be legendary mic in its own right and especially in the condenser world). I'm soooo thankful to own the RE20 and will one day soon follow up with the ETHOS for the Condenser side. Thanks for another stellar review Tom!
I previously owned a RE320, because I have quite a "boxy" voice and most mics like the SM7B clouds my voice more. Because the RE320 was said to be brighter I went for that instead of the RE20 thinking it would just cloud my voice more. Several months later I had the need to buy another mic and this time I just thought of giving the RE20 a shot. Boy was I proven wrong about the muddiness. The RE20 just has a way of smoothing out the low end unlike anything I've ever tried and I've tried many of these 25 mics to get the sound I like. The mic is so full but clear at the same time, I just cannot explain it. In no way is the RE320 a bad mic, I really enjoyed it, but the RE20 makes me happy to listen to my own recordings, which isn't something I had with any other mic. This just showed me that you really need to test it out on your own voice and don't just jump on the popular choice (for me that was the SM7B).
@@NilankaGrrr I'm a happy RE320 user, but I also have a microphone habit/addiction. And you're making me want to try the RE20. Another mic that seems like a top candidate is the SE Dynacaster DCM8. I recently picked up the DCM3 just for kicks and I am pretty impressed.
My two faves, the LCT 440 & King Bee, held up well under scrutiny.
The brightness and clarity of this video is insane!! First time to this channel, please please send out the video and lightning gear that you guys use!!
Thank you! I have a few "studio tours" that show a lot of it: ua-cam.com/video/EPqxRz1RT-A/v-deo.html
Many thanks for producing this video! I am looking for a new mic, since I was going with the Rode NT USB mini since its release, but somehow felt the need for something new. I watched this video over and over again on different headphones and speakers (Genelec, ELAC, Sennheiser HD610s, Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, Nocs NS400A, Bose Soundlink mini, iPad, MacBook Pro & Air).
My personal conclusion: I absolutely love the look of the Rode Podmic USB, but best sound signature for your voice is: Rode NT1 > Rode NT > Sennheiser Profile. The more I tried consumer grade devices, the more I liked more boomy mics. On good speakers the PodMic adds some weird fizzling noise in the upper mids, which gets quite annoying over time. Finally I am impressed how good the Sennheiser MKH50 is catching the audio with that distance. Wow!
So.. will I now head for the best sound or design... xD #decisionstomake
I love how you guys talk a lot in between mic comparisons! It shows that what really counts isn't the microphone itself but the content you're talking about. Talking about interesting things makes you forget about the microphone itself and pay more attention to what you are saying. Nowadays, most microphones can sound pretty decent, as long as you don't mess up with clipping or distortion. The main thing is to keep the content interesting. I loved the format of this video Tom! Awesome job!
Everything is so coordinated! Your focus on aesthetics is appreciated here! You could run tutorials on how to present content!
That really means a lot to hear, thank you for all of the kind words!!
Oh wow, this came up straight after the yeti blue vid! I'll strap back in!
Great video guys! I don't want to sound like that old mic guy in the corner, but the RE20 stood out as being the most flattering on both of your voices for me while having much less room tone than the condenser mics in this test. So great having two different voices on the mics :)
My wife used to test 9v batteries by touching both leads to her tongue.
She repaired electronics back in the 80s-90s.
Oh, and now you just mentioned it!
I have watched 100+ microphone comparison videos over the years. This was by far the best one!
Thank you! Totally makes my day to hear that!
I will say the most surprising revelation from this video was how similar the Podmic USB is to the Lewitt LCT240 Pro when listening to my Apple AirPods. The LCT240 pro is one of my favorites as well, so I like that there is a similar audio profile to my my ears for a dynamic option compared to Lewitt as a condenser. Really cool.
Great video. I enjoyed the conversation even better than the mic comparisons. Lol.
The first couple of live-streaming!
28:07 SOME CDs had “bonus tracks” where either the last track had dead air for a while, then another song played on the same track, or there might even be a bunch of minimal (1 second) tracks, and the last one was a bonus track. The only one I remember is Counting Crows having a cover of Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell) as a hidden/bonus track. They were often covers.
2 weeks with my Rode PodMic USB and enjoying it!!! I started yesterday with Unify for Mac Beta, it has some bugs in the Noise Gate Threshold that in Rode Connect works great. The best sound is the 28:38 ElectroVoice RE20 it is a pro broadcast mic.
So glad you're liking your mic!
Fun fact, and I know I’m late to this, but the SM57 debuted in 1965 and the SM58 in 1966 while the RE20 was first released in 1968. So you have two mics that predate the RE20 in production time.
Oh wow I actually had no idea! I got so caught up in SM7B vs. RE20 that I totally overlooked the 57 and 58. Thanks for this tidbit!
truly a great video. i didn’t expect to be so engaged throughout the testing as i did, but i really enjoyed hearing you guys talk about whatever. my personal favorite mic of the bunch was the earthworks ethos. most broadcast style mics get a little too dark for me and as someone happens to be quite sensitive to certain lower frequencies, i find the earthworks to be quite smooth without getting too muddy or boomy.
Such a great, comprehensive, and entertaining review of all these mics. Your chemistry and humour with your lovely wife kept my focus and interest high through this long and helpful video. I use an SM7B and was happy to see it is still relevant and sounding great. I was thinking of getting the RODE NT-1 5th Gen for the USB, but hearing this, I'll stick to my SM7B for a while longer.
Thanks Simon! The SM7B is definitely a legend for a reason.
@@tombuck Thanks so much for your reply, Sir.
There aren't nearly enough mic comparisons with varied voice types, ESPECIALLY HIGHER PITCH LADY VOICES, so THANK YOU for making this video!!!
I'm glad it was helpful! Hopefully having two voices on this variety of mics gives a good range of samples.
This was a LONG video, I LOVED how you two made it so fun, Thanks Tom and Heather!
Two words... EPIC! Love you two together with gear and stories! Winning combo for sure!
Ahh thanks! It really means a lot to hear that because we had a ton of fun making this.
Fun fact, Jimmy Dean was a country singer and a talk show host before becoming a frozen processed meat mogul. The Jimmy Dean Show was where my favorite muppet made his first appearance! Rolf the dog was introduced, and often in bits where he was injured, due to Jim Henson operating Rolf on his own, while traditional controls required two. This would allow them to put the unoperated arm in a sling!
A lot of these bits are on UA-cam, it’s a fun rabbit hole to fall down.
Loved the video. Came for the comparisons, stayed for the chemistry and chatter.
What’s very clear to me is there are sooooo many mics I prefer the sound of over the PodMic USB 😆 Special shout outs to the LCT440 and especially the RE20.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Love the RE20. Good that it only took a few decades to finally add a black version! 😅 If they’d modernize the color palette, EV would likely sell more. The outcome of your review: I’ll likely add the PodMic USB to my “run & gun” setup, recording directly to the iPhone. Also, you should definitely consider more “couples” episodes. Your on-screen dynamic is great and feels very authentic. :)
Glad you enjoyed it! I saw Rode posted a video of someone using the PodMic with their phone at a beach and it sounded incredible. Definitely a great run and gun setup!
And thanks for the kind words! My wife and I do a weekly stream over on her channel @heatherjustcreate which isn't super related to the topics here but it's a ton of fun 👍
Aside from West-Coast-specific items, this whole video brought me back to my childhood in so many ways! And then you mentioned when you graduated 8th grade, and that explained EVERYTHING! I also finished 8th grade in 1999, and BTAS was the perfect animated show.
Also, as a half-Japanese, half-Filipino-American kid, that mention of food that kids would make fun of me for was so relatable.
Excellent video!
Ahh! I didn't realize we were the same age. That explains a lot 😁
Dude, natural wonders was incredible. Before I discovered the arcade, I spent hours in that store. My brother and I got so many of those rubber/soft plastic dinosaur christmas gifts as a 6/7 year old from there. Broke my heart when it left our mall. Those Lewitt's still sound incredible.
Indeed, it has been a journey. Great video, you two. It was a trip down memory lane, with a mic comparison thrown into the mix.
Glad you enjoyed it!
The Samson mics have a great quality for the price. The Lewitt mics are pretty good too. The second one adds so much presence.
Congrats on this test, it's by far the most comprehensive one on UA-cam. And your image is also top notch !
What about the HeiL PR40? Heil makes some great mics that don't break the bank.
Hello from a 78 yr old Norwegian retiree living in Thailand. I really enjoyed your warm and charming presentation! Q: I have just enrolled in a course to prepare for online podcast/tv interviews related to my recently published book - what would be one or two of your recommendations for below $150? And would there be any mic that you think would make a difference if the budget limit was raised to $300? (Secret: I also would like to do a bit of singing to background music- would there be any of the recommended that would be excellent both for speech and vocals/singing?) Would be great to hear back from you!😊
Gotta say, I almost forgot about the mics, loved the vibe of this video and the walk back thru the 90s!
So many forgotten memories! haha
Wonderful and so relaxed and spontaneous conversation, bursts of laughs, great editing and tons of patience and invested time.
So grateful you did this comparison.
The mics that sounded fantastic on both your voices will be the only ones I'll mention here:
Røde Podcaster big muffy and beefy mic sounded great!
Also the Ethos, persuaded me once more I want their SR314
Shure SM58, great but very plosivey....
RE20 of course
Lewits - yeah!
Neat souned great on Heather. It somehow emphasized Tom's already bassy voice.
VideoMic NTG was great.
Just my 2c 😅
Your 2c are worth much more. 😁
Secret tracks are a thing! I had a few indie albums that didn't start for like 20 minutes at the end but some like 5 minutes later. Listened to one of those albums semi recently on spotify and it was long pause was still there lol.
Great video! Super fun. Tons of great ideas for the video essay creators out there lol.
I've noticed a few bands have finally cut out the long pauses, but I definitely remember going into GarageBand and trimming them off before loading songs into my iPod way back when.
The video mic go 2 beats the Podmic USB to my ears. Lewitt 240 is my favorite.
Come for the content, stay for the transitions 😂 I almost spat out my coffee with the blurred PodMic USB!
They started getting absurd towards the end haha.
The Electro Voice RE20 sounded the best of all. There is no need to add a pop filter.
Little bit of a funny coincidence, we have the exact same Name and Surname. I'm from Germany though, keep the good videos up.
Oh wow, that's awesome! I booked a trip once several years ago and the travel agent had the same name too haha. Our email chain got pretty confusing pretty quickly.
Loved this video. There's are points I completely forgot I was watching a microphone comparison. I just ordered the Earthworks ETHOS can't wait to use it.
Nice! The ETHOS really is wonderful. I've been using it a lot lately with a preset I dialed in on the Rodecaster and it just sounds so so good.
@@tombuck Love your videos, very informative and honest reviews. I have just recently ordered the ETHOS my self, and can not way to give a try. I was wondering if you would be releasing a video with the presets you use on the ETHOS. Thank you for your time and hard work.
Rode Videomic NTG can be a good mic for travel and use as usb. Thank you for the great videos!
I just got my first usb/xlr mic its a tonor td510 and I genuinely love the mic while i do want the podmic usb the price kills me despite how much I trust brands like Rode and Shure
I've heard great things about the Tonor- glad you're liking it!
Hi Tom. Will you be reviewing the new Shure MV7+ - it's now got USB C! As well as other things. Thank you.
I don’t have one myself, but it seems quite awesome!
@@tombuck Just an idea for future reviews - can you check mic performance with dictation software? I ask because I had a hand injury for about a year and could not use a keyboard properly and I got interested in disability devices and software.
It seems that some excellent broadcast mics are not actually great with dictation software - MS or even the all powerful Dragon/Nuance stuff.
Anyway - just an idea! Keep up the good work.
Man i REALLY liked the Earthworks Ethos on both voices.
The looks are just an added bonus, for me at least.
There is a twofold difference in capsule size between Rode nt USB + and Rode NT1 a 5 GT, and one is 24 bit and the other is 32 bit. The price differences are also very close. Which one would you recommend for broadcasting on a computer?
Leaving a comment simply to respect the effort this took. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
It was a ton of work, but dang it was SO much fun!
I don’t have the money for it, but the Ethos basically kills the SM7B, and to be honest, the Podmic USB is the BEST USB mic out there. It has a built-in DSP (or at least I think bc you can save audio processing on the mic), it doesn’t sounds too bassy like the MV7 sometimes sounds, and it isn’t absolutely atrocious like the BEACN Mic’s capsule. We have yet to see the AT2040 USB, but I highly doubt it’s better if the XLR one is anything to go by.
They did a super nice job with the PodMic USB. Definitely a winner! But yeah, the ETHOS is super rad.
ETHOS, RE20, LC440 Pure, SM57 if you're on a budget
have you ever tried the SE Dynacaster? Would love to hear your thoughts on that mic some day
I haven't tried it yet, but it's definitely on my list!
i really just watch the whole videos, GREAT Videos, I can relate to all the things yall talking about i was born in 86, crazy thing i remember most of the 90's stuff!!
It seems like such a long time ago 🫠
Thoughts... PodMic or MV7 or Sen Profile.... I'm mainly using it for online classes, but it needs to be USB and Portable. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Nic Vid!!!! Lite Bright! hahahaha
I just realized that the Lewitt LCT 240 pro in white will suit the Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP (White) that was just released with all the improvements.
Dang, that white arm looks pretty awesome! I'm wondering if they'll do a white version of the regular Wave arm? I've never used one and would definitely love to try a white one.
@@tombuck That would be sick because the normal Wave arm is a spring boom arm like the PSA 1+ but with a shroud instead of the cloth thingy.
43:00
I remember Lunchables! My sister and I used to get the pizza ones in addition to the little sandwich cracker ones. I still see Lunchables to this day at my local Food4Less and Buy Low (now called Número Uno).
The “S” was the logo for Stussy. Thank you for the 90’s revival and the great mic comparisons! And yes there were secret tracks on some CDs……just had to wait like 3 minutes of silence and then the secret song would start. Lol
22:55 I first had Lik-M-Aid/Fun Dip from a Ben Franklin dime store, when I was about 9. Thought they were new. Found out, as an adult, that they have been around since the 1940’s.
I wish you did some comparisons where you both talked at the same time in different parts of the room to show show the cardioid pattern works. I have returned way too many microphones because me and my gf both use separate mics in the same room and we hate it when the other person's voice comes up on mic
I love this comparison video!
Pretty much any of these mics would be hard to distinguish from any of the others with a little EQ matching here and there, and keeping your face the right distance from the actual capsule (the thing that picks up sound) inside the mic. The Shure Sm7b has the capsule recessed inside its big empty schnozz, so that you CAN'T get up close with the capsule and get a big proximity effect (bass boost). That can be good for people who don't have mic skills... it keeps their tone from varying as much when they move toward or away from the mic.
But if you keep the right distance from the capsule, an SM-57 or SM-58 sounds very much like the SM-7b, for a quarter of the price, and it doesn't stick its nose into your video frame as far. (You can put a big SM7b foam windscreen on a 57 or 58, sticking way out past the capule, if you want the big schnozz effect.) If you remove and bypass the impedance-matching transformer in the handle of the 57 or 58, it sounds even more like the 7b, with similarly wimpy output that you need more preamp gain for. (There are videos on YT about that.)
I love this video so much it had been smiling and laughing, but also learning because I’m obsessed with Mic’s. Great job guys
Another great video! That Ethos sounds great. It’s the winner IMO but I understand everyone has a sound they love. Y’all should do more videos together btw
I love the ETHOS. Just finished recording a podcast with it!
The SM57 is the exact same microphone as the SM58 only without the windscreen. That's the only difference. Allegedly the windscreen has some filtering properties but the internals of the two microphones are identical.
27:54 Totally had secret tracks. Cassettes and CDs.
the Shure sm57 has been used by the WH since 1965
Is there any chance we could find out what the Rodecaster Duo settings are that you used for the Podmic USB? Thanks... great review(s)!
I was honestly just sticking with the Rodecaster’s PodMic preset 🤷🏻♂️
@@tombuckOK... I guess I misunderstood when you said that you made a Podmic preset at 53:18.
Informative, fun, great to see heather on the show again 🤗👍👍
Dude this was awesome!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Heather - you just nailed it -
“Tom Buck-Blue” this needs to be an official color. Call crayola- make it a crayon, marker, and paint color at your local hardware store! Let’s makes it happen people! 😂🤪🤣
44:07 Blue Yeti, just absolute incredible unmatched plug & play experience. i bought the ntg, but comparing them here i already regret it. daaaaaamn. also, Deity V-Mic D4 isn't really fair, it records much more quiet than the rode videomics, so it is 100% processed, at least normalized in volume
I learned about the Macarena on The Morning Show I believe that was NBC or CBS but I also didn't repeat the dance moves.
I was literally saying the whole time I hope Heather mentions Pogs 🤣🤣🤣 and that Simpsons Pog clip lives in my head rent free 🤣 great feel good video. Quite literally you two are the DYNAMIC duo.
I'm so glad that clip worked its way in here 😁
Hi Tom! Thanks for the video! Any chance you heard, tried or tested the Austrian Audio OC16 beside these mics? I wonder how it compares to the Lewitts!
Love the Electro voice RE20 don´t know why not to many streamers use this mic insted of the shure sm7b
It's such a great choice!
38:00 I'm watching to hear about the microphones but find myself wondering what version of the world did she grow up in where MTV didn't exist well before Macarena became a thing, where broadcast TV stations didn't have programs where they played videos of chart topping music, and things like that.
you gave Neewer a bad time there , Have you tried the Neewer CM20 ? , its very good & 50 bucks
Cute!!! Looks like a perfect match 😀. And of course... great infos about the mics...
Darn, now I want the Ethos and I haven”t even started podcasting yet…(will probsbly get the Procaster first…)
It's such an awesome mic! But so is the Procaster 👍
If you had to pick one usb mic and theres gonna be a keyboard semi close to it what would u pick?
Nice review. What's your opinion on Saramonic SR-MV7000?
I haven't used that one!
Impressing! But I would like to hear the Neumann KM 184 for voice over.
I really have been wanting for this Video! Nice job 👍 thanks at both of you. I thing I going to spend those 240€ at the PodMic usb 😁
Want a real chuckle have a look at that Jimmy Dean commercial and picture Matthew McConaughey. You're welcome.
....and Michigan J Frog was a Warner character from the 1930s.
Okay, I will admit that the PodMicUSB sounds better than the PodMic - I really hate the sound of the PodMic. But the PMUSB is an improvement. Will it displace my RE20? Unlikely, but I enjoyed the comparison video! Too bad you had to return the CMIT...
Hi Tom, thanks for the overwhelming info. What mic (or type) can you recommend for a sit-down monolog with the mic next to the face not to close like 15cm distance (not so obstrusive like the Rode NT-1 5th Gen) the Blue Sona, ETHOS or or do you have any other suggestions of mics that sound great at 15cm distance? To my understanding, the sm7b needs to be closer. Also considering usb mics. Your expertise would be appreciated.
all of these mics sounds amazing but I'm surprised that you have never owned Shure sm58 until this video I think that needs it own video on how it stacks up against the sure mic you own
I've borrowed one in the past for some videos, but I've never owned my own! Glad to finally have one.
I don't see anyone commenting about the "Got Milk" campaign...my grandparents were dairy farmers. Historically, dairy farmers were paid based on milk quality and fat content. Then in the 80s low-fat diets and the marketing of non-dairy replacements for milk, cheese, butter, and all happened. Milk and dairy became unhealthy and "bad". Between the switch from everyone drinking whole milk to 2% and skim and a new demand for low-fat milk dairy farmers started losing money and had to even change breeds of cows. The same thing happened to eggs which led to "The incredible edible egg" campaign.
Intersting! I do remember the "Incredible Edible Egg" ads.
On a related note, I was watching a hockey game last night and saw that the Toronto Maple Leafs' main sponsor on their jerseys is just "milk" 🤷🏻♂️
Hey Tom, how do you feel the RE20 deals with sibilance? I’m looking between that and the SM57 for VO.
It's definitely a more sibilant mic than just about any of the Shures, but of course it's still incredible too.
Hol up tom, I need to know how you mounted your mics, please!
47:56 only graduation I ever had was high school. 😮
How did you get the colored cushions for the Rode Headphones?
We learned how to draw those S's back in the late 70's to early 80's because the rock band KISS had those S's back then....
Are you coming back to review of Streamer X? I already have it, but I would like to see your review either way :)
Truly a great video that is Tom, the two you are just... fun to watch... and even more so after hearing the little... let's call it 'file issue' you had 👍
Oh yes...that experience 🫠
Does the pod mic have 32 bit? Just ordered mine
It has "gain assist" but not 32 bit...which is weird. I'm hoping it's added in a firmware update.
Kinda miss the test between podmic usb and the xdm 100, I want to know which one is better value tbh
Legendary review, thanks
4:36 We have just learnt that the mute switch is pretty useless, as it makes a nasty noise.
Dang, I'd have loved a comparison with the budget PD400x
no Behringer XM8500. that was my first xlr before i got sm7b. that cheap mic is great
The podmic sounds ok until you hear some others, the Go 2 sounded really good, I don’t use it like that but might have to now
It wasn't so much of a secret track than most the ones I encountered were more like we didn't hit stop on the recording for about 30 minutes. You throw a disc into the computer and be like yeah that song 30 minutes long I wonder what's at the end.