A microphone is a piece of equipment needed to create a high-quality recording. With the advancement in technology, there is a wide range of mics available in the market which usually differ in feel, sounds, sizes, overall personality, shapes, and most notably in price. Fortunately, you do not need to pay a premium to get a quality mic, which will guarantee the subsequent recording is of acceptable quality.
There are several entry-level microphones in the market that offer you a liberating yet cost you less than $200. Additionally, these models deliver remarkable features as well as strong performance. Therefore, in this article, we are going to take you through the best condenser mic under 200 USD in the market.
Read also: Best Mixing console for Recording Studio & MXL 770 Review: Best Cardioid Condenser Microphone
Top 5 Best Condenser Mic Under 200 Dollar
We have researched almost 12 hours to find the best quality condenser microphone under $200. We have also tried to discuss everything of these condenser recording studio microphones which helps you to choose the best one within your budget.
Audio-Technica AT2020USB PLUS Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone Under $200
Audio-Technica Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone
This condenser mic comes integrated with a USB output which aims to capture any acoustic audio source or music digitally making use of your preferred recording software. Subsequently, it delivers the award-winning and critically acclaimed sound it is famed for with its intelligibility and studio-quality articulation. This makes it ideal for podcasters, songwriters, home studio recorders, field recorders, and voiceover artists. Additionally, it provides you with mix control, which pre-records audio and blends the microphone. Thus, with the incredible manufacturing methods and art design, this condenser mic offers you reliability and consistency, something which the company is famed.
Features:
- This condenser mic is USB compatible, thus allowing you to carry out digital recording with ease seamlessly.
- The headphone jack has a volume control, thereby enabling you to monitor all the mic signals without any delay.
- This condenser mic features a smooth and extended frequency response, thus using it for voiceover, field recording, home studio recording, and podcasting is perfect.
- Integrated into this mic is a top-rate A/D converter that has a 16 bit, 44.1/48 kHz sampling rate.
- Incorporated into the design of this condenser mic is a tripod desk stand that has foldable legs for easy and secure portable tabletop use.
- It comes with other accessories such as a soft protective pouch, 5/8” – 27 to 3/8” – 16 threaded adapters, a USB cable, a tripod stand, and 5/8” – 27 threaded stands.
Advantages:
- This mic is considered among the best condenser mic under 200 USD as it is made from quality materials, thereby assuring you it will remain functional for an extended duration.
- You are provided with additional accessories such as the tripod desk stand and soft protective pouch, thereby providing you with incredible value.
- With this condenser mic, you get reasonably unbelievable performance as well as numerous features all at an affordable price, thus offering you with significant value.
- The sound quality produced by this mic is excellent, further proving why this product is considered to be among the best condenser mic under 200 USD.
- The build quality is superb, so is its design, so if you are looking for a unique condenser mic, look no further.
Disadvantages:
- The sound quality of this condenser mic is not the best in comparison to its competitors within the same price range.
MXL V67i Large dual-diaphragm Condenser Microphone Under $200
MXL Condenser Mic under 200 USD
It is a tube-amplified dual-capsule meant for professionals looking for an excellent versatility while recording. Moreover, the sound profile is where the versatility of this mic stems from rather than incorporating the polar patterns or additional features. It comes in a distinctive and unique design that has two selectable diaphragms, showing why it is a combination of modern-day and old school technology. With this condenser mic, you get to benefit from today’s leading-edge microphone technologies as well as the sound pleasures of its classic vacuum tube. This condenser mic also makes use of an autonomous selectable microphone capsule system which produces two different sounds from the same mic, that is, bright or warm. Likewise, there is a LED display showing your selected capsule.
Features:
- Integrated into this condenser mic is a polar pattern fixed to the cardioid as well as a 150Hz high-pass filter switch.
- This mic has a 12AT7 dual-triode tube that plays a huge role in the delivery of vintage tone. Additionally, its frequency response range scales between 30Hz to 20kHz, and a maximum SPL of 140dB, which increases further to 150dB once you add the -10dB attenuation switch.
- It comes with a robust aluminum case, a windscreen, a shock mount, a power supply among several other items.
- This condenser mic incorporates two capsules that have a diameter of 1.23” and each houses a 0.98” diaphragm. Usually, this consists of an eight and 6-micron gold-sputtered design that has a switch allowing you to switch between the two.
- The 6-micron diaphragm provides you with a brighter sound, whereas the 8-micron diaphragm delivers more warmth.
- It comes in the unique gold and green design as well as with a wooden case plus a mic clip.
- Featured in this condenser mic is a solid-state preamp with a delivers a stable performance output.
Advantages:
- This mic performs impeccably; therefore, guaranteeing you the sound quality is always outstanding.
- The distinctive design of this mic is very appealing, thereby making it undoubtedly one of the best condenser mics under 200 USD.
- With this condenser mic, you get tremendous value because as it is affordable while still delivering exceptional performance and integrating a great design.
- It is ideal for both intermediate and beginner home studio, thus making it very practical and useful.
- Whereas the design is excellent, the build quality is also exceptional, further proving why this is considered to be among the best condenser mics under $200.
Disadvantages:
- The mic tends to be faulty on arrival, therefore, raising questions on the company’s quality control system.
Blue Snowball iCE Condenser Mic Under 200 USD
Blue Snowball iCE Condenser Microphone
With this top-rate condenser microphone, you get the audio quality which is much better in comparison to that produced by your computer’s in-built mic. Consequently, it easier for you to get sounds of high-quality for your voice as well as computer-based audio recordings. With this mic, all the audio for recording, creating, and communication is crystal-clear. Additionally, this mic is accredited by Skype; hence, it guarantees you superb results plus features a USB cable and an adjustable desktop mic stand. Lastly, it automatically works together with your PC or Mac without needing any drivers. Therefore, with this mic, you can get sound of exceptional quality regardless of where you are, be it at the office, at home, or anywhere else.
Features:
- This equipment is a USB 2.0 gadget, meaning it is USB 3.0 compatible according to the backward compatibility specification.
- This condenser mic has a frequency response rate ranging between 40 to 18 kHz, and thanks to this, the subsequent audio recordings are always crystal clear.
- With this mic, you get a custom condenser capsule meant for Face Time, Message as well as Skype while still ensuring the audio quality is top-notch.
- This condenser mic easily plugs to your PC or Mac and then plays directly without necessitating the installation of any drivers.
- You can create podcasts, add narration as well as record vocals to your movies.
Advantages:
- The sound quality of this condenser mic is incredible both for the professional and amateur alike, hence why it often is considered to be among the best condenser mics under 200 USD.
- Setting up this condenser mic is straightforward as all you need to do is plugging it into the USB port and it automatically is shown as a USB microphone.
- This microphone is ideal for gaming because it effectively records the sound, thereby doing away with you needing to shout for others to hear what you are saying.
- With this mic, all the background noise is blocked out without the need for editing, and this is proof of how reliable this device is especially if you are working in a noisy environment like out on the streets.
- You get tremendous value with this microphone as it priced reasonably while still producing incredible sound quality, making it among the best condenser mics under 200.
Disadvantages:
- It does not work well with the Windows 10 OS compared to the previous Windows OS systems. Likewise, this issue is not fixed even after fixing the drivers.
- The USB connector on the rear of this mic eventually spoils as it loosens gradually as time passes.
Rode NT-USB Versatile Studio-Quality USB Cardioid Condenser Mic Under 200 USD
Rode NT-USB Condenser Mic under 200
It is a very versatile condenser mic which is perfect for spoken applications including voice over and podcasting as well as for recording musical and singing performances. This microphone is fully compatible with every mainstream recording application found on Mac OS and Windows-based computers, plus the Garage Band, Apple iPad via the RODE Rec, and all other applications which accept an external mic. Furthermore, it incorporates a zero-latency stereo headphone monitoring jack (3.5mm) that enables you to monitor your mic’s input in real-time, and dials to mix and monitor between the iPad or computer audio and the mic input.
Features:
- It features a studio mic of exceptional quality that incorporates the convenience that comes with USB connectivity.
- This mic condenser comes together with a ring mount, pop shield, storage pouch, tripod desk stand as well as a USB cable that is 20” long.
- Incorporated into the design of this microphone is a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack which helps in the monitoring of zero-latency.
- Also, the frequency range of this device is between 20Hz to 20kHz as well as a capsule of 0.50”.
- Integrated into this condenser mic is active electronics, that is, a JFET impedance converter that has an A/D converter 16bit 48kHz and a bipolar output buffer.
- With this microphone, you get a direct mix between the source output and the mic input.
Advantages:
- The build quality of the condenser mic is outstanding; thereby; it assures you this device will be useful for a prolonged duration while still being productive.
- Its sound quality is excellent and is comparable to the more expensive brands, thereby offering you an exceptional value, subsequently making among the best condenser mics under $200.
- Using this microphone, you have an easy time setting it up as well as using it since it is a plug and play system. This makes it ideal if you are a beginner.
- This mic has a pop filter, which eliminates nearly every background noise, so the recorded sound is crystal clear.
Disadvantages:
- This condenser mic has a fragile and cheap plastic holding together large metal parts which subsequently get damage reasonably fast.
Marantz Professional MPM-2000UUSB Condenser Microphone Under $200:
Marantz Professional Condenser Microphone
This condenser microphone is the perfect device if you have essential recording tasks as it keeps your production focused with its accuracy cardioid polar pattern for the accurate capture. It does this by ensuring marginal interference from any undesirable ambient noise. Additionally, the cardioid polar design prevents unwanted feedback as well as preserves isolation, with this necessary when recording lives performances where sounds arrive from numerous directions.
Features:
- This microphone comes together with everything you need for capturing audio perfectly, that is a USB cable, an onboard interface, a carry case as well as a custom shock mount.
- This mic features low signal-to-noise ration and high sensitivity, thus promising to capture every sound produced by the origin of your audio.
- The wide and smooth frequency response range of this condenser mic is between 20Hz to 18kHz, thus promising to capture the whole audible spectrum.
- Incorporated into this microphone is a pure aluminum-coated 16mm diaphragm condenser capsule as well as a directional cardioid polar pattern.
- It features a studio-grade condenser mic which delivers an exceptional performance which ensures the subsequent audio is crystal clear. Therefore, this device is ideal for podcasting, Twitch, DAW recording, and much more.
- This mic comes features a custom shock mount which offers you the added assurance that you do not capture in your recordings any undesirable artifacts.
- It features a studio-grade A/D conversion usually at 16-bit/ 48kHz for every recording resolution with an uncompromised frequency response and dynamic range. Combine this with a signal-to-noise ratio of 78dB and low self-noise of 16dBA, the subsequent audio is of pristine quality.
Advantages:
- With this microphone, you get tremendous value due to its exceptional performance while still being available at a reasonable price.
- The build quality of this gadget is excellent; thus, it guarantees you to remain functional for an extended period. This shows why it often is considered among the best condenser mics under $200.
- The sound quality of this mic is superb, often outdoing most of the similarly priced gadgets and occasionally matching the performance of costlier models.
- Thanks to the pop filter, this mic allows you to get audio that is of crystal clear quality.
- Setting up this microphone is straightforward, thereby making it ideal for experts and amateurs alike.
Disadvantages:
- The company’s customer service is not terrible and unreliable.
Conclusion
Having gone through this article, you now know of the best condenser mic under 200 USD. Likewise, you have an idea of what to expect from each of the discussed models, and this will help you in making you make an informed decision which of them suits your preference. You subsequently will not be disappointed by the excellent and superb sound quality.
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