Best USB Microphone For Voice Over

Recording voiceovers is a serious career and passion for many, but without the proper microphone to capture the quality needed we’re essentially at a wash.

You can choose either a stand power supply or what we love is either a microphone preamp or an audio interface. The benefits of these are unmatched and you simply do not get these with USB mics (you can’t hook up USB mics to audio interfaces or preamps) — you can adjust gain, add FX, and tweak your sound even further instead of relying on post-production in your music software. Computer USB mics are still feasible, especially for those on a lower budget.

Our Top 3 Picks For Best USB Microphone For Voice-Over

Blue Yeti Pro

USB Microphone For Voice-Over

The Yeti is now one of the most legendary USB microphones in the game and will be for quite some time in our opinion, but the ‘Pro’ version here is recommended for voice-overs since it offers both USB as well as XLR connectivity and has some of the highest audio quality in a USB mic right now.

The reason we recommend XLR to many voice-over recording artists is due to the flexibility we attain since we can plug it into either an external preamp or audio interface.

Having an extra ‘middleman like this can give us more freedom for tweaking the sound quality we attain, whether it’s adding FX, gain, additional EQ, or a ‘feel’ and ‘sound’ that isn’t attainable straight into a computer using a USB port.

In regards to specs, the Yeti Pro gives us a beautiful and whopping 24-bit/192 kHz audio resolution, a built-in A-D converter (essentially a preamp) if you do indeed want the USB route, as well as four adjustable pattern settings available — cardioid (recommended for voice overs in a studio), omnidirectional, stereo, and bi-directional. These can come in handy if you want to use this microphone for other uses as well.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Super-versatile.
• Works great in both digital and analog modes.
• The sound quality is top-notch with rich and warm sounds.

Cons

• Takes a bit of time to set up.
• It is quite large.

Check it out on Amazon

Rode NT1A

Versatile USB Microphone For Voice-Over

The Rode NT1A is one of the best microphones for voice, it is an affordable studio-quality condenser microphone for voiceovers or any type of recording you can think of when it comes to a warm and clear sound.

This one typically comes in a microphone package that includes a pop filter and shock mount, so if you need extra gear this will be a decent bundle to buy. With an extended dynamic range and high sound-pressure level tolerance, you won’t have to worry about a lack of depth and ability to handle the possibility of distortion.

One thing that makes this a great microphone is its ability to be versatile. This microphone can be used on instruments as well as a range of different singers. The reason is because overall presence boosts are not dramatic in this microphone. You can shape the sound using a bit of EQ, which will really make a difference when you are recording different sources.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Offers an incredible dynamic range
• Versatile
• Clean Studio Recordings/Excellent Sound Quality

Cons

• Heavy
• Needs a good preamp/audio interface

Check it out on Amazon

Neumann TLM103

Attractive Design USB Microphone For Voice-Over

Let’s talk high-end for a second. Neumann is a fancy brand but has unmatched quality if your budget goes into the thousands — not many of you may apply here but for some, this one takes the cake by far as a professional and beautiful microphone for voice-overs.

Usually used for vocals in the studio, if you have this bad boy at your fingertips for voiceovers, you’ll never have to worry about “quality” ever again. This is a lot smaller than many other “studio mics” but size with music and recording gear is never an indicator for anything. If anything it says this thing packs a powerful and advanced punch within a small body.

So what makes this voice microphone so much more expensive than the others? Without getting too technical, it’s all in the internal build (and external of course, considering we have a rugged casing made of metal with a nickel finish).

The circuitry doesn’t include a transformer which aids in decreasing self-noise and increasing the SPL handling significantly. We could get into more details but for now, just know the Neumann TLM-103 is the real deal as the best voice-over microphone if you have a big budget.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Virtually identical in character to the classic U87.
• Attractively priced.
• Distinctive looks.

Cons

• Should have been supplied with an elastic suspension
• Expensive

Check it out on Amazon

Conclusion

Budget – An obvious main factor when keeping in mind any purchase, we do want to first note that when choosing the best voice over the microphone for you, money will go a long way.

Especially if you’re doing this as a career or at least a potential lifelong journey, saving up a few extra bucks to find a microphone that provides a feasible sound quality will stand you apart from others.

Type of microphone – We recommend a condenser microphone no matter what, no questions asked. It can be either USB connectivity or hooked up traditionally using an XLR port and cable. USB mics are great for plug-n-play and ease of use, and many come with amazing sound quality. XLR connection gives you the ability to find a middle man since they need an external device for phantom power.

In my opinion, Neumann TLM-103 is the best cardioid microphone available at its price. It requires little post-processing and you’re gettingthe professional record-quality sound right out of the box. Because of its extremely low-self noise and distortion, it’s a very accurate microphone that sounds great in just about any mix situation.

You simply get the sound quality you paid for with the TLM 103. If you haven’t yet treated your room, or haven’t first addressed other priorities, like a quality audio interface, we recommend you take care of those things before reaching for this microphone.

However, if you’re looking for a high-quality cardioid microphone to record vocals and leads, to be the staple of your recording studio, you can’t go wrong with this microphone. I sum up this review by highly recommending the Neumann TLM 103. To see other products, visit Amazon.com