There is no need to break the budget to get great sound for your home studio. We will share our best budget microphone for home studio recommendations to get you sounding great on a budget.
Let’s start by listing them out in no particular order so we can dive into some of the features and advantages each brings to the studio. There really are no losing options on this one. These are all fantastic microphones that deliver quality on a budget.
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Blue Yeti USB
The Blue Yeti is a great microphone for home studio. It has four different pattern settings, so you can choose the best one to suit your needs and get crystal clear sound quality with no background noise or echo effects in recordings! This mic also comes at an affordable price point of around $129 on Amazon. USB makes it an easy connection and it supports Windows and Mac OS out of the box. No additional software or hardware needed.
The Blue Yeti definitely fits in the best budget microphone for home studio because of the versatility and price point. You will prefer it at home rather than as a travel microphone for sure once you feel the weight. Keep that in mind if you plan to use a spring boom arm on your desk. The Yeti weighs in well above all the comparables so you need a strong
Audio Technical AT2020 XLR or USB
The Audio Technica AT2020 is another great option for a budget microphone, coming in at $99 on Amazon Prime (free shipping). This mic has two different pattern settings and also supports Windows/Mac OS out of the box with no additional software or hardware needed! It’s perfect if you’re looking to save some money without sacrificing quality.
Audio Technica gear is always a top pick even among audiophiles and studio aficionados because there are lots of solid options across the various product lines. The AT2020 does need a USB interface which may shift you towards the USB version which is the AT2020 USB.
The AT2020 USB is a great option if you’re looking for the best budget microphone that also has an integrated preamp. This mic will require no additional software or hardware to work on Windows/Mac OS and can be plugged directly into your computer via its included cable! It’s perfect as it includes everything needed in one package.
You’ll be pretty pleased with the quality and the price as it lines up with the AT2020 for price without anything else needed to be rocking the mic right out of the box.
Shure SM57
Shure also has some good options which are a bit more expensive because they are aimed at some more wide ranged uses and thus carry a mildly higher price tag.
The Shure SM57 is the best budget microphone for home studio if you’re looking to save some money and don’t need anything fancy or complicated, just something that works well! It’s been around forever so it has had plenty of time in development which means its quality will be pretty good and even does great for recording instruments as well.
The Shure SM57 has been used by professionals for decades and is the go-to microphone of many. The Shure SM57 has a cardioid pickup pattern which means it will give you the tightness of a clean vocal sound and won’t pick up any of the background noise. It also has a wide frequency response which means you’ll be able to hear all your vocals and instruments very clearly and cleanly.
Shure SM58
The Shure SM58 is a bit more expensive but it’s also the best microphone for vocals. It has an excellent frequency response and does well in most situations, especially live performances where you need to be heard over instruments or other people talking! A little more road-ready, the Shure SM58 definitely knows how to take a beating but also puts you in the camp of needing an XLR to USB interface.
The Shure SM58 is a classic, and for good reason. It’s been the go-to mic of many musicians since it was released in 1965 (and that includes The Beatles). This microphone has an excellent frequency response range from 50 to 15000 Hz with minimal noise pickup on your recordings – making this one heckuva workhorse microphone with a lot of history.
Rode NT-USB Mini
Rode also comes in as a top brand on the list of best budget microphone for home studio for a couple of different models. The Rode NT-USB Mini is a great option for those who are looking to record instruments and vocals. Don’t let the size fool you. It has an excellent frequency response, low noise floor with high sensitivity so you can get the best quality recordings possible in any situation!
Built with a nice look and directional body, the Rode NT-USB mini comes up as one of the best budget microphone for home studio because it can pick up a wide range with more gain or also give a crisp and deep broadcast quality once you get used to positioning. USB makes it a real winner for the studio and even when you need to take your recording on the road. Get it? Rode on the road 🙂
Rode Podcaster
The other top pick from this brand would be their classic model: The Rode Podcaster USB Microphone which gives you the power of a solid broadcast quality sound and a built-in pop filter. That one can be a deal breaker (or a deal maker) because you can be a bit more free with closing in on the mic without picking up pops and those awful mouth noises that other mics let through.
Rode microphones like the Rode Podcaster are a great option for both look and sound. Hey, sometimes it’s as important how it shows up in the photo shoot!
AKG P220
We would be remiss if we skipped the AKG product line. The AKG P220 is a favorite for many, with its ability to pick up the nuances of your voice and give you that rich sound. It’s also one heckuva looker! The only downside? You’ll need an XLR cable if it doesn’t come in kit form (which some do). But this mic will fit both the budget and the quality expectation you have for solid home recording.
AKG used to have a USB alternative with the P220 USB, but it’s not as popular compared to its XLR equivalent. That said, we really dig the AKG gear and found the P220 quality to be a great and having the XLR interface is something you just have to weigh out.
Ranking the Microphones
It’s never easy to rank your favorites but we had to make sure to put in our order we prefer these particular microphones. When in comes to the best budget microphone for home studio, here are our rankings by quality and versatility:
We didn’t mean to leave the awesomeness of the Shure brand down at the bottom but more and more people are doing straight to USB connections. Great for easy connections and it leaves the budget-conscious folks happy with no extra hardware required.
While the Blue Yeti is also a super popular microphone for many new podcasters, we didn’t find it as versatile or as clean sounding. Great mic for the price but we leaned towards the Rode as our top pic.
All of these microphones make great additions when it comes to the best budget microphone for home studios so you really can’t go wrong with any of them when it all comes down to the pairing of quality and price together.
Keep an eye for other great articles where we dive into the XLR microphones more and also lots of more goodies when it comes to the best USB interfaces for simple home recording and much more.
Let us know what you think in the comments. Happy recording!