The Best USB Microphones

It suits a later move to an interface. It shares a USB-C and XLR connection with the PodMic USB; the Blue Yeti goes with a USB connection. Like the PodMic USB, it has a dynamic capsule, while the AT2020USB-X uses a condenser capsule.

No other pick in this guide offers a touch panel mute control; compare the AT2020USB-X, which has a capacitive touch mute control. It works over USB now and can move to an XLR interface later; an XLR cable may not be included. Only the PodMic USB came close to it on price at the time of writing; it cost the most of the 6 picks.

It connects over USB-C. Like the AT2020USB-X, it has a USB-C connection, while the PodMic USB uses a USB-C and XLR connection. It shares a condenser capsule with the AT2020USB-X and QuadCast 2 S; the PodMic USB goes with a dynamic capsule.

A capacitive mute control is unique to it among these picks, while the Blue Yeti uses a button mute control. It also comes with Clipguard 2.0 anti-distortion and onboard DSP. It plugs straight into a USB port and needs no interface. On price it sat second of 6, between the cheaper Blue Yeti and the pricier QuadCast 2 S, at the time of writing.

Blue VO!CE processing runs in G HUB. Its three-capsule array supports cardioid, omni, bidirectional and stereo patterns, and zero-latency monitoring runs through its headphone jack. It shares a USB connection with the QuadCast 2 S; the PodMic USB goes with a USB-C and XLR connection.

It is the only pick here with a condenser (three capsules); the QuadCast 2 S has a condenser capsule instead. It is the only pick here with a button mute control; the MV7+ has a touch panel mute control instead. It plugs straight into a USB port and needs no interface. No other pick here cost less at our last price check, and the Wave:3 MK.2 was closest.

Mute is a capacitive touch pad. Like the Wave:3 MK.2, it has a USB-C connection, while the MV7+ uses a USB-C and XLR connection. It shares a condenser capsule with the Wave:3 MK.2 and QuadCast 2 S; the PodMic USB goes with a dynamic capsule.

You get a capacitive touch mute control here, which sets it apart from the QuadCast 2 S and its a tap mute control. It plugs straight into a USB port and needs no interface. Before buying, weigh one limit: costs more than the Blue Yeti at the time of writing. Its price falls between the QuadCast 2 S and the PodMic USB, based on our last check.

A headphone jack handles monitoring. It has both XLR and USB-C outputs, so it can move from a laptop to an interface later. Over USB, onboard APHEX processing adds compression, and zero-latency monitoring runs through its headphone jack.

Like the MV7+, it has a USB-C and XLR connection, while the Wave:3 MK.2 uses a USB-C connection. It shares a dynamic capsule with the MV7+; the Blue Yeti goes with a condenser (three capsules). You get a swing mount in the box here, which sets it apart from the MV7+ and its a yoke in the box.

It works over USB now and can move to an XLR interface later; an XLR cable may not be included. Its price falls between the AT2020USB-X and the MV7+, based on our last check.

It offers four polar patterns. Over 100 addressable RGB LEDs can match stream colours, and a tap-to-mute sensor sits on top. It connects over USB.

Like the Blue Yeti, it has a USB connection, while the AT2020USB-X uses a USB-C connection. It shares a condenser capsule with the Wave:3 MK.2 and AT2020USB-X; the MV7+ goes with a dynamic capsule. No other pick in this guide offers a multi-pattern (4); compare the AT2020USB-X, which has a cardioid polar pattern.

It plugs straight into a USB port and needs no interface. On price it sat third of 6, between the cheaper Wave:3 MK.2 and the pricier AT2020USB-X, at the time of writing.