
The baseline range for a decent mic is 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz - the limits of human hearing. Inline monitoring lets you hear exactly how you sound, so you don't end up accidentally shouting to be heard over background noise that's only on your end.įrequency Response Range: This is an important spec that tells you the lowest- and highest-pitched sounds the microphone membrane is capable of picking up. Inline Monitoring: Many gaming microphones offer inline monitoring via a built-in headphone jack, which lets you hear the raw audio, lag-free, directly from the mic.

When used properly, studio mics offer higher quality and more versatile recordings, but don't have an ADC, a built-in digital-to-analog converter (DAC), or built-in noise suppression. The other option is an XLR-based studio mic, which requires an audio interface. USB Mic or XLR Mic: USB-based gaming mics are not the only option for the streamer, competitive gamer, or home recording enthusiast who happens to play some Fortnite on the side. This isn't the best polar pattern for a gaming mic, though it can be used to record multiple voices in close proximity, if you're in a pinch.

Omnidirectional: The opposite of cardioid - this polar pattern picks up sound from all directions, and is best for capturing room noise and ambient sounds such as reverb from a loud instrument.

This is better for recording two voices simultaneously, though it's always better to use separate mics to record multiple voices, if possible. Bidirectional: Has two fields of polarity - one on either side of the mic.
