Looking for a USB microphone

darleysam

Right, I'm in the market for a USB microphone to record my voice for a thing, and I would like some advice to make sure I don't buy a sophisticated lemon instead. The challenges are that I don't have a lot of money to blow on this, and I live in the UK which seems to mean that all prices are completely mis-aligned to US versions. I'm looking to spend at most £50, and the searches that I've done have returned a bunch that come in under $50, but are upwards of £70/£80 when I look for them over here, which is just wrong. I don't have an interface or pre-amp or anything, so I suppose those would also have to factor in to the budget if any mics required stuff like that.
Thank-you in advance!

edit: I suppose at the moment, I'm considering either something like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006DIA77E/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3RPM4RP1EBXVL&coliid=IUSNRDJTZGV4T

or this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samson-Mic-Clip-USB-Microphone/dp/B001R76D42/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

edit 2:
a new contender enters the ring, even though it's fractionally over my upper limit:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000PTF0E2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3RPM4RP1EBXVL&coliid=IEOSPSN2XHLLS

dlinfiniti

blue snowball

Donovan Puppyfucker

Is there a reason why something like this won't suffice: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IVA7VE4/

Or if you want something a bit more solid: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000ULQTE0/

darleysam

Realise I forgot to specify what it's for, sorry. I'm voicing a character in a podcast/radio play thing for a guy on here, so I'm looking to make my audio as clean as possible.

Donovan Puppyfucker

Option 2, then. It's a proper dynamic microphone in a stand.

hsu

I have a Samson Q1U that I bought for ventrillo. I brought it into the office for skype conference calls, and coworkers liked it so much (particularly remote coworkers) that we outfiitted all the conference rooms with Samson C01U or C03U mics. So obviously, I only have good things to say about Samson USB mics.

Local H Jay

I know this sounds silly buy I use a Rock Band USB mic and it works great.

zerzhul

Local H Jay wrote: »

I know this sounds silly buy I use a Rock Band USB mic and it works great.

I've heard of other people having awesome luck with the rock band usb mic. In fact one of the folks on the podcast I'm on uses one and sounds great.

Nappuccino

If you pick up just a small mic like the Rockband one, you may want to invest in a popscreen. (You can either buy one or make your own.)

PedroAsani

I went with the Rode Podcaster. It is more expensive, but it stopped me sounding like crap on the podcast.

darleysam

Hah, I'd completely forgotten about the Rockband mic. I might see if I can find mine, should be around somewhere. That'd be really handy.

edit: might have a popshield around somewhere unless my brother's nicked it, but I knocked one up before with a coathanger and a pair of tights, so I should be able to do something similar again if necessary. Thanks chaps!