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Comment by ruph123 | Hacker News Reader

A cheap and usable condenser mic costs 30 bucks (e.g. Fifine), a lavalier mic costs between 2 bucks on aliexpress and 50 for e.g. from Rode. (I found that the ultra cheap aliexpress are the exact same like the no-brand 10 bucks on amazon, like so many things)

I got both but mostly use the condenser mic and it is an absolute game changer. If you want to explain something it is so noticeable in the eyes of your conference participants how good they can hear you. And it makes a huge difference if you finally feel like what you are saying is not painful for others to endure.

Check out this very lovely video series on how to pimp up your conferencing setup. Especially this episode about mics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKOx4hZKmOs

Edit: And this is the mic I can recommend using on Linux:

https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-FIFINE-Computers-Podcastin...

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The manufacturer provides free shipping for those looking to avoid Amazon: https://fifinemicrophone.com/collections/microphones/product...

I've been using the kit with the arm for about a year now. I bought it just for meetings as I don't stream games or do podcasts. The kit itself is freaking amazing. Almost all parts are made from smooth-non-gloss metal and the audio quality is amazing. People from the office commented on it when I switched over since the mic on the macbook makes my voice sound like I'm talking from a tin can and the voice was very nasal-like (+ the obvious echo issues). Now I sound like myself and I would dare say, more manly. Deeper sound etc. I recommend the kit to everyone I can. It is the best "cheap" kit you will find and won't need to spend thousands. The mic itself has a small volume knob that that I set to about 10% to 15%. I can have my washing machine run in the background and nobody can hear it. It uses 1x usb port and work on Windows/Mac/Linux - I'm currently using on a MacBook Air that runs Fedora 33 (mic volume knob at ~15% and PulseAudio mic volume 85%). Gaming headsets are all basically garbage, don't bother with them. Other than that, I use a Samson SR850. It's a cheap studio headset that is decent quality - I bought it because the Roland model I wanted was out of stock.

I have no affiliation with the company(s).

https://fifinemicrophone.com/collections/microphones/product...

That is awesome, I def. also will get the arm (and esp. the shock mount). Do you have the mic close to your mouth "podcaster style" for optimal results or rather away and out of frame? I still struggle with that. I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard and it seems a bit restrictive having it hang between keyboard and screen. Having it next to my keyboard is already a huge quality improvement so I keep it there.

I am also not afiliated in any way with Fifine but I was really impressed by the build quality of the mic.

I am also on Fedora and on the journey of improving audio I also have been playing around with Pulseeffects. Playing around with gate, compressor and limiter, etc. can certainly improve even more (and cut off some noise, etc.) but I am still figuring things out:

https://fedoramagazine.org/tune-up-your-sound-with-pulseeffe...

So you can keep it further away from your face, but then you have to up the volume knob on the mic itself. But that makes it a bit more sensitive to other noises (like breathing, typing on keyboard etc).

The kit also comes with a little tri-pod to mount the mic. So instead of having the mic hang in front of you face/camera, you can put it between your hands in front of you, the same way you can put a cup of coffee between your hands/arms while typing. Then just speak downwards toward the mic instead of stretching your neck towards the mic on the arm and looking like a podcaster/streamer.

You also don't really need the extra pop filter in the kit - the mic sock works fine enough on its own.

Then I'd recommend using a recording app (pulsecaster on fedora) and record yourself! Listen to what the mic does to your voice at different volumes (always leave the pulseaudio volume at 85%, use the knob on the mic).

If you want to loop you own voice back through your headphones (and typing noises), run the following command:

pacmd load-module module-loopback latency_msec=5

and to unload it: pacmd unload-module module-loopback

Sometimes I would just sit alone (not in a meeting), without any music and just listen to my typing while I code (looping the mic back into the headphones). Feels like you are sitting underneath the keys! It's soothing in a way.

I mean I have the Fifine with the non-tripod stand (linked above) and mic sock and use it already besides my notebook slightly angled towards my mouth out of the frame. I keep gain knob down and when I am lazy, I just set Zoom's auto audio gain adjust which makes for an even output signal even when you move slightly.

On conference calls my headphones are usually plugged into the audio-out of the back of the mic so I can monitor my audio (and Linux can also output the system sound to that channel).

Pulsecaster is a very good tip, thanks!

The video, ironically, has such low volume.

Good content though, subscribed!

Is it ethical to buy such equipment from China? You never know how it was made and that country does have a record of human rights abuse. I'd rather pay more and buy something made locally.

> I'd rather pay more and buy something made locally.

Do you mean the lavalier mic from Aliexpress I mentioned? Well I first ordered one from Amazon and from knowing that and from looking at many other offers it is clear that these are pretty much all the same model. And so you pay for different marketing. When it comes to “not knowing how it’s made”: It is not even using a USB connection but rather plugs right into the microphone jack. So not sure how this could be used for surveillance. And regarding the human rights: Sure that is not ok. But most things are made in China and it is hard to escape. But if you find something good made “locally” (wherever that might be for you) then please share!

I did a little research when I was looking for a lav microphone and narrowed it down to those options - Sanken Cos-11D (Japan) and DPA 4060 (Denmark). I also considered Sennheiser ME-2, as it appears to be made in Philippines. Eventually I got Sanken. I costs about 10 times more than Chinese microphones on Amazon, but I feel better knowing I am not helping building Chinese vision of communism.

That's more about podcasting setup though. Conferencing setup is different because you also have to listen to others.

I think it is fair to assume that most people have some type of headphones at home or are capable of buying some.

Also you don't have to put the mic so close to your face that it is visible in your video feed. It still has a much better quality and less noise than many other solutions like bluetooth headsets I tested before.

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