Mackie EM-Series, Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone (EM-91C)

Update: I have now owned both versions of this mic (USB and XLR). I bought it a 2nd time. See video. I got the EM91C (XLR Version) from Amazon. I recently sold it after 5 months, because I wanted to try another mic and it lost compared to the used AT 2035 I bought, and the Behringer XM8500, which is really what I consider the budget king of mics, if you want something with character for podcasting and gaming. Liking the XM8500, I sold the Mackie and purchased a Behringer SB78A. That mic is also decent for the money, but only if you talk straight into it and de-ess / cut highs. Back to the Mackie.... I bought the Mackie after seeing the video review on Podcastage, and it is exactly as expected and reviewed there. Before you buy this mic, look at the spec sheet and know this mic has the highs rolled off compared to other condensers. Because of this, you will find this mic works well for simple long form spoken word, but you'll want to add a low cut (also called high pass) around 100hz, or it will sound muffled or muddy. It is not a good choice for instruments or singers who want a big/wide sound, IMHO. If you want something for music, my suggestion is to spend a bit more for the wider but neutral AT2035 (Which is a step up from the 2020, and doesn't have the 2020's slight excessive high boost) OR spend a little more on the AT4040 (used they are a great buy for the money) which is a studio standard. Bander from Podcastage talked about what instruments he liked and did not like this mic on. If you want a big sound as cheap as possible, skip the cheap condensers and get a Behringer XM8500. Nothing below $100 comes close to it. The Mackie excels at long form spoken word, specifically for those who have overly-sibilant voices (harsh "S's" in speech). I EQ'd the bass to roll off from around 100hz, and it's not required, but I also pulled it down a bit between strategic places at 250 and 500hz . I also brightened the highs maybe 2db from 5,000hz up, but I also feel you don't have to do that unless you want to brighten it more. I like how it handles sibilance. Without EQ, its character borders on dull and a bit overbearing in the lows -- you may not like it 'up close' until you roll off below 100hz. Once you do, the mic's character becomes pleasing. This is a mic which provides a very pleasant long form sound for someone like me -- a teacher looking to create clean vocals for 30 minute teaching videos, so long as I trim those lows below 100hz to balance it out. With the muddy lows removed, this does a better job of keeping room noise out of the mic compared to my "better" mics, and has a forward-sounding mid to low-midrange. More on that, below. Next, as a teacher, I don't have to be right up on this mic face-first, like with what dynamic mics tend to need before they drop volume. I can move around a little. This mic is also a nice kit with a shock mount and mic. There are other mics cheaper than this that sound "OK" but have harsh Chinese-like highs that become annoying, or are just kind of meh (Neewer). There are better mics for $30 more than this (Blue Ember) but they don't provide a shock mount, and you're soon sinking more money into them and find yourself far out of the Mackie's price range. The Neat Worker and King Bee mics, a bit more but in the budget range, also sound very nice, but have a very "different" look to them, and I've seen reviewers complain that noise was getting into those mics from outside sources. I haven't experienced this issue with the Mackie. So for what it is, this mic is an OK value, and very usable if you EQ a fair amount. Would I buy it again? Doubtful. I'd spend less and get the XM8500, or along a more condenser-like style, an AT2020 or 2035. Note that I have a moderately well-treated recording room, with several thick moving blankets covering the walls and laying around. If you cannot pull off a room like this, avoid the larger diaphram condensers and get a dynamic mic like the Behringer xm8500, Samson Q2U or Shure SM58. Or look into that Behringer SB78A, which is a small diaphram condenser in a handheld format (it does well at rejecting noise). Those are excellent, but you will need to get in closer and add a sponge or pop filter.

Sounds amazing, picks up my voice very well, size is very good, not too big or heavy. Works with obs, discord and everything I needed on Windows 11. You do need an XLR sound device to run this, super clear quality! I've owned a lot of mics over the years and this one does great for vocal work, chatting with friends on discord and recording voiceovers.

Several years ago, in this price range you would have problems finding something that works. I have the t.bone SC 400 too, which is also in this price range. Both mics are very similar. I would buy them again. Vocal is clear, background noises are heavily eliminated. I use it for communication in games and for online meetings.

Works great for zoom while routing it through OBS in mono. Can't complain about the price. For 30 bucks it was a no brainer. I don't feel heavily invested in it, and the audio quality beats any webcam's mic. Pretty sure if I ran a few filters it would sound professional. There's nothing to write home about. At the same time, it performs better than its price point. Just an overall good value when buying with realistic expectations. EDIT: Since my initial review, I had to include this comment... After messing around with mic placement, I was able to achieve a warm studio quality tone without too much filtering. Definitely worth the 30 bucks I paid for, and more. For those saying it doesn't have enough gain, you need to turn on phantom power on the XLR input from your audio interface. I also discovered it has a tendency to pick up a lot of low frequency, which to its credit, was coming from my small bedroom studio setup, and particularly my voice reverberating against my ultrawide display. Once you get a good tone from mic placement, then go with barely-there filters. What you don't want is bad mic placement and overcompensating with filters. I'm upping it to 4 stars because of the value you are getting. Definitely not a 5-star mic because that's really reserved for high end units. But... 4 stars is well deserved.

Great mic for the money, picks up voice great in church!

Excellent microphone, you get what you pay for, ideal for meetings, calls, simple recordings, very durable, excellent build materials. I've had it for 3 years and it's still like new.

For the price point, this microphone can’t be beat. Bought one for myself as I needed a better microphone for home voiceover work. So impressed that I bought one for the school I teach at as well as for my school office setup. Signal to noise ratio is fairly low. Highly recommend you try this one out!

Very good