Easiest Way to Sound Great on Zoom - Saramonic USB Lav. Mic.
Vložit
- čas přidán 16. 11. 2020
- How can you drastically improve your audio on Zoom calls or recording videos on your computer? A simple plug and play USB lavalier microphone is the key. See all my recommended gear at kit.co/rayortega.
Who is this USB microphone for? For me, this is an option to give to people who are either new to remote conferencing and/or audio production. The Saramonic ULM10 makes it as easy as plugging into your USB port and selecting the ULM10 as your microphone in whatever app you are using and suddenly you have audio that is clean, clear and pleasing to the person on the other side of the screen. No special audio knowledge needed. So I would give this mic. to people who fit this description as well as someone who might want better audio without a microphone in their face.
DISCLOSURE: Shure sent this MV7 for me to review and keep and all links should be considered affiliates.
SUBSCRIBE: / rayortega
INSTAGRAM: / podcasthelper
TWITTER: / podcasthelper
🎥 🖥 📱🎤 GEAR USED TO MAKE THIS VIDEO 🤘
► Saramonic ULM10 USB Microphone: amzn.to/2UxsunE
► Aputure Light Storm LS C120d Kit: podhelp.me/120dKitvmountBH
► Rode VideoMic Pro podhelp.me/RodeVMP-R_BH
► SmallHD Sony kit: podhelp.me/smallHDfocusbundle...
► Sony a6500: podhelp.me/a6500kit1BH
► LENS: Sigma 16mm F1.4: podhelp.me/SigmaE16mmBH
► Transcend 65GB SDXC card for 4K podhelp.me/Trans64U3zon
► iZotope RX Elements 7: podhelp.me/izRXEl7BH
► Adobe Creative Cloud podhelp.me/CC1yearBHdownload
*all links should be considered affiliate links. I encourage you to shop around for the best prices at the time you are viewing this. You can read my ethics statement via thepodcastersstudio.com/ethics. Thanks!
#ULM10 #Saramonic #zoom #USBmicrophone #microphone #audioproduction #audiorecording - Věda a technologie
Very grateful for this! I feel like I just went to school a little and appreciate how you break things down for those of us that aren't audio/visual professionals (like myself). Totally helpful.
Thank you, I ordered one today for my upcoming zoom art demo! I appreciate the recommendation.
Cool, let me know how it works for you!
Hi Ray. Came across you from your podcast livestream with Curtis Judd. (Curtis edited my podcast on his last show). This is the first video of yours I’ve seen, and it’s already given me a great product that I didn’t even know I needed. Thanks a lot! I love your style and content already, and I’ll be enjoying your back catalogue over Christmas I have a feeling. Cheers from Sydney, thanks for your work...Andrew
Hi Ray, Based on your review I want you to know I bought this mic today through Sweetwater in Fort Wayne. The sales person at Sweetwater confirmed it is an excellent choice for my need. Thanks!
Sweetwater is a great place to buy, they're very helpful, glad this was a good buy for you!
Thanks, I needed this!
Good and practical info! So true that many Zoom users have terrible audio, not to mention terrible camera video and lighting as well.
Thanks, Casey, this is definitely for the person who is brand new to audio, has a very small budget or just wants to get the mic out of the way or all of those things. Audio is the first upgrade anyone should make then help with lighting and a decent webcam at a minimum are great places to fine tune any setup.
Thats ridiculous sound! Have been playing with a basic lav mic outside this month. Love the nature sounds in the park I am recording in but not liking the other sounds that are not nature lovely. Adding this to dream list. Thanks Ray!
Thanks, Steph! In general, any lav mic used outdoors is going to pick up the environment. If you're looking for more rejection of background outside, you'd need a cardioid or even hypercardioid dynamic in order to pick up just what's in front but that said if there is background noise any mic will pick it up.
@@RayOrtega got it. it's tricky, isnt it. where I am testing it out now is a park close by with lake and duck sounds that I love having in the audio BUT then there is wind and traffic buzzing sometimes too. When I do my usual clean up (which is admittedly pretty basic still) it makes my voice sound super tinny and some car sounds like UFO sounds. lol. it would be funny if it werent so frustrating. lol. Am going to go hunting for the video that you mentioned with fixing the soundbed. thanks for all this, I adore the idea of walking interviews and hope to get the sound somewhat better before doing that. :)
Great video, Ray. Thanks for all you do for us podcasters!
Thanks, Adam!
@@RayOrtega Thank you for the helpful videos. What is the sound from your intro? It sounds so familiar!
Thanks for the great insight and feedback on a budget friendly, basic mic. Also, I sent you a DM on IG mainly because I'm curious what you think about a different, very inexpensive alternative mic that's might be chasing a similar user base. Your videos are great and thanks for everything you do.
definitely good enough if you can treat the audio after
Thanks for the tips. Getting ready to order one. Do we need to download any additional software with it?
Thank you, helpful..
Using a lav with a speaker in meetings is difficult. It picks up the voices from the speaker and returns it to the audience. And if I use a headset then the headset mic is much better than the lav..
I have this same question, Ray would you throw some light on this 👍🏻
Thanks for this. I didn't hear static.
Thank you.
Great video! Have you heard of Lav Magnet? Great tool for placing your lav mic on t-shirts and dresses. Comes with a stabilizer bar to keep the mic upright and a beltpack bar for for easy placement of the belt pack when a belt isn't an option! Looks way better than pinching your shirt with the clip and places the mic at the perfect level on your chest!
On Amazon?
@@ekwilliam2974 Lav Magnet has their own website.
Really impressed by the iMac mic quality tbh
Most built-in mics these days can do a decent job if you get close enough. All mics require good proximity to the mic to sound their best and it's often a combination of being close and the room that you are in that is going to affect the quality the most.
I use a zoom h2n. Never crossed my mind to use a lav mic.
Looks like Mac's mic sounds great
Great vid! I wanted to use this mic for sneaker reviews, unboxings, etc. on my channel. Would u recommend it and also can I plug it directly into my PC and use with OBS? I'm currently using a Shure SM7B, but I wanted to use something a little less noticeable while recording vids.
Awesome video and with perfect timing for my situation. Would you go with a lav mic or something like the Samson Go mic for Zoom meetings? Thanks!
Thanks! I haven't tested the Go mic but I've seen a couple decent samples of it here. I think you'd be fine with either one. The lav mic can be closer to you and that usually produces better results but if the Go mic was close and you had a good space to record in, it would probably do well too and you wouldn't have to be tethered to the computer.
I was looking for a video that offered a lot of information for someone like myself. I do a LOT of zoom meetings and I give a lot of speeches. I am definitely not trying to be a professional and my budget doesn’t allow me to spend a lot of money. So, this sounds like something for me. However, I do have a few questions: many videos I’ve seen before seeing yours advised that having headphones on is also a good idea. What do you say about that? If I have this on my tie, will I need to have or should I have a headset or earbud on too? Will this allow me to better hear how I sound or don’t bother? Also, if it’s a good idea to have one on, should it be a usb headset/earbuds too. I try not to look like a dj on the videos, so the less I have on the better. Thanks. Sorry for all of the questions.
Is this the best usb lav mic or are there better options?
This man looks like Ser Jorah Mormont son from game of thrones lol, Good video man 🔥
Congrats, that's a new one and I can see what you mean lol. Thanks for watching and the compliments!
Hi Ray, wondering if you know how the microphone will react to my hair brushing against it? It is long enough to get in the way and I assume that the microphone will pick that up?
Great vid! Thanks so much for sharing! Would you recommend this mic for instrumental lessons which include violin playing (solo or with a sound track from the computer)? This is great for the price and sounds great for the voice. Wondering if wireless would be a better option. I'm looking for something with mobility and close enough to the devise that could be used on a computer or even from a android (ideally). Please kindly advise! Thanks again for your kind efforts!!
Thanks! It's hard to say since I don't record a lot of music. With any mic, you want to get it close to the source. So this could work but yes wireless would be easier to use while playing. They have one with USBC that would work with Android amzn.to/3c32rOL and some wireless options
I have a lapel mic with a 3.5mm jack and I want to use that for conference calls but without headphones. Is there a way of using one of these mics for the audio input while maintaining the audio output thru the laptop's internal speakers or do I need a USB lav mic to achieve this? I tried one of those little Y shaped input/output splitters but the laptop still thinks i have a headset plugged in
Ok I need this product simple and easy thanks. Question though what if I needed to add multiple mics how could I do that..? Help!
Great video on the quality check. I move a little bit during Zoom calls standing up to stay awake/alive. What're the mic and speaker options I should be looking at? Should I use this Lav. mic for speaking and a speaker for listening or do I have to put on earplugs? Thank you
The lavalier mic you hear in this video is I think a 2 US$ Aliexpress mic sold by another company and then the prices go up and they laugh their ears off. Best microphone is a real brand microphone from a company that would lose customers when playing with crappy mics. So for example better buy a Shure desk microphone or if you really want to, buy a Shure lavalier microphone. Or if you don't mind the view, a Shure or Dpa headset. In reality, the closer to your mouth, the better the sound. Well when the mic is good that is. Why do you want to hear your voice while recording or broadcasting? Are you a singer? I advice you to test and set the mic and levels with a headphone on. Then put the headphone away and start your recording. If you really need a reference just watch the visual audio levels either on your mixer or on your computer. But if you really need to hear yourself while broadcasting/recording then you should never use speakers in combination with a lavalier or other distant microphone. Also a headset microphone with a headphone is kind of asking for trouble (feedback). Just my two cents as a sound engineer for over 20 years.
You might mention changing the Zoom audio settings menu options required for musical performance.
Zoom has amazing default voice processing that really clobbers music.
Under "Advanced" there are noise and echo cancellation option boxes that must be turned off, otherwise if singing along with musical accompaniment, the voice will come through while the musical instrument(s) will be attacked/cancelled/removed as if it's identified to be undesirable background noise. It just ends up sounding like a nasty reverse karaoke effect.
Even without singing or voice, a musical instrument performance will sound much better with those two voice processing options turned off.
Thanks, definitely something to keep in mind if producing music but in regards to this video the use case is specifically spoken word. And given who this mic is targeted at (people brand new to audio) the processing would actually benefit them until they learned more about how to work with audio and how to best treat their space to limit background noise. Thanks for watching!
Hey, so how would I use a lav mic for a zoom meeting on an IPad, I tried using it during meeting before and I couldn't hear people when it was plugged in. Thanks
True I have the same on my phone 😔
Oops... one more question. Lol. What about the small mics like the blue yeti nano. It would be in front of me on the desk, not visible by the camera on my Mac. Would that be just as good? Thanks again.
How did the usb-c version compare to this one?
Thanks, Ray. I'm wondering, does this mic make noise if something rubs against or bumps the cable? I find that issue with the Fifine USB lav, but I'm not hearing that issue in your video. (Looking for something my wife can use while teaching, instead of a headset and without her having to learn mic technique as you discussed.)
OK, I got this for my wife to use for her lecture, which was recorded by the host over Zoom, and it sounded fantastic. I do find this mic very sensitive (in Windows I have to set the gain to 50 per cent, unusual for a USB mic in Windows, and Zoom might automatically lower it to more like 25),. I find it would get a lot of ambient noise if used to record directly to a PC, but this is exactly the kind of airy "room noise" that Zoom suppresses very effective. So, I especially recommend this as a great solution for Zoom, or maybe other web meeting apps that handle noise similarly. Thanks again for posting this!
I have the Saramonic Blink500 B1, for inalambric recordings, but I still can´t integrate with zoom. Any advice?
Is there a good cartioid lav mic you'd recommend in the same vien?
It looks this mic don't need batterie is it better then boya m1?
is it possible to lug 2 of these to my desktop and be able to get audio from both like in a video/podcast scenario???
would a purple panda lavalier mic work for this?
Hi. Can I hear my students out aloud if I plug in this microphone or do I need to wear earphones ?
How do you hook up a wireless lav mic for live streaming on zoom using an Apple MacBook Pro (Catalina OS) and a Canon EOS M50 Mark ii as the web cam. I have the camera all hooked up & working but the audio is still being routed through the factory on board computer microphone. I can’t get it to go through my wireless mic.
I have a Movo WMX-1-Duo wireless lav mic. Do you have any videos or advise on how to properly set this up?
I would like a better quality audio for hosting meetings live online using zoom but can’t seem to figure out how to do this. Please help!
Thank you for the review, it was much appreciated! I am interested in making a purchase through your affiliate link, but before I do so, I would like to confirm whether the product can be used as a microphone with over the ear Bluetooth headphones such as the Sony XM4 or earbuds like the Pixel Buds Pro. Would you happen to know if this is possible?
Hi, Josh, this is not just for Zoom, it will work with most software that takes a USB microphone which is to say a device that takes a USB mic like any computer. As for working with the earbuds, I'm unsure. It will depend on if the software you are using lets you select the USB mic as your input and then the earbuds as your speaker. In a lot of cases like Zoom you should be able to do that.
@@RayOrtega Thank you!
The price has actually gone down a bit since this video - considering grabbing one!
Good deal! Thanks for the update and enjoy the mic if you pick one up!
The audio sound processed compared to other tests I've heard where the audio is less good. Is this a straight untouched sound output from the mic or is the signal compressor treated or anything like that? Anyways, can this mic be used with external speakers on in meetings or will it cause feedback, echo or anything like that? Thanks for sharing great content.
See the section at 5:00. Everything before that was not processed aka it was the raw mic. Then I process it for comparison. With speakers on, it's always going to be trial and error. If they are not too loud then you'll be fine but also apps like Zoom have decent feedback rejection algorithms, so again, you have to test to know how it will work in your setup but having the microphone close to you like a lav will greatly reduce the amount of gain you need and therefore it's less likely to feedback.
Is this mic compatible with DSLR?
Another question, if you use this lav for zoom calls, and use your computer speakers for audio output, is the mic going to pick up the sound from the speakers that are presumably right in front of you?
It's possible so you have to be mindful of how loud you set your speakers but Zoom does some echo canceling, as do most f the remote software solutions and it generally does a good job at holding speaker bleed off however the best setup is to have some sort of in-ear monitor and if you use something that is wireless like an airpod, you can keep the setup really clean for a great looking video.
how does this compare to an ATR2100-USB Cardioid Dynamic USB Microphone?
Hi Ray. This is exactly the topic I'm looking to explore. I have a Plantronics wireless headset with pretty good mic sound. But, I'm getting tired of wearing it all day long. And, I kinda look like a dork with a headset on webcam. I have a Samson Q2U and can juuuuust get it out of the webcam view. Again, I don't want to be the dork with a microphone in front of my face during business meetings. But, honestly, it's just a tad too far away to provide great sound. I have some cheap $30 bluetooth earbuds that are working great in this setup for hearing other participants. They are the HSPro T15 and just work OOTB with my laptop bluetooth connection.
Would a Rode VideoMic just outside the frame sound as good as my mouth 3 inches away from the Q2U?
I've been surprised with recent results I'm getting from people using the same mic or similar (ATR versions) and having it just out of shot. A Rode shotgun might have slightly more 'reach' caused of a tighter polar pattern but its' really hard to say. It really is just one of things you have to test in your own setup with your own voice. Wish I could say more but sadly often times it's experimenting with gear to get what you want cause every setup is so different.
Hi Ray, we are using zoom for sessions, and would like to record the voice of people sitting in the room, also there are people who join remotely, so we record their voice as well, what setup we should have?, any suggestions?
There are a few ways to do this these days. You can use audio only software like Streamyard to connect with people online and have everyone recorded on their own track as well as a mixed track. You can record in person with your zoom and connect a phone to the zoom to bring in someone remote.
Hey, would this pick up the sound of my guitar if i place it on my t-shirt while i play?
It will but not as well the guitar being mic'd up too.
Excellent information, I have the item mentioned, am I correct you can only use it to speak - any solution ?
Why is your KRK sitting on your table side down??
I used a lav mic on a zoom meeting and as soon as I joined the audio, it muted the entire conversation. Any way to recover it?
When i plug the microphone in, it somehow stops putting the audio out.
Did you do noise reduction on this mike for this video at the beginning? I does not sound noisy at all in the beginning of the video...
No noise reduction in the intro or anywhere else until the 5:00 min mark to demo what can be done beyond the raw sound.
@@RayOrtega Thanks! I bought it and use it for Zoom calls...
Can be this used in a iPhone for calls and video calls please help
There is another version for iOS amzn.to/3KsMhif
does this block out sound from the background? sometimes i have to have meetings in public places and i need a small mic i can use thatll block out noise.
Any time you get a mic as close as possible to your mouth, you will reduce the background noise because the level you need to turn it up will be less. However, most lav mics are also condenser mics and they will be more sensitive to all sound so in that way it does not block probably as much as you'd want. You'd either want a lav mic that is directional/dynamic or a USB one (example: podhelp.me/Q2Ublackzon) that is the same. But background noise, if present, will always be included in your audio. You might need to look into something like a gaming headset that has noise cancelation or sometimes the apps you use like Zoom have some processing that can reduce background noise.
Does it pick up speaker sound when other ppl talks? Do you need to mute it everytime when other ppl talks?
Depending on what app you are using, many of echo cancelation but also having the mic close to you means you don't have to have it gained so loud that the speakers will create an issue but anytime you're on a remote call, you should have earphones to prevent any bleed.
Hey, thanks for the useful videos.
I’m struggling with my audio in work calls. I have them via phone as my internet is patchy to dial in from the laptop. Is there a way of using a lav mic to improve audio, but also play the meeting out through a separate speaker (to avoid me having to wear headphones all day)?
All help much appreciated.
Ralph
Is there any reason a unidirectional / cardioid lav mic would be a bad idea? I imagine it would be better at rejection surrounding noises?
They typically don't sound very good and just aren't very common in lav mics. You tend to lose a lot of the low end and get more plosives but I've used some nice ones by DPA which were pretty good. So yes, if you need the extra rejection it might be worth it, typically for me that would be in a really reverberant place with multiple people on mic.
@@RayOrtega Many thanks for the explanation.
Ray i have a Hollyland lark M1 LAV and i cant figure out how to connect it to zoom, any advice or help is appreciated
Hi, Anthony, I'm not familiar with that mic but I looked it up and it looks like it comes with the cables to connect to your computer. Use the proper cable and then select that input as your mic source in Zoom.
@@RayOrtega it does come with the trs and trss patch cords but when i connect them to my laptop i get no love... zoom doesnt recognize the microphone... i ordered a usb sound card that might help well see
Did you use a dynamic microphone to record this video? How come we could not see the dynamic microphone. Shouldn't it be very close to mouth?
The whole video was recorded with the lav mic that this video is about, the Saramonic ULM10 USB Microphone: amzn.to/2UxsunE which is not a dynamic mic but it is close to my mouth because it's clipped to my collar which you can see. Hope that is helpful.
Do you think these mics would be okay to record music on?
Wouldn't be my first choice for music if you mean vocals. You could but you could probably find another USB mic at a similar price that will sound better.
Is an ipad adaptor needed for this Saramonic USB Lav. Mic? If yes, be great to see the link. Much Appreciated
I haven't tried this so I can't say for sure if these are any good or work but this would be the kind of adapter you'd need to go USB-A to lightning amzn.to/3uwSoby (affiliate link)
@@RayOrtega Thanks Ray, Much Appreciated
did you review a USB-C mic?
I have a USB-C version of this mic but didn't review it. It seems mostly the same.
Can you use headphones for output while using the lav mic for input?
Yes and it's a good idea.
0:39 iMac mic picks up so much room reverb, sounds amateurish
Yep, that's what I was trying to demo, glad it came through!
Great video, but not mentioned: what about noise pick up? Say kids on the next room.
Thanks, I mention it at 1:28 through about 1:50 when I talk about it being an omni directional condenser and how that will pick up more ambience than a dynamic aka if you have kid noise and that is leaking into your room, it's going to be heard easier than if you were on a dynamic mic but really the truth is background noise is just that, it gets in regardless, it will just get in a little less on a dynamic with a directional pattern like an SM7B/58 etc
@@RayOrtega thanks!
Still confused on the advantage of a lav vs other condenser like a blue jeti in which you can go "wireless". And I mean advantage, if any, in terms of noise of course; there're obviously a lot of differences in other aspects.
Also don't dynamic mics need to be like an inch of your face to sound good?
All reviews I've seen, as soon as they get a foot away sound it's all muffled.
@@DanielScholtus Someone would use a lav if they were more interested in the mic being out of the way or essentially not in the shot aka in your face on video. Or perhaps you have a guest who is not used to 'staying on mic.' and then a lav can be clipped to them so it's always in the same place or maybe you want them to kinda of forget that they are being recorded so they feel less stressed. For many who would be on Zoom for business, they may not want a big mic in the foreground of the shot/camera. In terms of noise, it won't be better because most of the time they have omni polar patterns which means it's open to all sides of the room. Whereas other condensers you can choose a cardioid pattern so the mic rejects more sound from the opposite side. Dynamic mics are usually used close but you get the proximity effect which is a build up of low frequencies and it will make the audio sound darker/richer but also more muffled so I think the best position is actually a few inches away however with a dynamic mic, an inch can literally make a difference so you have to be aware of your mic technique. The further the mic gets away from you, the thinner/less body/less presence you will hear which is the opposite of muffled. It will just sound weak and like the mic is not close to you. Hope that helps.
@@RayOrtega it does, thanks!
Dude I think they intentionally sent you a heavily engineered version, one thats much better and different from the market version, knowing you're gonna give them a good publicity. I bought one, and it sure as heck sounds NOWHERE NEAR as the one in this video. I am so disappointed with this mic.
Honestly it sounds just on par with like a standard earbuds mic. When you put it on your shirt it doesn't pickup sounds all that great (sounds far away), yet it clips ALL THE TIME when you bring it closer to your mouth.