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Part of Best budget podcast microphone UK: named USB and XLR models compared
Best budget podcast microphone UK: named USB and XLR models compared
Compare named budget podcast microphones for UK home studios: Samson Q2U, ATR2100x, Rode PodMic, Shure SM58, Behringer XM8500 and budget interfaces.
What to take away
- USB picksSamson Q2U, about £55, and Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB, about £80. Both are dynamic and have XLR outputs.
- XLR picksBehringer XM8500, about £20, Rode PodMic, about £99, and Shure SM58, about £100. All need an interface.
- Budget interfacesM-Audio M-Track Duo, about £50, Behringer UMC202HD, about £65, and Focusrite Scarlett Solo, about £120.
- A condenser such as Blue Yeti, about £100, can sound good but hears more room and desk noise.
- Put part of the budget into the room, the stand and the cable before the microphone.
What a bedroom studio asks of a microphone
Most searches for the best budget podcast microphone UK start from a spare bedroom, a carpet, a window, and a router behind the desk. The microphone is rarely the weakest part of that chain. The room usually is.
Two noises dominate. Mains hum arrives through wiring and unbalanced cabling. Neighbour noise arrives through the shared wall. Neither goes away because you spent more at the checkout.
A microphone that hears less of the room solves more of this than a flatter frequency response. That points to a tight dynamic capsule placed close to the mouth. The USB standard covers data, not the sound of the capsule.
Named budget microphones and interfaces
| Model | Type | UK price guide | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samson Q2U | Dynamic USB and XLR | About £55 | Solo host who may add an interface |
| Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB | Dynamic USB and XLR | About £80 | Solo host who wants a mute switch |
| Rode NT-USB Mini | Condenser USB | About £90 | Quiet, treated corner |
| Blue Yeti | Condenser USB | About £100 | Two voices in one room, with care |
| Behringer XM8500 | Dynamic XLR | About £20 | Low-cost spare or first XLR |
| Rode PodMic | Dynamic XLR | About £99 | Speech, with a quiet preamp |
| Shure SM58 | Dynamic XLR | About £100 | Close speech and live use |
| Audio-Technica AT2040 | Dynamic XLR | About £89 | Tight pickup in a small room |
| M-Audio M-Track Duo | Interface | About £50 | Two XLR inputs on a low budget |
| Behringer UMC202HD | Interface | About £65 | Two channels for a co-host |
| Focusrite Scarlett Solo | Interface | About £120 | One host who wants clean gain |
| Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 | Interface | About £180 | Two hosts and future mics |
The Samson Q2U and ATR2100x-USB both give USB and XLR outputs, so a solo host can start without an interface. The Rode PodMic and Shure SM58 need an interface with enough gain. The XLR connector page sets out the three pins and the latch.
Budget mic connection and price
USB + XLR
- Samson Q2U
- £55
- ATR2100x-USB
- £80
- Rode NT-USB Mini
- —
- Blue Yeti
- —
- Behringer XM8500
- —
- Rode PodMic
- —
- Shure SM58
- —
- AT2040
- —
USB only
- Samson Q2U
- —
- ATR2100x-USB
- —
- Rode NT-USB Mini
- £90
- Blue Yeti
- £100
- Behringer XM8500
- —
- Rode PodMic
- —
- Shure SM58
- —
- AT2040
- —
XLR only
- Samson Q2U
- —
- ATR2100x-USB
- —
- Rode NT-USB Mini
- —
- Blue Yeti
- —
- Behringer XM8500
- £20
- Rode PodMic
- £99
- Shure SM58
- £100
- AT2040
- £89
Specs that decide it for speech
- Pick the pattern before the brand. Cardioid and supercardioid capsules hear less from the sides and back.
- Expect a dynamic capsule to need more gain and to tolerate a noisy room better than a condenser.
- Check the noise floor and sample rate. 24-bit at 48 kHz suits speech and video editing.
- Plan the mount. A thumping desk needs a shock mount or a boom arm.
Treat the room before you upgrade the microphone
A duvet behind the speaker, a rug, and a bookcase against the shared wall remove more audible room than a capsule swap at the same money. Absorption and distance underpin acoustic treatment, and both cost less than a condenser.
If you rent, or the wall is shared, work through a cheap DIY guide to soundproofing a room for recording before you buy a fourth microphone.
Checklist at the budget end
- Price the microphone, stand, cable and pop filter as one set.
- Check the headphone output for delay you would notice while speaking.
- Match the mount thread to your arm, with an adapter if the sizes differ.
- Confirm a returns window long enough to test it in your room.
Where an interface fits
Two XLR inputs and 48V phantom power cover a co-host now and a condenser later. The interface decides how two voices behave when one host laughs.
Phantom power matters only if a condenser joins later. Dynamic microphones ignore it. That is one reason the XM8500 and PodMic survive a first setup.
Decision rule: if two people speak in one take, buy XLR with an interface. Record and edit alone? Buy USB and spend the difference on the room.
Our buyer's checklist for an audio interface in a home studio sets out input count, preamp gain and monitoring, which is the part most starter bundles get wrong.
Common questions
Is a USB microphone good enough for a podcast?
Yes for a solo host who records at one desk and edits on the same machine. The Samson Q2U and ATR2100x-USB are common starting points. It stops being enough when a second voice needs its own channel.
Do I need an audio interface for an XLR microphone?
Yes, unless your camera or mixer has an XLR input with usable gain. The interface supplies the preamp, the gain knob and usually the headphone monitoring. Budget choices include the M-Track Duo and UMC202HD.
Which is better in a noisy flat, dynamic or condenser?
A dynamic microphone, nearly every time. It needs more gain, but it hears far less of the room, the road and the neighbours. The Rode PodMic and Shure SM58 are dynamic options.
Is a cheap podcast mic worth buying at all?
Yes, if the money saved goes into the room and the stand. A Behringer XM8500 on a proper boom arm beats an expensive condenser on a desk that shakes.
