In a blind test of the best radio mics in the world, I picked the M99 as my favorite on my own voice. My personal go-to voice mic is the beyerdynamic M 99. For most dynamics, and any condenser mic, the Blackjack will shine. In our interface shootout, it had a slightly higher noise floor than the C400, which makes it somewhat less suitable for use with very low-gain dynamics like the Shure SM7B. Its build quality is excellent, and it is extremely easy to use.

It has two mic inputs, a 24-bit converter, and a street price of $150. This box was a good deal at $250, and an unbeatable deal at $150. It also has plenty of gain for dynamic mics, which are in my opinion the best choice for broadcast voice applications. It has two mic inputs and a 24-bit converter that sounds great.

This product might have been recently discontinued due to Avid’s sale of the M-Audio brand, but the device is readily available online for $99-$150, down from $250 when we selected it as one of our favorite budget audio interfaces. We recommend the M-Audio Fast Track C400. If you’re starting from scratch and have the budget for more than the cost of the Studio Projects LSM, you’ll need an audio interface with a built-in mic preamp such as one of the two units in this section. If you have the budget for an audio interface (soundcard) and a microphone, many more mic choices become available. If you already have an audio interface or soundcard, see the sections below for appropriate mic recommendations. For more information on the LSM, see our in-depth Best $200 Podcasting Mics review. It has a built-in desk stand (although when your budget allows, we recommend picking up a boom arm).

The LSM is compact, lightweight, and solidly built. Position it off to one side, slightly, or at eye height tilted down. We also recommend using an external pop filter, and further, you might want to position the mic so you’re not blasting straight into it. This allows proximity effect (bass boost due to proximity) to compensate for the natural high-frequency lift of the microphone’s capsule. We recommend working the microphone fairly close - within 6 inches. Just plug this mic into your computer via USB and you’ll be tracking immediately. Specifically, you don’t need a microphone preamp or a “digital audio interface” or soundcard. The mic has both XLR (analog) and USB (digital) outputs, which means you don’t need any other audio gear. If you’re just starting out and have no recording equipment at all, we recommend the Studio Projects LSM.

Best mic interface for 300