In this article, we are going to have a look at the AmazonBasics Professional Condenser Microphone. We’re going to go over what it can do for you, what it sounds like, who should buy it, and whether it offers good value for your money.
Design
The AmazonBasics Professional Cardioid Microphone feels like an absolute unit. It’s heavy and well built, and it looks like it’s made almost entirely out of metal, which gives it a premium feel.
Inputs
The microphone has a built-in mute button, right in the middle of it. This can come in handy if you’re in sudden need of privacy, and you don’t have time to fiddle with menus.
The microphone doesn’t have a volume knob on it though, so if you want to control the level, you’ll have to do it through software. This is actually common for professional microphones though, so I wouldn’t say that it’s a con.
Noise Cancellation
It doesn’t come with noise cancellation, but from my experience as a sound engineer, auto noise cancellation is usually terrible, and it damages your recording. You’re better off recording in a quiet environment, wherever possible, and using software after the recording has been made, to try and clean it up, or hiring someone online to do it for you.
Size
The microphone, including the stand and base, wight about 2.3 pounds, which is about 1 kg. The whole thing measures 11.2 x 4.4 x 4.4 inches, which is about 28 x 11 x 11 cm.
Plug and Play
Compatible with Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, and XP, Mac OS, and Linux. No drivers required, just plug the 1.5m USB cable into your computer and it should work right off the bat.
Sound Quality
The AmazonBasics Professional Condenser actually sounds really good. In fact, I’ve recorded the voiceover for this video using it, as well as other videos that I’ve done in the past.
In fact, I like this microphone so much that I’ve been using it for my YouTube videos over the past few months. Here is one of those videos.
Adjustability
The microphone is held stable by a flat and heavy base, and it is suspended by two side prongs. The stand can be adjusted as needed, depending on what your needs are. It has a screw mount at the base, which can be unscrewed, and the arms that hold the mic in place can also be taken off.
Wind Shield
The microphone requires a pop shield, but this it not a fault of this microphone, as all microphones need some kind of a windshield. Investing in a pop shield will help eliminate plosives, which is basically quickly exhaled air hitting the microphone.
Pick-up Patterns
The AmazonBasics Professional Condenser Microphone actually has 4 pick-up patterns: cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional, and stereo.
I’m going to explain all of them briefly for you, but in short, most people just need to keep it in cardioid mode.
Cardioid
This is what most people will need. This pick-up pattern records audio coming from roughly one direction, and the pattern in which it picks up sound resembles a heart, thus the name cardioid. This will ignore sound coming from behind the microphone, and some from the sides. It will mostly pick up audio from in front of it, and some from the sides.
Bi-directional
This pattern picks up audio from both the front and the back. For most people, this is not needed.
Omnidirectional
Picks up audio from around the microphone evenly. Again, not very useful for most people.
Stereo
If you need stereo, you’ll know that you need it. Otherwise, no need for it. Bare in mind that stereo doesn’t equal better sound. For the vast majority of people, you can skip it.
Conclusion
So, should you buy it? Well, it depends.
This is actually a surprisingly versatile microphone. Whether you’re a Twitch streamer, YouTuber, content creator, beginner voice over artist, or whether you want to start a podcast, record instruments, create an online course, or just use it for Skype and FaceTime, this microphone offers great value for money.
This has been my review of the AmazonBasics Professional Condenser Microphone. I invite you to have a look at some of my other articles. We have something for everyone, whether you’re interested in audio, or cameras and lenses. Alternatively, if you prefer video reviews, feel free to have a look at my YouTube channel.
