Microphone suggestions?

[Parak]

I have a basic hardware mixer (xenyx 502) that I'd like to attach a microphone to. I only need it for voice chat, and ideally it would be located about three feet away from me. The additional challenge at that distance is that I usually speak rather quietly, so it'd have to be reasonably sensitive.

I'm currently using an audio technica lapel mic with the mixer, but I find that with it I have to turn the mic levels up to the point that it starts getting static, and I have to wear the mic right next to my face regardless

Anyone with expertise on the matter?

[Konrad]

Ah, why not plug your mic straight into your audio port?  And use software mixing/filtering?
 
What's the audio mixer for?  So you can pretend you're on your cellphone by playing traffic noises in the background?  Or so you can use a hardware voice changer?

[Parak]

The current mic works the same or worse when plugged into a dedicated or onboard soundcard. The mixer is a required part of a solution that I made in order to quickly and easily switch from my receiver/speaker to headphones and back again. Being able to add extra stuff to my voice chat was just an optional side benefit for if I ever want to do a live cast of something. In addition, the mixer was really cheap, and it gives me a dedicated headphone out line with a moderately decent amp to boot.

[Konrad]

You'll find a lot of audio interfaces of this sort in recent editions of the ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications; the book has full specs for (not overcomplicated) DIY projects and provides contact info to people who sell them as kits or premade units.
 
Another alternative is to plug into your MIDI port (not natively present on all recent audio cards), though you'd probably need special software to accomodate voice waveforms - I don't really know if it's possible to do what you want with this method.
 
Audio/DSP software is definitely sophisticated enough to compensate and clean up "noisy" signals; perhaps you just need to invest in a better mic? Standard PC mics are universally cheap crap when compared to "professional" microphones. I'm not an expert, I just know that this is one area that's so saturated with competing technologies and products that you generally get very much what you pay for.

[Parak]

Well, yes, that is the original (maybe poorly worded) question - suggestions for a new microphone

Particularly with having an XLR input with phantom power, I should have a decent amount of options, but I don't want to get something and not have it work for my particular needs :/

[PAINKILLER]

My old laptop had some kind of digitally controlled microphone array that did a great job in the same conditions (high distance and quiet speech).

[Konrad]

Any sort of condenser mic will probably suit you quite well.  I think once you get into the ~$50-$100 range you'll find they're all pretty awesome; you can pay more (a lot more) for mics with better frequency response and such stuff, but if your primary application is voice sampling which doesn't have to be "studio" quality then it's probably a waste to spend more.  People at music shops tend to know a lot about which mics work best for different things, that's where I bought mine.

[majestouch]

If you're serious about sound quality then you might want to get a professional mic since your Xenyx appears to have a balanced input. The industry standard "most bang for your buck" voice/instrument mic is the Shure SM57.

You can find the SM57 just about everywhere for under $100. You'll need an XLR cable and a small desk stand, but the mic comes with a mount. A wind screen is sold separately, but would be a good idea if you have a fan in the room or like to keep your window open.

Keep in mind, that anytime you increase the input gain, you're also amplifying noise. The farther you sit away from a mic, the more gain you'll need to pick up your voice and more noise will move into the audible range. Of course, there are specialty mics that are very directional that would allow you to sit across the room and speak in a whisper, but they cost more than mechanical keyboards;)

[Parak]

Welp, after further research, I bought a super-cardioid boundary mic with wrong connections. I'll have to rewire it a bit, and then hopefully things will be epic.

[nathanscribe]

If you've already bought your mic, I'm a bit late, but never mind.  Regarding the SM57, it'd be no good at three feet on spoken material - they're better used close.  It would work, but the background noise would be high.  Condensers are great but sensitive to the point where you'd get lots of background too.  Three feet is a long way for speech.  You might find using some kind of noise gate useful, I expect there's some bit of software that'll do what you need... the basic idea is that nothing gets through below a certain level.  You would set it to pass your speech but not the background, though any similarly 'forward' noise would pass too.

[Oqsy]

Shure SM58 for voice, SM57 for high pressure instrument, or get a Blue USB Condenser mic and call it a day.

[ricercar]

Another vote for Blue. I picked up two used Blue Snowball mics for $50 lastweek. Never used a USB mic before; I've been an XLR snob all my audio life. The USB Snowballs absolutely rock for voice, and I'm eager to test them for recording live (non-studioo) instrumental music.

[majestouch]

Yeah, I was surprised at the SM57 recommendation too.

What is surprising is that there aren't any recommendations here that qualify the OP's requirements any better than mine did; just people chiming in with the same ol' "SM58 for voice, SM57 for instrument" musician's mantra they heard someone else crap out sometime in the last 40 years.

The OP specified he'd only use the mic for voice-chat and that he already had a USB mixer (so a USB mic wasn't required). I use an SM57 at distances around a meter with skype and the noise isn't a problem with my voice. I've also used the SM57 for recording my voice for radio and it works very well.

When it comes to recording voice, every artist/vocalist has their equipment preference based on what suits their vocal characteristics and the application. Also, talking and singing are very different activities, talking requires much stronger (and higher pressure) enunciations than singing, so if you hang your hat on the old SM57/SM58 mantra that musicians stand by, it should probably be reversed in the case of talking or dictation.

In any case, the OP already said he bought a super-cardioid boundary mic, which I'm sure cost him more than $150 and it probably has better directivity than the SM57, the SM58, or the Blue mic.

Oh well, back to keyboards;)

[Oqsy]

Majestouch: The Shure mics are that industry's equivalent of buckling springs...  good quality at a decent price and reaching a LARGE market.  I honestly use my SM57s for damn near everything (recording music) and only break out my single SM58 on rare occasions.  Assuming that all the recommendations here are based on hearsay instead of personal experience is a bit insulting.  I'm glad you sell keyboards and not microphones, or I'd probably take my business elsewhere.

OP:  I'm sure a decent screen / foam top on the SM57 would make it just as applicable for speaking (I've noticed issues with pops and sibilants with the 57s).  Anyway, at the distance mentioned, I'd be more worried about attenuating the "raspy" high frequencies common to the SM57.  
If you *need* a mixer with decent preamps that can make an SM57 sound good,  then I recommend Mackie mixers for an entry level mixer.

[Oqsy]

Ripster, you're the king of unexpected lulz detours.

[Parak]

Thanks all for the suggestions even though I went a completely different route So here's what I did:

I obtained two new crown boundary mics for $30 (awesome price is awesome), for two different boxes. These come with what seems to be a useless mini xlr type 5 pin connector, even though the manual specifies that the cable is unterminated. I wired and soldered up three of the wires as per the manual to a regular xlr cable, with the other two being optional remote power on/off. Unfortunately, I immediately discovered that I have the older 502 mixer without phantom power, which meant buying a separate phantom power supply for $20 (grumble). More cables, but it was still cheaper than getting a new mixer.

The end result works spectacularly. The mic is very sensitive; even at an arms length when I talk quietly it's able to pick it up without a problem. The xenyx preamp on the 502 does introduce a bit of noise at that point, but it's not very noticeable, and if I talk a bit louder I can turn the preamp down to eliminate noise entirely. I'm still playing with the mic and preamp tweaks to get the optimal levels, but I'm already rather happy at this point. I'll be getting another mixer at some point for the second mic, if I can find a good deal on a used one with a better preamp.

[ricercar]

I never considered boundary mics for computer gaming.



You'll find boundary mics are great for live recordings too. They can sit on the floor, preventing mic stand confusion with the performers. For three decades PZM mics have been the core of my standard recording kit, and I've NEVER been dissatisfied.

As you found, placement is non-critical. Yet good placement pays off. Put one inside a kick drum sometime and be surprised. On 3 meter square plexiglas sheets (or the floor or wall, any large planar surface)  it's the finest home recording of orchestra tympani or thunder that small money can buy.

You may want to consider a Mackie VLZ mixer; the mic pres offer very low noise.