Microphone Accessories

An XLR cable might not seem like the most important thing, but it is often the “weak link” in your audio’s signal chain.

You don’t want a high-end condenser or dynamic microphone paired with a cheap cable.

They can wear out, pick up interference, and different materials will conduct electricity better or worse than others.

Some terms you might see are balanced or unbalanced, low or high impedance, conductor material, strand count, and more.

It can definitely get kind of confusing – but don’t worry about all that.

We’re going to help you out by highlighting the best XLR cables among a few different price points.

Most of them will be offered in different cable lengths, with longer cables tending to cost a little more than shorter ones.

They generally fall into three different tiers based on price: budget, mid-range, and high-end.

If you want to save yourself some time, my favorites among the different tiers are:

• Budget XLR Cable: LyxPro
• Mid-Range XLR Cable: Rapco Horizon
• High-End XLR Cable: Mogami Gold Studio

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Pop filters do what their name suggests – they reduce or eliminate popping sounds.

In natural speech, certain letters tend to cause your mouth and breath to produce fast-moving air. These plosives typically come from the letters P, T, and K.

Try saying the word “podcast” or “pop filter” while holding your hand in front of your mouth – you’ll feel the air.

This air can easily overwhelm a microphone, causing distortion and clipping.

We definitely don’t want that.

So let’s take a look at some of the best pop filters to use when recording vocals as of November 2023…

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The Blue Yeti microphone is one of the most popular microphones for podcasting, gaming, YouTube, and any other type of recording you typically do in front of your computer.

It’s an excellent microphone out of the box – it’s our top pick for USB microphones and gaming microphones – but there are a few things you should get to increase your audio quality and make it easier to use properly.

Update: You can get the brand new Blue Yeticaster Bundle that includes the Blue Yeti, Blue Radius III shock mount & Blue Compass boom arm – and you save a bunch by getting them together!

Check out the top Blue Yeti accessories here:

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I have to say that getting a microphone boom arm was one of the best decisions I made for my podcasting studio.

Why? Because I can be ready to record so much faster. All I have to do is pull the boom arm toward me and hit record. But it also frees up a lot of space on your desk and feels much more professional. A mic boom arm also allows you to get perfect mic placement much easier and with better posture. That means your voice sounds better.

Also, if you get a shock mount (and you should), you will need a mic stand of some kind in order to attach it.

It’s pretty crazy that one basic piece of equipment can do so much.

But quality varies quite a bit and certain microphones (like the Blue Yeti) are heavier than average and will need a sturdier boom. If you invest in a decent one, it will last you a long time. I would avoid the cheaper ones if you can.

I’ll start with my favorite as of November 2023:

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