Are there any USB microphones under $10 that will record talking-volume sound 2-3 meters away?

Question

I have several small USB microphones, which work just fine as long as my mouth is within a few inches of the mic's input. However, I am looking for a small and cheap microphone (under $10 from somewhere like Amazon) that doesn't require such close proximity.

Are there any such cheap USB microphones that can record normal volume speaking that takes place 2-3 meters away from the mic?

Answer 1

In case your radio won't take a USB input... Here are a couple 3.5mm options:

• Poking around Amazon I found the "Floureon BM-800 Condenser Sound Studio Recording Broadcasting Microphone" for $30 it's the best seller so it's probably not too bad.
• "Tonor 3.5mm Studio Professional Microphone Mic with Stand For Audio Sound Recording Skype Desktop PC Laptop Notebook" for $10.99, also on amazon.com.

But like I mentioned earlier, you generally get what you pay for... Higher price generally = Higher quality, more reliability. Caveat emptor.

Answer 2

Like Digital Boffin said, you're not going to be able to get something worthwhile under $10. I also use a Blue Snowball for recordings and it works very well. If you poke around on ebay, you may be able to find a used Blue Snowball. I was able to find one here on ebay for $25. If you want to get something that's new, you're going to have pay at least $50 for something decent like the Snowball Ice. Or about $70 for the "real" Snowball. n.b. the snowball is a USB mic.

In conclusion:

• A mic under $10 probably isn't worth it (esp. for the conditions you described)
• You're probably going to need to spend at least $50 or more for something decent like the Snowball or Snowball Ice.
• If $50 is too far out of your price range, you could try poking around on ebay for a used Snowball or something similar (I was able to find one for about $25 w/o shipping, which shouldn't be to expensive)