Are you looking for the best talkback mic? Then, you’ve come to the right place.
The talkback microphone is one of the most important tools in a recording studio that continues to be unjustifiably underrated.
Talkback microphones aurally isolate the control or recording room, enabling you to communicate clearly with your interlocutor during ‘talkback’ occasions. The modern-day version of the talkback mic has come a long way since the days of the dynamic mic.
A high-quality talkback mic is supremely affordable, and featuring a gooseneck design, facilitates full analog signal routing allowing producers and musicians to talk back smoothly.
The 6 Best Talkback Microphones
Shure PGA31 Headset Condenser Microphone (Editor’s Choice)
The Shure PGA31 excels in delivering high-quality sound for live performance and studio recordings, an eminently affordable cardioid headset condenser mic. This wireless cardioid condenser headset microphone has been ergonomically designed with meticulous care for ensuring extended wearing comfort. On the other hand, the ergonomic layout of PGA31 guarantees a customized fit that eventually allows hands-free use in all circumstances.
As a cardioid mic, the PGA31 not only hears but also focuses on listening, i.e., the mic is extremely receptive to sound to where it points (on-axis at 0°). As a result, the PGA31 pickup lateral sounds somewhat quieter while it ultimately keeps out sonic coming from its backside. No wonder most of the studio and onstage microphones are reinforced with cardioid technology facilitating the recording of very sensitive vocals.
The Shure PGA31 Headset Condenser Microphone continues to be the top choice for broadcasting, live performances, and studio situations, thanks to the mic’s unidirectionality coupled with its rear rejection functionality. In addition, the PGA31, available in bunched PGX, GLX-D, and BLX digital wireless modes, comes with TA4F 4-pin connectors rendering it a practical replacement for any standard Shure wireless receiver system.
Pros
- TA4F (TQG) connector for perfect integration with Shure wireless bodypacks
- Adaptable gooseneck design
- Excellent adjustment capabilities for enhancing source noise isolation
Cons
- The wire is quite susceptible to twisting or bending, so you need to be careful when using the mic.
Shure CVG18-B/C Gooseneck Condenser Microphone (Close Runner-Up)
The Shure CVG18-B/C Gooseneck Condenser Mic comes reinforced with a dual-section gooseneck that enables smooth clear-cut communication and convenient positioning. Shure’s centraverse gooseneck condenser microphone, including the CVG18-B/C, features a mounting flange or projection for stable placement and a windscreen.
Designed and crafted with painstaking care, this centraverse condenser mic delivers top-notch performance for years. In addition, it is equipped with commshield technology, which screens unwarranted RF signals from portable wireless gadgets.
The CVG18-B/C gooseneck condenser mic finds extensive applications in government departments, public and religious institutions, and corporate houses using sound reinforcement systems.
This Shure centraverse mic includes an inline preamp and 45.7m cable that come in handy for AV conferencing and also for using with installed sound reinforcement. The CVG18 Boundary Condenser Mic effortlessly fits in any environment installed with a sound reinforcement system thanks to its gooseneck design and low profile.
The CVG18-B/C exploits cardioid polar pattern technology for offering a clean and 100% sole sound source guaranteeing bespoke speech response.
Pros
- Excellent frequency response
- Highly durable and resilient
- Inline preamp
- CommShield Technology shields superfluous RF signals from portable wireless gadgets such as smartphones.
Cons
- A “shock” mount would have added to this microphone’s usefulness
- Regular users will feel the need for onboard controls
Shure SM35 Performance Headset Condenser Microphone
Shure’s SM35 Performance Headset Condenser Microphone furnishes audio and sound engineers, recording artists, and studio technicians, full leeway to articulate without foregoing audio quality.
An ultra-taut unidirectional cardioid polar pattern allows for outstanding elimination of off-axis auditory sources for checking signal bleed and feedback onstage. Therefore the Shure SM35 headset condenser mic is ideal for large organizations with installed reinforcement systems, arena tours, and small clubs.
As a performer or a public speaker, if you want to capture and arrest your audience’s attention, you’ll need to use a premium headset mic. And this is exactly where the Shure SM35 performance headset condenser mic comes to your aid.
The versatile SM35 lets you reproduce your vocalization crisply and clearly while keeping out ambient noise whether you’re addressing an audience or singing.
On the one hand, the adjustable gooseneck allows you to position the mic comfortably, and on the other, the integrated windscreen reduces wind and respiration noise.
Pros
- Clear and crisp sound
- Wireframe headset sits comfortably for hours on your ears
- 100% flexible gooseneck profile for personalized positioning, which further betters source isolation
- Dedicated unidirectional cardioid pickup pattern for minimizing feedback from floor monitors
Cons
- The boom arm could have been a bit more stable
- Movement leads to a perceptible inconsistency in the sound level
Samson CM20P Gooseneck Podium Microphone
The Samson CM20P Gooseneck Podium Mic makes the most of the cardioid polar pattern technique in studios talking back with perfect clarity. The podium mic of the CM20P securely built into the fully flexible gooseneck enables you to position the microphone right where you need it. In addition, both the top and bottom sections of the CM20P are highly adjustable, thus facilitating a range of placement application options.
Regardless of whether you’re making a presentation, demonstrating a product, or regaling the audience with your singing, the cardioid pickup outline and the condenser element guarantee delivery of optimum reproduced sound.
The windscreen of this gooseneck podium microphone will surely leave you impressed as it reflects your voice for a reasonable distance without hardly any feedback. Though this mic does not perform as efficiently as a high-end condenser, its response is crisp enough for talking back clearly in the studio.
Another outstanding feature of this dais microphone is its unusually long 20” neck that makes it incredibly maneuverable, allowing you to use it comfortably in tight enclosures. The CM20P gooseneck mic offers you good value for money, allowing you to use it for different vocal presentation situations.
Pros
- Condenser mic element with the cardioid pickup pattern
- You can adjust the fully flexible gooseneck just the way you’d want to
- Multistage windscreen cuts downwind and breathing noise
Cons
- A low-cut filter would have enhanced its versatility
- It could have been a little sturdier
Monoprice 114891 Commercial Audio Desktop Paging Microphone
The 114891 Commercial Audio Desktop Paging Mic by Monoprice has been designed primarily to address the audience at conferences and meetings. Like all top-quality condenser microphones, the Monoprice 114891 desktop paging mic harnesses cardioid polar patterns to reject lateral and rear sounds, thereby enabling reproduction of unidirectional sound.
At the same time, this mic comes with a flexible 17” (43cm) long gooseneck that lets you adjust it to your personalized speaking position.
You can easily power the Monoprice 114891 microphone by fitting 2 x AAA batteries or plugging it into an electrical outlet via the included XLR jack and female XLR to male ¼” TS plug adapter.
This audio desktop paging microphone is used across the board for onstage performances, broadcasting, studio recordings, and numerous other public address requirements. The mic demonstrates remarkable proximity effect, is extremely responsive to vocal plosives, and furnishes brilliant sound isolation.
Pros
- Mic easily plugs into the supplied base and directly into a PA system
- You can adjust adaptable 17” gooseneck at the speaker’s convenience
- Detachable foam pop filter
Cons
- The on/off button is a bit flimsy
- A battery guzzler
Samson CM15P Gooseneck Podium Microphone
Another quality product from Samson, the CM15P Gooseneck Podium very much like its sibling, the CM20P features a quality condenser mic delivering seamless sonic for presentations and live performances.
The built-in condenser mic element takes optimum advantage of cardioid polarity pattern to capture vocals for seminars, symposiums, lectures, and arena concerts. The cardioid pickup pattern, which is extremely sensitive to unidirectional sound, rebuffs off-axis noise for blocking sound/noise coming from the reverse direction.
Owing to the CM15P podium mic’s cardioid pattern element’s unidirectionality and rear rejection capabilities, it excels in cutting off individual sound sources. In addition, this gooseneck microphone includes a windscreen, mounting hardware, standard 3-pin XLR base, and a 9-52V phantom power.
Pros
- Flexible 15” gooseneck with adjustable top and bottom segments for tailored placement and solid middle section for maintaining straightness
- It comes with a flange mount for tailored placement
- Cardioid pickup pattern for focused audio capture and reducing feedback when paired with a PA system
- Integrated selectable hi-pass filter for eliminating low-end grumble
Cons
- The foam head is not secured firmly to the mic, so it could slip off and get misplaced.
How to Choose a Good Talkback Microphone?
When it comes to selecting a microphone, the quality of the captured and reproduced sound is what determines your choice. But when you shop for a talkback mic, strictly speaking, this trait is by and large not a priority. Standard talkback podium microphones, as the name indicate, enable you to communicate or talk back clearly so that your audience or addressees can hear and understand you easily.
The chief purpose of a talkback mic is to let you interact with your listeners when you speak through the microphone. As long as a talkback microphone performs this function reasonably well, it is considered good quality. So what are the factors that you should take into consideration while choosing a quality podium mic?
The Durability of Talkback Microphones
Your topmost priority should be to opt for a product that has been made from quality and durable materials. Bear in mind that your mic will be subjected to rough handling more often than not. So first off, the mic element must be sturdy and competent enough to capture clean sound.
Secondly, the gooseneck should be strongly built to endure wear and tear and also must be sufficiently pliable. To say last but not least, the flange mount must be made out of metal and capable of holding the mic very steadily.
Directional Polar Pattern
Talkback microphones pick up sound either in a unidirectional or omnidirectional manner defined as a polar pattern. Microphones used in arena tours and conferences and as podium or pulpit mics exploit cardioid pickup patterns that capture sound at the front while rejecting rear noise.
However, hyper-cardioid or super-cardioid mics tend to be better than cardioid polar pattern models, as the former is somewhat less receptive to sounds generated from the sides or back.
Frequency Roll-Off
Frequency roll-off has to do with the microphone’s sensitiveness to sound frequencies. Firstly, frequency roll-off defines the mic’s efficiency in reproducing the sound within a specific frequency range. For example, a flat frequency response mic can replicate sound with reasonable accuracy, while a shaped frequency response mic tends to be less receptive to lower frequencies.
Final Thoughts: the Best Talkback Microphone Is…
When you’re shopping for a quality talkback mic, always go for a product that is ruggedly constructed, has a flexible gooseneck, easy to power on, and is simple to mount.
Towards this end, the Shure models are a safe bet as the company has been making high-quality audio equipment for nearly a century. Nevertheless, the Samson talkback mics are also made good buys as these microphones offer functional features at pocket-friendly prices.