I'm looking for a great microphone to record videos for a YouTube channel. There are plenty of good mics for under $200, but I can't decide which one to get. I'm only considering USB microphones for convenience and portability.  

So far, I've found four USB microphones I like:

🎤 Rode NT-USB $169

🎤 Rode NT-USB Mini $99 

🎤 Blue Yeti $129

🎤 Samson G-Track Pro USB $129

Of the four, the recently released Rode NT-USB Mini and Blue Yeti are the two top contenders. However, Rode NT-USB released a few years ago still gets rave reviews.

Any recommendations on what microphone I should get for YouTube videos? Should I also buy a mic boom arm?

I love my Yeti, but get a pop filter.

It looks like Rode NT-USB Mini has a built-in pop filter, while the Rode NT-USB has an external pop filter.

Yeti Blue doesn't come with a pop filter, but it is a relatively inexpensive add on. I also found a Yet Caster that includes the boom arm for $199.

I've made 4 videos with the Røde NT-USB so far and am very happy with it. It replaced an 'ancient' Blue Snowball. Doesn't even need maximum gain to work on Mac OS.

One of the problems I have is, sitting in front of three monitors and a glass desk in front of a glass wall, is I get some echo and bounce-back - so I cobbled together a booth ages ago and it helps. Fitting on my home-made stand was a consideration.

VO is from the NT-USB

FCP Fine Tuning saved as a pre-set:

Dave, have you thought of using multiple microphones on a test ride to fully immerse viewer in the machine's aural experience? I mean on some or perhaps most bikes the air intake growl combined with exhaust burble would be my options. I am still thinking what I'd use to simultaneously record it.. I have a simple recorder app and am thinking run that with a second mic, alongside the gopro sound track. Then somehow sync the start and edit to blend them.

I very nearly bought a Rode NT-USB based on Dave's recommendation and I'm sure I would have been happy with it. But then I thought, hmmm, he's using it mostly for the studio and voice over and I want to shoot outdoors in sometimes noisy areas, often with wind. So I ended up springing the big bucks for the Sennheiser MKH-416. Also, where I stream (Kevin's garage) has noise coming from the sides and behind the mic sometimes.

Wife not happy with another $1,100 charge...

he's using it mostly for the studio

'Entirely' in the Studio.

My experience is you can never go wrong with Sennheiser kit. You get what you pay for.

Tell her to check the revenue stream from it ... no, wait.

Yeah - good suggestion, I have done in the past. And used different camera mount points, but it's really a matter of effort Vs reward with bikes with stock exhausts. Some just are too muffled to make it worthwhile. I'm OK using the Lav mic to get approximately what you hear when riding it for most - If I shut up long enough.

I've got 3 Go Pros so different points are easy - sync 'em in post.