Need a gift idea for the podcaster(s) in your life? Then look no further. I’ve got you covered in the 2022 edition of Gear for the Holidays. In this series of blogs (with videos coming soon) we’ll cover the hardware, software, and online services that any podcaster would be excited to see under the tree (or inside their inbox).

3 Great Microphones

The most essential piece of gear for any podcaster is a microphone. But not all microphones are created equal. While many podcasters start out using the internal mic on their phone or a pair of earbuds, there’s nothing like sitting behind a legit mic that’s built to bring out the best in your voice to give you the sound quality and the confidence you need to succeed. Here are the three recently released mics that I’m excited to check out in 2023 and could be great gifts for any podcaster in your life.

*Note: This is not an official review or recommendation of any of these mics, just my personal take based on many hours (likely hundreds of hours) of research. After all the research, listening to audio samples, and weighing the pros and cons these are the mics that have risen to the top of my wishlist for the new year. It’s also important to note that all three of these mics are dynamic mics. That was an intentional choice based on the way dynamic mics pic up and reject sound in comparison with condenser mics. I won’t spend time on those differences here but if you’d like to know more check out this video: Choosing the Right Mic.

Rode XDM-100 USB Dynamic Microphone

This is the most recently released mic of the one’s I’ll mention in this post and has only been available since October 26, 2022. (Rode also released the XCM-50 USB Condenser Microphone.) Upon first glance the XDM-100 looks very similar to the Røde Procaster, (which is a plus in my book) with a few additional external features including a headphone jack for zero latency monitoring, a volume adjustment knob for listening in those headphones and a sleek pop filter that maintains the very distinct look of the mic.

As a USB mic, the XDM-100 is plug and play with just about any DAW (digital audio workstation) but what I’m most excited about with this mic is the software Røde designed to really make this mic shine. I’ll share more about that when I get a chance to use it but for now, you can explore Unify (available as a separate purchase/subscription) for yourself to see what it has to offer.

Current price (USD): $249

Beacn USB Dynamic Microphone

The Beacn (yes that’s spelled correctly) Mic has been available since August 2021, but has become more popular throughout 2022 as more streamers, podcasters, and content creators have gotten their hands on it. It has a simple form factor (that looks similar to the iconic Shure SM7B) but is jam packed with powerful processing tools you won’t find with many USB mics. You will be able to monitor your audio via the headphone jack provided on the back of the mic and via the visual EQ settings provided within the Beacn App.

The great part about this mic is that you can adjust all the settings (EQ, compression, limiter, etc) through the app, but all the processing is done inside the mic itself which saves your computer that processing power as well as any fan noise associated with it.

Current Price (USD): $279

Logitech Blue Sona XLR Dynamic Microphone

The Logitech Blue Sona just might be the one I’m looking forward to the most. In contrast to the two previously mentioned mics, this one is an XLR mic and will require a USB interface to be useful as a podcast mic (more to come on USB interfaces in the next post).

The Blue Sona, just released September 21, 2022, has so far been touted as a legitimate competitor of the aforementioned Shure SM7B, not just in style, but in sound quality as well. It also retails for $50 less than the standard price of the Shure mic and does not require the assistance of a Cloudlifter or Fethead to provide additional gain, which is also a significant cost savings. The Sona includes on-board controls for a high pass filter and a presence boost that will help you dial in your sound. And as far as style goes, I’ve not seen anything quite like this one. This mic has a squared off body that is available in both black and white and comes with black and red pop-filters.

Current Price (USD): $349

And since I mentioned the Shure SM7B several times in this post I thought I’d go ahead and include it here as a bonus option. And when I say “bonus” I really mean that this mic has been the standard that most other mics are compared to when it comes to professional podcast mics. It is a great option and one that I have used and can recommend. It is slightly more expensive than the others mentioned here and does require additional gain support but there is no doubt that it delivers. The current price for the Shure SM7B is $359.

Which of these mics are you most interested in trying out or purchasing for someone? What other mics would you include in your list this year? Let me know in the comments and keep an eye out for more posts in this 2022 Gear for the Holidays series.