# Which microphone with open headphones?



## Xickle

I want to buy the Hifiman He-400, which are open headphones, but want to use them for gaming while also chatting on skype. Is there a microphone out there that will ignore the sound leakage and only pick up my voice when I talk?


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## DADDYDC650

xickle said:


> I want to buy the Hifiman He-400, which are open headphones, but want to use them for gaming while also chatting on skype. Is there a microphone out there that will ignore the sound leakage and only pick up my voice when I talk?


 
 V-MODA BoomPro. You can find it at Amazon.


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## Xickle

daddydc650 said:


> V-MODA BoomPro. You can find it at Amazon.


 
 Hey thanks for the reply, but that wouldn't work on HE-400 headphones, because they got a different cable plug. I need another option, such as a desk mic or a quality clip-on mic.


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## crisps

Assuming you have a highish budget I've heard good things about the Blue Yeti mics with a filter on it. I don't own one but I used it briefly at a friend's house and it was pretty cool.
  
 I have tried things like Neewer clip-on mics and ****ty logitech desktops and nothing really had the quality I wanted while playing games. Sure, they don't sound ****ty if I actively hold them, but I can't really be doing that all the time.
  
 Right now I'm just using an old gaming headset around my neck with my headphones.


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## Xickle

crisps said:


> Assuming you have a highish budget I've heard good things about the Blue Yeti mics with a filter on it. I don't own one but I used it briefly at a friend's house and it was pretty cool.
> 
> I have tried things like Neewer clip-on mics and ****ty logitech desktops and nothing really had the quality I wanted while playing games. Sure, they don't sound ****ty if I actively hold them, but I can't really be doing that all the time.
> 
> Right now I'm just using an old gaming headset around my neck with my headphones.


 
 I have considered getting the Blue Yeti, but I'm looking for any cheaper alternatives, as I will use the mic for talking over skype. I will not be doing any quality commentary for the public, and such a mic would be a bit too much for my intentions.
  
 I saw a cool mod for mounting a mic boom on the headphones(for DT770, but a good idea) here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/195242/the-ultimate-gaming-headset-beyerdynamic-dt-770-microphone-mod so hopefully there's a good quality boom out there that won't pick up the sound from open headphones.


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## rc10mike

Theres also this on from Beyerdynamic. I use it with AKG K702s, the quality is great:
  
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_71111_Beyerdynamic-Custom-One-Pro-Headset-Gear-Detachable-Gooseneck-Microphone.html


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## DaveUpton

http://www.modmic.com/


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## Xickle

rc10mike said:


> Theres also this on from Beyerdynamic. I use it with AKG K702s, the quality is great:
> 
> http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_71111_Beyerdynamic-Custom-One-Pro-Headset-Gear-Detachable-Gooseneck-Microphone.html


 
 Yeah I really like it too, but the headphones I'm interested in don't have detachable cables, so I wouldn't be able to use it, unless there's something I can get to plug the end part into. I kinda like how this guy does it: http://imgur.com/gallery/bKU4H. 
  
 I've also looked at the modmic, but I'd rather have something I can also get on Amazon, so I don't have to pay for two shippings, as I live over the ocean.


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## AxelCloris

The Modmic is a good microphone, I've had one before. I currently use the DX clip-on microphone with my HD650 headphones. The same situation as the HE-400 since they're proprietary connections. It has a nice pickup and sounds great and it's cheap.


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## damstr

I ordered the 2.3 mod mic about a week ago. Should have it end of the month according to his blog post a couple days ago. I'll be using them with DT990's. Hopefully them being open won't make the mod mic pic up on the noise. Using them on Xbox One.


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## Rekoj

I don't know how soon you need a microphone, but as mentioned before there's AntLion's ModMics. I'm not a big fan of their current selection the 2.3 and the 3.0 because of how flimsy the thin cabling seems. Apparently it's easy to break the boom mic if you bend it too far. But their original modmic and their 2.0 had the perfect cable imo. So I'm really looking forward to the 4.0 modmic which is currently in production and should be available around late February/January. The 4.0 should be much similar to the 1.0 and 2.0 in terms of body, but much better build quality and better compatibility with hardware.
  
 More information about the 4.0:
http://www.modmic.com/blogs/news/11157241-major-4-0-update-stock-info-bitcoin-accepted-now-uservoice-tool-added
  
 Just read the apart about you wanting to be able to get it over Amazon as you live somewhere over the ocean. In the link above then mention getting their products back on Amazon and they'll probably be able to do international shipping first.

 Just to hold myself out until then I use my old Razer Carcharias headset's microphone by having it sit on top of a flashlight on my desk. I used to just keep it around my neck, but that got tiring real fast.
  
 Edit: I messed up and essentially double posted. Hopefully a moderator can delete this post as it wasn't tended to be a double post.


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## Rekoj

I don't know how soon you want/need a microphone, but as mentioned already in this thread AntLion's ModMics are definitely an option. I'm not a big fan of their current selection being the 2.3 and 3.0 modmics, as they have a thinner wire which is more prone to kinking and breaking. But they currently have the 4.0 in development and soon to be in production, which should start shipping around late February to early March. The 4.0 will be more similar to the 1.0 and 2.0's which had a bigger OD so they were infinitely more bendable than what they currently offer. There's more information on the AntLion in their blog selection about it. Also you showed favoritism towards items being on Amazon as you live somewhere overseas. In their latest blog post AntLion mentions getting back on Amazon and will be likely to be able to do international shipping first.
  
 Just to hold myself out for the 4.0's, I use my Razer Carcharis headset's microphone. I have it resting on top of a flashlight on my desk with the mic sticking out and while it's not the most aesthetically pleasing it functions well. I used to keep it around my desk as I used different headphones, but that got annoying pretty fast.


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## crisps

rekoj said:


> I don't know how soon you want/need a microphone, but as mentioned already in this thread AntLion's ModMics are definitely an option. I'm not a big fan of their current selection being the 2.3 and 3.0 modmics, as they have a thinner wire which is more prone to kinking and breaking. But they currently have the 4.0 in development and soon to be in production, which should start shipping around late February to early March. The 4.0 will be more similar to the 1.0 and 2.0's which had a bigger OD so they were infinitely more bendable than what they currently offer. There's more information on the AntLion in their blog selection about it. Also you showed favoritism towards items being on Amazon as you live somewhere overseas. In their latest blog post AntLion mentions getting back on Amazon and will be likely to be able to do international shipping first.
> 
> Just to hold myself out for the 4.0's, I use my Razer Carcharis headset's microphone. I have it resting on top of a flashlight on my desk with the mic sticking out and while it's not the most aesthetically pleasing it functions well. I used to keep it around my desk as I used different headphones, but that got annoying pretty fast.


 
 This is almost exactly my life right now.


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## Vindication

I'm trying to use a pair of PSB M4U2 headphones with my Xbox One/PS4.  I have the Turtle Beach Seven adapter and I've been able to get sound out of the headphones but when i use the chat from the PSB mic cable its ultra sensative to noise when it moves around hence why I'm in search of a "boom mic" solution. 
  
 I've looked that the ModMic but I don't understand how this would work? Do i get a Y Cable to join the headphones and the boom mic together so I can input that to the Amp?
  
 I guess I'm looking for some kind of direction.....maybe I just confused everyone in here. Who knows.


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## YWZMatt

I was using Logitech G930's but since I got my Blue Snowball mic, I've been looking for some actual headphones. Currently wearing Sony MDRRF985RK's that I got yesterday. They were a mistake. Really bad sound quality and terrible range. Currently looking into Sennheiser RS 170 or RS 180.


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## Lagosaurus

You can't really go wrong with a modmic from AntLion. If you have open cans you'll probably want to go with a unidirectional mic though.


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## Letmebefrank

I have a pair of ad900x headphones and I use a AT2020usb mic with a cheap arm and pop filter. The mic sounds absolutely amazing and no one can hear the sound leaking from my headphones, at least nobody has said they can hear it on mumble, vent, or TS while playing FPS games with the sound cranked.


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## oThatsEric

+1 for the antlion modmic, plus they go on sale on massdrop occasionally


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## 4to15Characters

I'm looking for a new mic myself. I've been using an RS170 for gaming for quite a while and love it. My Mac's built-in mic also sounds great, but only in OS X. When I BootCamp into Windows 7, the quality drops drastically: The audio is full of hiss and my voice sounds canned.
  
 I thought it might have something to do with how Windows treats my computer's fans or spins my HDDs differently, so I tried some external mics. First the Blue Snowball, but it was too quiet to pick my voice up from 2.5 feet away. Then the Blue Snowflake, but it sounded identical to the built-in mic.
  
 So I need a high quality mic that can sit on my desk and pick up my voice from a couple feet away. That or a wireless ModMic if such a thing exists.


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## Eryk96

Get an omni directional mod-mid and just stick it on and wrap the cables together


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## Bloos

blue yeti +1


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## wthefourth

I use a unidirectional ModMic 4.0 with HD 598s on the PC, and a V-MODA BoomPro with Custom One Pros or SHP9500s on PS4. Both have worked out really well.


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## halcyon

As an ownder of AntLion Modmic, here are my impressions:
  
 - Don't get the one with Mic mute switch. It breaks easily. My broke in 6 months. I never jerked the cable, the plug was never attached/attached or cable moved around. It just died. The switch is just another extra point of failure and it's really cheeeeep!
  
 - The quality of ModMic (latest incarnation 2015) is not very good. It picks up typing noises. The sound quality is severely cut off (good for gaming voice, but nowhere near as good as my cheap Logitech neckband headset mic).
  
 My cheap trick was to buy one of inexpensive Logitech neckband headsets, hang it around my neck and just plug in the mic part. Did the job. You can find similar from other mfgs, even though the logitech model I link to may not be for sale anymore. I can easily wear this for hours and with any sized other headphones, because these lay on  my neck.
  
 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-980447-0914-PC-Headset-120/dp/B000FKNZR0
  
 The cheaper and better (sound quality) option for attaching to headsets than AntLion modmic is the Zalman ZM-Mic1. If you place it far enough from your open headphones it hopefully will not pick up the bleed out sound from the cans, but still pick up your voice.
  
 http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ
  
 If you want quality, get the Blue Yeti Pro and switch to hyper-cardioid pattern, place it properly and adjust the gain to suit your needs.


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## langtuqn2007

I'd definitely take a look at an affordable external mic like ATR2100 here. But if you decide to go for the modmic, it's decent and I don't think the mic will pick up too much noise from the grills on HE-400. Just keep in mind that you might wanna buy an unidirectional mod mic (omnidirectional will pick up surround sound, not the unidirectional one)


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## jcddc

Samson mics have several affordable options.  All, of which, are excellent choices.


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## as1617947

What I always use in playing video game, listening to musics and even calling is a logitech headphones. Great headphones ever.


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## AAJoe

Hey guys, I work with ModMic so you know where my vote is going to end up 
  
 @halcyon - Hit us up on our contact form to get a replacement. Sounds like a good item for our autopsy team to take a look at. We try to deliver exceptional service and a broken unit in 6 months is unusual, for sure, but we love taking apart broken units to see how we can make the next model better. When you contact us be sure to quote this post and, if you'd like, we can send the muteless version.
  
 Also, did you have the omni or uni directional? The omni picks up a lot more sound than the uni, which may include keyboard noises if you've got a particularly loud mechanical one (I do, and mine will pick it up if I lean down, but not during normal gameplay.... not unless I am really banging the thing like crazy.) - If you had the omni or aren't sure, be sure to request a uni as a replacement! I believe it will solve the issue.
  
 We have plans on improving the mute switch in the next version, which I am personally quite excited about. I'm sure we'll have details about that very soon.
  
 Just a general note to everyone, I am really excited to see both love and critical feedback about the Modmic here! We're a small company and improving our product, getting the word out, and getting feedback are all critical to our success. If you have any praise or problems at all, just drop me a line directly and I will do my best to help!
  
 -Joe
 Antlion Audio's Director of Marketing


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## vivi the mage

aajoe said:


> Hey guys, I work with ModMic so you know where my vote is going to end up
> 
> @halcyon - Hit us up on our contact form to get a replacement. Sounds like a good item for our autopsy team to take a look at. We try to deliver exceptional service and a broken unit in 6 months is unusual, for sure, but we love taking apart broken units to see how we can make the next model better. When you contact us be sure to quote this post and, if you'd like, we can send the muteless version.
> 
> ...


 
 Any idea when the new one with a new mute button is coming out? Or if we could trade in for it if we had a 4.0?


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## AAJoe

@vivi the mage Short version: We're aiming at having the new 5.0 before the holidays this year. That's not a promise, just our goal. As we get to around summer we'll know for sure if we will hit our deadline.

 We're also looking into some kind of upgrade / loyalty system. We try to avoid a constant "discount" cycle, but we may (again, not set in stone) offer a pre-order discount to past customers. At least it is something I want to do, its more a matter of logistics and how we do it. Suffice to say, the answer here is I hope to provide a way to get our past customers into a shiny new 5.0. Maybe even discount extra base clasps so you can gift your 4.0 to a friend 
  
 -Joe


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## Grom8

I like the Modmic, though I had to buy a small usb sound card adapter cause due to static pickup caused by electrostatic interference on the motherboard. Otherwise the quality is amazing and so is the pickup, also the bit you stick to headphones to easily take it on and off is really nice. 8/10


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## AAJoe

@Grom8 Thanks for the 8/10!  Yeah the 3.5mm is perfect for many, but for certain setups it can get a weird feedback hum or other problems. It varies based on the soundcard or motherboard, in which case the USB will produce better sound. Glad you worked it out though!
  
 -Joe


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## vivi the mage

aajoe said:


> @vivi the mage Short version: We're aiming at having the new 5.0 before the holidays this year. That's not a promise, just our goal. As we get to around summer we'll know for sure if we will hit our deadline.
> 
> We're also looking into some kind of upgrade / loyalty system. We try to avoid a constant "discount" cycle, but we may (again, not set in stone) offer a pre-order discount to past customers. At least it is something I want to do, its more a matter of logistics and how we do it. Suffice to say, the answer here is I hope to provide a way to get our past customers into a shiny new 5.0. Maybe even discount extra base clasps so you can gift your 4.0 to a friend
> 
> -Joe


 
 good to hear, thanks.


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## hiilari

Hello,
  
 I'm considering to get the AntLion ModMic and attach it to my HifiMan and Audeze hedphones for open office and home-office use. Like many others, I'm a sucker for good headphone sound, but the only criteria for outgoing voice is that people can understand my speech during calls and webinars.
  
 Would you guys recommend the uni-directional/cardioid or the omni-directional? Directional seems better for isolating open office ambient noise (noisy idiot colleagues, that is), but directional mics always have the proximity effect. So does the directional capture breathing noise more, or otherwise sounds boomy or inferior?


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## AAJoe

We recommend a Uni-Directional for this - and the ModMic comes with a 30 day full refund policy if for some reason it is picking up ambient noise (it shouldn't, and if it does, some minor tweaks to the gain and speaker volume should fix it).
  
 -Joe


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## hobbr

I have the unidirectional antlion modmic 4 attached to my AKG K7xx (going into a six foot extension and my Sound Blaster Z card) and have heard 0 complaints about feedback from my gaming friends in-game CSGO, mumble, or ventrilo. Wish I didn't waste a magnetic sticker on my MDR V6s as I no longer use them for gaming.


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## minimoose12

I use the yeti but I know allot of people here will advocate for a at2020 with XLR input. XLR is generally better at getting rid of background noise so I would go with that setup. The yeti is just a great option for simplisity sake.


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## speakerlao

Modmic


aajoe said:


> We recommend a Uni-Directional for this - and the ModMic comes with a 30 day full refund policy if for some reason it is picking up ambient noise (it shouldn't, and if it does, some minor tweaks to the gain and speaker volume should fix it).
> 
> -Joe


 
  
 Modmic's are way overpriced. A cheap $3 lapel mic from eBay offers near identical voice clarity, if not better. You're just paying for the name and the mounting system of the modmic. If that is worth $40+ to you, by all means, go for it.


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## AAJoe

speakerlao said:


> Modmic
> 
> Modmic's are way overpriced. A cheap $3 lapel mic from eBay offers near identical voice clarity, if not better. You're just paying for the name and the mounting system of the modmic. If that is worth $40+ to you, by all means, go for it.


 
 Well, I once again point to my "Trade member" status here 
  
 The issue is that lapel mics are usually pretty sensitive Omni-directional, which means they'll pick up a lot of background noise. While I haven't a clue if that also includes the audio-bleed on your headphones (would depend on volume, mic location, and how sensitive the lapel mic is), that would be the primary reason I recommended the Uni-Directional ModMic.
  
 I do recommend people look at reviews of products prior to purchasing, and with that I further believe we (ModMic) will come out on top in terms of customer support, warranty, and general quality, as well as our clasp system. Whether that is "worth it" I leave up to you all to determine. I'm just here to help in whatever ways I can.
  
 I appreciate giving the alternatives for those who are looking at a tighter budget though!


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## genetik

I use a Yeti with my HE-400i and haven't had any problems with the mic picking up sound from the headphones. Its also fairly good at ignoring background noise.


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## Shayko

letmebefrank said:


> I have a pair of ad900x headphones and I use a AT2020usb mic with a cheap arm and pop filter. The mic sounds absolutely amazing and no one can hear the sound leaking from my headphones, at least nobody has said they can hear it on mumble, vent, or TS while playing FPS games with the sound cranked.


 
 I'm also an ad900x owner, except with a Samson meteor. I've had the same experience, no one has mentioned hearing sound leakage on various voip programs.


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## SomeGuyDude

minimoose12 said:


> I use the yeti but I know allot of people here will advocate for a at2020 with XLR input. XLR is generally better at getting rid of background noise so I would go with that setup. The yeti is just a great option for simplisity sake.


 
  
 That's not really how it works.
  
 XLR mics tend to be better in the same way that separate mics are better than headset mics: the hardware is dedicated and tends to be cleaner. A USB mic has to have the interface all packed inside it like how bluetooth headphones need DACs inside them. So if you're going XLR you'll need an interface.
  
 FWIW I use a Blue Spark with a Steinberg UR22, a setup that costs around $200 or so retail nowadays. I've had scads of mics over the past few years (Blue Snowball/Yeti/Spark/Bluebird/Baby Bottle, AT-2020+, AKG c214, Shure SM7B, Rode NT1, Neumann TLM102), and I find the Spark just works with my voice perfectly in ways others didn't. It's about $130 these days and sounds beautiful for vocals.
  
 The reason people recommend the at2020 is because the at2020+ is a USB mic and, for my money, sounds significantly better than the Yeti. The Yeti's issue is that for the money you're spending, you're putting it largely into all the unnecessary dials and switches instead of a quality capsule. 
  
 Background noise is an issue mainly in settings. It's going to get picked up to SOME degree, but it shouldn't be so much that it's a problem.


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## lichlord91

Modi 5 , i like to use that one out of all the selections.


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## Scars Unseen

I don't often play multiplayer games, and consequentially, I don't have a dedicated gaming mic setup.  What I _do_ have is a MXL 990 condensor mic running through an Alesis Multimix 8 USB.  I can't speak for how effective it is, but at the least, no one's complained about it yet.


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## Digitalis

I use a Rode Smartlav+ Mic for gaming - though there is always a problem when using any omnidirectional mic with a mechanical keyboard without key-silencers, it will murder your teammates ears. I used to use a gaming headset, but my DAC showed me that headset was completely abysmal regarding audio quality.


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## TMRaven

Using an omnidirectional mic with mechanical keyboard is a bonus.  Everybody wants to hear the audio nirvana of mechanical keyboards!


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## SomeGuyDude

There's no real reason to be using an omnidirectional mic for gaming, in fairness.


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## Digitalis

someguydude said:


> There's no real reason to be using an omnidirectional mic for gaming, in fairness.


 
  
 Unfortunately it is hard to avoid them: a vast majority of headset mics and desk based microphones are either cardioid or omni - despite the proximity effect, they can pick up sounds from everywhere. A shotgun Mic might be better, as they have a very directional pattern.


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## kman1211

I just use a Blue Snowball. May get a Blue Yeti in time.


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## JSands82

V Moda Boom Pro with X2 or SHP9500.
Great combo IMO.


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## Digitalis (Jun 21, 2017)

I recently got a Neat Bumblebee USB mic:







The build quality of this mic is unreal. In a word: solid. It uses a single 24mm cardioid mic capsule. The mic boom allows for the mic to be placed in such a way the sound from my mechanical keyboard is minimized. It also has a spiffy 96khz recording capability too, and the mic has very low noise for a usb mic. There is a 3.5mm jack for self-monitoring, there are controls for mic gain, a few preset frequency curves [I just use neutral] and It also comes with a snap-on pop filter. Overall, the Mic has by far the best packaging I have ever seen for such a product.

My only complaint is that is kind of ruins the red/white/black colour scheme I have with my desktop PC gear.


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## javamalava

A desk mic.


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## JerkChicken

Mic Setup: Rode NT1A>Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 (Gen 2)
Headphone Setup: MrSpeakers Ether 2 (currently)/ Sennheiser HD660s> Fostex HP-A4BL


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## Caster22

i am thinking to buy bm800 mic with behringer umc22.is it a bad option with open back headphones?


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## JerkChicken

what do you mean in terms of bad? if you are afraid of sound leaking into the mic, then you don't need to worry. It doesnt pick it up unless you are listening at extremely loud volumes. 
Plus, you can change the sensitivity of your mic using your interface or even VoiceMeter.


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## hamison

currently using the rode procaster, but the audio technica AT2005usb or the 2100 is pretty decent for a budget option, prefer using dynamic mics over condensers


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## ty5142

Using an at-2020 USB mic with a generic stand, definetly gets the job done but i would love to upgrade to an XLR mic like the AT-2035 for content creation.


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## Playstation

I always got compliments when using my logitech desktop mic. 

Imo you really cannot go wrong with a stand alone mic


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## beepboop

Just saw this listed on Amazon, looks like an modmic clone from Audio Technica.  Is there anyone here that has had experience with this?

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Techni...targid=pla-668298007339&psc=1#customerReviews


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## Amish

I use a Blue Snowball, with filter and desk mounting adjustable arm. Works perfect , is not attached to my expensive headphones and provides SQ much better than your standard boom mic. Everyone says my voice sounds rich. I use open headphones too and no one ever hears any bleed off.


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