What is a good microphone and overall setup for family video chat through Skype?

I have the main TV in the family room hooked up to web camera and a microphone, which allows the whole family at once to video chat. I'm happy with the setup, with the exception of the microphone - it is over-the-year (so it is difficult to pass it around) and it works poorly for higher frequences.

I'm looking for an advice for a microphone that is of higher quality and is easier to share between multiple people (preferably allowing to talk at once), while avoiding the feedback from the speakers.

Sergey Aldoukhov

Posted 2009-12-20T21:48:34.793

Reputation: 238

Answers

The Snowflake is a portable professional USB microphone. It is recommended for use in Podcasting, voice recognition software, iChat, VoIP software (such as Skype and Vonage), dictation, field recording, lecture recording, narration, presentations, and music recording -- so it is more than able to pick up multiple people/sounds at once.

Whether you're recording your newest podcast, talking business on the web, or just narrating your latest great family movie, the Snowflake can capture it with amazing clarity and depth that's head and shoulders above any comparable portable USB on the market!

The Snowflake works on both Mac and PC with no complicated drivers to install: just connect it to your computer's USB port, follow the prompts and you'll have high-fidelity sound in no time. It's perfect for podcasting, voice recognition software, iChat, and VoIP software such as Skype and Vonage. Or use it for dictation, field recording, lecture recording, and narration for slideshows and PowerPoint presentations. The sky's the limit. It's even great for recording music via GarageBand and other multitrack recording software.

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John T

Posted 2009-12-20T21:48:34.793

Reputation: 149 037

Does it support Linux? – Norman Ramsey – 2009-12-21T00:57:27.480

It does not list Linux on the page although I assume their "supported" operating systems are dictated by the ones they've configured to work for the plug and play functionality. A lot of devices don't list Linux support but do work. I don't know for sure as I have not tried it. – John T – 2009-12-21T01:10:51.483

Sennheiser offers a variety of nice microphones (wired and wireless)

as for the feedback, that can be avoided by muting the microphone in Playback (not Recording)

Molly7244

Posted 2009-12-20T21:48:34.793

Reputation:

1I think Skype does mute microphone playback. It is not my feedback I'm worrying about - it is other party feedback - since their sound comes out through speakers, they would hear the echo is this correct? – Sergey Aldoukhov – 2009-12-20T23:46:46.990