Quality PC Microphones?

Factual Questions
1

Currently I’m using a fairly cheap, condenser microphone from Radio Shack. It works decently for the most part, but frequently during recording (noticeable upon playback), when one exhales ever so slightly into the microphone (at least that’s what i think it is), it’ll record it as a deep base type sound that lasts for a brief moment, but is horribly distracting (I even have a foam ball covering the microphone). So are there any high quality PC mics (which connect via the standard microphone port) that might resolve this problem? Thanks

2

The “deep base” sound I described sounds just as if someone blew into the microphone for a second. Also, I’d be using this microphone for narrating video projects, if that matters.

3

I am a video producer and I use Shure brand microphones. I know that Radio Shack sells some models of Shure microphones. You can buy adaptors to take the XLR connection into the computer. The people at the Shack will be able to help you with that.
Before you buy a new microphone, you may want to adjust how you record your voice. Talking over the microphone instead of into it will cut a lot of air noise. Also make sure that you are not holding the microphone too close to your mouth when you record.

4
      • It’s been my experience that the cheap transformer XLR-to-1/4" converters do not work well -you lose a lot of signal level and most all of the high-end. If you insist on using an XLR mic on a computer, you’d get a better sound getting a direct box (~$40, 1/4" line-level output) or M-Audio’s Audio Buddy–a $80 2-channel XLR & 1/4" preamp specially for this, that outputs to line-level and 3.5mm stereo.
        There seems to be two problems here: breathing on the mic and a bad mic (all cheap PC mics are bad mics!).
  • Breathing: to kill that “breath” noise, mic should be 6-8" away from your mouth, and then you make a cheap wind guard by bending a wire coat hanger into a circle 6-8 inches across, and then get a pair of pantyhose and cut one leg off and stretch the leg over the wire loop. Mount the wire loop somehow so that it is placed between the mic and your mouth, a couple inches from the mic. This is cheapest so try this first using your PC mic–it should kill the breath noise totally.
  • Better mic: I have bought some mini mics from Microphone Madness, and they work very well. Go to http://www.microphonemadness.com/moncabmic.html and click on the MM-CMM-2 (for $59). [-There are other companies that sell some of these mics, but Microphone Madness seems to be the manufacturer and carries the whole line, and I haven’t found anyone else selling them for less-] It connects directly to the PC’s mic jack (with a not-included extension cord!) and runs the correct levels, and is dynamic, so it doesn’t have such a crispy top end. The condenser mics work well also, but are rather harsh (as small-diameter condensers usually are)… -they pick up LOTS of high-end and not enough low-end.
    ~
5

I agree with DougC, don’t buy cheap adaptors after you buy a nice microphone.

This link has an example of the adaptor made by Shure for this purpose.
http://www.shure.com/accessories/a96f.asp