Bidding run
It's no secret that the webcam built into your laptop is mediocre at best. If you spend a lot of time broadcasting your voice - on Zoom, on a podcast, Twitch streaming, or live on the social media platform of your choice - a standalone desktop microphone is a worthwhile upgrade. Microphones come in all shapes, sizes, and prices, and you can spend up to $ 200 on a good one. Here's an inexpensive alternative: right now, you can get the $ 40 Bietrun USB desktop microphone for $ 26.24 when you apply the promo code 25JQXS5Q at checkout.
As microphone brands go, this is pretty general, but the microphone itself seems to have all of the basics in it. It's a standard barrel design, similar to HyperX HyperCast, for example. It has a single recording pattern: kidney. If your microphone only has one, this is the pattern you need to get as it will reject sound in all directions except right in front of the microphone.
The Bietrun has a volume control and a mute switch on the front. Tap the mute button to turn mute on. However, a long press of the mute button activates an unexpected feature: it toggles a noise reduction filter. The three states of the microphone - switching on, muting and noise suppression - are clearly telegraphed by the color of an LED strip that runs around the barrel. It's all mounted on a heavy metal base so you won't knock it over easily.
You won't get miracles for $ 26, however. The microphone has neither a built-in pop filter nor shock absorption. So when you hit the desk, it will be broadcast straight to the microphone. While you can adjust the headphone input volume, there is no gain control. Hence, you may need to fine-tune the microphone level using your desktop recording or streaming software.
Still, the price is right, and it's likely a noticeable step up from your webcam's microphone. This deal should run through October 14th.
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