BEST Podcast Setup Under $100 CHALLENGE – Podcast Setup On A Budget

I challenged my YouTube rival Jeremy From Ops here Mike's to a competition Who could pick the best microphone audio Interface combination under one hundred Dollars weren't any stipulations that we Put in it other than it was 100 Pre-tax so I had two candidates right Off the bat when I was thinking of an Audio interface because it's really hard To find an audio interface that's not Obscure Under 50 bucks So I had my choice between the Behringer Um2 and the device you're hearing me on Right now the m audio solo I went with The m audio solo because I like the Crystal preamps and I thought it was Just gonna be a little bit better on the Gain front than the um2 just like its Big Brother the M-Audio air 192.4 the m audio solo has this funky Thing with the game up until you get to About nine nine and a half the gain is Not very good for a dynamic microphone Once you crank the nine five or ten then You start clipping so you have to be Really precise with setting the game but What do you expect for under 50 bucks The m audio M track solo has one XLR Input then a line or instrument input a Phantom power switch on the front a 3.5 Headphone jack on the front and then an Output switch which goes between direct Monitoring or USB on the top of the

Device you have input one gain knob Input two and then the output knob on The back of the device you get RCA red White out and a USB B mail Port I Haven't used a USB B cable since I had a Printer early 2000 is called they want Their printer cable Port back but the Name of the game isn't about the USB Connection it's all about just working So right now you can hear me on the m Audio M-Track solo and of course there's If you're a subscriber to the channel There was never any doubt I was going to Pick the zoom zdm1 microphone it is Almost always on sale for 49.99 so I Come in right under that 100 budget with A 49 interface and a 49.99 dollar Microphone so just squeaked underneath There And the dynamic Zoom zdm1 I think sounds Fantastic and I think this is a good Combination and should earn me the dub Over my arch nemesis obscure mics I Gotta ham it up a little bit so my only Concerns are if he has to crank it up to 10 in order to get his video up to the Level That he wants it at on my video I am Peaking at about negative 10 DB so I Think that is plenty of room with the Zoom zdm one is not too difficult of a Microphone to push what if this m audio Amtrak solo was connected to a Microphone that's really hard to push

Let's check that out I made up 9.7 out of 10. uh with the Sure sm7b an obvious gain hungry Microphone but I'm driving it pretty Well with the m audio M-Track solo so it Can drive the Shure sm7b and if you were To throw an inexpensive Cloud lifter Type device in between these two then You would obviously get a little more Boost maybe like the Clark tech or Similarly priced devices like that but If you're going to do that then buy a Better interface is what I always say so Can it drive the Shure sm7b of course it Can I'm going to switch back to the zoom Zdm1 what do you think about the sound So far I've got to pack this up ship it To Jeremy and then he in turn is going To be shipping me whatever setup he got And when I come back on this video I'm Going to be on the setup that he has This is the zoom zdm1 paired with the m Audio Amtrak solo and this is how it Sounds Well after some time Jeremy's equipment Arrived and it is exactly the microphone I predicted the Donner po8 so on the Microphone front this baby is Rock Solid Heavy construction comes with this great Shock mount Jeremy and I were talking And he said it came with great Accessories and I was like oh yeah of Course it does right what accessories so Now I have my 15th or 16th pop filter

The audio interface I had no idea what Audio interface he was gonna send it's The CAD connect to this is the interface He chose I've never heard of this one I've heard of cat audio but I've never Heard of The Connect 2. Jeremy did say That this probably more than likely is Just a sourced audio interface where They stuck their logo on it and he Showed me the proof of it so I believe That but here's how it sounds how does It sound in comparison to the zoom zdm1 And the m audio solo which you just Heard moments ago when looking over the Cad connect to it does have two combo Inputs and a fancy USBC connection on The back so a little more modern build Than what I sent to him currently I have The gain almost maxed out for OBS and Here's how it sounds I'll be curious to Hear what you think down in the comments Does it present a better sound profile Than the M-Audio solo combined with the Zoom zdm1 I'm going to create a poll and You can vote on the poll after you've Watched the video I'll make sure that The information is in the description Just like I did with the m audio solo I'm going to try to drive the Shure sm7b With this CAD audio interface now I'm Back on the cad connect 2 with the Shure Sm7b and in OBS I seem to be getting up To negative 20 DB and peaking around Negative 18 or so DB it is pushing it a

Bit but it is not pushing it to where I Would ultimately want it I don't like Boosting in post production for these Videos when I'm testing stuff because You should hear it in the way it was Presented but I want you to hear the Disparity in volume between this mic on The cad connect 2 and the Donner P0 Roy So this is the Shure sm7b I'm gonna Switch back to the Donner back on the Donner how does it sound in comparison To the sure sm7b and here's how the Diner p08 sounds with a windscreen on The front of it the diner has a Brightness to it that is not harsh in my Opinion and I had been eyeballing this Mic for a while so I'm really glad that Jeremy sent this one over but as you Break down the cad connect to and you Saw how it performed with the Donner and How it performed with the sm7b what is Your take on the interface front and on The microphone front who do you think Won this 100 or less competition Jeremy And I are going to go face to face via The Internet and we're going to have our Conversation to wrap this up What went into your decision making for What you picked my decision making was I Did not want to send you the one of two Choices at the interface category Because I knew it was uh you know it was Going to be this m audio Solo or a Behringer um2 and I did not want to send

A Behringer um2 Behringer um2 is a fine Device but I wanted to do something a Little different but I still wanted to Give that brand name like I could have Went a million directions as could a View on Amazon we could have done any Unpronounceable name of interface the You know the auction boxing you know Whatever they were going to call it There's a ton of those out there but I Was like I want to do brand name and I Remember CAD sent me that CX2 and I was Like that thing's pretty good and it's Got two XLR ports I know I know I Bragged about it last time that no one Will ever see but I'll brag about it Again I gave you two XLR ports Frank Hank Frank I almost called you Frank I Gave you two XLR poor tank and you know You gave me one you know what the heck But no and you gave me 24 bits I gave You 24 bit I did so now it's just gonna Be up to people to decide which which One would you you know do you want the m Audio device or do you want the cad Connect CX2 and I will out myself a Little bit that CAD connect CX2 I am 99 Sure is an outsourced you know CAD was Able to contact this company from China Who was making this device and like slap Our name on it I'm pretty sure that's What it is it's a mass-produced machine That CAD did not make I like it even Though I think it's a re-badge but

That's okay the m audio uh I picked that Because I love the crystal preamps yeah And it pushed a little bit more gain Than the Behringer um2 and I was Thinking to myself okay you know this Will could possibly look good if we do Any kind of microphone test which I did In my video where you're trying to push The sm7b of course people always ask Anything else that made you like what Your uh your thought process was on Sending me this one I was hamstrung by Price once I picked the m audio device So it had it almost had to be that Microphone one a dynamic because most People that are gonna podcast I'm not Saying they can't use a condenser but I Think it's just better suited for crummy Environments like yeah terribly Acoustically terrible environment and I Trust the zdm one I've I've not heard of Any issues you know there's a lot of Other mics I've heard of issues with Them Um I personally haven't heard of it any Issues that uh anybody has approached me With anyway I've heard of a couple but They're not serious they're ones that Could happen to anything like I I know Two people that ordered this when it was New and the capsule had broken off of Whatever stem they use to to raise it in The head basket but it's rough two Instances we're talking years though

That this has been out so I mean I've Gotten I've gotten broken brand name Mics before that are much bigger than Zoom it just happens you know in Shipping sometimes it's just gonna Happen anything you would have done Differently if you had to do it over Again on a little competition no no I Don't think so I no I mean if if this Fifine mic had been out that's the only Thing I would do differently but this Was not out at the time that we decided To do this but if it was I would have Swapped that for this this is pound for Pound the absolute best budget Dynamic Podcasting microphone out there that Would be the only thing I'd do different But it was not an option because this Wasn't released so is what it is thank You so much for this no thank you man And I'm excited to do more and uh you Know obviously we're going to release Our own videos on our own channels and Do them you know similar but not picture Mirrored uh but go check go check out That short film that Hank did that that Is a lot of fun that is a lot of fun Underground combat Club over 10 000 Views already he's awesome you know that Is awesome just over a week it's just Got a nice it's got a nice tone to it You know it's like a little bit serious A little bit not a little bit nostalgic A little bit current like it's just fun

It's a very fun way to spend how long is It like it's Washington yeah and it was In between 10 and 20. but it's just a Fun way you know instead of watching That other uh sure sm7b review video go Watch underground combat Club instead I Think we're both going to post like a Poll right just to get with set up People liked more so that'll that'll Tell us who won and I kind of I'm not Looking forward to that part because I Don't I don't really want to win I just Want I want a 50 50. I just feel it was Even I'd love to see an even vote but Everything it'll be leaning one way or The other 48 to 52 you know 51 49 it'll Be something like that