$30

Neewer NW-8 XLR Condenser Mic Review

Today I review another super cheap OEM microphone from China from Neewer, the Neewer NW-8.

For this review, I have the mic connected directly to the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 2nd gen, with the gain set at 10:00. I have done no post processing on the audio, it is all raw, but the audio was slightly boosted in final cut pro X to simply make the audio easier to listen to.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $30.00 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Microphone

  2. Windscreen

  3. Shockmount

  4. 5/8" to 3/8" Adapter

  5. XLR to 3.5mm Cable

  6. 3.5mm TRRS Splitter

  7. Documentation

Specifications

  1. Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz

  2. Polar Pattern: Cardioid

  3. Sensitivity: ~-37dB

  4. Impedance: 150-ohms

Performance / Features

The build quality of this mic feels sub par. The body is all plastic with a metal grill. It does have a little bit of weight to it which adds a decent feel to it, but all around it feels like an unreliable, poorly built microphone. 

The frequency response is listed as 20Hz - 20kHz. They did not provide a frequency response graph of this microphone, which is not surprising given the price. Listening to it though, it sounds as though it lacks in the low end as well as the high end, making for a somewhat mid forward microphone.

The polar pattern of this mic is standard cardioid. It does not do a great job at off axis or background noise rejection, and the coloring as you move around the mic changes pretty drastically. 

The overall performance of this mic is about as good as you would expect out of a $30 microphone. If you connect it direct to your computer with the provided 3.5mm cables, it does not sound good at all as there is lots of noise. If you connect it to an USB Audio Interface with phantom power and an XLR cable, it sounds decent. As previously mentioned it does seem very mid forward, but I did not hate it for electric, acoustic, or for singing. For spoken word, the lack in the low end, and the lack in clarity makes this sound like exactly what it is, a $30 microphone. 

Pros

  • Dirt cheap

  • Lots of accessories

  • When connected to USB Audio Interface, it's usable

Cons

  • Not a good build quality

  • When connected as 3.5mm mic, it sounds bad

  • Lacks in low end & high end.

Conclusion

If you are just recording demos so you can hear your song ideas, I think this microphone would be fine. But if you're planning on using this microphone for any form of professional application I believe you should move on to another microphone. 

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them on the youtube video, and I will try to reply ASAP. 

Buy the Neewer NW-8
US: https://amzn.to/2Khy7jl
UK: https://amzn.to/2HsUMLD
CA: https://amzn.to/2r0CAz4
DE: https://amzn.to/2r5j03w

Buy the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen)
US: http://amzn.to/2vDFbzK 
UK: http://amzn.to/2w8O2f6 
CA: http://amzn.to/2wKGKfG 
DE: http://amzn.to/2hbtxsV

How to Start a Video Podcast for $30

Have you ever wondered how to start a video podcast or a video show like Good Mythical Morning for under $30-$50? Let's talk about that. =)

First off, this is slightly more than $30. I guess I bought the webcam while it was on sale. Secondly, one of our viewers BERT PD3CT challenged me to make a video podcast for under $50 and that's what this video will be covering: Video Gear, Audio Gear, Video/Audio Capture Software, & Video Editing Software. 

Gear

Video Camera: for video I went on amazon and searched for HD webcams, and looked at the reviews. At the time of ordering the gear for this challenge, I came across the Logitech C310, which seemed to provide the best features and reviews while staying within the $50 budget. This camera only shoots 720p, so you will not have the best quality image, and you will need to film with a lot of lighting, but for the $20 that I paid for this, I am perfectly happy.

Microphone: Bert recommended using the Neewer NW-700, but with a mic stand, that would put me over $50, so I decided to go a different direction. I decided to pick up 3 pack of Neewer Omni-Directional Lav Mics, which at the time of writing this article costs $4.50...yeah less than $5 for 3 lapel mics. The downside to these mics is first, the quality is not the best, they will break, so make sure you treat them with care and test to make sure they are working before recording long videos. Second, the audio quality does suffer a little bit. These are omni directional microphones, so you will be picking up a lot of noise around you.

Interface: of course for the interface, I went with the trust Sabrent USB Audio Adapter, which runs $6.00. This is the adapter I use in almost all of my videos because it is the cheapest solution, and it provides really nice results. 

Lighting: I am using the best lighting resource out there, the sun. I just set up in front of two big windows, and let the sun light me. Lighting is incredibly important and is what allows most cameras to perform at their best. 

Software

Capture: On mac you can capture video/audio the way I do it, using quicktime. All you do is click file > new movie recording, and you are good to go. Prior to even opening quicktime, you do need to go into your sytems audio preferences and make sure that the correct microphone is selected for your audio input.

On Windows, I downloaded Windows Movie Maker. This program allows you to set your video input and audio input, and then record the video/audio right into windows movie maker.

Editing: On mac you can use iMovie. This is a super simple editing program that will allow you to cut and put together movie clips, as well as overlay music, and simple titles. You won't have the most complex or in depth tools available to you, but it will give you a basis to start. 

On windows, you already recorded your footage into windows movie maker, so go ahead and edit and create your video in that program. The last time I made a movie in this software was back in 2005, but if I remember correctly, it has all the basic functionality that you will need to get a video made.

Conclusion

Option 1: The first option will cost you more than $50. You can get the Neewer NW-700 for about $20, then with the Logitech C310, will now set you back $30. On top of that you need to get the Sabrent USB Audio Adapter and a Mic Stand for the NW-700. So ultimately. You've spent closer to $70.

Option 2: Go with the lav mics. You can get a three pack of Neewer Omni-Directional Lav Mics for $5. They clip right on to your shirt, and they capture audio pretty well  considering the cost. Next, you pick up the Logitech C310, which as I mentioned is $30, and then lastly, the Sabrent USB Audio Adapter. You come in at about $41 with this option, well under the $50 limit

With one option, you go over budget by a minimum of $20, and on the other hand you come in under budget by $9. That's enough money to buy all this gear, and then go out and buy a burrito. I know which option I would choose.

If you have any questions about any of the gear in this video, or any other methods, go ahead and leave a comment on this site or on youtube and I will do my best to get back to you ASAP.