[Razor Ramon HG]

Looking to purchase a microphone for my desktop.

From looking on the internet, it seems it would be easier to just buy a headset or a webcam than it would be to get one of those standing USB microphones.

Anyone want to chime in?

[Manic!]

What are you using it for?

[Razor Ramon HG]

Just Skype voice calls (hence I'm looking mostly for audio as I can use my laptop's webcam for video calls)

[ScizzMoney]

I personally like the headset setup better for almost anyting microphone related. Biggest reason for me is to keep the sound personal to me. But, I have 2 other people living with me and I don't always want to annoy them with hearing conversations on speakerphone essentially.

If that isn't a problem for you, I would go with a desktop mic on a stand, I find them pretty slick and you don't have to wear a headset. Is there no mic on your laptop? Most laptops these days have a built in mic, surprisingly they work pretty well.

[turb0triX]

Canada Computers | Gaming & PC Headphone/Headset/Microphone | Zalman ZM-MIC 1 High Sensitivity Headphone Mic (A) (http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?item_id=007166) what i use.

[Razor Ramon HG]

I personally like the headset setup better for almost anyting microphone related. Biggest reason for me is to keep the sound personal to me. But, I have 2 other people living with me and I don't always want to annoy them with hearing conversations on speakerphone essentially.

If that isn't a problem for you, I would go with a desktop mic on a stand, I find them pretty slick and you don't have to wear a headset. Is there no mic on your laptop? Most laptops these days have a built in mic, surprisingly they work pretty well.

Yeah, I was thinking of a good quality desktop microphone on a stand, but I can't seem to find any that doesn't seem like it's cheaply made in China.

I could technically use my laptop, but it's a hassle of having it put in front of me every time I want to use a call.

The clip that turb0triX put seems great.

On a sidenote, does anyone know how I could get my iPhone headphones with the microphone to work on a Windows system? I know they work perfectly on a MacBook. I heard you needed an adapter to split the channels.

[Cillu]

I've used that Zalman mic for many years and the sound quality is pretty good for what its worth. With that and a proper headphone, you won't have to sacrifice sound quality (if you're an audiophile) just to have a headset. Keeping the two separate is a much better option.

[turb0triX]

On a sidenote, does anyone know how I could get my iPhone headphones with the microphone to work on a Windows system? I know they work perfectly on a MacBook. I heard you needed an adapter to split the channels.

This is what you would need: 3.5mm Male to Dual Female Audio Split Y-Cable - Black (23 CM) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme (http://dx.com/p/3-5mm-male-to-dual-female-audio-split-y-cable-black-23-cm-215102)

Keep in mind though, it could be a hassle to deal with, depending on where your desktop is located, and where your front panel headphone/mic ports are.

One thing to note about the zalman clip though is that if your earbud/headphone wires aren't thick, the mic clip might not actually clip onto the wire. The clip isn't one of those adjustable ones. At least mine isn't, I'm not sure if they ever changed the design. However, I just leave my mic on my desk and it still works great.

[AzNightmare]

I've been using that Zalman Mic for about 2 years now. It's great, and I use it for gaming.
It's not a "clamp" clip, just a pressure clip, like the clip on a pen.

It's supposed to clip to your headphone wire, but when I don't feel like wearing headphones,
I actually can get away with just clipping it on the collar of my shirt.

Surprisingly, it's a snug fit.