There are a lot of things to think about when you decide to start creating content these days. What kind of content should I create?" is a pretty good starting point, but past that, you may want to think about setup. What capture card do I need? What's the best webcam? Do I need a killer gaming PC?" These are all valid questions, but arguably no question is more pertinent than: Should I buy a dedicated microphone?"

After all, if you don't have a dedicated microphone, your lovely audience won't be able to hear your darned tone clearly.

Now comes the Streamplify Mic, which for $65 (open in new tab) / £60 (open in new tab) will solve all your vocal needs. This mic is more than just a mic, it's a full kit, including shock mount, pop filter, tripod, cables, etc., that you can start using right away.

Most of the kit is a mixture of metal and hard plastic and seems quite substantial. The only thing that bugs me is that the pop filter is a little thin and rickety, but overall, this is not a big deal. It's nice to see that Streamplify is paying attention to this product, as inexpensive microphones are often a sea of hollow plastic designed to look better than function.

Plus, everything is nice and easy to assemble. It's as easy as assembling flat-pack furniture at Ikea. No, it's even easier. Assembling this microphone will definitely keep the two of you together, unlike assembling a BILLY bookcase from Ikea.

As for the look and feel of the microphone itself, it actually feels sturdy in the hand and looks really sleek with its smooth metal finish. The all-black coloring also gives it a professional look, which is useful if you're using it for streaming as well as for conferencing Streamplify hasn't forgotten about you. To match the intentional black look, there is a strip of RGB lighting under the microphone grill that flashes various colors, which looks pretty smart, even if it doesn't do anything in real life (aside from looking cool, of course).

The interface is wonderfully simple, with a handy headphone jack for real-time monitoring of audio inputs, a small button to control the included RGB lighting, and a dial for on-board gain control. This is a feature traditionally reserved for expensive microphones, so kudos to Streamplify for including it. However, note the actual start and end points, as the dial has no start or end point and can be rotated 360 degrees, which can make it appear as if the volume increases forever.

The adjustable on-board microphone gain is definitely welcome, but the microphone can only be used properly when the dial is turned all the way around.

The gain dial is also a click-in button that allows you to choose between two playback modes, allowing you to filter out ambient noise and check levels, as Streamplify calls the microphone "full playback podcast mode," or " one-way playback gaming mode," as they call it, so that it cancels out the ambient noise and allows you to check levels. This is a useful feature; there is a slight difference between the two.

However, the reason for purchasing a microphone is not its construction, etc. It is all about vocal clarity and sound quality. Happily, for the price, this mic has a pretty decent sound. There is no hiss, crackle, or pop, and the unidirectional pickup pattern makes this mic especially good for voices. As a matter of fact, this mic sounds almost identical to the Rode NT-USB (opens in new tab), which I have used for several years and is twice the price of the Streamplify option.

Overall, the Streamplify Mic feels like a bargain for its asking price. The pop filter is rattling, and the audio output is crisp and clear. The onboard gain control, mic mute, and two playback mode functions are all useful and mean that this mic is more than capable in its class. It is also convenient that the complete kit comes in the box.

Convenience is the name of the game here. If that's what you're looking for, you won't be disappointed with Streamplify Mic one bit.