If you are a beginner on a very tight budget, a USB microphone can get you recording your guitar or vocal without the need for outboard microphone preamps, outboard sound cards, mixers, etc. What you get, is a budget microphone that can yield adequate results to learn with. Most are condenser microphones but some are dynamic. With 2 USB microphones and 2 USB inputs, you get stereo. With 6, you get egg roll.

With a dedicated "XLR" type microphone, you have your choice of the worst cheap Chinese pieces of crap at under $40, to the rare, exotic and extremely expensive microphones, costing up to $18,000 each.

So, what is it you are looking to record?

Recording everything
Ms. Remy Ann David
(OK, OK, so I don't record Rap or Hip Hop yet)

Maybe a bit obvious but USB mics really tie you to computer recording. The Samson USB mic is a nice one. It is a fast way to work with acceptable results.

With XLR you have more choice of working environment, though it will also force you to have a soundcard with/and mic preamp if you want to do computer recording. This sound card will then work with whatever microphone you might add to your collection later.

RemyRAD wrote: With 2 USB microphones and 2 USB inputs, you get stereo. With 6, you get egg roll.

You're hilarious. :lol: