Help me adjust my mic/get a better one!~

[Togath]

So since I've been recording videos on youtube, I've been wondering if I should get a new mic... and/or if I just need to adjust something with my current two.
Here's a link to the discussion (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?527737-I-m-doing-youtube-stuff-now!)(starting around post #19). Basically, the one I'm using apparently has some quality issues, but is sensitive... while my other, a webcam, is too quiet to tell anything at all about it's quality.
I don't know the brands, but we did find pictures of both;
http://images.highspeedbackbone.net/skuimages/large/C375-ACM1b.jpg
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71nzP9xuEdL._SY550_.jpg

Ideally, I'd like to see if there are just settings I could adjust for the time being(I'm using windows 10), since if I do decide get a new one it'll be a while before I can actually afford one(and likely have to go for the 10$-25$ range).
Anyone able to offer some advice?

[thracian]

I'm not at home to listen to your recording, but I have a couple things.

Changing microphone level can be done in Windows by right-clicking volume icon, selecting Recording Devices, selecting your mic, clicking properties and navigating to the levels tab.

This (https://www.amazon.ca/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ?SubscriptionId=AKIAJ4AK2H6SGGIY7SXQ&tag=hawk-future-ca-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00029MTMQ&ascsubtag=pcg-495074788-20) is a cheap, decent quality microphone. Fair warning, though, it has no noise cancellation and will pick up any background noise, so eliminating background noise like fans, cars, neighbours, pets, etc. is crucial and it might need some noise reduction after that as well.

What are you using to record? Are you recording audio separately and syncing it in post, or are you just recording it all at once? I'm a big fan of recording game video+audio to one file, webcam to another and mic audio to a third. It's a little more annoying to edit and sync (the classic clapboard in movies is actually useful, here) but it allows the most control in terms of post-processing. Audacity in particular is great for some easy quick fixes of vocal audio (compression, noise reduction filters).

EDIT: This mic (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HJ61PK/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002HJ61PK&linkCode=as2&tag=mic-reviews-20&linkId=BZ75JOASY3NDA2BJ) also reviewed well, and depending on your setup might be easier or harder to physically place.

[Jimorian]

If environmental noise around you is an issue, starting with a "dynamic" mic is good because they tend to reject outside sound better than "condenser" mics (a lot of USB mics are condensers). You do have to speak more directly into it at close distance (within 6 inches or so) to get good volume, though, while a condenser is better at letting your roam in your positioning or keeping it a bit farther away (good for streamers who don't want the mic right in their face on cam).

Also, in OBS, you can click the gear on your mic input and add a "gain" filter which allows you to make the mic louder, but usually at the cost of adding a proportional amount of noise in as well. There's also a built in noise cancelling filter in OBS that works pretty well for a moderate amount of "hiss" from the mic, but can sound weird trying to cancel out sounds like fans or A/C.