Get a cheap pair of speakers and you'll have better luck.   You don't have to mix at high volumes (~80db is about where most studios target - Same as a telephone dial tone) so you won't be keeping the neighbors awake, you won't blow up your stereo image, and you'll get a better representation of what is in the track.

"Condenser or Dynamic" is a question, and the answer depends on "What am I doing with it, and what else do I have in my arsenal?"  Then you get to answer "How am I going to hook this sucker up to my computing box?"

If you are going to be recording in your house and going to be recording a variety of instruments, I'd always opt for a condenser over a dynamic mic.  Condensers are much more sensitive to input so you'll get better fidelity in your recording.   The frequency response for condensers is a whole lot flatter than for dynamics, which tend to lose considerable signal on the low end.  If I'm going to be recording high volume signals like a guitar amplifier, or taking it on the road for use on stage, I'd opt for a dynamic microphone.  Durability, resistance to feedback,  and the ability to handle high spl is what you will get with a dynamic mic.

The USB vs XLR (or 1/4 inch plug) question depends on whether you have an audio interface capable of handling microphones or not.   If you have no other equipment go with a USB mic it will do your D-A conversion for you, and you can basically plug it in and go.  If you have an external interface, I wouldn't go with the USB.  One of the nice things about an external interface is that you can upgrade it to get better pre-amps and DACs while with a USB mic, you're stuck with what is in the mic.  Nothing other than a new mic will fix that.  And remember,  most condenser mics require a +48v "phantom power" signal in order to work.  A USB condenser will usually provide that on it's own, but an externally connected mic will need that through the pre-amp to which it is connected.

But that's why you're the buddy of......

DUMMERboy Bill

That Blue Snowball is a condenser USB (at least mine is), so easy to hook up and no additional amps and such to fuss with.  You can continue to use your gaming headphones for monitoring, and I would actually recommend that because the Snowball is VERY sensitive and even with the headphones parked on the desk within a foot or so it might "hear" and start a feedback from it.  The Condenser part in the description means that it has an "active" microphonic element as opposed to being passive (or in Mic jargon "Dynamic") which means it needs a power source to function (which it gets from the USB).

For my debut on SoundCloud last night - and not knowing any better - I used a pair of Arctic surround sound 'phones which I finally laid on my desk to record because I couldn't get rid of all the latency which caused me to sound like an embicile because of the lag.

So if you heard that mess I left on SoundCloud, then you know my singing/playing/tech knowledge is zero.

Beamer linked me to some Audacity tutorial videos and one of the first ones I watched was on the type of mic I should get. I looked up the recommended "Blue Snowball" and my first question is condenser or usb?

The cost is good. Amazon has it for just under $50.00 USD which is okay with my best girl.

But then I got to thinking: "What am I gonna do about headphones now?"

Should I buy the set which normally comes with the Snowball (not included in the $50.00) or is there a way to continue using the gaming surround sound set?

That's it for the questions for now, but as y'all know, I'm always ready to accept the advice of my friends.

So whatcha think?

Thanks

Bill