This is a really cool and affordable Shure mic. It has switchable modes Standard (Dynamic - only pics up sound that is close to the mic), Speech (Condenser - pics up sound from a larger area, so it's good for podcasting or whenever more of the room sound is desirable), and Instrument (similar to Standard mode but seems to have a boosted frequency response). This is a great mic for general use for voice or as a simple desktop mic for musicians.