If you are on a budget you might want to give the Blue Microphones Yeti a try. It has switchable pick up patterns on it one of with it polar which will pick up 360 degrees around the mic. It's USB so it should be able to interface with Skype with no problem at all.
Answer from Mike Rinehart on Stack Exchangerecommendations - Microphone to pick voice of several people in a big room - Sound Design Stack Exchange
What is the best microphone for those who use a speaker on their PC?
USB audio adpater with built in sound and mic
USB/Bluetooth PC Speaker Recommendations?
What are the best budget speakers for PC?
Creative Pebble’s simple USB-powered 2.0 system defies all odds. At just $25, it produces richer, more immersive audio than you commonly find in speakers at twice the price — and twice the size.
How do I pick a speaker that sounds good?
Don't lean too heavily on manufacturers' specs when making a decision. Even if you can parse frequency response numbers, they are often exaggerated. Let your ears be your guide instead. Listen for a good balance between the high (treble), mid, and low (bass) frequencies. Often, speakers will exaggerate one — usually the treble or the bass — at the expense of the others. Good speakers will produce full, detailed audio that sounds as the creator intended it.
Be aware, though, that finding strong bass response in this price range can be challenging. Without a subwoofer, 2.0 systems have trouble reproducing low frequencies. The manufacturers often use technological tweaks to amplify the bass notes, but these can sound boomy, and distort the overall mix. If a deep, controlled bottom end is a priority, a 2.1 system might be a better investment.
What type of speaker should I get? Ex: Should I aim for a 5.1 setup? And are 2.1 speakers better than 2.0 speakers?
In this price range, a 5.1 multi-channel speaker setup (five speakers, one subwoofer) won't sound as good as better models. The same amount of money can buy a much better-quality two-speaker system. These basic 2.0 stereo setups, which are comprised of just a left and right speaker with a single driver (the actual loudspeaker) in each, abound in this price range. Occasionally you can also find a decent 2.1 system — a pair of speakers to handle the higher frequencies and separate subwoofer for the bass — for not much more. These take up extra space but often produce more balanced sound.
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If you are on a budget you might want to give the Blue Microphones Yeti a try. It has switchable pick up patterns on it one of with it polar which will pick up 360 degrees around the mic. It's USB so it should be able to interface with Skype with no problem at all.
I second Mike Rinehart's suggestion of the Blue Yeti. Although I haven't used one personally, it is one of the most popular budget mics on the market. Its switchable pickup pattern means you can set it to capture sound from all directions equally. Interestingly, it actually has three condenser capsules, which allows it to be used in a wide range of applications, and its integrated stand would work very well on a conference table.
However, it sounds like this conference room would not have everyone equidistant from a central microphone, in which case the people that are farthest from the mic might still be quieter enough to make them hard to hear. I'm sure the balance would be much better than the MacBook mics, but still probably not the best. If this is a problem, you might want to go for two or more identical mics, placed such that everyone is nearly equidistant from a mic. I'm not sure how you would be able to configure two separate mic units for a conference call, but I'm pretty sure it can be done.
Of course, another option would be to go with one or more microphones designed for conference calls, which would likely have a similar omnidirectional pickup pattern. Although from a quick search, it looks like a lot of them are equal or greater than the Yeti in price, and since the Yeti is a more well-known and widely acclaimed product, you might prefer going with it.
I have an ear condition that prevents me from using headsets, headphones and the like, so I have to use a speaker on my computer. I'm starting to do live broadcasts and because my microphone is a cheap one, it ends up picking up a lot of the sound coming from the speaker. I wanted to know about good and cheap microphones that cancel out more of the sound from the speaker and pick up my voice.
Hi
Is there any USB audio adapter available with built in speaker and mic for conference call from laptop? There are lots of USB audio adapter available online but those are required to connect to speaker/headphone. Anyone knows any USB audio adapter to meet this requirement if you can share it would be great help.
Thanks
Sazzad
@tharwatsoliman0209
“audio adapter” refers to something that connects between two other things.
How old is your laptop? If it’s less than 5 years old, chances are pretty good that you can just use the built in mic and speakers. If you don’t want to use those, then just buy a cheap pair of USB headphones with a mic. They can be had pretty much anywhere for 10 bucks or less.
I personally use bluetooth headphones with a built-in mic when I’m on conference calls.