How To Remove Background Noise From Audio

Well, is the Behringer XM8500 really the budget mic that kills the upgrade treadmill? I've owned mine since 2013, and it's survived four moves, a studio rebuild, and being dropped on a hardwood floor more times than I can count. Here's the truth: it's the best $20 you'll ever spend on audio, but it will not fix your laundry-room recordings by itself.

Product	Price	Why it won	Why it lost
Behringer XM8500	Check price-Check price	Built like a tank, excellent background noise rejection, sounds 90% as good as mics 5x the price	Muddy low-mids, gain-hungry, included clip doesn't fit
Audio-Technica AT2020	Check price	Brighter, more detailed, a decade-long workhorse	Picks up the room whether you want it or not
Shure SM58	Check price	Legendary durability, industry standard	Costs 3-5x more for marginal gains over the XM8500

How I test

I've edited over 4,000 podcast episodes. That's the credential that matters here. I've heard every mic mistake you can make, and I've fixed most of them in post. Ringo, my 60-pound labradoodle, sleeps on my studio floor while I work, and when he shifts on the hardwood, I hear it in the take. That's my handling-noise test.

I test mics in two places: my treated home studio, and my untreated kitchen. The kitchen has tile floors, a refrigerator that kicks on every 20 minutes, and a window facing a busy street. That's where most podcasters actually record. Not the treated studio. The kitchen.

The XM8500's big flaw

The clip doesn't fit. It's a 20-35mm clip for a 40mm mic. I've bought three of these mics over the years, and every single one had the same problem. One reviewer was "rather ticked off about" it. Another said you can slide the bottom in at an angle and it works, but that's a tight fit and a bad solution.

It's a $2 part that Behringer keeps shipping wrong. There's no excuse for it.

But here's the thing: I kept the mic anyway. So did everyone else who complained about the clip. Because the sound quality outweighs the frustration.

What the XM8500 actually does well

The noise rejection is the headline. Multiple buyers report it blocks out background noise extremely well. One reviewer said "you cannot hear anything in the background" and that it "does not pick up the cat in the background or the cars going by outside." That's the kitchen test. That's what matters.

I've run this mic through my actual edit workflow: high-pass filter, de-esser, compressor, loudness normalization. It responds well to EQ. It's not the cleanest raw recording I've ever heard, but it cleans up beautifully in the edit. The noise rejection means I'm not fighting the room in every single edit.

It's also built like a tank. One reviewer has been using his since 2013 and it's "still going strong." That tracks with my experience. I've dropped mine more than once. It still works perfectly. The weight is TREMENDOUS compared to some mics I've used, but that heft is exactly why it survives real life.

The math works out to about four cents a day over twelve years. That's not a purchase; that's a steal.

The muddy problem

The XM8500 is bass-heavy. Multiple reviewers note it's "very focused in the lows and mids, only" and has "no treble whatsoever." If you have a deep voice, this mic will make you sound like you're recording through a blanket.

But here's my take: muddiness is an EQ problem, not a mic problem. A high-pass filter at 80Hz and a slight dip around 300-400Hz cleans up most of it. I've made XM8500 recordings sound indistinguishable from mics costing ten times as much. In the edit.

The bigger issue is that most podcasters don't know how to EQ. They record, they listen back, they think the mic is bad, and they buy a new one. The upgrade treadmill. I've seen it a thousand times.

The fix is simple: record with the mic slightly off-axis if you're getting too much bass. Or move back from the mic. Or learn a little EQ. The mic is fine. The technique is the issue.

Gain hunger

The XM8500 is gain-hungry. That's normal for a dynamic mic, but you need to factor it into the cost. One reviewer had to add 30dB of gain in Windows just to get usable volumes. That means you need a decent interface.

A $30 mic that needs a $200 interface is a $230 mic. People never factor that in.

The AT2020 comparison

I've been using the Audio-Technica AT2020 for a decade. It's a workhorse. One reviewer titled their review "I've been using this mic for 10 years now" and that tracks exactly with my experience.

The XM8500 reviewers keep comparing the two. One said it's "close to the AT2020 at a fifth of the price." Another said it's "a little harsher on the high end" than the AT2020 but that a quick EQ makes the difference barely noticeable in a blind test.

Here's the real difference: the AT2020 is a condenser, so it picks up more detail. That's great for voiceover and singing in a treated space. But it also picks up more room. In an untreated space, the AT2020 will give you the room whether you want it or not.

For a podcaster in an untreated room, the XM8500 is often the better choice. For a voiceover artist with a treated space, the AT2020 wins. Different tools for different jobs.

The first $200 of gear

If you're starting a podcast and you have $200 total, here's what I'd buy:

1. A Behringer XM8500. About $20-40 depending on when you catch it. The price fluctuates wildly. One reviewer saw it jump from $19.99 to $40.38 overnight. Watch for the low price.
2. A Scarlett Solo interface. About $100-120. You need it for the gain.
3. A proper mic clip. $10. The included one doesn't fit.
4. A boom arm or stand. $30-40.

That's about $180. You'll get a recording that sounds 90% as good as a $1,000 setup. The remaining 10% is room treatment, which you can add later.

What I wouldn't buy: a USB mic for $100. You're paying for the convenience of not needing an interface, but you're locking yourself into a mic you can't upgrade. The XM8500 plus interface path gives you a path forward.

What about the SM58?

The Shure SM58 is the industry standard. It's a great mic. But it costs $99, and the XM8500 gets you 90% of the way there for a fifth of the price. I've A/B'd them in my kitchen. The SM58 is a bit brighter and a bit cleaner, but the difference isn't worth $80 to someone just starting out.

Buy the XM8500 first. Upgrade to the SM58 when you know exactly why you need it.

The "studio quality" myth

I've had clients tell me they need a $500 mic to sound "professional." Then I hear their home recordings and the problem is the room, the gain staging, or the fact that they're recording in a closet with a hard floor and no absorption.

"Studio quality" doesn't exist. There's only "good enough for the listener to not be distracted." And that's achievable with a $30 mic and a few basic techniques.

The mic is the tool. The ear is the instrument. You can't buy the latter.

My honest bottom line

I've recommended the XM8500 to more podcasters than any other mic. It's the best value in audio, period. Budget for a better clip and an interface with enough gain, and you'll have a recording setup that will last you a decade. The upgrade treadmill is a trap. This is how you get off it.