Good Cheap Mic and Interface?

I've found 1-2 channel interfaces on amazon for real cheap...

BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UM2

Here's one on sweetwattaaaa: Behringer U-Phoria UM2 | Sweetwater
Here's the same one on Amazon: Amazon.com: BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UM2: Musical Instruments

I don't know about the quality because I haven't used it but it's super inexpensive. There's also the super popular Scarlet 2i2 linked below...

Scarlet 2i2
On amazon: Amazon.com: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (1st GENERATION) USB Recording Audio Interface: Musical Instruments


As for the mics, well...there are cheap ass mics (like the tonor XLR linked below) but they sound kind of "thin" and have some background noise. You'd be best off going with a decent one around the $100 price point.

Tonor XLR: Amazon.com: TONOR Professional 3.5mm XLR Condenser Microphone Kit Broadcasting Recording Studio Microphone for ComputerRecording Condenser with Adjustable Microphone Suspension Scissor Arm Stand: Musical Instruments ....that's probably the cheapest I've seen but not the best quality.

For a decent price and good quality, I'd go with Sterling Audio ST51, or that MXL 990 maybe?

(If you're interested, I do a comparison of the cheap Tonor XLR and the Sterling Audio in this video below.)
Epsilon-144 | Tonor XLR vs. Sterling Audio ST51 (Microphone Comparison)
 
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Not sure how cheap "cheap" is :hmmm:

That said, a fantastic and reasonably priced interface is the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 2nd gen (about $150 USD). Even cheaper is the Scarlett Solo for about $100 USD.

Mics come in all sorts of flavors so it kind of depends on the application. Given this is a producer's forum I take it it's for things like recording vocal samples, maybe voiceover work on a podcast/radio show, and some medium-quality live instrument recording. I'd go with a USB mic, the Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB is a good bet (~$70 USD).

Hope this helps!

Good sources:
- Best Audio Interfaces
- USB Mics

EDIT:
Just noticed the Focusrite Scarlett Solo comes with a bundle option that includes headphones and a condenser mic (I'm seeing it on Amazon). Can't speak to the quality of the headphones & mic, but seems like a killer deal especially if you're just starting out.
 
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How bout a solid interface, headphones, and mic?? Check out this Steinberg UR-22mkII, MXL 990 and AKG K52 package. Talk to anyone who has a Steinberg UR series interface...they swear by them. And MXL has been the go-to for entry-level condenser mics.
 
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