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Microphone Buying Guide
Microphones aren’t just for live bands and recording studios anymore. The explosion in podcasting, home recording and desktop filmmaking has made microphones an increasingly common sight in homes. If you want good sound on your projects, or if you’re hitting the clubs to tune up for the next American Idol, you’ll need a quality microphone that captures the full range of sound. Pronto’s Microphone Buying Guide will match you to the best mic for live, studio or home use.
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the five
What are the five key points I need to look at?
Condenser or dynamic?
Choose a dynamic microphone if you’ll be recording vocals, guitar or need a microphone that can travel. Condenser microphones are best for recording the largest range of sounds and volumes, but they are fragile and very sensitive to loud sounds.
Polar patterns
Pattern choice depends on what you’re recording. Choose cardioid patterns for vocals and voice in most home and live performance settings and look for supercardioid and hypercardiod models if you’re recording guitar or brass instruments to cut down on vibration. For drums and organs, choose an omnidirectional mic. If you’ll be recording interviews or live vocals where space is at a premium, bidirectional microphones are best.
Choosing a mic
Most podcasters and musicians should choose a dynamic cardioid microphone for the best combination of durability and versatility. Omnidirectional condenser microphones are the best choice for professional recording and advanced home studios.
Cables and stands
Microphones connect with three-prong XLR cables, and you can get adaptors or specialized cables to use a microphone with the 1/8” microphone jack on your computer or a ¼” phono jack on amplifiers. For dynamic microphones, look for basic mic stands to protect them from falls and spills. Condenser microphones need suspension mounts that minimize stray vibrations.
Microphone extras
To reduce pops and breathing sounds, purchase a membrane pop filter for a home or studio or a foam windscreen for live venues. Look for windscreen foam that isn’t too thick or it will muffle sound. Avoid microphones with on/off switches if you’ll be using an amplifier or mixing board. Wireless microphone packages should be weighed carefully, as the radio frequencies these mics use could be reallocated in 2009.
pronto pick
What product do we recommend?
We like the Shure SM-58, and so do hundreds of thousands of musicians, podcasters and home recordists. With a solid metal construction, metal windscreen, exceptional durability and excellent frequency response, this is the microphone to use for vocals and acoustic guitars. Almost every musician and nightclub owns at least one of these top-performing microphones.
experts say
MicrophoneReviews.com—“The Shure SM58 is legendary for its ability to withstand both onstage and road abuse, while maintaining superb performance. It has stood up to the test of time not only onstage, but is widely used in the studio as well.” Source: Microphonereviews.com
MusicGearReview.com—AKG C1000s—“The natural sound of this condensor mic is its best feature. Not hyped, not weak, not bassy... what you hear is what you get. The price tag is worth it.” Source: Musicgearreview.com
CNET—“The M-Audio Session Music Producer is an affordable, computer-based recording solution that is ideally suited for recording singing and spoken performances such as podcasts.” Source: Cnet.com
hot buzz
What's the latest in the world of microphones?
Shure’s SM-58 has been the microphone of choice for years, but the company has now released an upgraded model, the Beta 58a. With a new neodymium magnet, this microphone’s sensitivity has been extended from the SM-58’s 15,000Hz to a higher 16,000Hz. Shure has also added a humbucking coil that cancels out electrical interference from amps and instruments, which reduces feedback. Some vocalists are already praising the Beta 58a as the SM-58’s successor, but only time will tell if this becomes the new microphone standard.
Wallet Impact
What can I expect in my price range?
| Price | Description | Good Pick (see all Microphones) |
| $ | Quality varies greatly in entry-level microphones, so it’s best to look for a trusted brand name. Microphones in this range are dynamic mics with cardioid patterns and limited frequency ranges that are excellent for most vocalists and instruments. |
Compare prices at 21 stores $50 - $70 |
| $$ | In the midrange, you’ll find top-performing dynamic microphones and condenser mics with great performance. Look for expanded frequency range, built-in pop filters and durable construction. |
Compare prices at 12 stores $299 - $400 |
| $$$ | Unless you’re investing in a wireless microphone kit, high-end mics should be reserved for studio and professional use. You’ll find condenser microphones geared to specific types of recording along with condenser mics that offer incredible sensitivity and wide frequency ranges. Think carefully about the frequency range of the recordings you want to produce, as these mics are too good for the limited range of podcasts and MP3s. |
Compare prices at 3 stores $2,649 - $2,834 |
shop talk
What are the terms and definitions I need to know about?
Cardioid
A heart-shaped polar pattern that favors the front and front sides of a microphone. Supercardioid and Hypercardioid microphones offer variations of the pattern with greater sensitivity directly behind the microphone.
Condenser
A microphone that uses a diaphragm mounted just above a metal backplate to transform sound waves into electrical signals. Condenser microphones are extremely sensitive, which gives them a greater frequency response but also makes them more susceptible to vibrations and damage from loud sources or rough handling.
Directional
A polar pattern in which sound is detected in an uninterrupted arc. Variations include omnidirectional, which picks up sounds all around the microphone; half-omindirectional, which transmits sounds in a 180º arc in front of the microphone, and bidirectional, which hears sounds in separate 110º arcs at the front and rear of the microphone.
Dynamic
A microphone that uses a metal coil in a magnetic field to detect and transmit sound. Dynamic microphones have less frequency response, but they are more durable and do a better job with loud sounds.
Frequency response
The range of sounds a microphone can sense, measured in Hertz (Hz). The human ear can pick up sounds from low 20Hz rumbles to high 20,000Hz tones. A range of 50Hz to 15,000Hz is good for most microphones, and some offer more sensitivity to lower or higher frequencies.
Polar pattern
The shape of a microphone’s field of sensitivity, Microphones’ polar patterns are classified as directional, which picks up sound in an arc, or cardioid, which detects sound in a heart-shaped pattern.
Pop filter
A thin plastic membrane that mounts in front of a microphone, reducing the air sent to the microphone from breathing or percussive sounds, such as the sound made by the letter “p.”
Ribbon
A type of dynamic microphone that uses a flat piece of metal instead of a coil to detect sound.
Windscreen
A piece of foam that slips over the top of a microphone, preventing the sound of moving air from reaching the microphone.
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