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8We all have a microphone in our pocket, so it has never been easier to record at a moment’s notice! At the same time, you’ve surely heard a mobile recording that doesn’t sound particularly good, and if you’re going to work seriously with audio recording and playback, it’s important to have the right tools.
There are countless microphones! Types, brands, patterns and much more. In this guide, we’ll give you an overview of what you should look for when you need a good microphone for your podcast, live performance, home studio, or something else entirely.
Introduction
To get the best sound in your recording, it’s super important to know what the different microphones are good for – if you try to drive in a screw with a hammer, you’ll end up with a lot of frustration about why the result isn’t what you want. To make sure you’re properly prepared, we’ll start with a lightning-fast overview of some of the terms you’ll come across when shopping for microphones. Luckily, you don’t need to remember them all – you just need to get to know the most important ones!
We’ll start by talking about microphone types – if you only take away what a condenser microphone and a dynamic microphone are good for, you can solve a lot of tasks! When we talk about types, we’ll also mention polar patterns. A microphone’s polar pattern describes the pattern in which the microphone picks up sound. It can, for example, be at long distance, 360 degrees, or in a narrow area right in front of the microphone – and the most common are cardioid and supercardioid.
Types of microphones
Dynamic or condenser microphone?
These are the most common types of microphones – and they are very different! In this section we’ll cover the practical differences; for the more nerdy among you, we’ll go into more depth on the technology behind them at the end of the article.
A very simplified explanation of the difference is that a dynamic microphone captures sound close up – things further away quickly become indistinct and thin-sounding. They are great for a close vocal sound. Think radio voice and singing at a live concert. A condenser, on the other hand, picks up much more sound from the room. That can be both good and bad, because sometimes there are things in the background you don’t want to be picked up (e.g. keyboard clicks, a drum kit on stage, or the room sound from a venue with a lot of reverb).
In addition, there is a big difference in the frequency range the two types of microphones capture. That is, how low and high frequencies they can pick up – a microphone with a narrower frequency range therefore cannot reproduce, for example, the deepest low end of a kick drum or some of the overtones that give a vocal air and headroom – but that is not always necessary either! Most dynamic microphones primarily capture sound between 50Hz and 15,000Hz (but it’s not just a clean cutoff!), while a condenser microphone captures all the way up to 20,000Hz. Of course, those are just numbers, but in practice it means that a condenser microphone provides much more “air” in the high frequencies – as long as you don’t bring along unwanted background noise. However, there ARE also dynamic microphones that capture up to 20kHz – the most popular is the Shure SM7B, which you may have come across – and the extended frequency range is actually one of the reasons it is so popular.
On stage and in the studio
Dynamic microphones have always been popular on live stages. They are direct and primarily pick up the sound right in front of the microphone, which is incredibly important on a stage with a lot of sound. However, dynamic microphones are also used in music studios both as instrument microphones and vocal microphones. We have mentioned the classic Shure SM7B, but there are several others, e.g. Shure SM58, Sennheiser MD441 and MH421, Electro-Voice RE20, and many more.
In radio and podcast studios, dynamic microphones are also the most common. From DR to Joe Rogan, people use the SM7B, and you typically associate the sound of a “radio voice” with the close-up sound a dynamic microphone right in front of the mouth provides. Here, a good windscreen is important. The SM7B has a built-in windscreen, but if you use a dynamic microphone that was originally made for live sound, you will benefit a lot from investing in an inexpensive foam windscreen for the mic. That way you can get closer without getting “pop” sounds – i.e. a small pop in the audio because the air from your voice hits the microphone’s diaphragm (which captures the sound).
Conversely, condenser microphones are most commonly used in music studios, but of course they are also used for live concerts! Here they are most commonly used as overheads for drum kits, but many vocalists also use special handheld condenser microphones to get that lovely studio sound on stage. Popular models include the Shure KSM9 and DPA d:facto.
Lavalier or headset?
Lavalier mics/lapel mics and headsets are not, as such, microphone types – rather, they are a way of mounting small microphones so they can be used hands-free or discreetly on clothing. They are almost always small condenser mics with an omni polar pattern. That means they pick up sound from all directions. They are often used with a wireless system, so you can move freely around a stage or a TV set.
Headsets are very commonly used for speakers or presentations in live situations. You don’t have to worry about where you are standing, but at the same time it can be difficult to get that close-up speech sound as with a dynamic handheld microphone.
A lavalier—also called a lapel microphone—is most commonly used for video recording, where you often want a very discreet microphone. Because they are positioned further away from the mouth than with a headset, they are not particularly good for live use. You can very easily get feedback—this is a loud high-pitched tone that occurs if the microphone picks up the amplified sound to such a degree that the sound ends up looping. Feedback isn’t a problem if you’re recording video, because here you’re not playing the sound back through a loudspeaker in the room—it just needs to be recorded and post-processed.
USB microphones – directly into the computer
In recent years, USB microphones have become very popular. A USB microphone is either a dynamic or condenser microphone, but with a small audio interface built in, so you can plug it directly into your computer without needing an external audio interface.
It’s incredibly smart and easy if you only need a single microphone. Many USB microphones also have a headphone output, so you can monitor the sound from the microphone as well as listen to the sound from the computer.
The big limitation you need to remember before choosing a USB microphone is that you can ONLY use one at a time. So you can’t connect two USB microphones to your computer or, for example, one USB microphone and an external audio interface. That’s because, by default, a computer can only handle a single external audio interface at a time. So if you know that in the long run you’d like to be able to connect two microphones, USB microphones aren’t the right choice for you—in that case it’s much better to use an external audio interface and connect a standard microphone to it.
Time to go wireless?
Wireless Microphones are a bit of a chapter of their own, and we won’t be going in depth with frequencies, synchronisation, etc. in this article. Again, you can get wireless systems with both dynamic and condenser microphone capsules, and on the more expensive models you can also replace the actual microphone part of the wireless unit. An important factor is to look at whether it’s an analogue or digital system. Digital systems often transmit in the 2.4 gHz band (same as WIFI). That means they’re super easy to set up, but it can also cause drop-out issues if there’s a lot happening in the 2.4gHz band where you’re using the microphone.
Analogue systems are characterised by the frequency band being in a range below 1000Hz \- there’s a lot to write about frequencies, which we’ll skip here, but overall there are two types of analogue systems \- the cheaper ones are purely analogue, while the more expensive ones are digitally controlled analogue systems \- you have to keep your wits about you! The advantage of the digitally controlled ones is that they are more stable and easier to work with. The easy way to recognise them is that there’s often a 'D' slipped into the name, such as Shure SLXD and Sennheiser EW-D.
There are also many great wireless systems for video and streaming. These are almost all digital (2.4gHz) and designed to be as easy to use as possible. Many are made for use with a lavalier mic or headset, but there are plenty of options.
Video and smartphone microphones
Never has so much video been produced as now \- and if you’ve seen a video with poor audio, you also know how important good video microphones are! As mentioned above, there are many great Wireless Microphones solutions that are easy to use and relatively affordable.
Many can also be used with your camera via a microphone input or with a smartphone \- other models are made specifically for one purpose \- e.g. a Lightning connector for iPhone or USB-C for Android. When you put your setup together, it’s super important that you choose gear that fits the device you’re recording on \- most things are possible, but sometimes you need an adapter or two!
Microphone characteristic \- also called polar pattern
A microphone’s directional patterns tell you how sound is picked up from different directions. There are several different characteristics a microphone can have, and each has its own applications. Here, we guide you through the most commonly used types.
Cardioid pattern (cardioid)
Cardioid is the most common directional pattern. Microphones with a cardioid pattern pick up most sound from the front of the microphone, while reducing sound from behind and from the sides.
This makes it possible to focus on the sound from one sound source, e.g. a singer or a musical instrument, while minimising background noise. Microphone polar patterns are shown in a diagram where you look down on the pattern from above, imagining the microphone is in the centre and picks up sound from the front.
Supercardioid (supercardioid)
A microphone with a supercardioid pattern is a narrower version of cardioid. This means it captures the sound in front of the microphone, but within an even narrower area. As you can see in the diagram, however, it also means that unlike a microphone with a cardioid pattern, it also picks up a small amount of sound directly behind the microphone. This is important to remember, for example, when placing stage monitors for a singer.
If the microphone has a supercardioid pattern (e.g. a Shure BETA58A), it will pick up a small amount of sound from behind the microphone, so here feedback can be minimised if the singer has two monitors placed diagonally in front of them, one on each side.
If the singer uses a microphone with a cardioid pattern (e.g. a Shure SM58), the microphone picks up no sound from the rear, but a little more from the sides — so in that situation, having a single monitor directly in front of the singer can help minimise feedback.
Hypercardioid
Hypercardioid microphones are the extreme version of the cardioid pattern. There aren’t many of them — one of the most popular is the Shure KSM9HS. As you can see from the diagram, it picks up very narrowly from the front, but also more broadly from the rear than supercardioid.
Hypercardioid is most commonly used on condenser microphones, where it is important to filter out as much background noise as possible. The KSM9HS can actually also be set to the less common subcardioid characteristic — it is, conversely, slightly wider than the standard cardioid characteristic.
Omnidirectional
A microphone with an omnidirectional polar pattern picks up sound from all directions, and therefore captures just as much sound from the front and the back as from the sides. This type of microphone is ideal for recording sound in rooms with good acoustics, and for recording group conversations or musical performances.
Shotgun
A shotgun microphone has a very narrow and long directional pattern, and it is designed to capture sound from a specific source at a distance, such as an actor on a film set. This type of microphone can be very directional and is often used in environments with high background noise, as it can filter out unwanted sound.
Bidirectional (figure-eight)
A microphone with a bidirectional polar pattern captures the same amount of sound from the front and the back, while reducing sound from the sides.
Some microphones have only one pickup pattern, but there are also many microphones where you can switch polar pattern. This usually applies to Condenser Microphones, and you can look for the English term "polar pattern" in the specifications.
If you have a microphone with multiple pickup patterns – or two microphones with different patterns – it can be a really good exercise to experiment with a sound source and see what switching polar patterns does to the sound.
Which microphone should I choose?
Microphones for streaming
A good microphone for streaming should deliver clear, natural voice reproduction and minimise unwanted background noise, such as keyboard and mouse clicks and noise from fans, for example.
There are several types of microphones that can be suitable for streaming, including USB microphones and dynamic microphones. USB microphones are a popular solution for streaming because they’re easy to use – as mentioned earlier, however, you can only use one USB microphone at a time.
Some popular choices for streaming microphones include Blue Yeti (USB, condenser), Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ (USB, condenser), RØDE NT-USB (USB, condenser), Samson q2u (USB/analog, dynamic) and Shure SM7B and MV7 (dynamic, respectively analog and USB/analog). These microphones offer high sound quality and are among the most popular with streamers worldwide.
Also remember to consider whether you need accessories such as a microphone mount or a pop filter to get the best recording.
Microphones for recording vocals
Vocal recording is one of the biggest topics and something you can work on for a lifetime. You can achieve great results with both Dynamic Microphones and Condenser Microphones. A good rule of thumb is that if you don’t have a room with good acoustics, a dynamic microphone is much easier to work with, as it doesn’t pick up as much sound as a condenser. However, there’s a reason Condenser Microphones are the most widely used in professional studios for vocals – and if your room sounds decent, you can make fantastic vocal recordings with a condenser.
Remember to get the right accessories too – a good stand that can support the microphone and a pop filter are always good to have in the studio!
A few popular vocal microphones are Shure SM7B, Audio-Technica AT2020, RØDE NT1-A, AKG C214 and sE Electronics X1A.
Microphones for recording musical instruments
When choosing a microphone for recording musical instruments, the choice largely depends on the type of instrument and the desired sound. There are many different types of microphones that can be used to record musical instruments, and the choice largely depends on your personal preferences and budget.
Here are some examples of microphones that can be used to record various musical instruments:
- Acoustic guitar: Here, condenser microphones are the most popular—often a good pencil mic. However, you can also get great results with a dynamic microphone, especially if you’re going for a more percussive guitar sound. Popular microphones for acoustic guitar include Shure SM81, sE Electronics sE8, Audio-Technica AT4053b and AKG C414.
- Electric guitar: In the studio, there’s room for both dynamic and condenser microphones in front of the guitar amp—but that said, dynamic mics are used most often. Popular microphones for electric guitar include Shure SM57 and SM7B, Sennheiser e609 and MD441, and AKG C214.
- Bass: A dynamic microphone can deliver a full and well-balanced sound. Popular microphones for bass include AKG D112 and Electro-Voice RE20.
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Drums: A combination of dynamic and condenser microphones can be used to record different parts of the drum kit, including overheads, kick drum, snare drum and toms. There are MANY great drum microphones out there—just a small selection is: Shure SM57, SM7B, Sennheiser e604/e904, Sennheiser MD441, MD421 and MKH8050, AKG C214, C414, RØDE NT1-A, sE Electronics sE8—and many more!
Conclusion
Microphones are an important tool in audio recording, and there is a wide range of microphone types, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Choosing the right microphone depends on the purpose of the recording, and it’s important to select a microphone that matches the desired sound and the budget you have available.
When choosing a microphone, you should also consider microphone placement and techniques to achieve the best possible sound. Whether you’re recording vocals, musical instruments, playing live, streaming, or making a podcast, choosing the right microphone has a major impact on the sound!
We hope you now feel well equipped to choose exactly the right microphone for your needs. Here at SoundStoreXL, you’ll always find a wide selection of microphones from the industry’s recognized brands. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact our experts—whether it concerns studio, theatre, video production, live use, or other applications.
BONUS - the nerdy section!
To finish off, here is a little bonus section where we talk about the more technical aspects of the different microphone types.
Dynamic Microphones
A dynamic microphone basically consists of a diaphragm, a coil and a magnet. The diaphragm is typically made from a piece of thin metal, and when the sound waves hit the diaphragm, it vibrates in time with the sound. The coil is wound around the diaphragm and is connected to a circuit. When the diaphragm vibrates, the coil also moves, which creates an electric current in the circuit.
The electric current generated by the microphone corresponds to the sound pressure that hits the diaphragm and creates an electrical signal. This electrical signal can then be amplified and recorded on a device such as a mixer or an audio recorder.
Dynamic Microphones are known for being durable and resistant to knocks and drops, and are therefore popular among live musicians and for recording instruments where high sound levels may occur. They also have the advantage that they do not require an external power source or battery, as they rely solely on electromagnetic technology to generate the current.
Due to their design and electromagnetic technology, Dynamic Microphones are also less sensitive to high frequencies and typically have a more limited frequency response compared to other types of microphones such as condenser microphones. Nevertheless, Dynamic Microphones are still very popular across a wide range of setups, as they are known to deliver reliable and durable performance for many years.
Condenser Microphones
Condenser Microphones are a type of microphone that uses a capacitor to convert sound waves into an electrical signal. They are known for being very sensitive and accurate, making them suitable for recording sounds with a high level of detail and low noise.
A condenser microphone typically consists of a thin diaphragm, a backplate and an electret, which acts as one side of a capacitor. When sound waves hit the diaphragm, it moves back and forth in time with the sound. This changes the distance between the diaphragm and the backplate, and since the capacitor is sensitive to these vibrations, the distance between the electret and the backplate changes, creating an electrical signal that corresponds to the sound waves produced by, for example, your voice.
To amplify and record the electrical signal that is created, Condenser Microphones require an external power source, usually in the form of a battery or a phantom power amplifier, which supplies a constant current to the microphone. This means that Condenser Microphones are more sensitive than dynamic microphones and have a wider frequency response. Phantom power is often found in many audio interfaces or mixers and can be activated at the press of a button, making it easy to connect.
Condenser Microphones are available in different sizes and shapes, including large-diaphragm microphones, which are designed to record vocals and acoustic instruments, and small-diaphragm microphones, which are better for recording high frequencies such as cymbals and acoustic guitars.
Condenser Microphones are often used in recording studios and for recording music, as they have a more detailed sound reproduction than dynamic microphones. They are also popular for podcasts, live streaming and video production, as they can capture voices and sounds with great accuracy and clarity.
Ribbon Microphones
Ribbon microphones are a type of microphone that uses electromagnetic technology to convert sound waves into an electrical signal. They are known for their warm and natural tone, and are well suited for recording vocals, guitar amplifiers and other sound sources that require a natural and organic sound.
A ribbon microphone typically consists of a thin metal strip placed between two magnets. When sound waves hit the metal strip, it vibrates in time with the sound. This vibration creates an electrical current in the metal strip, which can be amplified and recorded on a device.
Ribbon microphones are known for their distinctive sound, which is due to their design and electromagnetic technology. Because ribbon microphones are very sensitive to sound moving in a horizontal direction, they tend to have a natural high-pass filtering that removes low-frequency noise and room reverb. This helps give ribbon microphones their warm and natural tone, which is often preferred for vocal recordings and guitar amplifiers.
Ribbon microphones typically require higher gain than other types of microphones, and are therefore more sensitive to noise and interference. They are also more susceptible to shocks and vibrations, and often require careful handling and storage.
Ribbon microphones are still popular among audio engineers and musicians due to their warm and natural sound. They are often used in recording studios and for recording music, where an organic and natural tone is in demand. They are also popular in radio and podcast production, as they can deliver a soft and warm sound that is pleasant for the listener.
