The Best Microphones For Recording Vocals | The Ultimate Guide

Dynamic Microphones are the most common type of microphone. They are typically less expensive, more versatile, and built more rugged than other microphones. These mics perform well for both live and studio applications, and have a high SPL-handling capability (more on this later). They are less sensitive than condenser mics which should not at all be considered a bad thing. It makes them great for recording loud audio while leaving plenty of headroom on your input.

Dynamic microphones are geared toward vocal applications, but also perform well on instruments. They are typically built with a cardioid polar pattern which captures audio from a single direction and are commonly manufactured with an internal shock mounting technology that reduces vibrations from the environment, making them better for being handled.

Inside these microphones, the audio signal is generated by the motion of a conductor voice coil connected to a lightweight diaphragm placed within the field of a permanent magnet. This diaphragm moves in response to sound pressure, causing the voice coil suspended in the magnetic field to move, thus generating a small electric current that varies the voltage the coil produces.

Condenser microphones offer higher fidelity than dynamic microphones and respond better to the more subtle nuances of a performance. On the other hand, they are typically more expensive and their sensitivity can be somewhat of a nuisance. If a room is not sufficiently sound proof then they tend to pick up a lot of background noise.

These microphones are fragile. Recording at too high a volume can distort the sound and potentially damage the microphone altogether. They require an external power supply, internal batteries or +48V phantom power supplied by the audio interface to be used.

For use in a controlled environment and with a vocalist with good mic technique, a condenser microphone could be an optimal choice. You won’t be able to get much use of it outside of the studio, but within you’re bound to find plenty of uses for it.

In a condenser microphone, a thin stretched conductive diaphragm is located close to a metal disk called a backplate. This arrangement creates a capacitor which is supplied with a small electric charge by an external voltage source— either from phantom power or from a battery. The diaphragm vibrates slightly in response to sound pressure, changing the distance between it and the backplate, thus causing variations in the output voltage. This varied output represents the signal output of the microphone.

Frequency Range indicates the span of audio frequencies a microphone can detect and reproduce. Frequency Response is the Frequency Range versus Amplitude.

In other words, if you were to take a microphone and record audio of all frequencies at a consistent input level, certain frequencies along the Frequency Range may actually produce more or less output than what’s being inputted. This would show as a peak or a valley at a given frequency along the Frequency Response Curve (FRC) depicted on a Frequency Response Graph. You with me?

Microphones differ in how they respond to frequencies. One model may deliver a boost in a particular frequency where another may cut. This is usually based on the purpose for which the microphone was designed. A “flat response” is the case in which a microphone doesn’t alter any frequencies at all.

Frequencies are measured in Hertz (Hz). The generally accepted standard range of audible frequencies is 20 to 20,000 Hz, although this will vary from person to person and is greatly influenced by environmental factors. Vocal microphones tend to roll off bass frequencies under 200 Hz as these frequencies are typically undesirable and produce a “muddy” sound. Additionally, they tend to have what are called “peaks” in the 1 kHz – 9 kHz range as it is mainly within these frequencies that the human voice sits.

The diaphragm is a piece inside the microphone that receives the sound waves. Condenser and dynamic mics are classified according to the size of their diaphragm. The size of the diaphragm will contribute five key attributes:

1. Self Noise – the inherent noise of the microphone itself
2. Max SPL – stands for “sound pressure level” and is expressed in decibels (dBs). It describes the maximum volume that a mic can handle.
3. Frequency Response – see above
4. Frequency Range – see above
5. Dynamic Range – difference between the loudest sound the microphone can handle without distorting significantly (<1%) and the level of noise that inevitably pollutes the audio signal even when no sound is present.

Diaphragms of all sizes have their place in a recording studio. In your efforts to equip your home studio with a microphone for singing that could also carry over well into other recording applications, you can use large-diaphragm condenser mics to record just about anything.