• Home
  • Headphones
    • Studio Headphones – Detailed Buying Guide
    • Studio Headphones under 200
    • Studio Headphones under 100
    • Studio Headphones under 50
  • Microphone
    • Simple Buying Guide & Recommendation
    • Condenser Microphone under 100
    • Condenser Microphone under 200
  • Studio Essentials
    • Audio Interfaces

Remixing Planet

Home recording studio guide and reviews

Best Microphone – A Simple Buying Guide & Recommendation

Related post:

  • How to Pick the Best Condenser Microphone under 200$ – Detailed Buying Guide

Table of Contents

  • How is the list of best microphone made?
  • Key points to consider before buying
  • What are the Best Microphone Brands?
  • Best Microphones for Vocals
    • For under 100
    • For under 200
    • For under 300
    • For under 500
    • For under 1000
  • Best Microphones for Acoustic Guitar
    • For under 100
    • For under 200
    • For under 300
    • For under 500
    • For under 1000
  • Best Microphones for Electric Guitar & Drums
    • For under 100
    • For under 200
    • For under 300
    • For under 500
    • For under 1000
  • Conclusion

How is the list of best microphone made?

There are thousands of microphones manufactured by leading companies worldwide and it is indeed a tough task to make a list of the best microphones. Depending on the usage of the microphone, you must assure that the few concerned technical aspects are powerful enough for the purpose. For starters/beginners, a guide is obviously necessary to help them in selecting a decent microphone and most importantly, that best serve their purpose in that price range.

Key points to consider before buying

Microphone polar patterns: polar patterns describe how microphones pick up sound
Polar Pattern
Specs
Cardioid
capture sound in front
remixingplanet.com-best-microphone-cardioid
Super/Hyper Cardioid
improved isolation
remixingplanet.com-best-microphone-super-hyper-cardioid
Shotgun
more directional, eliminates sound from the sides via phase cancellation
remixingplanet.com-best-microphone-shotgun
Figure-8
capture sound in front and back
remixingplanet.com-best-microphone-figure8
Omnidirectional
capture sound from all angles
remixingplanet.com-best-microphone-omnidirectional
Switchable/Multi-Pattern
change between different polar patterns via a switch
remixingplanet.com-best-microphone-multi-pattern
Microphone types: Dynamic/ Condenser
Type
Specs
 
Dynamic
coil magnetic diaphragm, reliable and versatile, can handle high sound pressure levels
Condenser
thin conductive diaphragm that sits close to a metal backplate, high sensitivity, more sound details, ideal for precision recording in the studio
Microphone diaphragm: a thin material that vibrates when it comes into contact with sound
Diaphragms
Specs
 
Large diaphragms
higher sensitivity, more sound details
Small diaphragms
wider dynamic range, higher sound pressure levels

What are the Best Microphone Brands?

Brands manufacturing microphones are plenty, and more or less, each brand has its own signature style, its area of expertise and specializations. For example, Blue are pioneers in producing USB type microphones whereas for ribbon mics, companies such as Royer, Beyerdynamic can be vouched for. There are however a couple of brands who have ruled the market of microphones for years and are versatile in their area of expertise and thus come in the list of best brands

Shure
It is an audio parts and product corporation founded by Sidney N. Shure in Chicago, in 1925. In 1939, they produced their first famous microphone model 55 which had been used by famous personalities and performers such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Elvis Presley. Ever since, Shure climbed its way to the top and never looked back by constantly producing top-quality microphones; be it condenser, dynamic or shotgun. Its most famous model now, the Shure SM58, is a common choice for professional vocalists across the globe.
AKG
AKG acoustics is an Austrian company headquartered at Vienna and fairly deserve the number two spot in this list. Their history dates back to 1953 when they produced the famous C12 model and subsequently C24, C412 and M251 models; all of these ruled the market back then. All these models had one noteworthy thing in common: the CK12 large diaphragm capsule engineered by Konrad Wolf. The CK12 is a milestone for audio technology as it was the first capsule to offer constant sensitivity and frequency response to all the polar patterns.
Sennheiser
Sennheiser is a private audio company founded in 1945, few weeks after World War II ended, by Fritz Sennheiser and seven other engineers from the University of Hannover. Be it live performance, speeches, band instruments or vocals, Sennheiser is pioneer in producing best-in-class microphones and truly deserves to be in this list. The most popular series that is reigning the market now is their E-series which has separate microphones specialized for separate instruments. This German company is also an expert in manufacturing best-in-class headphones and headsets.
Rode
It is an Australian microphone manufacturer company founded in 1967 as Freedman electronics by Henry Freedman and Peter Freedman. Back in 1990, after much research and development Rode came up with its NT2 model and since then this company strived its way to be among the leading brands in present era. If certain specialization area is only taken into consideration (such as wireless microphones), Rode can comfortably beat the other brands above it in this list.
Audio-Technica
It is a Japanese audio company founded in Tokyo in 1962 by Hideo Matsushita. In present era, you will find Audio-Technica microphones every now and then being used for live shows, broadcasting etc. Even the popular TV shows such as Big Brother, Grammy Awards also use Audio Technica (AT) microphones. It can thus be stated that AT microphones are specially engineered to be used in almost any location. There are a few products of AT such as AT2020 condenser, ATR6250 stereo, which can be considered as the major reason for this brand to be placed in this list.

Best Microphones for Vocals

The first thing you must make sure while buying a vocal microphone is that it is of cardioid pattern. A cardioid dynamic mics is very helpful for live performers who perform in close vicinity of other instruments or crowd noises. For precision studio recording make sure that the microphone is a condenser one.

For under 100

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
Sennheiser E835
Dynamic
Cardioid
Shure SM58-LC
Dynamic
Cardioid
Audio-Technica AT2020
Condenser
Cardioid
MXL 770
Condenser
Cardioid

For under 200

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
AKG P420
Condenser
Multipattern
Audio-Technica AT2035
Condenser
Cardioid
Sennheiser e935
Dynamic
Cardioid
Shure 55SH
Dynamic
Cardioid

For under 300

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
Rode NT1A
Condenser
Cardioid
Audio-Technica AT4040
Condenser
Cardioid
Blue Microphone Bluebird
Condenser
Cardioid
Shure Super 55 Deluxe
Dynamic
SuperCardioid
Sennheiser e865
Condenser
SuperCardioid

For under 500

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
Shure SM7B
Dynamic
Cardioid
Aston Microphones Spirit
Condenser
Multipattern
Blue Microphones Baby Bottle
Condenser
Cardioid
Electro Voice RE-20
Dynamic
Cardioid

For under 1000

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
Neumann TLM 102 MT
Condenser
Cardioid
AKG Pro Audio C414 XLII
Condenser
Multipattern
Sennheiser EW 500-945 G3
Dynamic
SuperCardioid
Lewitt LCT-840
Condenser
Multipattern

Best Microphones for Acoustic Guitar

Acoustic instruments produce minute sounds in between which are parts of the music and needed to be captured clearly. Your microphone will have added sensitivity if it is a condenser type instead of dynamic.

For under 100

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
AKG Perception 170
Condenser
Cardioid
Samson C02
Condenser
Cardioid

For under 200

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
Audio-Technica PRO 37
Condenser
Cardioid
Shure SM137-LC
Condenser
Cardioid
MXL V67N
Condenser
Cardioid/Omni

For under 300

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
Sennheiser E614
Condenser
SuperCardioid
Audio-Technica AT4041
Condenser
Cardioid

For under 500

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
Shure SM81-LC
Condenser
Cardioid
AKG Pro Audio C451B
Condenser
Cardioid

For under 1000

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
Neumann KM 184
Condenser
Cardioid
Audio-Technica AT4053B
Condenser
HyperCardioid

Best Microphones for Electric Guitar & Drums

For electric guitar: Electric guitar is all about tremendous sound pressure level and lots of variations in the frequency. A condenser microphone normally cannot withstand such mercurial sounds. Thus a common practice is to use dynamic microphones.

For drums: Drums and percussion instruments comes with its unique kit of various sound combinations and so mics for drums also are fabricated separately for kicks, snares, cymbals and toms … The microphones for drums generally are sold in kits which will contain a set of four, five, seven or more microphones. Each of these microphones will have separate response curves and profile suited for the particular drum where it is to be used. For example, to capture the sound of cymbals, hi-hat small diaphragm condenser microphones are the best; For toms, snare and bass on the other hand, dynamics are prefered.

For under 100

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
Shure SM57-LC
Dynamic
Cardioid
Audio-Technica ATM650
Dynamic
HyperCardioid
Audix I5
Dynamic
Cardioid
AKG D40
Dynamic
Cardioid

For under 200

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
Sennheiser e906
Dynamic
SuperCardioid
Shure BETA 52A
Dynamic
SuperCardioid
Audix D4
Dynamic
HyperCardioid
AKG D112
Dynamic
Cardioid

For under 300

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
EV RE320
Dynamic
Cardioid
Sennheiser E902
Dynamic
Cardioid
Shure PGADRUMKIT5
Dynamic
Cardioid
Shure PGASTUDIOKIT4
Condenser/Dynamic
Cardioid

For under 500

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
Sennheiser MD 421 II
Dynamic
Cardioid
Sennheiser E604
Dynamic
Cardioid
Shure PGADRUMKIT7
Condenser/Dynamic
Cardioid
CAD Audio TOURING7
Condenser/Dynamic
Cardioid/SuperCardioid

For under 1000

Microphone
Type
Polar Pattern
Audix DP7
Condenser/Dynamic
Cardioid/HyperCardioid
Audix DP5A
Dynamic
Cardioid/HyperCardioid

Conclusion

Though this concludes the article about best microphone, it is imperative to state that there are plenty other microphones (other than these aforementioned) which can perform proficiently. The bottom-line is, it is not the brand name and the price tag that you should look out for while selecting a microphone, but the specifications and features (both technical and physical) of the microphone and decide accordingly. And it is exactly the reason why this text has been subdivided into separate categories of usages and price ranges.


Read more:

  • How to Pick the Best Condenser Microphone under 100$

Featured

  • Best Studio Headphones under 50$ (Your Detailed Guide)
  • How to Buy Best Studio Headphones – Detailed Buying Guide
  • Top 18 Headphone Brands Score and Reviews
  • Classy Studio Headphones – the Ultimate Reviews and Buying Guide
  • How to Pick the Best Condenser Microphone under 200 (Detailed Buying Guide)

Categories

  • Audio Interfaces
  • Buying guide
  • Microphone
  • Studio headphones

Copyright © 2021 | REMIXING PLANET | CONTACT | ABOUT | SCHOLARSHIP | PRIVACY POLICY | DISCLAIMER