Microphone
choices for studio and home recording
Microphones
vary greatly in quality, a top end recording studio
microphone may cost thousands and in many cases
they are needed for the very best recordings but
it is possible to buy a good microphone for less
than a few hundred Dollars.
Using
poor quality cheap microphones may do for unimportant
things but as a visitor to this site you are probably
looking to get a great sound! Below is a
list of microphones available via our favourite
on-line retailer who guarantee to match any legitimate
price and we have found them to offer excellent
service and a good returns policy.
Let's
look at the kinds of microphone choices available
and go over the pro's and con's of each.
We won't go in to mega detail but we hope that
this helps you!
We
have listed the key microphones available here:
Dynamic
Microphones - Studio
dynamic mics - Stage
dynamic mics
Condenser Microphones - Large
capsule mics - Small
capsule condenser mics
Ribbon Microphones -
Ribbon
microphone
Complete
range of microphones to browse are here.
Dynamic
Microphones
Dynamic
microphones that offer really good all round performance
include the Shure SM57. Many others from
AKG, Beyer etc are available. Typical uses
for dynamic microphones are for stage use and
recording studio use. Dynamic mics don't
need phantom power.
In
a studio situation a dynamic microphone such as
the SM57 will be great for snare drums, guitar
cabs and a hundred other uses. They generally
can take a fair amount of abuse such as a drum
stick hitting the microphone.
Condenser
Microphones
The
range of condenser microphones is vast, from cheap
and cheerful right up to state of the art and
classic studio microphones. Typically you
will need phantom power supplied by your mixing
desk or mic pre amp though many simply need a
battery to operate.
In
a studio situation one of the most typical high
end microphones is the Neumann U 87 and it is
probably the best-known and most widely used studio
microphone. It is equipped with a large dual-diaphragm
capsule with 3 directional patterns: omnidirectional,
cardioid, and figure-8. These are selectable with
a switch below the headgrille. A 10 dB attenuation
switch, located on the rear, enables the microphone
to handle sound pressure levels up to 127 dB without
distortion. Furthermore, the low frequency response
can be reduced to compensate for proximity effect.
Another
very popular recording studio microphone due to
its versatility is the AKG 414. It has a
solid metal housing and transformer-less output
stage with 3 switchable bass cut filters and 3
pre-attenuation pads. It has high sensitivity
and extremely low self noise with
5 switchable polar patterns for placement and
application flexibility. Using an elastic
capsule suspension greatly minimizes structurally-transmitted
noise from chassis vibration.
Although
the above microphones are quite expensive you
need to remember that a great mic, when used well,
will produce results far better than a cheap one.
Don't forget that it is important to keep the
cable as short and as high a quality as possible
and to use a really good mic pre for the best
results.
If
you are on a budget don't feel that a decent microphone
is out of your budget. Many manufacturers
such as Rode, AKG etc produce amazing microphones
at a decent price.
Our favourite mics.
The
range of microphones and accessories available
here includes:
Dynamic
Microphones - Studio
dynamic mics - Stage
dynamic mics
Condenser Microphones - Large
capsule mics - Small
capsule condenser mics
Ribbon Microphones -
Ribbon
microphone
Microphone Boom Stands | Microphone Stands | Microphone
Mounts | Pop Filters and Windscreens | Microphone
Boom Stand Arms | Phantom Power Supplies | Microphone
Goosenecks | Transformers | Microphone Stand Accessories
| More...
Dynamic Instrument Microphones
Headset Microphones
Clip-On Microphones
Hanging Microphones
Stereo Microphones
Shotgun Microphones
Miniature Microphones / Lavalier Microphones
To
select the microphone or accessory that you want
click here.
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