How to Pick a Vocal Microphone for Your Recording Studio

Choosing a vocal microphone for your recording studio can be confusing. With all the brands, price ranges and different configurations, settling on that perfect mic will take awhile. Here's a guide on what to look for in mics to complete your home recording studio.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Buy a microphone with a dynamic pickup. Dynamic microphones utilize a moving coil attached to a diaphragm to process sound waves. Dynamic small diaphragm mics, used for general recording studio purposes, tend to be sturdier than large diaphragm mics, which complement singers and speakers with naturally loud voices.
2. Select a microphone with a condenser pickup for your recording studio. This mic contains a diaphragm with a plate behind to conduct energy. The Neumann company produces some fine, high-end condenser mics geared for vocal recording.
3. Choose a microphone with an omnidirectional pattern. An omnidirectional microphone gathers sound from all points in the studio, so it's perfect for recording a vocalist without the bass sound of a directional mic.
4. Experiment with a cardioid pattern microphone. This type of mic pattern emphasizes the bass undertones of a singer's voice and gives the vocals a warmer, richer sound in the studio. Place this microphone no more than 2 feet from the vocalist. Musicians call this procedure "close miking."
5. Determine what mic works best with your vocals. Experiment with friends' mics at other recording studio sessions, or ask a salesman at your music store. Try microphones with different directional patterns and pickup as well as different mic brands.
6. Consider your budget. Some excellent microphones like the Shure SM-57 are reasonably priced and receive excellent reviews from amateur and professional studio users alike. Another inexpensive choice, the Studio Project C1 cardioid microphone, works well when close miking a singer.