The Best Professional Studio Microphone
There are a few considerations when searching for the best professional studio microphone. Depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, knowing how these mics differ might help.
Essentially, microphones come in a few different shapes and types.
- Large diaphragm Condenser Mics
- Dynamic Microphones
- Computer dongle and USB Microphones
- Small diaphragm Condenser Microphone
- Bass Amp Mic and General Bass Mic.
Of these mic types you will find that Condenser Microphones and Dynamics Microphones are used most of the time for singing.
SO Which One Do I Buy?
The best professional microphone for vocalist are certainly condenser mics.
The Shure SM7B Vocal Dynamic Microphone is a good mid level cost professional mic for recording at home. These cost anywhere between $250 and $450. They provide excellent dynamic range and are very popular for Rock, gospel, and R&B.
A step above the shure mic would certainly be the Rode NTK Tube Condenser Microphone. These are excellent tube mics that provide a really warm sound for your vocals. They come at a cost range between $599 and even up to $700 depending on the model.
Moving up the ladder to even higher quality microphones. We’ll start with the SE Electronics sE2200a II. This is what we call a Multi-Pattern large diaphragm condenser. These are really great for stereo recording. Think of groups like Boyz II Men or Destiny’s Child all sing around one microphone in a circle. Most Likely it would be something like the SE Electronics sE2200a II! They capture sound from all over the room and are very sensitive. You wanna have at least one of these in your studio!
And the absolute best professional studio microphone award goes to…
The Neumann U 87 Ai.
Known for it’s history in the recording business, these microphones have done it all. And they have proved themselves in the market for over 50 years. If you get yourself one of these I will call you my best friend. They come in two varying price ranges. You can get the Neumann TLM 102 for just about $700. Or you can move on up and get the The Neumann U 87 Ai for just over $3000. Both are excellent choices. Of coarse the U87 would be the top choice!
Conclusion
There are mics for every single type of instrument! Finding the best professional microphone is easier than you might think. Depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, you may find that even the most basic of mics would achieve your aim. Since I play the sax, I’ve had a wide variety of mics I’ve used over the years. each microphone will achieve different things even on the same horn. I’ve found that some songs even require different mics! feel free to experiment to find the best sound. Condenser mics are a good first choice. Especially for vocals even though they were just as well with musical instruments.
Before I end this post, check out:
The Blue Yeti USB Microphone – Blackout Edition – 2070
This is a USB mic that actually sounds good. The price is well within reason for the quality! At under $130.00 on Amazon Prime, you really can’t go wrong.
