Now you are getting serious about singing and you are probably wondering what kind of microphone you should use. Most people would tell you to get the most expensive one as this probably would perform better than the others. The problem is that there are a lot of different types of microphones, and only a few of them are actually useful for singers. Generally speaking, condenser microphones are the best for recording your singing, although tube microphones are also a good option but these are kind of hard to find.
The best recording microphones for singers are cardioid condenser and tube microphones. Cardioid condenser and tube microphones have the ability to record the full spectrum of your vocal range, which means that they will be able to record accurately both low and high notes. By far one of the best recording microphones for singers is the Shure SM58 due to its high quality and popularity among beginner and established singers alike.
The reason why condenser microphones are good for singers is that they record what is only in front of them, other microphones have a more or less full spectrum which means that they will record both your voice and both your neighbors flushing the toilet. All condenser microphones have one or more inbuilt diaphragms, and with some of them, you could also change from which direction they will record.
Tube microphones operate fairly similar to condenser microphones, although they are based on older technology most of them are fairly high-end microphones. There are still some companies that make tube microphones but generally speaking, these are fairly expensive. On the other hand, you might get lucky at a flea market, and even older models will still perform well, my tube microphone is at least 15 years old and still functioning, although it loses some of its power due to the different adaptors I have to use if I hook it up to my laptop.
It is always smart to make a budget before purchasing a microphone, there is no point in buying something expensive which might or might not make you a profit later down the line. If you have already started making money with your singing then it is a good idea to invest in a high-quality microphone as it will make you the money back and it will last for a long time. If you are wondering how you can make money by singing then check out my recent article How to make money by singing ( Top 27 Methods ).
Best Recording Microphone For Singers
The choice of a recording microphone for singers depends on various factors, including budget, studio setup, and personal preferences. However, one popular and highly regarded option is the Shure SM58. Known for its durability and versatility, the SM58 is a dynamic microphone that delivers clear and robust vocal recordings. Its built-in pop filter helps reduce plosive sounds, while its cardioid pickup pattern focuses on capturing the vocalist’s voice while minimizing background noise.
Another excellent option is the Audio-Technica AT2020, a condenser microphone that offers a wider frequency response and captures more detail in vocals. It provides a smooth and natural sound with low self-noise. Other notable choices include the Neumann U87, Rode NT1, and AKG C414.
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Shure SM58
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The Shure SM58 is a good entry-level microphone, and it performs well both on stage and in the studio. This is a cardioid condenser microphone, which means that its recording is unidirectional and this is what makes it a good choice for singers. If you have grown up during the ’80 or ’90s then you have probably seen this microphone being used by your favorite artists. What is great about this microphone is that it has an inbuilt shock mount which means that you jump around and sing with it, without affecting the quality of the recording.
Warm Audio WA-47
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The Warm Audio WA-47 is a tube microphone, which performs well for recording your voice. The quality of the recording is excellent, although it is fairly pricy, so if this is your first time buying a microphone then I do not recommend it. If you have never used a tube microphone, then you should try a couple of them out, the quality of sound will differ a bit from more modern type microphones and in the end, it will come down to personal preference.
This microphone is excellent both for singing and speaking, the first time I had the chance to try this microphone out I was amazed at how pleasant my speaking voice sounded, almost like in an ASMR video.
Rode NTK
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Even if you are a beginner singer you have probably heard of Rode microphones, as it is often used by successful singers. The main difference between the Rode NTK and other microphones is that it has a large diaphragm which is actually gold plated for better conductivity, which means that it can record at any vocal range no matter how deep or how high your voice is. The microphone comes with XLR cables which are a must for any singer, no matter if you want to use it for live performances or to record yourself.
AKG P420
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AKG is a well-established brand amongst singers, although some might consider it an entry-level or a mid-range microphone, but there are some professional singers who use it due to its high quality. The AKG P420 has a knob with which you can change the polar pattern which will alter from what direction it will record, this is extremely useful for recordings studios where the mic stand will often get adjusted.
The AKG P420 is a cardioid condenser microphone that can be changed to omnidirectional and figure unlimited or 8 polar patterns.
AKG P220
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The build of this microphone is fairly similar to its bigger brother the AKG P420, although at a cheaper price. This is a cardioid condenser microphone that has a maximum SPL of 155 dB, which will have no problems recording your mid-ranged singing. Although if you are frequently singing high notes, then you might find that it isn’t the best microphone to record higher notes, so make sure you test it out before you get one.
AKG C12 VR
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The AKG C12 VR is considered a professional microphone as it is fairly pricy, but it has an amazing recording quality. If you take a look at the microphone then you might think it is some strange karaoke microphone mostly due to its design and its color, but don’t get fooled by its appearance, this microphone will blow your mind both in recording quality and price tag. The C12 has 9 patterns including the standard ones, and you can even change the patterns remotely.
AKG C414 XLII
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At first glance, you might think that this is some kind of retro microphone due to its design, but don’t let its design fool you. This is an excellent condenser microphone that has 5 recording patterns, including the standard cardioid and figure 8 patterns. Although a lot of people praise it due to the options you get with the different patterns, but honestly, if you are the only one using it then you will stick to one pattern, what truly makes this mic awesome is the sheer quality of its recordings.
Lewitt LCT 640 TS
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The Lewitt LCT 640 TS has two diaphragm patterns and it can be used to record omnidirectionally Figure 8, and a couple of cardioid patterns. The different cardioid patterns are great for different types of voice, this is why it is frequently used in professional studios. In addition to its normal cardioid mode, it also has wide cardioid and super-cardioid modes, which will alter how its diaphragm will vibrate, meaning that it has a massive spectrum of vocal ranges which it can record.
Audio Technica AT2035
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The Audio Technica AT2035 microphone, in my opinion, is the best bang for your buck. I highly recommend this microphone especially if you are frequently singing higher notes, as this microphone will have no problem picking them up with extreme clarity. Due to its 80Hz and its 10dB pad is excellent for recording higher notes, and for its price, you can not beat its performance. Although some might consider it to be only useful for singers who sing higher notes, but this is an excellent microphone for beginner singers alike.
sE Electronics V7
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The sE Electronics V7 is a super-cardioid microphone, which mainly uses an aluminum coil, although that probably doesn’t mean much to you, but as a singer, this aluminum coil will allow you to record with extreme clarity. So if you know that you have an excellent voice, then I highly recommend this microphone. Due to its super-cardioid design, it will only record your voice, and it will filter out the background noise excellently, which is great if you have a small recording studio with noisy neighbors.
Shure SM7B
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What I love about Shure microphones is that they are specially designed for vocalists and singers alike, and this is the same for the Shure SM7B. The Shure SM7B is not actually a cardioid microphone but a dynamic one that has a cardioid pick-up pattern. This is one of the few dynamic microphones which I do recommend, as it has proven its quality through the decades and even high profile singers have used it like Michael Jackson.
Blue Yeti Pro
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A lot of people think of Blue Yeti microphones as being USB ones, which is true for the most part, but the Blue Yeti Pro has actually both USB and XLR compatibility. If you have ever watched some streamers then you have probably seen this microphone already. Now you might think that this is not a good mic for singers if streamers are using it, the truth is that this one is an excellent mic for singers due to its quality and numerous recording patterns.
Just take a look at any singer doing cover songs on YouTube, odds are they are either using a Blue Yeti or an Audio Technica microphone.
Neumann TLM 102
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A lot of people swear that the Neumann TLM-102 is the best microphone for vocalists, although I am not entirely convinced, but I have to agree with some of you that this microphone has amazing recording quality. When it comes to price I am not that sure it gives you the best bang for your buck. If you only care about quality then go for it, but if you want something more affordable then you might want to check some other brands.
Blue Microphones Bluebird
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Let us face it, this microphone looks strange, some call it vintage while others call it a postmodernist look. Although I personally do not care how a mic looks, as long as it performs as it should, this microphone truly shines with its cardioid polar pattern and Class A amp. This microphone is good for any type of singer as it has a wide frequency range, it is considered a mid-range microphone although its price isn’t really midrange.
MXL 770
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If you are on a tight budget then the MXL 770 microphone is for you, don’t let its fairly low price fool you as this is a great condenser microphone. Although you shouldn’t expect miracles from it, generally speaking, the quality is not as crisp when compared to the studio-quality ones, but for its price range you can not expect to perform as a studio microphone and it easily beats any of its competition in its price range.
Aston Microphones Origin
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Not a lot of singers use this microphone, mostly because for a similar price you could get a mic from a more well-known brand. Although this doesn’t mean that the Aston Microphones Origin isn’t a good microphone for vocalists, far from it. This is a cardioid condenser microphone, and it doesn’t have additional recording patterns, however, it does have an inbuilt 10dB pad and an 80Hz filter. This microphone is only compatible with XLR cables, so no USB interface.
Audio Technica AT4050
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The Audio Technica AT4050 is mostly used in professional recording studios, it has 3 recording patterns omnidirectional, cardioid, and figure 8. The diaphragm is gold plated, meaning it can pick up a wide range of sound frequencies without altering them. Although this microphone is more for singers, but you might see it being used by people to record instrumentals, such as piano and guitar, this is because it has that extra clarity that singers and musicians alike need when recording.
Heil Sound PR 40
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You have probably seen this microphone several times already as it is frequently used by singers streamers, podcasters, and radio presenters alike. A lot of people think that this is a condenser microphone, although this is a dynamic microphone with a fairly large diaphragm. I can’t really say anything negative about this mic as I was pleasantly surprised by how good it performs even though it is a dynamic microphone.
Neumann U 87
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A lot of professional singers and musicians alike use this microphone for recording. This is a condenser microphone with a massive frequency range from 20Hz to 20kHz, so you can easily play whatever background music you want while you are recording yourself. In addition to this, it can record up to 127 dB without distorting the sound, which is fairly loud for a condenser microphone.
Sennheiser MD421
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The Sennheiser MD421 is a dynamic microphone that can easily compete with even high-end condenser microphones. This microphone is not only good at recording singing but also for recording instrumentals, voice-overs, podcasts, and so on. Due to its broad frequency range, it will have no problems recording no matter what kind of song or voice you might have.
Apogee Mic Plus
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This is one of the few USB microphones which I do recommend, mostly because it is fairly cheap and for its price range it does its job, as long as you don’t expect to make miracles for your voice. This mic is not compatible with XLR cables, but if you do not use XLR cables then go for it. One drawback with this mic is that it doesn’t have such a high recording frequency range as some of the other mics on the list, although the price is a lot cheaper.
Behringer C-1
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This is another budget-friendly microphone, which is great for home recordings. As a singer, you will probably notice that your recorded voice isn’t that crisp, especially if you are singing higher notes, but overall this is a great microphone. It even has a built-in FET amp which lacks in most budget-friendly microphones.
Sontronics Aria
This is actually a valve microphone, although the Sontronics Aria is not that popular but it is still a great microphone. This mic is mostly used for recording instrumentals, although it is more than capable to record vocals with ease. This mic has a cardioid recording pattern and it has a fairly wide recording frequency range.
Slate Digital VMS
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This is a virtual modeling mic system, which means that it will mimic virtually a high-end professional microphone, and I might add that it is very good at it. This model has been made with the only purpose of mimicking high-end microphones, with its inbuilt capsule condenser and specialized software. It does its job, although you will have to play around with your equalizer a bit till you find your sweet spot.
Lewitt Reference Class
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This is an extremely well-made tube microphone, it has a 10-20 dB pad and it comes with five different switchable patterns, omnidirectional, figure 8, cardioid, hyper-cardioid, and wide cardioid. This is an excellent microphone to record both vocals and instrumentals alike.
Audix OM3
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This is a fairly popular microphone and due to its affordability, you can probably find it at almost any live event. This is a cardioid microphone with a recording frequency between 50Hz to 18kHz, which is fairly high for such a budget-friendly microphone.
Key Takeaways
- Consider investing in a high-quality condenser microphone, as they are widely used and known for capturing the nuances and details of vocals. Condenser microphones are sensitive and provide a clear and accurate representation of your singing voice.
- Look for microphones with a large diaphragm, as they are better suited for capturing the full range of frequencies produced by your voice. These microphones offer warmth, depth, and richness to your recorded vocals.
- If you’re looking for a more affordable and portable option, USB microphones are a great choice. They connect directly to your computer and offer convenience for home recording setups. USB microphones are available in various price ranges and offer decent sound quality for recording vocals.
FAQ
What mic do singers use in the studio?
In professional recording studios, singers often use high-quality microphones such as the Neumann U87, Shure SM7B, or AKG C414. These mics are known for their excellent sound capture and versatility.
What mic do you need to record music?
To record music, it is recommended to use a condenser microphone as it is sensitive and captures a wide frequency range. Popular choices for music recording include the Audio-Technica AT2020, Rode NT1, and AKG C214.
Which mic is best for vocal recording?
The best microphone for vocal recording depends on individual preferences and the desired sound. Some highly regarded vocal microphones are the Shure SM58, Neumann U87, and Blue Yeti. It’s essential to consider factors such as budget, recording environment, and the vocalist’s voice characteristics.
What microphone does Billie Eilish use to record?
Billie Eilish has been known to use the Audio-Technica AT2020 microphone for her recording sessions. However, it’s important to note that artists may choose different microphones based on personal preference and the desired artistic effect.