Microphones

There is a certain mystique to microphones, and microphones for engineers are like vintage guitars for guitarists. There are plenty of choices and every engineer loves to talk at length about their favorites. Each one has a certain sound, and the truth is, there are no bad mics! Each one has a specific use. This article has just enough space to deal with vocal mics.
Microphones are usually broken down into groups based on their construction type. I will describe the basic construction, but what most people really need to know is how to select a mic, and this will be the focus of this article.
Here are the four main groups of mics:
Dynamic mics. These are like little speakers wired in reverse. Very economical and rugged, they are mostly found in use on stage in wired handelds and on instruments such as drums.
Condenser mics. These are more delicate and typically require power from the mixing board or preamp. However they have a broader frequency range and have an accurate frequency response, which is why this is the predominant type of mic found in studios.
Ribbon mics. These are small group of mics that have a real mellow and ‘smoky’ sound. Unfortunately, these are truly fragile. But they have a sound that is usually associated with Sinatra and the Big Band era, and nothing captures the sound of horn and brass instruments like a ribbon.
Boundary mics. Small with a tiny pickup element, these are a cool new development in mics. Great for podiums, conference tables, kick drums, full orchestras. But you really won’t see these in use other than in some specialized situations, and you’ll probably never sing directly into one. It’s an engineers’ tool, and not for performing into.
Now, how do you select the right mic for what you’re doing? Ask a hundred engineers, and you’ll get a hundred opinions. Are you working on the stage? Look for a mic that has great feedback rejection and clarity, since being able to get more gain out of the mic means you won’t have to sing as loud all night and blow your voice out! It should also have a nice frequency response and be internally shocked so that it doesn’t pickup handling noise. The typical choice is a handheld mic costing around a hundred dollars, but the really good ones reach much higher. Top professional stage singers like the handheld condenser Neumann mic that sells for just under six hundred dollars. Even if you can’t spend that much money, there are some phenomenal choices, and ones that spring to mind are those such as the EV ND967 and AKG C5. Both of these sell for under two hundred dollars. It is important to demo any mic you’re interested in, as each one will have a different response based upon your individual, unique voice.
If you are in the studio, then there are lot’s of great choices and they usually turn out to be condensers. Look for a vocal mic which has great sensitivity and is also ‘hyped.’ A hyped mic has a frequency response that has an extended bass response and a nice presence, and a smooth high frequency response that is not harsh. You want this kind of mic to pull your voice out of the mix. I am always looking to match a singer with the right mic that makes their voice jump in front of the music bed with minimal EQ or other effects, because if you didn’t know, it the vocal that sells the song. The industry standard is the Neumann U87, with a typical price tag of just under three thousand dollars. As manufacturing costs have come down, plenty of other mics that have entered the field. Sterling, Rodes, Groove Tubes, Shure, BLUE, AKG (everyone needs a C414!) and many others provide great products under the thousand dollar mark. Don’t be afraid to audition several mics before choosing one, and realize that one day you’ll fall in love with a different mic on a different project.

For additional reading, please click on the following articles:
What is a condenser mic?
What is a dynamic mic?