Choosing Microphones to Buy

When you are just starting out in recording music, you are likely to need microphones. And if you have been recording for a while, you may feel the need to add to you microphone collection.

But how do you make those choices? In this episode, I look at the criteria that I think are important in picking mics to add to your studio. Simply choosing a mic that is what other people use, or was on a hit record, is not always the best way to go about this.

I provide a logical approach to adding to your mic collection, with some real-world examples.

email: dwfearn@dwfearn.com
www.youtube.com/c/DWFearn
https://dwfearn.com/

Transcript

98       Choosing Microphones to Buy                                    November 5, 2024

I’m Doug Fearn and this is My Take on Music Recording

 Almost every recording session needs microphones. Well, if you are doing electronic music, or music entirely based on sampled instruments, you may never need a microphone. But the majority of popular music has a singer, and you will need a mic for that.

If you are just starting out, you may need only a few microphones. If you have been recording for a while, you may feel the need to add to your mic collection.

So, how to you chose what mics to buy?

More than any other piece of electronic recording gear, microphones are a very personal decision. Everyone has a different concept of what they want their recordings to sound like, and that’s a good thing. We shouldn’t all be doing the same thing.

Choosing what mics you want to buy starts with what do you need them to do. Different styles of music may push you towards one general type of microphone more than another.

For example, if you are recording high-energy, amplified music, you might want to start with some dynamic mics.

If your goal is to make competitive-sounding recordings of pop music, you might gravitate toward condenser mics.

And if the music you record is mostly acoustic, ribbon mics might be at the top of your list.

Generally, though, you will probably want a variety of microphone types. That gives you a wide palette of sonic characteristics to choose from, depending on the music, the instrument or voice, and your own sense of what you think things should sound like.

A variety of mics in your collection means that you often can achieve the sound you want by mic selection alone, with little or no need for equalization.

And the choices you make may be influenced by the room where you record. Different mics can have a big effect on the amount of room sound inherent in your recordings. If you have a less than optimum room, you might need to take that into consideration in your decisions.

Microphone models each have their own personality. Like all transducers, they are imperfect. More imperfect than any of the other gear we use in the studio, except maybe speakers. But those imperfections are what can give your recording character, or your own signature sound.

Let’s do a quick overview of the basic microphone types and their strengths and weaknesses.

Dynamic mics are what you see on stage at a live performance. They are small, very rugged, and can handle high sound levels and withstand lots of abuse in the performing environment.

They generally have a more limited frequency response than a condenser or ribbon mic, so they won’t be as bright, nor will they have the extended low-frequency response of the other types. Their output level is quite low, compared to a condenser mic. That is not a problem with the close-mic’ing used on stage.

The sound of a dynamic mic can be quite good, but they often lack that sparkle and bite of a condenser mic.

Most dynamic mics have a cardioid pattern, which means they pick up sound mostly from what is directly in front of the mic. That is helpful to minimize pickup of other instruments and noise in the environment. But most dynamic mics have very strange frequency response off-axis. Sounds arrived from directions other than in front of the mic tend to sound overly-bright and kind of crummy.

Dynamic mics can also be designed to be omni-directional, which means they pick up sound more-or-less equally from any direction. That might be useful in some situations, since omni mics tend to have a wider frequency response range, have little or no proximity effect, and any off-axis sound has the same characteristics as the sound in front of the mic. That also means they can be difficult to use if isolation between different sources is important.

If you are using a dynamic mic to pick up a quiet sound, perhaps a nylon-string guitar from a foot away, the output level may be too low to achieve a reasonable recording level. However, you can add a level booster, generally right at the mic, to give you 10 to 20dB more level. Some dynamic mics even have that feature built in. In either case, the level booster, or an “active” dynamic mic will require phantom power to operate. All mic preamps, mixers, consoles, or digital audio interface devices include phantom power. It’s often labeled 48V.

Ribbon mics were the first fully high-fidelity mics invented, starting with the RCA 44 in the early 1930s. In its traditional form, ribbon mics are bi-directional: they pick up sound equally from the front and the back. The rejection off the sides of the mic is phenomenal. That plane of rejection is actually a disc that extends all around the mic, including the top and bottom as well as the sides.

Another amazing characteristic of ribbon mics is their uniform frequency response to sounds arriving off axis.

Ribbon mics can be made to be uni-directional or cardioid. That requires resonant chambers for the “back” of the ribbon. Generally, that modification sacrifices some of the intrinsic qualities of the ribbon mic.

Ribbon mics have a unique sound, due to these inherent characteristics. It’s difficult to describe, but you will hear the difference. Some people call it “warmth,” and I guess that is a useful one-word description. I think ribbon mics sound more “natural” than any other type.

Technically, a ribbon mic is a dynamic mic, due to the way it operates electrically. But otherwise, they are totally different in sound. Except for one thing – the output level of a ribbon mic is comparable to a dynamic mic. Some engineers find that a problem, and use a level booster. Many ribbon mics of recent vintage have built-in amplifiers that perform the same function as a level booster. The active electronics change the sound of the ribbon mic, usually not for the better. And some active ribbon mics include equalization that makes them sound more like a condenser mic.

Ribbon mics, for the most part, are larger than dynamic mics, sometimes a lot larger. And they are very heavy, due to the large magnets they rely on to operate. The ribbon element is a strip of extremely thin aluminum, which can be damaged by air movement. They generally cannot be used outdoors without some serious protection to prevent the wind from destroying the ribbon. And their weight means that a fall from any height is likely to cause serious damage or destruction to a ribbon mic.

Condenser mics are the type used most often in the recording studio. They have many excellent characteristics, such as extended frequency response, compared to dynamic or ribbon mics. The output level is typically 20dB higher than a dynamic or ribbon mic, which many people interpret as an advantage. It’s true that they require less gain in the mic preamplifier, which can reduce the noise level. But otherwise, the higher level does not offer a significant advantage.

Many condenser mics contain two separate capsules, which means there are actually two mics in one case. That’s not for stereo. The dual elements allow the condenser mic to have multiple pickup patterns, which can be useful in a session. Many condenser mics offer a choice of cardioid, bi-directional, or omni-directional patterns.

Almost all condenser mics exhibit a high-frequency peak in their response curve. This is generally tuned to a range from around 2kHz to 12kHz. This gives the condenser mic its characteristic bright quality, which makes it a good choice for many types of music.

A logical approach to choosing what mic to buy would require evaluating what you need the mic to do. Your choice for a vocal might be very different from what you would pick to mic a guitar amp or cabinet. There is probably no one mic that will work well for all situations, so it makes sense to define what you need to use the microphone on.

There are some mics that are closer to being universal reasonable choices than others. For someone starting out, a Shure SM58 is hard to beat as an all-around mic. It is very inexpensive, rugged, and can be used on vocals and anything else. It is not the best-sounding mic by any means, but it can be surprisingly good when employed properly.

Another versatile mic is the Sennheiser 421, which, like the SM58, has been around for decades and is a known quantity. These mics are good for almost anything in the studio, but seldom the best choice for anything.

There are others in that category. They are dynamic mics, relatively inexpensive, rugged, and easy to use. They are cheap enough that someone on a limited budget can buy several for the cost of a ribbon or condenser mic.

Vocals are the most important musical element in most popular music. A mic that records vocals well should be on the top of the list of specialized microphones.

Condenser mics are most frequently used for vocals, for several reasons. They sound great, and the presence peak means the vocal will cut through a dense instrumental backing. And if they have a cardioid or bi-directional in pattern, they will have a lot of proximity effect, which can be a problem or a useful feature, depending on the singer.

Proximity effect is something even someone not in our business is aware of. Simply put, it is an increase in bass response the closer you get to the mic. For an experienced singer, this can be a useful tool to vary the emotional impact of the words as needed in the song. Moving close to the mic will increase the lows in the singer’s voice.

However, proximity effect can also be a problem, especially for singers who are used to having their lips practically touching the grille of a dynamic mic when performing on stage. You can’t really do that with a condenser or ribbon mic. It just sounds bad.

I find that I get the best vocal sound when the mic is about a foot or more from the singer. The sound is more natural and cleaner. A singer can lean in a bit at appropriate points in the song to take advantage of the proximity effect.

Many condenser mics have a switch on them that rolls off the low frequencies to compensate for the bass boost when close to the singer, or any other sound.

Most also include another switch to insert a pad, which reduces the level of the mic somewhere between 10 and 20dB, depending on the mic design. This is mainly to prevent overloading the microphone’s internal electronics, but it can also be used to reduce the level coming out of the mic to avoid overloading the mic preamp.

For a couple of decades, the Neumann U87 was a standard for vocal recording. Prior to the introduction of the U87 in the late 1960s, the Neumann U47 and U67 were also commonly used. Many engineers, producers, and singers think that the U47 is the best-sounding vocal mic ever made. And there is truth to that. It has a “big” sound, lots of proximity effect, a pleasant presence peak, and a different sound due to its vacuum tube internal amplifier. A vintage U47 is extremely expensive today, and they all have aged differently over the years and each sound a bit different from any other U47. Modern recreations of the U47 are a good alternative.

The choices of a condenser mic for vocals are vast. Prices for new mics range from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.

When choosing any mic, it is helpful to have some first-hand experience with that model, either at another studio, from a producer or engineer who brings along his or her favorite mic, or from an opportunity to try one out in your own studio.

With any mic, I would suggest you avoid buying the mic everyone else uses, or that was used on a recording you particularly like and/or was a major hit for someone. Some mics are legendary and have been on a huge percentage of successful records. But your goal should be to find the mic that works best with your notion of what things should sound like, and that will work well with the artists that you will be recording in your studio.

Ribbon mics can also sound great on vocals, although the singer has to be somewhat more careful of their mic technique. Most ribbon mics have more proximity effect than a condenser mic, which means keeping them somewhat farther away to avoid problems.

Ribbon mics do not normally require a pad to avoid overload, although I have worked with some singers with big voices who need a pad on the mic preamp to avoid distortion in the sound. Most singers will never need a pad.

My favorite ribbon mic for vocals is the RCA 44, or one of its modern recreations. That mic was designed primarily for voices, and it still sounds excellent 90 years later. It has built-in pop filters that will be all you need for almost any singer, as long as they do not get too close. However, some bass roll-off will be necessary on most voices. The proximity effect of a 44 extends out many feet, although the bass boost diminishes rapidly with distance.

There are many other ribbon mic manufacturers that make good mics, some of them are very affordable.

Dynamic mics are not often used for recording vocals in the studio, with a couple of exceptions. The Shure SM58 is sometimes used as a handheld mic that can be worked very close. This may make performers used to using the SM58 on stage get a better performance than if they were constrained by a condenser or ribbon mic that was fixed on a stand.

Another amazing dynamic vocal mic is the Shure SM7, which shares a lot of the SM58 DNA. The SM7 is a remarkable mic, not expensive, that sounds like a good condenser or ribbon mic costing far more. It has been used in the studio for decades on some of the most successful records of all time.

The dynamic mics lack the inherent brightness and transparency of a condenser mic, but can be very effective anyway. Some eq can help make those mics work better in a song.

If you need to record an electric guitar, or other instrument that is reproduced through an amplifier, you can use any of the three main microphone types. I find that the instrument and player, and the controls on the guitar and on that amp, have much more profound effects on the sound than what mic you use. Still, different mics will sound different on the same amplifier.

One classic choice is a dynamic mic. A close cousin to the Shure SM58 is the SM57, which has been used on guitar amps since the mid-1960s.

In more recent recordings, a ribbon mic is often preferred for its unique characteristics. The Royer R121 is a popular choice, as are the R84 and R92 ribbon mics from AEA.

Condenser mics can also be used on guitar amplifiers. They can withstand very high sound levels, but you will need to use the mic’s built-in pad. If the sound is loud enough, the condenser mic element may go into a non-linear range, which may sound awful, or great, depending on what type of sound you are trying to get.

Condenser mics for vocals usually have a large element, or diaphragm. They are called “large diaphragm condenser” mics. But a large diaphragm may be more of a psychological advantage than a sonic one.

Condenser mics with a smaller diaphragm, called “small diaphragm condensers,” can sound just as good on many instruments. By small, that generally means less than an inch in diameter. Large means around an inch in diameter. That’s about as large a diaphragm as is practical.

There are several approaches to recording drums, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Prior to the 1960s, drums were usually mic’d with just one microphone, usually several feet or more away from the drum kit. Sometimes no drum mic was used at all – the bleed of the drums into the other mics in the studio was sufficient. That provided a unique and powerful sound, which is mostly out of favor these days.

The other approach is to mic each drum separately. This has a compelling sense of presence. It’s like having your ear an inch or two away from each drum or cymbal, something that would be impossible in real life.

But recording allows us to hear things in a way that can’t be done in the practical world. And why not? We should take advantage of whatever techniques we can dream up to achieve a sound unlike what you would hear if you stood in the room with a drummer.

Some engineers use a dozen or more mics on the drum kit. Often, certain drums are mic’d with one mic above the drum head and one below the drum. The same can be done with a bass, or kick, drum. Some music demands this kind of drum impact, and using all those mics and recording tracks is what you need to do to get that sound.

Other types of music may benefit from a simpler drum mic’ing approach. That could be one mono mic in an extreme example, or one stereo mic. Or an engineer might use a hybrid approach with a simple overall pickup along with close mics on the critical drums, typically snare and kick drum.

But what mics are best for drums? The answer, like it is for all situations, is whatever sounds best. But if you are choosing mics to buy for recording drums, there are some general guidelines.

For multi-mic’d drums, the microphone should be small enough to avoid getting in the way of the drummer’s sticks. Putting a large, multi-thousand-dollar mic on a snare drum is asking for disaster. Mics will eventually get hit, and the result can be a very expensive repair.

For that reason, dynamic mics are often used. They are small and will likely survive most strikes – maybe with some dents, but they will still function. Classic drum mics like the Shure SM57 or Sennheiser MD421 have been used successfully for a very long time. But there are other fine dynamic mics to choose from. Your choice might be influenced by a mic that can be used in a variety of applications.

Some engineers prefer the sound of small diaphragm condenser mics on the drums. Those sound great, but be sure your drummer is experienced enough to avoid hitting those expensive and fragile mics.

Most engineers use overhead mics, to capture the cymbals and provide a different perspective on the drum kit that can blend in with the close mics. Condenser mics are almost universal for overheads, but ribbon mics work well, too.

Personally, I don’t like the sound from overhead mics. That is probably because I hate the sound of cymbals, at least the way most drummers play them. I recognize that not everyone agrees with that. Some cymbal crashes or rides are necessary for some music, and we need to capture those. A good drummer will be helpful here.

A whole episode could be written about recording a bass drum, usually referred to as a kick drum. Over the years many different mics have been in favor for this application. Almost any mic will work. It just depends on the sound you want.

All three major types of mics can be used successfully. Dynamic mics, like the AKG D12 or similar have been popular for decades. Large-diaphragm condenser mics are also popular. And ribbon mics can be used, with the same precautions as when mic’ing a guitar amp. Any air movement can damage a ribbon mic.

Another mic that can sound excellent on drums is the cardioid pattern Beyer Dynamic M160. It is a ribbon mic and the proper precautions must be followed. When close mic’ing a high-hat, the M160 is my favorite. But don’t put it near the edge of the cymbals because closing the high hat can produce a considerable blast of air.

Room mics are often used on drums, particularly if the drums are isolated one way or another from the other instruments. Condenser mics of any type work well as room mics. But my favorite drum room mics are a pair of Coles 4038 ribbon mics. I place them with the null of each mic facing the drum kit, to minimize direct pickup. That maximizes the sound of the room, if that is what you want. Some engineers prefer omni-directional room mics. A pair of Beyer Dynamic M160 ribbon mics also work well for this. Almost any mic can be used as a room mic. 

What about the minimalist drum mic’ing technique? This is what I use for almost every session, from folk through jazz to rock to punk. It sounds great for all genres, with the right drummer.

My go-to single-point mic is the AEA R88, which is a stereo ribbon mic. It provides a very natural and pleasant drum sound, which can be augmented with spot mics if needed. I have also used a pair of AEA R44 mics for the pickup, or a Neumann SM69 stereo condenser mic.

There’s no reason why you have to use a stereo mic for this. Any pair of the same model of mics will work fine. The main advantage of the stereo mics is ease of setup.

I always use the Blumlein crossed figure-8 mics for this, but other stereo mic’ing techniques will also work, like X-Y, MS, ORTF, or spaced omni mics. It all depends on the music, the drummer, and the way you want the drums to sound.

One major drawback to this technique it that the drummer has to play with the drums in perfect balance. There is no way to adjust that later.

Every acoustic guitar is different, so your choice of what mic to buy depends on the instrument and what you are looking for. My current favorite technique uses a pair of Flea C12 large diaphragm condenser mics in Blumlein, but there as many different mics used on acoustic guitar as there are engineers.

Small diaphragm condensers work well, as do some ribbon mics. I feel that a dynamic mic is not a good choice for acoustic guitar, but you might like that sound.

Before you pick a mic, listen to the guitar from a listener’s perspective and evaluate its tonal balance and volume. That will help guide your mic choice.

Piano is another mic’ing challenge, although a real piano is not used today as much as it was in the past. If you do have to mic a grand piano, there are many techniques in use, ranging from multiple spot mics inside the piano, perhaps with the lid closed, to a couple of mics over the strings, to a mic or mics out away from the piano. Each will provide very different sounds. Condenser or ribbon mics are most often used.

This list of mics and instruments could go on practically forever. But these examples cover some of the things you are likely to record. The same principles of mic selection apply to any other sound.

If you are adding to your mic collection, I would suggest you evaluate what is missing from the range of sounds you need. If you are not totally happy with the vocal sound you are getting, for example, determine what you don’t like about it. Not all problems are due to the mic. But if you decide that you need a different mic for vocals, ask yourself what you don’t like about your existing mics, or what you feel is missing from the sound. Those considerations should help you narrow down your list of candidate mics.

And then, how do you know if a mic is really the best choice? Unless you can try out that model, you may not know. Try to borrow a mic you are considering. You can’t really know if a mic is going to solve your problem unless you can use it on your vocalist, in your studio.

How about looking at specs, or reading reviews? I find those to be of minimal value. Specifications on any recording equipment do not tell you much about how the device is going to sound. The frequency response curves are not helpful, in my experience, other than in a very general way.

The polar pattern of a mic is more informative, especially if it shows the response at a variety of frequencies. Cardioid pattern mics often become omni-directional above a certain frequency. Ideally, the pattern would be uniform at all frequencies, but that is impossible. It is a matter of degree.

Reviews from customers might reveal some problems, but otherwise are not very useful. What appeals to one engineer is not likely to be universal. And remember that after someone has invested a lot of money into a purchase, they are reluctant to admit it was not the best choice.

Those are my thoughts on how to pick a mic to buy. Number one for me is from personal experience of using the mic. And always evaluate how a new mic fits into your collection. Unless you have a need for multiples of the same mic, find something that is different and fills a defined need. Mics are expensive, and cost alone does not determine how good or bad a mic sounds.

Thanks for listening and commenting. You can reach me at dwfearn@dwfearn.com

This is My Take on Music Recording. I’m Doug Fearn. See you next time.