Choosing The Right Microphones For Your Home Studio

If you want to create music that sounds radio-ready, having the right tools makes all the difference. Just like any other studio gear, choosing the right microphone is important because only a high-quality microphone can accurately capture the sound of the instrument or sound source.

That said, choosing a suitable microphone can be quite confusing, especially for a novice. Just a quick search on any online music store can be overwhelming due to the huge variety of microphones available. If you know what microphone type you need to use, you’ll be able to narrow down your choices and find the right tool for the job.

Types of Microphones: There are three main types of microphones used in music/vocal recording: dynamic microphones, condenser microphones, and ribbon microphones. Each one has its own strengths and purpose it is best suited for, and one must learn the difference to choose the best one for their home studio.

1. Dynamic Microphones – These are the real workhorses and the most familiar model to most music fans. Being tough, they can easily take the wear and tear of a home studio. Dynamic microphones are relatively less sensitive to sound sources. They are also affordable, making them a great all-rounder for vocals, recording drums, and guitar amps. These microphones use a moving coil magnetic diaphragm to produce the audio signal and can handle high Sound Pressure Levels (SPL). Audio engineers value them for being rugged and being able to handle the extremely high sound volume.
2. Condenser Microphones – The most popular mics used in recording studios are more complicated, fragile, and expensive than their dynamic counterparts. That said, the condenser mics are much more sensitive and powerful making them ideal for softer and brighter sounds. Moreover, they are more balanced, clearer, and accurate, enabling them to amplify and give detail to sounds. This is due to their use of a conductive diaphragm that vibrates with sound pressure which uses capacitance to create the audio signal. They are perfect for precision recording and capturing subtle nuances on pianos or acoustic guitars.
3. Ribbon Microphones – Those who fancy a connoisseur’s item and have extra funds to spare can opt for ribbon mics. Dating back to the earliest days of microphones, they use an ultra-thin ribbon of electro-conductive material suspended between the poles of a magnet to generate their signal. Prized for their warm, vintage tones, the ribbon mics are extremely sensitive. They possess an uncanny ability to record multi-instruments in a room beautifully and are the best microphones for those who want to record a wide range of acoustic instruments professionally. 

When recording music, choosing the right microphone is probably the most important factor after the quality of the instrument you’re recording. But as they say, the only rule is that there are no rules, and like anything having to do music creation, there are no permanent rules to recording techniques. Though some microphones are designed with particular sounds and functionality in mind, it is best to experiment as much as possible when it comes to recording your music. Trust your ears and you may stumble onto something amazing!