Best
All-Round Mic for Vocals
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Best Feature: Flat frequency response - perfect for natural audio reproduction
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TedScore: 10/10
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Price Range: £/$ 420.00
Best
Microphone for Live Vocal and Singing
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Best Feature: All-metal construction and extreme durability
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TedScore: 10/10
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Price Range: £/$ 118.00
Best
Microphone for Recording Vocals
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Best Feature: Shock mount; elastic suspension mount; electric circuit
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TedScore: 10/10
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Price Range: £/$ 996.00
If you’re looking for the best microphone for singing, then you’ve come to the right place! Whether you seek a mic for live performances, home studios, or recording vocals, there are a couple of things you should consider when buying one.
So read on…
What Type of Microphone Do I need?
What type of microphone you need depends on what you intend to use it for. Are you a studio recording vocalist, a live performance singer, or do you just need a microphone for speech use? We will review the different types of microphones below and hopefully help you to make the best choice possible.
The 3 Different Types of Microphones
1. Dynamic Mics
The best thing about dynamic microphones is their durability, massive selection and great budget options that meet everyone’s needs.
A dynamic microphone is commonly used in recording since it can make a vocal recordings sound fantastic.
Dynamic microphones can also handle high SPL (sound pressure level, i.e. how loud you can play or sing into a mic), making them a natural option for loud sources like acoustic guitars, bass cabs, and drum kit close mics.
2. Condenser Mics
Condenser microphones come in two subcategories, small diaphragm condenser microphones, and large diaphragm condenser microphones.
Compared to a dynamic mic, the condenser microphone is much more fragile. These microphones are excellent if you need richer color sounds, but they don’t travel so well – so keep them in the studio.
3. Ribbon Mics
Ribbon microphones generate their signal using an ultra-thin ribbon made of electro-conductive material suspended between magnet poles.
Ribbon microphones produce warm and shining voices. The high-quality of a ribbon mic is the main reason for their high prices and presence in only professional studios.
Which Pickup Pattern Do I Need And What Is A Microphone Polar Pattern?
A polar pattern is the space surrounding the microphone from where it picks up the sound. Microphones are most sensitive to sound in their polar patterns. A polar pattern is a three-dimensional space that comes in different shapes, like cardioid pickup pattern, omnidirectional, and figure-8 or bidirectional.
The cardioid or unidirectional mic has a one-direction pickup pattern and records audio from a single direction, while the sides and back of the mic reject the sounds.
The omnidirectional microphone has an equal sound pickup pattern on each side, while the figure-8 or bidirectional mic records audio only from two directions, often in the front and back.
Omnidirectional
Omnidirectional mics provide realistic and natural audio recordings. They pick up sound from all sides equally; in other words, it will record the signals from each side with the same gain.
With omnidirectional polar patterns, you will inevitably pick up a little environmental sound and ambient noise. Sometimes this can be quite useful, and at other times, can be a complete pain!
Figure-8
Figure-8 mics are also known as bidirectional. These mics have perfect back and front pickup patterns, while the sides are completely blocked.
The polar pattern of bidirectional microphones makes the 8-shape, which is where the Figure-8 name comes from. Because of this shape, bidirectional microphones form null points to the sides where the sound is rejected.
These mics are great at capturing the natural ambient of the recording space.
Things to Consider When Buying the Best Microphones for Vocals
When looking to buy a vocal mic, there are many things to consider because after all, the human voice is a complicated thing to process and amplify!
Will your vocal microphone be primarily for a podcast (speech use), live vocals, or recording vocals?
Podcast
If your purpose is podcasting, you need a dynamic or a versatile condenser microphone.
But before making a choice about a podcasting microphone, ask yourself how your microphone will be connected to whatever will the recording device will be. The two main connectivity options are USB microphones and XLR microphones.
A USB microphone is easier to connect directly to your computer, while XLR mics require extra equipment like an audio interface; but tend to be better at capturing vocals.
Live Vocals
A live vocal microphone is often a dynamic mic with a cardioid pattern.
Professional microphones for live performances are often pricey, but some affordable microphones might meet the needs of most beginners, but this is most definitely an area you have to be careful of, as there are some truly terrible live vocal microphones on the market…
Recording Vocals
For recording vocals, you might find a dynamic vocal microphones is the best option, especially for someone looking for affordable prices. But if you have the cash, a cardioid condenser mic is a great option. One of the resaons to record vocals is to create the most faithful reproduction of your performance, and a great condenser microphone will help with you.
Do you want to use your vocal microphone on musical instruments?
For recording musical instruments, we recommend choosing a dynamic vocal microphones like the Shure SM7B.
This model has excellent durability and can handle high SPL. The SM7B is one of the best microphones for recording vocals, acoustic instruments, drum overheads, etc.
Do you want portability?
If you need portability, you should consider a handheld mic. These mics are suitable for many occasions, like karaoke, work meetings, schools, presentations, interviews, news reportage, etc. They are one of the best types of vocal microphones for multi-use.
The wireless handheld microphone is more flexible but also pricier than the wired one.
