Sound Sharp with the Best Recording Microphones on Amazon

Recording is a key skill every musician should know how to do. If you’re a musician who wants to record your performances to CD, you need a recording microphone that can capture your voice and give you the clarity you want. It's also crucial that you find a microphone with an adequate input gain so that it can pick up both the vocal and acoustic instruments in your performance. A recording mic is also a great tool for musicians who want to perform live. As much as you should be careful and try not to pick any unwanted microphones, we've assembled this buying guide with the best recording mics available. Keep reading to find the right microphone for you.

Tips for Purchasing a Recording Microphone

Before buying a microphone, look for the following:

• Not all microphones are suitable for every recording job. You may need a different type of microphone if you want to record your voice over an instrumental or spoken track rather than through your recording device.
• Your choice of mic should suit the type and level of clarity you need in your recordings. If you plan to do audio or video recording, make sure you buy a recording microphone that’s compatible with the recording equipment you‘ll be using.
• All recording microphones share similar features, but it's worth checking the specifications to find out whether a particular model will work for your particular needs.

Things to Consider When Purchasing a Recording Microphone

A microphone’s quality is directly proportional to its price, which is why we consider these factors when compiling our product recommendations.

Noise

The best microphones for recording instruments such as guitars, bass, and vocals are able to filter out background noise to create a clean, professional-sounding recording.

Quality

Any recording microphone is only as good as the materials it's made from. High-quality materials such a metal construction or a neoprene casing will make your microphone stand out more. The more you spend on a microphone, the better materials you'll get, so you should opt for the best microphone you can afford.

Type

Most microphones offer different types for different tasks. Most recording mics are either condenser (which is the most sensitive type) or diaphragm (the least sensitive).

• Condenser mics are the more traditional mic type used for acoustic or acoustic-electric instruments. They are also the less expensive option.
• Diaphrasing is an acoustic engineering term that describes the unwanted distortions you hear in recordings made with condensers.

When you use a condensor microphone for an electric or percussion instrument, you won‘t get these unwanted distortion effects, but a diapleton microphone will. If you want to avoid any problems with unwanted feedback or distortion, we recommend that you only use condenser mics.

Recording Microphone Price Points

Recording mics start at $50 and go up to $350 and beyond. At this price, most mics are small studio-quality muffs with a few high-end features, like built-in reverb. If you record on vinyl, expect to pay more, too. Most professional-grade microphones cost $150 to hundreds of dollars. The least-expensive studio mike costs about $75, while the best studio mic costs more than $350. Our selections aren't professional microphones, but they're fine for occasional home use.

How We Chose Our Selection Of Recording Microphones

Brand

When it comes to audio products, the biggest names are often the ones that have been around the longest. With audio recording, you want to ensure you buy a microphone that has been manufactured by a brand that is well-respected and understands what they’re doing. We‘ve selected a number of popular brands, including Klipsch, Sennheiser, AKG, and many more.

Price

It's not just about the quality of the microphone, but also the price. Whilst you certainly get what you pay for when it's in the audio field, there‬s no point spending money on something that–s going to end up collecting dust. Thankfully, microphone manufacturers have begun to understand this, so you can find a range of microphone prices to suit all budgets and needs.

Reviews

If you re a newbie to the world of audio, it can be quite daunting to try and get a handle on what each microphone does, especially if you don't have much experience with audio. User reviews are the perfect place to start, as they allow you to find out what other people like and don't like about a product. The best part about user reviews is that you get to see what the microphones are like to live with, rather than just reading reports from people who have bought them.

Features To Look For In Recording Mics

Types

If the idea of buying a recording microphone is daunting, don't worry, we've provided a handy guide to help you through the key features to think about before you purchase. This will also help to explain why we selected which microphones we did.

Microphonic Quality

Does your microphone capture your voice exactly as it sounds? Or does it make it sound as if it were coming from an angle? Most microphones will provide a crisp and clear recording that sounds as though the person speaking is directly in front of you. Alternatively, if your mic produces a more muffled recording – you may want a model that offers better tonality.

Audio Input

Do you require a connection to a sound source? A microphone with a built-in headphone output will give you that extra connection. Some microphones, however, have outputs that can go directly to your audio source.

Noise Cancellation

Not all microphones provide adequate noise cancellation, which means that they won t pick up any sound from outside. If this is an important feature for you, consider a mic that provides noise-cancelling capabilities.

EQ

Is your main aim to boost the bass? If so, look for a versatile microphone option that allows you dial up the level of bass. A good quality microphone should have plenty of treble as well, to make sure you hear everything your speaker is sending your way.

Final Thoughts

Every recording microphone has its own unique sound, which is often expressed as a combination of the microphone’s sensitivity, the frequency of its input, and the physical size of it. A microphone with a higher sensitivity and frequency ratio produces a more responsive recording, while a smaller microphone usually has a lower sensitivity level and produces an audio recording that“s a little bit louder than typical.

Microphones are not precisely constructed; some have a dome-shaped design, others a capsule-like design. While both offer excellent performance, there are slight differences between the two types that can affect sound quality and portability.

The microphone you use will have direct and indirect effects on your final audio recordings.

• Direct: Direct mics pick up sound at its source — usually the floor, wall, or floorboard. Because they are focused on their direct source, they‘re great for overhead or silent recordings.
• Indirect: Indirection mics pick it up indirectly through walls, furniture, other floor surfaces, ceiling fans, air conditioning units, electrical noise, traffic, machinery, pets, birds, fish, etc.

While the size and weight of a microphone will not make it better at capturing sound than another type, certain features and features that are available on certain mics can make a difference in your recordings  sound.