Microphones are essential in every studio setup no matter what the scale. The choices of microphones out there can get very overwhelming especially for beginners and upcoming audio engineers. Unfortunately there is no one solution to this confusing situation as each type of microphone is built for different purposes. The best you can do is understand how different types of microphones work and make an educated decision based on the use case and the depth of your wallet, and trust me, the lust for microphones can plow through your savings real quick. So keep reading and at the least, make educated bad decisions.
1.Dynamic Microphones:
Dynamic microphones are usually built like tanks. They are used extensively in live environments. They are not very sensitive microphones and they're built to pick up sounds from a limited angle thats usually in front of the mic. They usually cancel out sound from behind and the sides according to their polar pattern. This can be really useful in noisy environments, for example, you have a drummer next to a loud guitar amp and you want to isolate his drum hits and not pick up much of the guitars.
They do not require any extra power to run. All you need to do is to plug them in and they're ready to got. They're great for loud sound sources like percussion, guitar amps, bass amps, etc. They don't have a wide frequency response and sometimes tend to be more mid heavy, and lack some higher frequency information. That's why they're not the best choice for things like drum overheads, tambourines, violins, flutes, etc.
Here are a few types of Dynamic microphones :
This is a standard live vocal microphone. They are rugged and built to cancel out sounds that come from behind them. They are usually pretty mid heavy and require a lot of eq to make them sound well rounded, but their build quality and reliability makes them a good choice for live shows.
This is a Shure SM57 and its one of the most widely used microphone out there. You are bound to find it in most pro studios. It's another example of a mic that's built like a tank. It's great for really loud sounding instrumentation and guitar amps. It's pretty cheap too and delivers way more than what you pay for. It's a great start to home studio mic collection and a no brainer if your application is to record heavy distorted guitars in your home studio. They are also very compact and easy to transport. It pays to have a few of them at your disposal for multiple sound sources. They are pretty versatile.
These vintage style microphones add instant visual impact to a studio or a live performance. They are great for vocals and because of the way they're built, they have a beautiful retro tone and the modern remakes try to emulate that old school vibe to a certain extent. They're built really well and are usually cast in solid metal. They can be pretty heavy, so transporting them can be a hassle. But overall they are a great choice and could really spice up your studio both sonically and visually.
To sum things up, dynamic microphones are essentials in the studio, but not really the first choice for beginners who want to record mainly vocals and softer sound sources like acoustic guitars, etc.
2.Condenser Microphone
Condenser microphones are a no brainer for beginner home studio producers. They are very versatile as they pick up a wide range of frequencies. They are great on vocals, soft instrumentation, and light percussion. They have an amazing high frequency response so you can really pick up the sparkle in one's voice and instrumentation.
Condenser microphones require extra power (48v phantom power) that's usually provided by your audio interface or mixing board, and in some cases they can be powered by batteries. They are very sensitive so you don't really have to keep them very close to the sound source to get a louder recording. You can play it by ear and get the best sound out of them.
The main disadvantage is that they sound best in a well treated room or a quiet environment as they can even pick up an ambulance blaring its siren a couple of miles away. This is something to consider as it can seriously get in the way of the performance. It's very hard to cut out the sound of your neighbours fighting over what toppings to put on the pizza they're about to order, as your vocalist delivers the best performance of her/his life.
Here are a few types of condenser microphones and some of their uses and quirks:
First we have the standard large diaphragm condenser. They are the gold standard for picking up vocals. They are very sensitive and pick up a wide range of frequencies. They're great on vocals and intricate instrumentation. They provide a great foundation for post processing, as you will be able to tweak the frequencies you want to tweak effectively as they pick up everything you throw at them. These types of microphones are usually the first choice for beginner audio engineer who primarily record vocals.
Pencil condensers are essentially condenser microphones with smaller diaphragms. They are very sensitive and usually come in matched pairs. They're great for getting that wide stereo image. They pick up higher frequencies in a very realistic way, and that is why they're used extensively for field recording purposes to pick up ambient sounds. They sound great on guitars, pianos, drum overheads, etc. They're also very compact and can be transported very easily. They are used extensively for live and studio purposes. They are usually very cheap too compared to other condenser microphones.
Others:
There are a few other types of microphones out there that have very specific niche uses and can be a great addition to your studio once you have all the essentials set in place. I will list some below:
Ribbon Microphones are vintage style microphones that were widely used in radio stations. They used a light metal ribbon to pick up higher frequency sounds without much harshness. They have a smooth and vintage sound that's great for some aesthetics that require that warm and vintage grit. They are very fragile and can easily be destroyed by loud noises. They need to be handled with care. They are also in very limited production in this day and age.
Tube condenser microphones are basically condenser microphones that are powered by vacuum tubes very similar to the ones you would find in older guitar amplifiers. They have a beautiful and warm vintage sound. They require external power and usually have a whole power unit that you have to connect them to. They used to be widely used in studios but now have been replaced by their more efficient condenser counterparts. They are also very fragile and can be easily damaged. They usually require you to let them warm up for a little while after turning them on to get the best sound.
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