Vocal performances have become increasingly impressive as the recording technology of the past few decades has advanced. The improvement of vocal recording and mixing technology has allowed the mastering of the instrument and vocal performances to become much more detailed and lifelike. This advancement has also increased the number of different types of microphones used in recording studios.

When investing in a recording studio, it’s important to know what equipment you need. Depending on what studio you are looking to set up, there are a variety of microphones to consider. Some of the most popular types of microphones include condenser and dynamic, but here we’ll explore these along with some others.

Condenser

Condenser microphones, also known as small diaphragm microphones, are the most common microphones used in broadcasting. They are usually used to record speech but can also be used to record musical instruments and vocals. Condenser microphones have a small diaphragm surrounding the capsule, resulting in more sensitivity than larger diaphragm microphones.

Dynamic

One of the hottest trends in audio at the moment is dynamic microphones, which you might not even know. While they have been used in the studio recording for years, they have recently become popular on personal listening devices and smartphones. Dynamic microphones are recognizable by their lack of moving parts; there are no moving parts inside that vibrate or produce a sound when you speak. Instead, they rely on the laws of physics to create sound through the vibration of air molecules, which creates a sound wave as you speak.

Multi Pattern

When a sound engineer first starts using microphones in a studio, they will first notice that different microphones have different “patterns” or directionality when used near a sound source. The cardioid pattern, for example, has maximum pickup at a direct line from the source, while the microphone’s sensitivity falls off exponentially the further away from the source it is. Multi-pattern microphones have two or more patterns, each with different directionality characteristics.

Bass

Bass microphones are built to capture all of music’s low pitches and volumes. With all of the music apps available nowadays, it’s possible to boost the bass of your recordings artificially using software, but a bass microphone will manage it all by itself. There are several things to consider if you’re in the market for a bass microphone. There are vocal microphones for live performances, but if you have a band or band project and you’re auditioning or recording bass, you’ll need a slightly different microphone that can pick up bass tones and record them faithfully.

Shotgun

Shotgun microphones are one of the most versatile pieces of recording kit available, but they are also notoriously hard to figure out. Aside from the technical considerations, there are other factors to consider, such as the presence/absence of phantom power, battery or phantom power, cardioids, omnidirectional, and hypercardioids.

Boundary

Boundary microphones are typically used for acoustic recordings, meaning the microphone has a thin, flat housing that acts as a diaphragm. This allows it to pick up only the sound directly in front of the mic, not the sound coming from behind it. The idea is that it can be used to pick up a clear signal, such as a performer’s voice, or as an added bonus, pick up a sound that is a byproduct of the performance, such as applause.

So, a microphone is a device that takes sound in the form of a vibration picked up by its diaphragm and converts the sound waves into electrical signals. The audio signal can be amplified and transmitted over an audio cable to other components in a recording studio.