These reviews will cover USB microphones used for different purposes like recording or professional studio use, vocals (both singing and speaking), voice-overs, and for podcasting and streaming. Today we will cover the best USB microphones available in 2022. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn an affiliate commission. There are a good number of younger brands vying for your attention too though, with names like Aston and IK Multimedia providing excellent alternatives.Consordinis articles are written by musicians who independently research, test, and recommend the best instruments and products. When doing your research there are plenty of brands you’ll come across, the larger of which – Shure, AKG and Rode – have decades of history in the music and broadcasting worlds, and can be relied upon to deliver quality mics. Pickup pattern is important for a number of reasons if you’ve chosen a specific room to record in because of its reverb or ambience, an omnidirectional mic will probably be a solid choice, while if you’re performing on a loud stage or in a booth, you’ll likely favour a cardioid mic. These mics have a set axis, and if the audio source (in this case, you) moves off this axis, a loss of signal is the result. Omnidirectional mics pick up audio from all around, meaning the signal will be the same no matter which direction you sing into it.įigure-8 mics pick up very poorly from the sides, but strongly from the front and back, while cardioid mics pick up sound from one specific place. This essentially dictates where the mic will pick up its signal. When it comes to the characteristics and sound of your microphone, the pickup pattern is of huge significance.
In a studio environment, this equates to a cleaner, more detailed signal that will result in your recordings sounding as good as they can possibly be. Condenser mics are more sensitive than their dynamic counterparts and, as a result, are capable of picking up much more nuance from a human voice or acoustic instrument.
On a loud stage, with lots in the way of ambient noise, a dynamic mic will provide more robustness, while the slight decrease in sensitivity of the mic’s pickup means it won’t be damaged by sudden changes in volume or humidity – both common issues in the live environment.įor capturing vocals in a studio, however, the condenser is king.
The first thing to consider when trying to figure out which type of vocal mic you need is where exactly are you going to be using it? Vocal performances on a stage will require one of the best live vocal microphones, whereas work in a studio will require something quite different. (Image credit: Getty/Simon Winnall) What type of microphone do I need? This growing British brand is producing microphones with a level of class which far belies their relatively low price tag. We’d also highlight the exceptional performance delivered by the Aston Spirit. Balancing performance with cost, the Shure comes out in front on account of its glorious, rich vocal sounds and high levels of build quality. Capturing an accurate representation of your voice is the sole job of a vocal mic, and for this reason alone we’d happily put our name behind the Shure SM7B. When you're shortlisting a new vocal microphone, one of the main considerations should be the sound. Follow MusicRadar on Instagram to stay up to date with the latest gear news, artist interviews and tech tutorials.If you’d like to read it, click the ‘buying advice’ tab above - or if you’d rather get to the products, keep scrolling. We’ve included some expert buying advice at the end of this guide. In this guide, we're looking at some of the best vocal mics available today, aimed at a variety of situations and budgets. Fear not, however, as there are plenty of superb quality mics out there that don’t cost a small fortune, but will still do your vocals the justice they deserve. It’s easy to take our gear cues from our favourite artists, but on finding out the cost of high-end recording and live equipment, it can bring us back down to earth with an almighty thud.
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