Eight great vocal mics
Deciding on a mic to use for vocal recording can be confusing. Options range from under £100 to over £1000, but it’s not always a case that the most expensive option is the most suitable. Here are eight options at different price points...
Shure SM58 £92 Type: Dynamic Polar pattern: Cardioid 1 Probably the most common and well known vocal mic, this affordable mic is a regular feature of the live music scene, especially for vocals. This is due to its near-indestructible construction, internal pop filter and resistance to feedback. It’s also a good beginners’ mic for home recordists, especially male rock singers, though it lacks a little in the top end, rolling off at 15kHz.
JZ Microphones HH1 £109 Type: Dynamic Polar pattern: Cardioid 3 JZ are a relatively new player in the mic game. The HH1 is brighter and lighter than many standard dynamic vocal mics with obvious comparisons to the Shure SM58. It has a stronger output of about +3dB over an SM58, which makes for an appreciably low noise result even with a quiet vocal/source.
Shure KSM8 £429 Type: Dynamic Polar pattern: Cardioid 5 The KSM8 is a dual-diaphragm cardioid dynamic mic, taking its inspiration from Shure’s classic Unidyne III capsule (that’s the one used in the SM58 and others), this newly developed capsule aims to reduce the proximity effect, improve off-axis response and deliver a more consistent polar pattern. It’s priced for pro users, but the KSM8 is a beauty of a vocal mic.
AKG C 414 XL II £750 Type: Condenser Polar pattern: Multi 7 Although the £1000+ list price might seem astronomical, this mic can be found for much less online (around £700 to £800), and it really is a professional studio standard for vocals. A highly detailed, crisp sound with very little colouring.
Sontronics Solo £99 Type: Dynamic Polar pattern: Supercardoid 2 Sontronics’ Solo takes the successful recipe of the STC-80 hand-held dynamic mic and gives it a twist and a tighten with a supercardioid polar pattern. For live vocals the Solo is a no-brainer, especially at this price, but it will easily find a home in the studio and on non-vocal sources. An improvement on the SM58 formula for not much more outlay.
sE 2200a MkII £199 Type: Condenser Polar pattern: Multi 4 The 2200a is known for its reasonably bright sound, and the MkII is very similar. However, there’s also a solid fatness to the output and, overall, the balance works well for vocals. Combine this with the multi-pattern option (a more affordable fixed-pattern cardioid version is also available), and the 2200a MkII is more desirable than ever.
Rode NTR £589 Type: Ribbon Polar pattern: Bi-Directional 6 On a variety of sound sources, Rode’s first foray into ribbon territory, the NTR, delivers a very natural representation of whatever was put in front of it. With a built-in transformer that offers a high output, the microphone can be used with a wide range of preamps without having to turn the gain up to noise-generating levels.
Sontronics Aria £1049 Type: Valve condenser Polar pattern: Cardioid 8 With the Aria, Sontronics has set aside the creative visuals and gone for a classic look with a tried and test clip design. What’s more, it delivers a smooth and natural non-hyped sound. It’s a winning combination, and although it’s not cheap, it’s still more affordable than some comparable mics.