Introduction. NT1 is a new all-purpose LDC from Rode with a truly exceptional sound. It resembles the appearance of older NT1-A, however, the inside has been redesigned from scratch. Comparing to predecessors the sound has become clearer, purer and far more natural, showing a tremendous improvement in every single aspect! As a large diaphragm mic, it also has a very neutral response, which is a privilege of expensive professional units. Particularly, it is very similar to…
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Shure SM7B is a legendary high-end dynamic microphone, often used on radio stations, for podcasting, voiceovers and studio recording as well. Many people believe that to get the best sound it is somewhat mandatory to use only the expensive condensers like Neumann and similar. This microphone can easily prove them wrong. Three times cheaper than TLM 103 and 8 times cheaper than U37, it is capable of producing just as good, and in some occasions,…
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Rode Procaster is a relatively inexpensive broadcast microphone, which yet offers professional quality sound. It has a very smooth and manageable response, which makes it ideal for recording. At the same time, the mic rejects a lot of room noise and minimizes such effects as popping. Procaster is a very versatile mic that can handle literally any type of voice you throw at it. However some very basic EQ, particularly low cut is mandatory. Procaster…
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Shure SM81-LC is a very neutral and transparent instrument condenser with electret bias. It is mainly used in studios for recording of guitars, pianos and cymbals but it’s also suitable for a wide range of different instruments. It is considered industry standard and although there are plenty of different SDCs available on the market today, few of them can quite match the old Shure in terms of quality. SM81 offers excellent definition, very consistent highs, low…
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Maono PM500 is a very affordable large diaphragm condenser, suitable for streaming, podcasting and home studio recording. It exhibits a uniform response and produces a natural, mellow sound. Unlike most condensers in this price range, it is quite consistent when miking up close and doesn’t seem to be affected by proximity. PM500 isn’t too sensitive and so you don’t have to worry about sounding harsh. Consequently, it is possible to record a clean audio even…
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Electro-Voice RE20 is an industry standard dynamic broadcast microphone that offers maximum background rejection without sacrificing the quality and the tone of the voice. The mic has a rich and deep sound to it, not as bright as the RE320 as but certainly brighter than the Rode Procaster. The greatest advantage of the Electro-Voice RE-20 is what they call the variable-D response, which gives it a uniform sound regardless of how close you are to…
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Electro-Voice RE320 is a large diaphragm cardiod dynamic microphone widely used for radio recording and broadcasting. This mic is fairly sensitive and requires a quieter or moderately treated room in order to be effective. It is great for spoken word and singing when you want to capture all the detail and nuances while giving it a touch of silkiness and smoothness of a dynamic. RE320 is hotter than Shure SM7B and other broadcaster mics like…
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Audio-Technica ATM450 is a low profile side-address cardiod condenser, which can be used for miking a wide range of instruments and percussions. Though unsuitable for vocals… it offers a small footprint and has a situational placement advantage over more common front-address instrument mics without sacrificing a bit of quality. On contrary, this mid-range model sounds surprisingly smooth for a small diaphragm condenser: despite adding a noticeable amount of presence, it just cannot be described as…
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AT2035 is an inexpensive back electret condenser from Audio Technica that boasts pretty clear and balanced sound with low noise floor. This mic is a veeery good tradeoff between price and quality and hence, an ideal choice for home studios where budget is a factor. AT2035 has cardioid polar pattern and large diaphragm that actually works for both vocals and instruments. Having said that, the essential features of pad and low pass make it an…
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Neumann can be undoubtedly named as one of the most recognizable microphone brands, especially in professional circles and this is far from being an accident. The company has a long history – it survived the World War II to bring forth the first-ever commercial condenser mic and eventually set quality standards for the whole industry. Neumann mics remain to be the top-notch up to day, but what’s even more important is that they have their…
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AKG Perception 220 is a budget recording LDC microphone used for vocal and instruments. The price of this mic is comparable to that of a USB, which is considered a trash tier as far as recording goes, and yet it is more than capable of a quality performance in a controlled studio setting. It can sound almost as good as 3-5 times more expensive mics with few nuances but usually good LDCs are always pricey….
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Audix ADX51 is a very bright small cardiod condenser mainly used as overheads and not without success. The unit is known for being included in Audix drum kits; however, some drummers realized they actually like the ‘sound’ of ADX51 overheads better, and began using them outside the kits in custom setups, sometimes even grabbing them over higher-end and more expensive SDCs with technically better specs. The thing about this mic is it sounds great out…
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CAD e70 is an excellent quality pencil mic with interchangeable omni and cardioid capsules. Very natural sounding, it is crisp and has plenty of air with a nice sparkling flavor. This mic also features fine low end, which really nails the sound of an acoustic guitar. Not thin, not too deep, and just about right to handle the most instruments. There are of course exceptions: if you want to achieve warmer and richer sound, you’re…
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AKG C1000s is an inexpensive all-around mic with a switchable cardioid / hypercardioid pattern. It has a signature bright sound that creates an illusion of higher fidelity but also helps to clear up the sound in a live environment. Definitely not the highest quality mic, but if used correctly it can produce very decent results for instruments and female vocals. For videographers, of course I don’t recommend it. There are simply no viable mics at…
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AT4040 is another masterpiece from Audio-Technica sitting in the middle-end price range. It is a large diaphragm, condenser mic with a cardioid pick-up pattern and a smooth, uncolored sound. This mic will work for any situations, both for home and professional studios alike. Conversations or singing, instruments, percussions or drums – there’s nothing it cannot handle. With the pad on, it can record even the loudest sounds with minimum distortion. A specification of maximum SPL…
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CAD M179 is one of the good old mics from this company, which is still available today although it does have problems competing with more recent models. It actually has a great sound with a relatively low noise floor, the package also includes a quite decent shock mount and the mic itself has a variable pattern, meaning it could be useful for different recording situations. The sound and quality The first thing that will strike you about this entry-level microphone…
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In this article, you'll learn how to choose professional and budget
