TOP 7 Best Microphones For Recording Vocals

So, you are a singer. And are saving your pocket money for a year now, you have finally decided to get yourself a microphone. So, the first thing you do is go online and place that order you always wanted to. But wait! You’re struck. There are so many of them. And all of them have great specific ons and features. How do you find ‘the one’ that is made just for you? You scratch your head, your shout and you kick that innocent table; but none of it really helps you. You finally google ‘which microphones should I buy?’ And are visiting multiple pages which confuse you more than they really help you. Just when you are about to give up and sale for the not-so-good microphone you happen to visit this page.

Well, look no further, cause we have done all the hard and boring work for you. We went through the best of microphones available in the market and narrowed down our list to the top 7 of them, to help you make the right decision. Are all, you are one of a kind and need the best to nurture your potential.

Having said that, read on to find ‘the one’ for you. The First On The List:

Shure SM57 (Type: Dynamic)

Well, this one’s legendary. If you really want to go for the best and not look for the budget, stop reading further and take this one home.

To begin with, it comes at Rs. 6800 (roughly $105). This is the cheapest it gets. Its buyer-friendly price along with its great features makes it a #1 pick.

Effective Polar Pattern:

First things first, the Shure SM57 has an extremely effective cardioid pickup pattern that does a great job in minimizing the background noise while focusing only on the main sound, which would be yours. So, even if someone happens to make some noise around you in the middle of your breath-taking performance, you wouldn’t have to worry.

Great Frequency Response:

It has a great tailored frequency response. It ranges from 40 Hz to 15 KHz which works if you are a guitarist.

This one didn’t get your attention? Never worry, we have got a lot more in store for you. The Second On The List But No Less Than The First:

The Rode NT1-A (Type: Condenser)

Priced at Rs. 17,900 ($288), The Rode NT1-A comes with an efficient cardioid pattern too and what makes it stand out from our #1 contender is its superb combinati on of high quality sound and its overall popularity. This one’s for you if you are not bound by your budget limitations. Rode NT1-A is the most sought a er microphone for home studios.

Extremely Light:

It weights at about 326.00 gm which is extremely light for a microphone having these features. Its lightness is what makes it compact and handy.

Ultra Low Noise:

The Rode NT1-A has a self noise of only 5dB (A). So you can rest assured that the microphone will not add its voice with yours.

Now that we have had a look at the best ones, it’s me to move on to their alternatives. The SM57 and NT1-A are the best of their categories that is, in dynamic and condenser type.Clearly you are not happy with the top two, or maybe you are and you still want to know what the other five on the list are. Well then go ahead and take a look at our other five.

Shure SM7B (Type: Dynamic)

Yes, this is the one that was used by Michael Jackson to record vocals for his Thriller LP. Need we say more? For quite some me now, the above stated fact has helped market the SM7 series on its own. And what more marketing could it need? The latest in the series is SM7B.

It comes with a flat, wide ranged frequency response (50 Hz to 20 kHz) accompanied with a bass rolloff and mid-range emphasis control. Highly effective pop filters does help in eliminating explosive breathe sounds, more so for close-up vocals.

The SM7B is available at Rs. 46,599 (roughly $752), which is not much considering the ‘King Of Pop’ himself used this to record one of his greatest works. 

The other dynamic one:

Sennheiser MD421 (Type: Dynamic)

It is considered as the “Best All-Around Dynamic Mic”. And it is so, considering it has got a large diaphragm cardioid dynamic with a hum bucking coil for low noise pickup along with 5 position bass rolloff switch. It is designed not only for your vocal needs but goes very well with all the electric instruments which makes it quite desirable. Well and its light too. 385 gm, that’s it. The only thing that does not really go with this is its large size. 

The one as the condenser alternative:

Rode NTK (Type: Condenser)

The other Rode in the list. A er the Rode NT1A, this one is the one to look for if you have been a Rode user. With the launch of the latest K model in the NT series, Rode has gifted its fan the same great technology at a new price.

Equipped with a great frequency response (20 Hz to 20 kHz) and mounted with an internal capsule shock mounting, this metal housed microphone shows high strength for wear and tear. And well, it has got a great heat treated steel mesh. However, the response curves does show a little bump at two frequencies, a small one at around 5 kHz and a higher, broader one at around 12 kHz. Looking at the mic at a broader range, it does a great job at living up to expectations. 

The one as the other condenser alternative:

sE Electronics sE2200a II (Type: Condenser)

As the company’s website put it, “sE’s best-selling 2200a II is back and black”. The original 2200a has been a best seller for the company for about 10 years now and that is why the company thought to renew the product by adding some new features to the product.

To start with, the company claims that the capsules are hand-built. The diaphragm is a 32 mm Gold Cardioid pattern. And yes, it does have a great frequency response in the range 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The self noise of the 2200a II is almost triple to that of the SM57 at 16 dB.

It does have a heavier built, weighing almost double (617 gm) from what the above men oned microphones weight. At $300 this is pre y great buy if you do not mind holding an extra 600 gm. But then again, you can always use a stand, right?

The last is never the last. We could not rank them all together so we dig a li le deeper to find the minute variations in each one of them. From prices to features, everything is well accounted for. So go ahead and read this last mic on our list and make a decision.

Neuman TLM-102 (Type: Condenser)

This one definitely makes you look cooler and it does comes from a company which held their reputations as the ‘World’s Greatest Microphone Creator.” This one makes a great buy for your home studio. Yes, it does have a frequency response range in 20 Hz to 20 kHz. And a self noise of 12 dB which will do if you leave out that it won’t cover your explosive breathe sounds, which is bad considering this is your first mic and you are on the verge of becoming a pro.

It is designed for vocals and beat boxing. The maximum sound pressure level of 144 dB permits the recording of percussion, drums, amps and other very loud sound source and it does come with the additional benefit of making you look cooler.

So this was all the help we could provide you so that you could take the step towards becoming what you always wanted to be. We really hope this article helped you and that we helped in making the next big thing of the music world, which, by the way, is you.

Don’t forget to drop the recording once you are finished. We would love to hear your voice. Just drop a comment below.You can also share it at social media like facebook, twitter, google plus, linkedin and many more. Stay connected.