An Introduction To Microphones

Whilst many devices such as computers and tablets/ phones come with built in microphones which can be more than adequate for speech based activities, when it comes to music, and to get better audio quality, investing in a microphone is probably the best way forward. But there are so many on the market, which should you choose? Factors that you may base a purchase on include what instrument or singing voice you want to share. Also, what connections you have to get the microphone signal into your device.

There are two main types of microphone: dynamic and condenser. Further details can be found in this article (what they refer to as ‘capacitor’ microphones are what most people would generally call condenser microphones). Generally, dynamic microphones are more robust and are often used for live sound or louder instruments. Condenser microphones are more delicate but are able to capture higher frequency details. This article explores in more detail why you might want to choose a condenser microphone as opposed to a dynamic microphone.

Condenser microphones require power (referred to as phantom power) and the microphone specifications will tell you whether the power can be provided by a battery or needs to be provided from an external source through a cable. Most audio interfaces can provide phantom power to a condenser microphone.

The standard connection for most microphones is an XLR connection. Occasionally, microphones have a ¼ inch jack connector. Some microphones come with USB or ‘Lightning’ connections enabling direct plug in to computers and other mobile devices.

Microphones have at least one capture pattern, or ‘polar pattern’, which indicates which way the microphone accepts sound. It is important to know what this is so you know which way to point the microphone and how far away it needs to be from a sound source. This article provides some greater information about different polar patterns for different types of microphones. You can utilise these characteristics to your advantage, e.g. in order to reject unwanted sounds such as a noisy computer fan.

It is really important not to skimp on the purchase of a decent microphone. It is one of the most important investments that you can make to help you produce good quality recordings or live streams.

UCan Play, the company managing the Interface:Response project, can provide you with preferential pricing on any microphone you might want to purchase. We are often asked what the best microphone to start out with. We recommend the PreSonus PX-1 as an excellent introductory condenser microphone for individual instruments and voices; and the PreSonus PM-2 as an excellent pair of condenser microphones for larger instrumental or vocal groups. Contact us for further details on preferential pricing.