Choosing a microphone is a big decision. If you’re going to spend hundreds of dollars on it, you might as well get the best quality you can afford. But what kind of quality should you look for? And how do you know what’s good quality, and what’s not? In this post, we’re gonna break down how to choose a microphone for singing.
The answer is: it depends on what you’re going to be using it for. You’ll need to do some research to find out which microphones are best for the type of singing you want to do.
Singing is one of the best ways to express yourself and connect with others. For singers, the right microphone can make or break a performance. If you’re a singer, you’ve probably been frustrated by the poor quality of microphones you’ve used, and you’ve probably even had a few bad experiences with poorly-designed mics that made your voice sound thin and nasal.
READ:) Best Microphone for Vocals
Things to Consider Before Buying a Microphone for Singing
When it comes to purchasing a microphone you want to make sure that whatever you buy does justice to your voice and brings your talent to the fore. Your best tool for picking the right mic is not just choosing the one that is the best price, but rather looking for the one that is right for your voice. These are the things to consider before buying a mic for singing.
1. Price
When you’re shopping for a microphone, you need to know that you’re going to be paying for quality. If you’re a professional singer, you probably need a mic that’s going to last for years and give you years of consistent use.
That means you need to look for a microphone that’s going to last and not have to be replaced. You also need to be able to afford the best quality you can get. So, what kind of quality can you expect to pay for?
Price is a major factor when it comes to choosing a microphone. The cheapest microphones are usually pretty poor quality, but they are the ones that will work well for most people. They are often made of cheap materials, and their sound is likely to be thin and tinny.
However, the best microphones are going to cost more, and they will be made from high-quality materials and are going to give you a great sound. So it depends on what you’re going to be using it for.
2. Noise Reduction
Noise reduction is an important factor when it comes to choosing a microphone. Most microphones are designed to reduce the noise that comes from the sound source. This means that when you’re singing, you don’t have to worry about your microphone picking up the sounds around you, and you can sing as loud as you want without having to worry about it sounding thin and nasal. Noise reduction is also going to help your microphone last longer.
When you’re singing, you need to be able to hear yourself. If you’re going to be singing in front of a lot of people, you need to be able to hear yourself clearly, and that means you need to be able to hear your voice in the recording.
You also need to be able to hear the instruments that are playing and the background noise that might be coming from the audience. That means you need a microphone that has a high-quality noise reduction system.
3. Frequency Response
When it comes to microphones, the best ones are going to have a frequency response that’s going to be as flat as possible. That means that they’re going to be able to pick up the low frequencies as well as the high ones. The more frequencies that your mic is able to pick up, the more range it’s going to have.
You want to make sure that it has a wide frequency range. That means that you want a microphone that’s going to be able to pick up all the sounds in the range of the frequencies that you need to sing. This means that you need a microphone that can pick up all the different pitches of the voice.
4. Power
When it comes to microphones is the power that they have. The best microphones are going to be able to give you a lot of power. That means that you’re going to be able to sing louder and you’re going to be able to hear yourself clearly without having to worry about it sounding thin and nasal. That means you need to be able to sing in the studio, in front of a live audience, and in front of a crowd of people.
5. Pickup Pattern
The pickup pattern of a microphone is going to determine how well it’s going to pick up the sounds around you. That means that it’s going to be able to pick up the sounds that are coming from the sides as well as the front and the back. You need to make sure that it has a flat pickup pattern. There are few polar/pickup patterns that the microphones usually offer.
Cardioid Pattern:
The cardioid pattern is when the sounds coming from the front and the back are picked up and amplified. The sounds coming from the sides are not picked up. It’s a pattern that is commonly used in high-end professional microphones.
A cardioid pattern is a common design pattern for microphones. It provides good directional pickup, which means that the microphone has less of a problem capturing sound from off-axis sources.
For example, the Shure SM57 is a popular microphone for singing, and it has a cardioid pattern. It’s also considered an omnidirectional microphone, but it’s not a hypercardioid.
If you’re looking for a cheap microphone that’s easy to use, then consider the AKG C414. It’s a classic cardioid pattern microphone, but it’s also very cheap.
Omnidirectional Pickup Pattern:
An omnidirectional microphone picks up sound from all directions. The sound will be more spread out than if you were to sing directly into a cardioid microphone.
This means that you’re going to have to make sure that you’re singing in a quiet area. It’s going to be more difficult to hear yourself clearly. It’s also going to be more difficult to hear the instruments that are playing.
The Omnidirectional Pattern is a good option for when you’re going to be singing in a large room. It’s going to give you a very wide sound, and it’s going to pick up all the sounds around you.
This is why the Shure SM7 is a popular microphone for singing. It has a classic omnidirectional pickup pattern, which means that you can sing in front of a crowd and not worry about the audience drowning out your voice.
READ: The Best Omnidirectional Microphones
Hypercardioid Pickup Pattern:
The hypercardioid pattern is a very specific pickup pattern. It’s not a very common pickup pattern. It’s when the sounds coming from the front and the back are amplified. The sounds coming from the sides are not amplified. It’s a pattern that is used when you’re recording vocals, and it’s used in professional microphones.
While some of the most expensive and high-quality microphones are hypercardioid pattern mics, you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a good mic. There are plenty of affordable mics out there that will give you an equally-good result.
Supercardioid (Shotgun) Pickup Pattern:
The supercardioid pickup pattern is a specific pattern that’s similar to the hypercardioid pattern. It’s when the sounds coming from the front and the back are amplified. The sounds coming from the sides are not amplified. It’s a pattern that is used when you’re recording vocals, and it’s used in professional microphones.
Supercardioid is an inexpensive solution for shotgun pick-up patterns that are not limited by the physical space where the microphone is placed. Supercardioid is mostly used in Shotgun microphones, that pick up audio from the front and reject everything coming from the sides and the back of the microphone. This is the most popular microphone or pickup pattern type among vloggers, YouTubers, and the outdoors.
6. Audio Quality
Now some people think that in order to get a good audio quality microphone, we should go for an expansive microphone. But that’s not the case. There are tons of microphones available at an affordable price but provide insane audio quality. So, don’t look at the price ranges, see what you’re going to be using it for.
As we mentioned the pickup pattern, cardioid or omnidirectional works pretty fine for singers. And now you need to see how is the audio quality of the microphone. Try to get a mic that sounds deep, vibrant, and clear + should have a noise rejection ability.
The audio quality of the microphone will be determined by the quality of the preamp, the mic, and the headphone amp. If you’re looking for a microphone that’s going to be able to capture all the sounds around you, then you need to look for a microphone that has good audio quality. The are some suggestions on how to choose a microphone for singing.
9. Input Connections
This is the next thing you need to look at when you’re looking for a microphone for singing. If you’re looking for a microphone that’s going to be easy to use, then you should be looking for a microphone that has an input that’s easy to connect to your audio interface.
It’s very important to be able to connect the microphone to your audio interface. If you’re using a computer, you’re going to be using a USB audio interface. Now, let’s see what are the different types of input connections that you can get on a microphone. The different types of input connections are:
It’s very important that the microphone you’re going to use has a lot of inputs. You need to be able to connect your headphones to it. You’re also going to want to be able to connect it to your audio interface. You’re going to need to be able to connect it to a recording software like Audacity. Most of the microphones that are going to be recommended for singing have 3 or 4 inputs.
10. Pop Filter
There are two types of pop filters: internal and external. The internal pop filter is a pop filter that’s built into the microphone. You’re going to need to know what’s the difference between an internal and external pop filter.
The external pop filter is a separate piece of equipment that you’re going to have to purchase. You’re going to need to know how to use the external pop filter. Now, let’s see how to choose a pop filter for your microphone.
Contrary to the internal pop filter, the external pop filter will cut off some of the low frequencies. So, you’re going to need to find a microphone that has a pop filter that will cut off the low frequencies.
It’s also important that you’re going to need to look for a pop filter. You’re going to be using the microphone in a noisy environment. If you’re going to be recording in a noisy environment, you’re going to want to be able to get rid of all the background noises.
The external pop filter is mostly used for recording vocals. But the internal pop filter is used to reduce the amount of noise that’s coming from the microphone.
11. Shock Mount
Now, you need to look at the shock mount. There are two types of shock mounts: dynamic and magnetic. The dynamic shock mount is a little bit more expensive than the magnetic shock mount. But the magnetic shock mount is much cheaper.
The dynamic shock mount is going to be able to cut out some of the low frequencies. So, you’re going to need to find a microphone that has a shock mount that will cut out the low frequencies.
The shock mount is a piece of equipment that’s used to hold the microphone in place. It’s also used to keep the microphone from vibrating. If you’re using a microphone that’s going to be placed in a noisy environment, then you’re going to need to use a shock mount. So in simple words, a shock mount reduces the shocks and bumps out of your audio.
Conclusion | How to Choose a Microphone for Singing
Choosing a microphone for singing is not that difficult. The first thing you’re going to want to look at is the price. You’re going to be able to find a microphone that’s going to be a little bit more expensive than the other microphones. But the microphone that’s going to be the most expensive is not going to be the best microphone.
We’ve shared all the important factors that you should consider before buying a microphone for singing. So, now you know how to choose a microphone for singing. It’s important that you’re going to be using the microphone correctly. You’re going to be able to use the microphone correctly if you know how to use it.
There are a good amount of microphones available for singers. Let me recommend to you some of the top models in the market that will bring your singing experience to the next level.
But if I mention the names here you won’t understand why have I ranked them as the best mics. So it’s better you read our other relevant posts to understand what are the bests in the business.