For vocals specifically, it’s hard to go wrong with a good dynamic mic such as the Shure SM58, but you’ll need to budget for an audio interface along with other accessories.My daughter has decided she wants to take GCSE [a high‑school qualification in the UK] music next year and has asked if we can help her by buying a microphone, which she says will help her with coursework. We’re keen to help, and have a budget of £75‑£100 (about $95‑125 including taxes). She’ll be using it mainly for vocals but might need to record other things too, including acoustic guitar. Is our budget realistic, and would you be able to recommend something suitable?
Hillary Roper via email
SOS Reviews Editor Matt Houghton replies: For that budget, and arguably for someone of that age too, there are a few things to consider when choosing a general‑purpose microphone. But buy wisely, and you could have a mic that remains useful throughout your daughter’s school years and beyond.
Before I get onto the mic itself, it’s important to understand that the mic is never the only cost in even the most basic recording setup! You need to plug the mic in to something (a computer, iPad or audio interface, for example), you’ll need some sort of cable between the two, and unless she’s happy always using a handheld mic, you’ll need a mic stand and a clip or shockmount of some sort, and ideally a pop filter. She’ll also need to hear what she’s recorded, so will need some headphones at least. To some extent, then, the advice depends on whether your daughter already has access to a device to record on to and other accessories, and how far you’re willing to push the budget!
It’s important to understand that the mic is never the only cost in even the most basic recording setup!
If all you need is a vocal mic, there are plenty of handheld cardioid dynamic mics that should be up to the job for now. These are really ‘stage’ mics, designed for the singer’s mouth to be close to the grille, but that could well be a benefit for recording at home, since the closer the singer is to the mic, the louder the voice will be relative to the unwanted ‘room sound’ (the sound of typical domestic rooms is rarely helpful on a recording!) and any background noise.
A ‘classic’ option is the Shure SM58, which will set you back around £90 ($114) new, and just about leave you enough for the XLR cable you’d need to plug it into a mixer or audio interface. Plenty of good records have been recorded with these, and they tend to hold their value pretty well. Should your daughter ever want to gig, it should serve her very well there too. There are similar models from lots of reputable pro‑audio manufacturers, including Rode, Audio‑Technica, AKG and beyerdynamic, amongst others, and some of those may cost less. Note, though, if you’re tempted to go second hand, that there are lots of reports of counterfeits, and that’s a risk you must weigh up. And do please steer clear of ‘no name’ models from Amazon, eBay and the like — you might get lucky but it’s a lottery!
While it will capture an acoustic guitar, a dynamic mic isn’t likely to be a great choice for that, because you won’t generally want to be so close (the sound emanates from more than one part of a guitar) and you’ll usually want a more ‘natural’ sound than it can deliver. A capacitor (or ‘condenser’) mic would be preferable, and if it were just for guitar, I’d probably choose a cardioid small‑diaphragm model (a ‘pencil mic’, as they’re often known). As you plan on using it primarily for vocals, though, a large‑diaphragm model would be my pick, and it will still serve well for acoustic guitar.
A large‑diaphragm capacitor mic that offers both a USB connection to a computer/phone and a professional XLR output for mixers and audio interfaces could be a good first mic when you are on a budget.The Audio‑Technica AT2020 is within your budget and has long been a popular budget choice at SOS, but there’s strong competition from the likes of sE Electronics, Aston, Rode, MXL, Lewitt and many more. Almost all such mics will require phantom power to be delivered by a mic preamp, such as on a mixer or a USB audio interface. The good news is that you can often pick something capable for around £60 ($75) second hand. And while I can’t guarantee it, the problem of counterfeits at this end of the capacitor mic market seems to be little to none.
If your budget isn’t enough to cover an audio interface, then consider a USB capacitor mic that can plug into a computer and be powered by it. Again, steer well clear of the cheap ‘no name’ models aimed at karaoke and so on, and Audio‑Technica offer a suitable model, the AT2020USB+, for a shade under £100 ($125). Like other such mics, this doubles up as an audio interface into which you can plug your headphones, so between this, a computer and some DAW software your daughter will have all she needs to record her voice/instrument and listen back.
Finally, if the budget can be stretched just a little further, or you’re happy going second hand, I’d recommend you look for one that has both a USB port and an XLR socket — that way, your daughter will be able to use it both directly with her computer at home and at school with their mixers and audio interfaces, and it should still serve her well if she goes on to acquire a better audio interface in the future. Sticking with the Audio‑Technica range for now, the AT2020USB‑XP is currently about £149 ($188) new, but there will be equivalent models from some of the other brands I’ve listed above.