Knowing what to look for when selecting a Vocal microphone can sometimes seem a mystery. Often we know enough about audio amplifiers but microphone characteristics are not well covered. Here are some ideas for yu to think about when selecting the best microphone for you. Please don't get "hung up" on meaningless details, it can be easy.
Many people that are shopping for a Vocal microphone jump into the buying process without doing a little "homework" first. And, often they are confronted with confusing jargon that makes then sit back and wonder. I often think that microphone suppliers throw in a lot of that jargon to make the process seem more difficult than necessary. Of course, some may tell you that they just want to make sure that you have all of the facts before you make your decision or they may just be trying to find ways to differentiate themselves from their competition.
Let's begin with "what in the World is A Pickup Pattern of a microphone? You may see this term listed in the specifications of the microphone. To get right to the chase, the microphone pickup pattern for a Vocal Microphone should be Cardioid. The Vocal Microphone is designed so that the great majority of the sounds captured are very near the actual mike entry point (the "front" of the unit). The primary reason for the cardioid pickup design is that it tries to reject ambient sound (crowd noise) and present YOUR voice to the audience. Secondarily, it helps prevent feed back, or squeal, in high ambient noise conditions, providing you don't point your mike at a speaker. I doubt that you will find a vender of Vocal Microphones that doesn't employ a cardioid pickup pattern for his microphones. He probably would quickly loose business because of user dissatisfaction. Now, you may see cardioid charts in the microphone specifications, but don't agonize over them. I think you can almost automatically assume that a Vocal Microphone will have cardioid pickup pattern. One caution, sometimes you can encounter croud and background noises that will really need tight pickup and maximum gain before feedback, and maximum off-axis rejection. Under those conditions consider a mike with a super cardioid polar pattern.
The microphones specification sheet may state that the devise has a "Shaped Frequency Response". That is good; perhaps all good vocal microphones have a shaped frequency response. Considering the fact that the human voice has such a limited vocal range of between about 80 Hz and 1100 Hz, frequency response shouldn't be a factor for concern. Again, if a manufacturer doesn't cover this range, he will not expect happy customers. Most of the name brand manufacturers, if not all, "boost" the mid ranges, where most of the singing occurs, to enhance the vocals and frequency drop-off usually doesn't occur until past 10,000 Hz (well beyond sounds that any singer can produce). Now, there is situation where one should consider frequency response a factor. If you are gifted to have a bass voice that resonates beautifully below 90 Hz, then you deserve a special microphone to perform. Of course, if you have that type of voice that can project then you are probably going to be singing Opera and you don't need, or use, a microphone.
Should you choose a dynamic Or a condenser microphone? A dynamic mike is great for most all live performances, and, the most common place to find a condenser microphone is in the recording studio. The condenser mike excels when you need very high fidelity and a smoother response, but, they are more expensive and require their own separate power source. When choosing a general purpose mike choose the Dynamic. Of course, if you want, or need.to cover all bases there are very good dual element microphones that contain both dynamic and condenser pickups.
What do you get by spending more on a microphone? The more expensive mikes have better shock mounting that will have less handling noise, especially when it is plugged in and turned on. It will, no doubt, have a better Pop Filter that can reduce explosive breath sounds, and will have more accurate polar pickup patterns, thus, making it a better performer in live concerts with a great deal of crowd noise. If your budget is not too restrictive the more expensive microphone may well be best for you.
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