Building your own Mic Closet

Whether you’re operating a small, home-based project studio or a large, commercial recording facility you can’t do much without a collection of microphones.  We all have to start somewhere and budget is usually a factor so where do we begin?  Here are some tips on choosing an assortment of microphones for smaller budgets.

The first thing to do is consider the sources you will be recording and consider how many sources you’ll be recording simultaneously.  Sometimes you can have 2 background vocalists share a mic but that approach won’t work very well with two electric guitars.  It’s reasonable to assume that with a smaller facility you may only be recording one or two performers at once so you can start with a smaller collection of good multi-purpose mics. 

For this approach it’s a good idea to start with having a couple of dynamic microphones on hand and at least one decent condenser mic.  Dynamic mics have a membrane or moving coil that vibrates to turn sound waves into electrical signals when amplified.  Condensers use plates within the mic and one vibrates in relation to the sound waves.  The amount of vibration relates to the volume of the sound source and the change in distance between the plates causes current to flow.  In condensers, the current is very small so additional power is necessary.  Fortunately, phantom power (power supplied through the mic cable from the mixer) is typically available to power these types of mics.  Condensers are typically more sensitive than dynamic mics and also have greater frequency response.  For this reason they’re commonly used on vocals, acoustic guitar, piano and drum overheads.  Dynamic mics are more rugged and can handle high sound pressure levels (SPLs) so you’ll find them useful on drums, electric guitars and percussion instruments as well as vocals in some cases. 

I’d recommend starting with a couple of Shure SM57 dynamic mics and a mid-line large-diaphragm condenser like the AKG Perception series.  For about $300, these three can get you started out.  From there you may want to add a couple of small-diaphragm condensers like the Shure PG81 or AKG C1000 and then add another dynamic mic like a Shure SM58.  As you build your collection you’ll want a balance of dynamics and condensers and if you’re recording drums and bass guitar cabinets, having some dynamics that are geared towards low-end sound like the Shure Beta52 or AKG D112 will come in very handy. 

There are many options for microphone choices these days and great values to be found in both condenser and dynamic models.  However you build your collection, keep the goals of your studio in mind and make sure that you have a complement of mics to obtain them.  With proper mic positioning and a good sound source you can get great results even on smaller budgets.