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We will be doing a 2 part post about Microphones. This post will discuss the different types of microphones and the usage of each type of microphone. In the next post we will go over some information on choosing the correct microphone for your application.

Microphones
There is a lot to know when it comes to microphones. In fact, so much that it would take pages and pages to cover everything. But that doesn’t mean we can’t go into essential information and basic details about them.

There are several types of microphones. Some of them excel in specific applications and some microphones are considered to be “workhorse” microphones, meaning that they can be used on just about any source and get the job done while sounding fantastic. Before we go into that, let’s first cover the types of microphones.

Dynamic Microphones
Dynamic microphones are some of the most common microphones that you will encounter. They extend over a broad price range, are very durable, don’t require their own power source, and are generally ideal for most live sound applications. One of the most widely recognized microphones in the world, the Shure SM58, has been the industry standard for both the studio and the stage for decades. Every time you have seen a singer on stage or heard a public speaker at a podium, chances are they were using the SM58 microphone. Yet, there are plenty of dynamic microphones on the market to choose from. Dynamic microphones are ideal for miking sources that put out high sound pressure levels. Since quality dynamic microphones are generally low impedance, you will need at least one XLR cable to hook one up to your mixer.

Condenser Microphones
Condenser microphones aren’t quite as popular as their dynamic counterparts. They are widely used in the recording environment but are still fairly common in live sound reinforcement. Typically, condenser microphones are used on sources that are fairly quiet, such as acoustic guitars. Condenser microphones require power from an external source in order to operate. This is called “phantom power”. Phantom power is supplied through the XLR cable that you will use to hook up the microphone to your mixer. Most mixers are equipped to supply phantom power. Be sure and check if your mixer has this feature before you purchase a condenser microphone. Condenser microphones are also much more sensitive than dynamic microphones, making them a little more prone towards problems with feedback in smaller environments.

Ribbon Microphones
Ribbon microphones aren’t as widely used in live applications as condenser and dynamic microphones. There was a time when most microphones were ribbon microphones. Ribbon microphones use a thin (usually microns thick) strip of metal floating in a magnetic field to generate sound. They are quiet and need more gain than dynamic and condenser microphones. They are very fragile, and their wide polar pattern can make them prone to feedback issues. When ribbon microphones are used in a live situation, they are usually used on guitar cabinets. Ribbon microphones use XLR cables but beware of phantom power hitting them. Phantom power destroys ribbon microphones.

Other Microphones
There are other types of microphones besides the ones listed. Since these are the most common in pro audio, we won’t go into the others here. Instead we will keep things “simple” and save them for a later post.

There are your basic types of microphones and we will give you some information to help you pick out the best microphone to use for your application. Be sure to check out the second part! If this information was helpful, please subscribe to the Seismic Audio Blog feed to get the latest information.