Types of microphones

In the recording world, the following 3 types of microphones are used:

1. Condenser microphones
2. Dynamic microphones
3. Ribbon microphones

What type you use depends on the following:

• What sound source are you recording, and how loud is it?
• How acoustically controlled is the environment you are in (studio or live stage)?
• What flavor of recording are you going for?

There are other types of microphones, but we want to focus on the practical recording applications where the three mentioned microphone types are mainly used. For further information, you can check out the Wiki page for microphones.

Now, let's look closer at the 3 main types of microphones used in music recording.

What are condenser microphones mainly used for?

Main applications:

• Vocal and voice recording
• Instrument recording (e.g. acoustic guitar, percussion, strings, drum overheads)
• Stereo recording
• Ambiance recording, room recording
• Foley recording (Sound effects for film and TV)

What are the main sound characteristics of condenser microphones?
Condenser microphones are known for capturing sound in great detail, with outstanding clarity and transparency. They are the most sensitive microphones, which means they capture very quiet sound in high quality and detail.

Condenser microphones capture a wide frequency range and all subtle nuances, even in the higher frequency range. Their sound is often described as crisp, open, and airy, with a focus on the top end.

How do condenser microphones work?
Condenser microphones use a thin, flexible diaphragm placed near a fixed backplate, forming a capacitor. When sound waves hit the diaphragm, it vibrates, changing the distance between the plates and altering the electrical charge, which creates a corresponding electrical signal.

Check out the blog "How does a microphone work?" to learn more about microphones.

There are 2 different kinds of condenser microphones: small diaphragm and large diaphragm condenser microphones. The difference between them, as the name suggests, is the diameter of the diaphragm. A smaller diaphragm is lighter and can respond faster to incoming sound waves. They are excellent for capturing fast transients, like the strumming from an acoustic guitar or drums/percussions. A larger diaphragm can capture more details but responds slower to incoming sound waves.

Sound samples

Now, let's listen to sound samples of condenser microphones. Below, you can find sound samples recorded with different condenser microphones.

What are dynamic microphones mainly used for?
Main applications:

• Live vocals
• Loud instruments (drums, brass instruments, guitar amps)
• Spoken word/podcasts

What are the main characteristics of dynamic microphones?
Dynamic microphones have a robust and durable design, making them great for loud sources like drums, guitar amps, and live vocals. They are known to be able to "take a beating," which means they are rugged and can withstand the stress and requirements of a live tour, for example.

Dynamic microphones have lower sensitivity than condenser microphones, which makes them better at some things and worse at others. Therefore, they can handle high sound pressure levels without distortion, making them ideal for loud audio sources and close micing (a snare drum, for example).

How do dynamic microphones work?
Dynamic microphones use a coil of wire attached to a membrane within a magnetic field. They are also sometimes called moving-coil microphones. When sound waves hit the membrane, the coil moves, generating an electrical current that mirrors the audio signal.

To learn more about how microphones work, check out the blog "How does a microphone work?".

Do dynamic microphones reject more background noise than condenser microphones?
This is a tricky topic. The correct answer is no, but also yes. Let me explain.

Let's say we record a person sitting at their computer, talking, and typing on a loud keyboard at the same time. Suppose we use a dynamic microphone and a condenser microphone at the same distance and with the recorded volume at the same level. In that case, you will not hear a significant difference between the background noise. You can listen to this test here.

But in reality, that's not how people use condenser and dynamic microphones. Usually, you use a dynamic microphone much closer to your sound source than a condenser microphone, because dynamic microphones have less sensitivity. Because of the closer distance, you don't need as much gain, and so you hear less of the room signal in your recording.

So, you could say that using a dynamic microphone can result in less background noise because the sound source is closer to the microphone.

Sound samples
Let's listen to sound samples of dynamic microphones. Pay attention to the higher frequencies and try to hear the difference between condensers and dynamics.

How do ribbon microphones work?
Technically speaking, ribbon microphones are a particular type of dynamic microphone. Ribbon microphones use a thin, lightweight strip of metal (the "ribbon") suspended between magnets. When sound waves hit the ribbon, it vibrates within the magnetic field, generating an electrical current that matches the sound wave.

Because of the bi-directional design, ribbon microphones are always in a figure-8 polar pattern. To learn more about polar patterns, check out the blog "Polar patterns".

To learn more about ribbon microphones, Sweetwater has a comprehensive guide and video about the topic. You can check it out here: https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/ribbon-microphones-how-do-they-work/

What are the main characteristics of ribbon microphones?
Ribbon microphones are known to capture audio in great detail but with a very tame high-end. They are also known to be quite delicate. They don't do well with wind or very high sound pressure levels. You could even permanently damage them if you don't pay attention. But they provide a unique sound.

One negative aspect of older ribbon microphones is that they could be damaged by 48v phantom power. To be 100% safe, always deactivate phanom power before using a ribbon microphone.

What are ribbon microphones mainly used for?

• Vocals
• Guitar amps
• Drum overheads and room recordings
• Brass instruments
• Whenever you want to tame an overly bright sound source

Do I need a ribbon microphone?
Do you already have a microphone? Or even a few of them? If you have a condenser and a dynamic microphone, you can record anything.

A ribbon microphone adds another sonic flavor. It can sound great when you want to record a sound source with a "shrill" high-end.

For some applications, that might just be the best choice. But you can definitely record everything you need with dynamic and condenser microphones.

You can check out sound samples with a ribbon mic in this comparison video.

USB microphones are usually either condenser or dynamic microphones with an audio interface already built in. They can be connected directly to a computer and work exactly like regular condensers or dynamic microphones.

USB microphones sometimes have a bad reputation. There are a lot of opinions out there that say USB mics sound worse than XLR microphones. From a technical standpoint, that is simply not true. USB microphones tend to be more affordable and prioritize functionality and ease of use over sound quality, but that doesn't mean they sound inherently worse.

If you are looking for a high-quality USB microphone, check out the Elgato Wave 3. We developed it together with them.

Tube microphones are condenser microphones but with a twist. They utilize a vacuum tube to amplify the signal and by that give it a unique flavor. 

When you capture sound with a condenser capsule, the produced audio signal is quite delicate and doesn't have the correct voltage to be compatible with a microphone preamp. So, the microphone needs to amplify the signal so the microphone preamp can utilize the signal further.

This is either done with a transistor (these microphones are called field-effect transistors or FET mics) or through a vacuum tube. You can learn more about tube microphones in this blog post.

This is another myth that has existed, and I can't quite understand why. Condenser microphones are different from dynamic microphones. For some applications, condenser microphones are better; for others, dynamic microphones are better.

If you are looking to buy a microphone and are still determining which one you should get, understanding which one is best for your use case and application will give you a clear answer.

To learn more about this topic, check out the blog "Dynamic vs. condenser microphones - What is better?"

If you're looking for a new microphone and are unsure what to get, we can help you.

Check out the interactive product finder! It will ask you a few questions and then suggest the perfect microphone for you.

If you still have more questions or need a more personal service, please contact us through email or social media. We are always happy to help you find the right microphone.