10 TIPS on using microphones

1 Know your types

ynamic mics tend to be the workhorses of the microphone world. They are cheap, can take a bit of signal, and tend to be used as mics for some of the bigger-sounding instruments and live vocals. Condensers are more sensitive so are better for more intricate and detailed recordings of, say, acoustic instruments. They use electrical capacitors to generate charge so require batteries or phantom power. They don’t tend to ‘like’ big sounds which dynamics do. Ribbon mics use, not surprisingly, a thin ribbon of conductive material and a process similar to dynamic mics, They capture more detail with a more focused pattern, but are more sensitive. Finally, tube mics can be seen as condensers with valves