Fav Pro Mics for the DIYer: Part 2

Today we’re talking about favorite condenser microphones for the home music studio.

Condensers are a microphone design that provides exceptional detail, and this can work out very well when used in combination with dynamic mics on the same source.

Spending multiple thousands of $$ on a super nice, professional quality studio condenser mic for use in your home studio is a classic error. Please don’t do this. Here’s why.

Special Considerations When Using Condensers in the Home Music Studio

Studio condensers are amazing, highly precise pieces of machinery capable of incredible sensitivity. Maybe more detail than you need, certainly for a writing or demoing studio. Because these mics are so sensitive, if you use them in a noisy space like your bedroom, you’ll just pick up all that background noise in exquisite detail, and that won’t sound good. Expensive studio condensers are most useful in a very quiet acoustic; that is the setting they are designed for.

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They’re also not nearly as forgiving to use. Close micing with a condenser can be a very fiddly process, and it can take time to get the placement just right.

That’s not a good idea when your songs are not written yet. You don’t want to be getting all fiddly with a mic, when you’re just trying to jot down a quick idea.

That being said, this style of mic can be very useful at home for making better sounding recordings, but we want very good quality without breaking the bank. Hence this recommendation:

Fav condensor mic for the home music studio: the Rode NT2000!

Why’s this mic so great?

-It’s detailed and professional in quality, but still reasonable in price.

-Has a lot of special added features that make it a super flexible tool, and if you’re only using 1 or 2 microphones in your recording setup, flexibility is key.

-This mic can move between all of the different types of pickup patterns, including 360 degree coverage, and it also has a volume pad and a high pass filter built right into the mic. These are all super handy options to have; one less thing to mess with in your DAW.

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