Does the perfect vocal microphone exist?

This is what vocalists need to consider when buying a microphone for stage or the home studio

First of all: a good vocal microphone does not have to cost a lot of money. Even though, a microphone with solid technology is necessary, you primarily have to know (or find out) what kind of microphone suits you and your voice and the style you are playing. After all, music genre and personal preferences definitely play a role in the selection. No matter whether you like throat singing, belting, bel canto or growling, we are going to show you what you need to consider when buying a vocal microphone.

Are Dynamic Vocal Microphones the Ultimate Tool for Stage Applications?

Flexible, down-to-earth, honest and dirty: this is what you want on stage (well, most of the time anyway). And this is exactly what a dynamic microphone is going to deliver. It also features a high level stability with low susceptibility to acoustic feedback and there is no need for an external power source. Punk bands, blues bands, metal bands, rock bands, riot brothers and sisters usually love dynamic microphones because they are mechanically very robust. Wild spinning and banging on beer cans are no problem. They feature an authentic and familiar design. Everyone seems to know or uses these vocal microphones.


Are Dynamic Vocal Microphones the Ultimate Tool for Stage Applications?

Flexible, down-to-earth, honest and dirty: this is what you want on stage (well, most of the time anyway). And this is exactly what a dynamic microphone is going to deliver. It also features a high level stability with low susceptibility to acoustic feedback and there is no need for an external power source. Punk bands, blues bands, metal bands, rock bands, riot brothers and sisters usually love dynamic microphones because they are mechanically very robust. Wild spinning and banging on beer cans are no problem. They feature an authentic and familiar design. Everyone seems to know or uses these vocal microphones.

On the other hand, we have got the condenser microphone. For some time now, they have been much more than just studio microphones. They are often used for a more complex sound on stage. They provide a finer sound quality and pick up vocals very clearly and deliver them in great detail. Vocalists with a wide vocal range particularly benefit from this technology. Think of Freddy Mercury, the singer of the band Queen, for example. The frequency response is often more linear and features a fine resolution of the high frequencies. This can sometimes be a disadvantage for live performances: compared with the dynamic microphone, they have a higher sensitivity which may lead to problems with acoustic feedback. And above all: condenser microphones are often more expensive and generally a little more susceptible to mechanical stress.

Advantages of a dynamic vocal microphone probably outweigh the disadvantages on stage

It is estimated that 90% of vocal microphones used on stage are dynamic. However, this has also got something to do with habit. For years, both musicians and sound engineers have pointed out that dynamic microphones are 'made' for stage applications. They are mechanically very robust. Thus, it is nice to see that not everyone is going with the flow and we can notice a delicate trend now, especially with wireless microphones. Musicians have certainly used condenser microphones in the past. Beside all recommendations, it it  important to make your own experience with the microphones. This is the only way, you can really find out which microphone suits you best.

"Well-behaved all-round microphones cover a wide range of applications and almost always work. However, they are not the measure of all things."

— S. Brünjes, musician and test engineer in the audio department at IMG STAGELINE

Tips for testing the sound of different vocal microphones:

  • Make sure the levels at the mixer are identical and adjust them if necessary.

  • Take out all filters: switch to 'neutral' or switch off.

  • Use the mute switch on the mixer to switch the mic. This will reduce the interval between tests and you are more likely to hear the fine sound nuances.

  • Listen to the sound with familiar (and always the same!) headphones. However, you should also test it at high volume levels with your usual PA system. This can, of course, also take place in the rehearsal room.

  • Try to maintain the same distance from the microphone or vary it equally for all test candidates.


 

Nils Wittrock from The Hirsch Effekt :

"If you are looking for a new vocal microphone, I have got 2 key tips for you:

  1. Make as many A/B comparisons as possible. You can only find your perfect microphone by trial and error.
  2. It is dangerous to go alone. You may buy a microphone which sounds very similar to your present one. I have seen this happen to me. Take someone with you who can assess your voice and technique. It should be someone who can neutrally observe your interaction with the microphone. This could be either your sound engineer or simply a band colleague."

Your Performance and Your Microphone

Singing and performing live on stage without restrictions is only possible when the equipment is in place and does not cause any trouble. Interfering noise would distract you and disturb the flow. You would quickly feel uncomfortable which would also show in your performance.

With bad vocal microphones, distracting ambient noise often occurs due to structure-borne sound, e.g. movements on stage which may be transmitted to the microphone via the stand (wooden floor), flipping the switch on the microphone, putting your hand on the microphone, or maybe even 'grabbing' the body of the microphone a little nervously. This knowledge can be incorporated into your microphone test.

You will definitely have more fun with technically sophisticated microphones.

However, unintended effects do not necessarily have to be bad. For example, the proximity effect of microphones with directional cartridges (cardioid, supercardioid): if the sound source (mouth) is close to the cartridge, the bass frequencies will be overemphasised. The voice appears more voluminous and more like Matt Berninger.

 

As a vocalist, and particularly as a beginner, I should not waste my time and energy trying to compensate the weaknesses of my microphone.

 

An integrated or external pop noise head defuses plosive sounds

Most vocal microphones feature integrated pop noise heads. However, external ones like the KM-23956 are more effective and thus are particularly recommended in the studio. By the way: these sounds (b, d, g, k, p) also help you when testing your vocal microphone.

 

4 Important Specifications for Vocalists

1. The sensitivity of the vocal microphone

This means: how much voltage does an unconnected microphone deliver at a certain signal? To put it simply: the higher the value, the louder the microphone sounds which means that the microphone amplifier has to contribute less in order to 'work' well with your microphone signal, e.g. in a mixer.

Tip: when comparing the sensitivity, pay attention to the unit indicated. Usually this is given in mV/Pa, sometimes also in mV/µ bar. If the units do not match, it is essential to convert (1 mV µbar = 10 mV/Pa).

 

2. The impedance

Impedance is a technical term for the internal resistance of the microphone (unit: Ω, ohms). A general rule for the microphone preamplifier: it should at least feature an impedance which is approx. 5 times greater than the microphone impedance. This means that for a microphone with 200 Ω it should have at least one kΩ. However, a value of 2 kΩ is rather typical for preamplifiers. In addition, the impedance also plays a role in the maximum length of the microphone cable. The smaller the impedance, the longer the cable can be without causing noticeable high-frequency losses.

    3. The maximum sound pressure level

    It shows the volume level to be tolerated by a microphone before audible distortion. The higher this value is, the louder you can sing into the microphone without distortion.

    The value is always given in decibels (dB) and is often abbreviated to max. SPL or SPLmax (maximum sound pressure level). Many suppliers usually do not state this information, especially for dynamic microphones. They can easily handle high sound pressure levels anyway (sometimes >160 dB) and thus, the value is no longer relevant.

    For comparison: if you stand near an aircraft turbine during takeoff, you will be hit in the face by about 140 dB.

    As already mentioned, dynamic microphones feature a very high level stability with a value of usually 130-160 dB. Condenser microphones, on the other hand, have a slightly lower value, usually around 120-140 dB (used to be rather 120 dB). The technology here has developed extremely well and condenser microphones can withstand more and more.
     

    Note: at very high sound pressure levels, the microphone may also sometimes emit a line level in the volt range. Hence, any audible distortion which may appear usually does not occur in the microphone. It originates in the subsequent stage instead, e.g. in the microphone preamplifier.

     

    4. The transmission range

    The term transmission range refers to the frequencies to be transmitted and used by the microphone. The specification describes a range from low to high tones, i.e. from low to high frequencies. The transmission range is specified in hertz (Hz) or kilohertz (kHz).

      A singer can quickly identify himself/herself in a good microphone.

      How Important is the Polar Pattern and how do I Place Monitor Speakers?

      Live on stage, it is better to avoid using an omnidirectional vocal microphone. Omnidirectional microphones feature equal sensitivity to all sides and thus are more susceptible to feedback. Any kind of cardioid microphone is usually best suitable for you as a singer on stage.

       

      Nils Wittrock from The Hirsch Effekt :

      "For live performances, I use a very bass-heavy hypercardioid microphone. Thanks to the hypercardioid polar pattern, I have little interference in our otherwise very loud stage environment. This is particularly important on small stages because otherwise the drums interfere quite a bit with the microphone. And yes, this microphone is also my absolute favourite one for live performances which I am very familiar with. I deliver my best performances with it because I know exactly how it reacts."

      To avoid whistling, pay attention on how to position monitor speakers:

      • With a cardioid microphone, the speaker is positioned directly in front of the singer (180°, voice pickup = 0°).
      • With a supercardioid microphone, the speaker is positioned more at ±125° (left or right of the singer, both sides are equal).

      • With the hypercardioid microphone, the speaker is positioned at ±110° (left or right of the singer, both sides are equal).

      Do not wrap your hands around the microphone basket. Even though it looks cool, the sound quality suffers tremendously and you may experience sudden feedback.

      Conclusion: genre, style and your preferences are crucial when buying a microphone

      So what actually makes a microphone a good vocal microphone? First of all, you have to know what kind of microphone suits your genre and style and what is important to you with regard to sound. If you like it minimalistic and down-to-earth like soul, gospel or blues, then use a dynamic microphone. It provides a clear voice reproduction but it may not be as 'accentuated' as a condenser microphone. If you prefer to record in the studio, a large diaphragm condenser microphone with a gold-plated diaphragm is a top choice. And if you prefer to give wild concerts with spinning your microphone, then take the dynamic one. Beside your band colleagues, you will only dent the basket which also keeps replacement costs within limits ;-)

      Technology is, of course, very important and if you take on board the pointers mentioned above, you know exactly which microphone will suit you and keep track of things. Then you will have to test, test and test more. Here, too, the following applies: you can choose whatever you like and everything that perfectly supports your performance. You can only find your perfect vocal microphone by trial and error. As an individual singer, you have got individual preferences and an individual taste which is just as well. The feel-good factor is the most important thing. That is the only way you can make music.

      DM-5000LN

      Dynamic microphone
      These microphones are especially optimised for vocal and speech applications on stage and are thus provided with cartridges of particularly…

      ECMS-90

      Large diaphragm condenser microphone
      Large diaphragm condenser microphone, for professional studio applications. 2.8 cm (1.1") extra thin gold-plated diaphragm Low cut…

      Photo ©   Sloppy Joe´s, Hannah Heider, The Hirsch Effect, Christoph Eisenmenger