Best Microphones for a Home Studio With No Sound Treatment
To make better recordings in an untreated home studio you should use dynamic mics with a focused pickup pattern. Don’t use sensitive condenser mics, as they will capture more room sound and will likely pick up other unwanted sounds like air conditioning systems and outside noises. Below are my top picks for dynamic mics that can make studio-quality recordings in a home studio without acoustic treatment.
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What Does an Untreated Room Mean for Microphones?
In a home studio with no acoustic treatment, sound waves are free to reflect off surfaces and bounce around the room. When you place a microphone in front of a sound source it will capture the direct sound, and also capture the reflections that bounce back into the microphone. when the direct sound combines with the slightly-delayed reflections, the result is comb filtering which distorts the sound of your recording.
What Type of Microphone is Best for an Untreated Room?
Using a dynamic microphone with a focused polar pattern (cardioid, supercardioid, or hypercardioid) is the best way to record in a room with no acoustic treatment. Dynamic microphones are much less sensitive than condenser microphones: you’ll have no trouble capturing direct sound, but a dynamic will pick up much less sound from your room. Using a focused polar pattern helps prevent the mic from picking up too much sound from the room, or “off-axis” sounds. Below are my favorite dynamic mics for capturing studio-quality recordings in untreated home studios.
Best Mics for Vocals in an Untreated Room
Sennheiser MD441-U — $1,249.00 USD
The MD441-U is my top choice when you want the detailed sound a condenser would provide, with the lower sensitivity you want from a dynamic mic. The supercardioid pattern is extremely focused; it’s a popular mic on horn sections to help isolate each player from the players to their sides. It’s not cheap, but it’s one of the most condenser-like dynamics you’ll find, and it will zero-in on your sound source while mostly ignoring your room noise.
I’ve used the MD441-U for a female vocalist that sang quite softly, and it did a stellar job of capturing low-level passages with detail while also ignoring the room reflections. That’s why I say it has the sonic characteristics of a condenser mic, but with the lower sensitivity you want in an untreated room.
Shure Beta 58A — $179.00 USD
For home studio vocals on a budget, I like the Shure Beta 58A supercardioid vocal microphone. It’s a superior version of the popular SM58 vocal microphone, with more output, a tighter polar pattern, and extended high frequencies for greater detail. Mount it on a mic stand to eliminate handling noise (a mic clip is included), and you have a great solution for recording vocals at home with minimal room sound.
I’ve used the Beta 58A for recording vocalists and it does a fantastic job with most voices. It does have a presence peak in the upper mids that could cause higher pitched voices to sound shrill, so keep that in mind if you have a particularly bright voice.
Best Mics for Acoustic Instruments in an Untreated Room
Telefunken M80-SH — $249.00 USD
While the Telefunken M80-SH dynamic microphone is presented as a snare drum microphone, I think it’s an outstanding mic for recording a wide range of acoustic instruments too. Its low-profile design makes it easier to get close to delicate sound sources like piano, acoustic guitar, ukulele and woodwinds. The response is nicely balanced and takes EQ very well, and the M80-SH’s focused supercardioid polar pattern is exactly what you need in an untreated home studio.
sE Electronics V7 X — $99.00 USD
It looks like a handheld vocal mic, but the sE Electronics V7 X dynamic microphone is designed specifically for instruments like drums and guitar amps. Many users report that they acquired the V7 X as a snare drum or guitar amp mic, only to find it a quite capable workhorse around the home studio. The supercardioid polar pattern and wide frequency response (30Hz-19kHz) makes it easy to capture a full-sounding signal from your source while minimizing reflections from your room.
Best Mics for Amplifiers in an Untreated Room
Audio-Technica AE2500 — $619.00 USD
Blending mics is a popular method for recording guitar amps, and the Audio-Technica AE2500 dual-element microphone makes it easy to do with a single mic. Inside are a dynamic element and a condenser element, perfectly in phase for maximum fidelity when mixed together. In an untreated home studio, you can get a sweet amp tone from the dynamic element, and then blend in as much of the condenser element as you want for added crunch and presence.
Beyond guitar cabs, I’ve found the AE2500 to be a fantastic kick drum mic, and an overall studio workhorse. I keep one near my combo amp as a first-call amp mic, and have used only the condenser or dynamic elements on their own: it’s an extremely versatile mic to have around.
MXL DX-2 — $69.95 USD
The MXL DX-2 is also a dual-element microphone, this time with two dynamic elements and a built-in blend control. The flat-face design means you could hang it in front of an amp by draping the mic cable over the top of the amp, no mic stand needed. Use the blend control to find your sonic sweet spot for your particular amp; the dual mic elements are perfectly in phase, so you can achieve dual-mic tones without worry about any phase cancellation. Don’t let the low price fool you, the DX-2 is an extremely effective guitar amp mic.
Use Dynamic Mics with Focused Patterns in Your Untreated Studio
Until you’re ready to add some acoustic treatment to your home studio, you will have better results recording with dynamic microphones as opposed to condenser microphones. A dynamic microphone with a cardioid, supercardioid, or hypercardioid polar pattern will focus on your sound source while avoiding room reflections that can cause comb filtering. And never feel like you must only use a microphone for its most popular application; some of the most versatile microphones may be marketed as snare drum mics or guitar amp mics, you just need to try them on other sounds!
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- Introduction
- What Does an Untreated Room Mean for Microphones?
- What Type of Microphone is Best for an Untreated Room?
- Best Mics for Vocals in an Untreated Room
- Sennheiser MD441-U — $1,249.00 USD
- Shure Beta 58A — $179.00 USD
- Best Mics for Acoustic Instruments in an Untreated Room
- Telefunken M80-SH — $249.00 USD
- sE Electronics V7 X — $99.00 USD
- Best Mics for Amplifiers in an Untreated Room
- Audio-Technica AE2500 — $619.00 USD
- MXL DX-2 — $69.95 USD
- Use Dynamic Mics with Focused Patterns in Your Untreated Studio
