Whether you're a studio artist, a freelance musician, or a vlogger, if you want to up your vocal sound quality for recording tracks then choosing the best vocal mics is the right option for you. A good microphone can help you unleash your vocal potential and make a significant difference in the quality of your recordings.
However, many vocal artists are unaware of the importance of selecting the right microphone for their vocals because a microphone has various factors that determine your vocal clarity and depth of sound, such as the type of microphone, its frequency range, sensitivity, and polar patterns.
So, it is important to choose the best vocal recording mic to enhance the quality of your sound. But how? If you are looking for a microphone for recording vocals then it can be a complex task. Because now there are thousands of options available and a list of criteria to choose the right one. Don't worry.
In this guide, we have handpicked and reviewed the 20 best vocal mics for recording tracks, along with their specs, pros and cons, pricing, and uses. By the end of this guide, you'll know exactly which vocal recording mic is the best fit for recording tracks.
Here’s the list of some of the best vocal mics that are popularly known for recording tracks:
S.No. | Vocal Mic Name | Type | Connector Type | Directionality | Frequency |
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1. | Shure SM7B | Professional Dynamic Microphone | XLR | Cardioid (picks up sound primarily from the front, with some rejection from the sides and rear) | 20Hz-20kHz |
2. | AKG C414 XLII | Condenser Microphone | XLR | Selectable Polar Patterns (omnidirectional, Wide Cardioid, hyper-cardioid, figure-of-eight) | 20Hz-20kHz |
3. | Lewitt LCT 940 | Multi-Pattern Tube Condenser Microphone | XLR | Selectable Polar Patterns (omnidirectional, Wide Cardioid, hyper-cardioid, figure-of-eight) | 20Hz-20kHz |
4. | Neumann TLM 102 | Transformerless Cardioid Condenser Microphone | XLR | Fixed Cardioid Directional Character- Ristic | 220Hz-20kHz |
5. | Shure SM58 | Unidirectional (cardioid) Dynamic Vocal Microphone | XLR | Unidirectional (cardioid) Dynamic Vocal Microphone | 50 to 15,000 Hz |
6. | Aston Microphones Spirit | Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone | XLR | NA | 20Hz - 20kHz |
7. | Rode NTK | Large-Diaphragm Tube Condenser | XLR | NA | 20Hz - 20kHz |
8. | Lewitt LCT 440 | Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone | XLR | NA | 20Hz - 20kHz |
9. | AKG C636 | Master Reference Condenser Vocal Microphone | XLR | Omnidirectional, Cardioid, Super Cardioid, Hyper-Cardioid, Ultra Directional | 20Hz - 20kHz |
10. | Sennheiser EW 500 G4 935 | Professional Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphone | Ethernet | NA | 25 –15,000 Hz |
11. | IK Multimedia iRig Stream Mic Pro | Professional Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphone | USB Type-C | Cardioid, Omnidirectional, Bi-Directional | 20 Hz ... 20 kHz |
12. | Neumann U87 Ai | large Dual-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone | XLR | NA | 20 Hz ... 20 kHz |
13. | Rode NT1 | Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone | USB-C | NA | 20Hz to 20kHz |
14. | Audio-Technica AT2020 | Fixed Cardioid Polar Pattern | XLR | Side-Address Microphones | 20Hz and 20kHz |
15. | AKG C414 | Multipattern Condenser Microphone | XLR | The Cardioid Position Provides a Tighter sound with more Directionality and Isolation. | 40Hz and 80Hz |
16. | Shure SM57 | Low-Impedance Cardioid Dynamic Microphone | XLR | Uni-Directional | 40Hz-15kHz |
17. | Behringer TM1 Condenser Microphone | Large-Diaphragm TM1 Condenser Microphone | XLR | Uni-Directional | 20 hz to 20 Khz |
18. | AKG P120 Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone | Diaphragm True Condenser Microphone | XLR | Cardioid Directional Characteristic | 20 hz to 20 Khz |
19. | MXL 990 | Studio condenser Microphones | Balanced XLR Cable | NA | 30Hz - 18kHz |
20. | Aston Spirit | Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone | Balanced XLR Cable | NA | 4kHz |
Price: ₹29,851
Ideal For: All in one Microphone (Studio recordings, Voiceover, Podcasts and Broadcasting)
The Shure SM7B is one of the top industry-standard dynamic microphones. It is designed for studio recordings, voiceover, podcasts, and broadcasting. This microphone has a cardioid polar pattern, which captures great sound quality, eliminates the background disturbing noise, and remains sound noiseproof because of internal air suspension. It is mainly recommended for aspiring professionals to record a range of tracks.
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Price: ₹83,069
Ideal For: Best Versatility (From Studio to Live)
Another flagship and extremely versatile mic for professionals on our list is the AKG C414 XLII. It's a pro-level mic to capture pristine vocals with nine selectable polar patterns, three attenuation levels (-6; -12; -18 dB), a high pass filter, a Super sensitive, gold-sputtered CK12 capsule, and a FET Transformerless circuit. It has high sensitivity and presence, which perfectly captures vocals, strings, and orchestras. If you want a premium microphone with all the necessary features to record different vocalists in high quality, then it's the best studio vocal mic.
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Price: ₹99,699
Ideal For: Hybrid (Professional Recording)
Lewitt LCT 940 is a two-in-one microphone that offers both a tube condenser and a premium large-diaphragm FET vocal recording mic with nine switchable polar patterns. A 'Tube' setting produces a warm and rich sound, while a 'FET' setting produces a clear and nuanced sound. This combination comes with lots of interesting sonic possibilities and versatility. If you're looking for a microphone that has low self-noise, huge headroom, and a smooth frequency response, then Lewitt's LCT 940 is one of the best voice recording microphones.
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Price: ₹60,618
Ideal For: Studio Recording (Velvety vocals and Instrumental)
If you're specifically looking for the best studio vocal mic under your budget, then Neumann TLM 102 is a best-fit choice. It's a premium German mic brand with a large diaphragm condenser, and its cardioid pattern only picks sound from the front of the microphone to ensure high-quality sound. It's a small and well-balanced mic that is well-used for a variety of applications, such as vocals, instruments, and speech. It's just a decent mic that is used by all sizes of studios for decent vocal recording.
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Price: ₹7,400
Ideal For: Live vocal applications
If you are looking for a dynamic mic for live performance, then Shure SM58 is the most popular choice. The main reason why it is well fit for live performance is that it is not prone to feedback. It has an ultra-durable build, and can easily handle sound pressure levels with its cardioid unidirectional polar pattern. Also, it has a built-in pop filter and shock mount to minimize background noise and is tailored for vocals. It's a go-to choice for professionals for live performances because of its warm, clear sound quality and affordability.
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Price: ₹31,514
Ideal For: Vocals and Instruments
Another of the best vocal microphones in our list is Aston Microphones Spirit. It's a high-performing, large diaphragm condenser microphone with switchable pattern. It has cardioid eight polar patterns, a waveform mesh head, a built-in pop filter, a 1'' gold evaporated capsule, a to-stand microphone, and 2mm solid stainless steel, which makes it the best vocal mic for professionals and engineers. Some common reasons to choose Aston Microphones Spirit are its versatility, sound quality, and budget-friendliness.
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Price: ₹43,987
Ideal For: Vocal recording mics
When it comes to flagship microphones, Rode NTK is always on our list. It's popularly known for delivering exceptional sound quality because of the large diaphragm valve condenser and 1-inch gold sputtered capsule with twin-triode 6922 tube, which adds a soft touch of vintage, richness, and warmth to recordings. It's a versatile mic for various styles such as hip-hop, rock, and close-up. Also it’s the best vocal recording mic for other applications such as guitars, piano, drums, and more. If you need the best studio vocal mic, then Rode NTK has everything you need to deliver exceptional performance on vocals with ultra-low noise.
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Price: ₹24,031
Ideal For: Go-to type vocal recording mics
The Lewitt LCT 440 is the most simple and pure microphone. It’s just a plug-and-go vocal recording mic with a sleek design and basic features. It has a 1-inch condenser, cardioid polar pattern, 3-micron gold-sputtered, large diaphragm, and a frequency range of 20-20,000 Hz, which is designed for vocals and instruments. It's a good microphone for recording guitars, drums, wind instruments, and guitar cabinets with low noise. The reason it became the best-in-class microphone is because it gives brilliant and pure sound quality without any tweaking.
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Price: ₹52,302
Ideal For: Speech, Podcasts and Voice-overs
AKG C636 is a standard microphone that is mainly used for live performances, voice-overs, events, speeches, and presentation applications. It offers studio-quality sound, custom-tuned cardioid condenser capsule, triple pop noise protection, 24-carat gold plated capsule, rugged construction, uniform cardioid pattern, double shock suspension system, and multilayer pop noise protection to eliminate noise and ensure unfiltered and uncompressed sound quality. Rather than signing, AKG C636 is a top-rated hand-holding mic.
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Price: ₹82,985
Ideal For: Live performances
Sennheiser EW 500 G4 935 is one of the most popular wireless mics used by legendaries like Beyonce, Rihana, Jagger, or Bowie for live performances. It's a game-changing mic that can make your performance magnetic. It has SKM 500 G4 handheld transmitter, MMD 935 Dynamic Cardioid Mic Capsule, flexible wireless synchronization, Up to 32 compatible channels, EM 300-500 G4 rackmount receiver, Up to 88 MHz bandwidth with 3520 selectable frequencies, OLED display with automatic dimming and e935 capsule offers a smooth and fast transient response. There are tons of functionalities that come in one mic, which makes it the most trusted wireless mic for live performance.
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Price: ₹10,808
Ideal For: Music and Content Creation
One of the most demanding and best vocal microphones for content creation, streaming, and podcasts is the IK Multimedia iRig Stream Mic Pro. It's an all-in-one mic that can take the content creation to another level. With 4-polar patterns, 2 Gold-sputtered ½” electret condenser capsules, switchable high pass filters, and a 24-bit / 96 kHz audio interface for iPhone, Android, Mac, and PC, it's a versatile option for music and content creation. iRig Stream Mic Pro also offers IK's Loopback+, which lets you add music from your smartphone to your recording and route the mic signal into a separate app for noise reduction. It ensures pristine, detailed sound for both the mic and stereo aux input.
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Price: ₹2,91,031
Ideal For: Studio Recording
Neumann U87 AI is counted in the list of the world's most famous studio microphones, because of its warm sound and variety of applications. It is equipped with a large dual-diaphragm, three directional patterns, switchable low-cut filters, a pressure gradient transducer with a double membrane capsule, a 10dB pre-attenuation pad, and a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz. To ensure low self-noise, Neumann U87 is a preferred choice by singers and engineers for recording any genre, from pop and jazz to classical music.
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Price: ₹20,705
Ideal For: Studio Recordings
If you are looking for a microphone that can capture detailed vocals, then Rode NT1 is an ideal choice. Whether it's recording, streaming, or podcasting, it is equipped with all essential features such as cardioid pattern, large 1″ Gold-Sputtered Diaphragm, 192 kHz / 32-bit Float A to D Converter, ultra-low noise floor, Analog XLR and Digital USB-C Connectors, shock mount, and detachable pop filter. It's also known as one of the quietest studio microphones in the world, capturing exceptionally clean and soft sound.
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Price: ₹8,232
Ideal For: Projects/Home Studios
Audio-Technica AT2020 is the best-selling and budget-friendly microphone. It's a nice quality vocal recording mic for home studios who want a mid-range option. It has a cardioid polar pattern, High SPL handling, custom-engineered low-mass diaphragm, and Durable and lightweight construction with easy setup. It's really superb at making voice or music sound clean and awesome without noise.
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Price: ₹85,154
Ideal For: Live stage and Studios recording
AKG C414 is popularly known for linearity and neutral sound quality which capture the recording of vocals in detail and clearly. It offers a large diaphragm condenser, nine polar patterns, three pre-attenuation levels, three switchable brass-cut filters, an overload warning with audio peak hold LED, and an equivalent noise level to ensure high-quality sound. It's been a versatile microphone for decades.
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Price: ₹7,400
Ideal For: Live sound reinforcement and Recording
Whether it's on stage or in the studio, Shure SM57 is a go-to utility mic that beautifully works in both scenarios. It is popular because of its ability to focus on vocals and musical instruments and completely eliminates the background noise. It's a dynamic microphone with a cardioid polar pattern and a Pneumatic shock-mount system to cut down handling noise and elevate the vocal during studio recordings and live stages with a frequency response of 40 to 15,000 Hz. It's a most durable mic that can work under the heaviest use.
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Price: ₹10,726
Ideal For: Vocals recording and Acoustic instruments
The only difference you'll find between pressure-gradient condenser mics like Behringer TM1 and dynamic mics is that condenser mics are more capable of capturing details because of their wider and flatter frequency response. Behringer TM1 offers many things like 1″ gold plated diaphragm, Fixed cardioid polar pickup pattern, ultra-low noise, 132dB, and +48 V phantom powering for wide dynamic range that is the best vocal recording mic for studios and broadcasting to ensure high-quality vocal recording.
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Price: ₹7,400
Ideal For: Vocals, speech, and instrument recording
If you're a freelance artist or vlogger who is looking for a budget-friendly but qualitative microphone for recording vocals and instruments at home, then the AKG P120 Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone is the right choice for you. It will give a clear, distortion-free sound because of a wide range of functionalities, including a 0.67" Gold-Sputtered Diaphragm, a 2/3-inch diaphragm true condenser, a switchable bass-cut filter, a switchable attenuation pad, a fixed cardioid pickup pattern, and Switchable 20 dB Pad to ensure nice, warm and smooth sound quality with high durability because of rugged all-metal body.
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Price: ₹8,311
Ideal For: Recording Vocals and Podcasts
Another industry groundbreaking microphone in our list is the MXL 990. It has a Vintage body style with a champagne finish and comes with a gold-sputtered diaphragm, a 6-micron gold-sputtered capsule, a German-style transformerless circuit, a FET preamp with balanced output, flat response from 30Hz–20kHz and 8kHz presence peak for clear and professional sound quality in both digital and analog recordings. It's best-fit for vocals, voice-overs, and acoustic instrument recording.
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Price: ₹31,514
Ideal For: Vocals and Acoustic instruments
Now, we are finalizing our list with one high-performance microphone, i.e., Aston Spirit. It has a large diaphragm condenser, 1” gold evaporated capsule, switchable polar patterns, built-in pop filter, wave-form mesh head, 10/20dB pad, 80Hz highpass filter, and 48v phantom power to record high-quality sound. It's a versatile mic that is specially designed to deliver an open sound with natural and transparent recording in detail. If you want a mic that captures details without harshness, then Aston Spirit is a go-to choice for studio and stage.
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If you're a musician, studio artist, or a vlogger and you want to unlock the true potential of your vocal ability, then choosing the right microphone is the most essential thing. Because there are thousands of the best vocal microphones on the market for different purposes, you need to choose one that suits your profession and enhances your vocal potential.
That's why we've handpicked and reviewed the 20 best vocal mics that are popular in their category, feature-rich, budget-friendly, and durable. Let’s explore our top winner for vocal, music, and full-fledged studio categories:
Now, it's your turn to go through the details and find the most suitable vocal recording mics. We hope this guide helps you know everything from exploring the 20 best vocal microphones to identifying the best one for your purpose.
The best microphone for recording vocals is Rode NT1. It's known as one of the world's quietest studio mics in the world by capturing clean and soft sounds.
For studio recordings, the Neumann U87 AI and AKG C414 XLII are the best voice recording microphone choices, and For live performance, the Shure SM58 and Sennheiser EW 500 G4 935.
Sennheiser EW 500 G4 935 is a mic that many famous singers like Beyonce, Rihana, Jagger, or Bowie used for live performances.
India's most popular playback vocalist, Arijit Singh, used Shure SM7B and Neumann U87.
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