Microphones | The Evergreen State College

Media Loan

Microphones

Microphone BasicsCardioid
  • Audio-Technica AT831B lavalier – condenser microphone usually used for speech as they can be clipped on to a shirt, good for acoustic instruments as well. Phantom power or battery powered. XLR Connector.
  • Audio-Technica AT898 lavalier – intended for interviews, documentary, and on-stage. Excellent quality sound, and has good isolation. Able to clip on and conceal for use in video. Phantom power or battery powered. Same mic as the AT899 (omni) except for the pickup pattern. XLR Connector.
  • Electro-Voice RE15 dynamic – historically used as a vocal mic due to a flat frequency response and no noticeable proximity effect; no pop screen. Not much in the way of highs or lows, though - has an "old" sound. Great for micing acoustic instruments and on guitar amps. XLR Connector.
  • Sennheiser 421 dynamic – 5-position bass rolloffs and one of the most common vocal, floor tom, and guitar amp mics. Has a slight mid-range boost that makes it well-suited for anything in the low-mid to the high-mid range. As common in Europe as the SM-57 is in America. Looks like a spaceship. XLR Connector.
  • Sennheiser MD46 dynamic broadcast – well-regarded interview and broadcast microphone, especially for field work. Designed to block handling noise and wind noise, and eliminate vocal popping. XLR Connector.
  • Shure SM57 dynamic – use it for anything! Seriously, "everyone" calls it: "THE BEST MIC EVER FOR ANYTHING." Not actually the best microphone for everything, but durable and extremely versatile for close micing sound sources. Used on just about everything in the live sound world, and well-regarded as a snare drum and guitar cabinet microphone. Pretty decent on vocals in a pinch, too. XLR Connector.
  • Shure SM57A Beta - Dynamic supercardioid with a high signal-to-noise ratio which makes it a great mic for isolation and rejection when recording multiple sources. Typically used for drums, guitar amps, brass, woodwinds and vocals. XLR Connector.
  • Shure SM58 dynamic – Ubiquitous live vocal microphone, and what most people think of when they hear the word "microphone." Essentially the same as the SM57, but with a ball-shaped reinforced foam windscreen to stop plosives and air blasts.  XLR Connector.
  • Shure SM86 condenser - Versatile handheld condenser, with full mids, a detailed top end, and accurate articulation. Excellent vocal microphone. XLR Connector.
  • Beyerdynamic M88 TG - Hypercardioid used frequently as a kick drum mic, has a very soft presence boost and exceptional bass reproduction.  Suggested uses would be sources with low frequencies and harmonics such as a dynamic deep voice or bass instruments.  XLR Connector.
Combo / Multipattern
  • Sennheiser Combo with Super-Cardioid, Cardioid and Omni-directional heads. Comes with 3 heads with different pickup patterns (making it a useful swiss-army-knife of field recording and boom micing). Lightweight, excellent for use with video. Powered by phantom power or battery. XLR Connector.
  • USB Multi Pattern Blue Yeti Pro – standalone USB, multi-pickup pattern mic. Records up to 24 bit / 192khz digital; plugs right into your Mac or PC; easy setup. Can also be used as a standard XLR mic.
Omni
  • Audio-Technica AT899 Lavalier – intended for interviews, documentary, and on-stage. Excellent quality sound, and maintains good capture even when people are moving around. Able to clip on and conceal for use in video. Phantom power or battery powered. Same mic as the AT898 (cardioid) except for the pickup pattern. XLR Connector.
  • Beyerdynamic M58 dynamic - renowned reporter and interview microphone, with a warm tone and good articulation. Has an extra long body so that it can be easily maneuvered, and an elaborate internal shockmount system to reduce handling noise. Works well on camera due to "TV gray" matte finish. XLR connector.
  • Crown PZM 30D boundary - PZM stands for Pressure Zone Microphone. Designed to be flush-mounted against another surface, such as a table or wall, and pick up vibrations from that surface as opposed to directly capturing sound waves (like most microphones). When wall mounted, can do an excellent job of neutralizing natural room reverberations while be visually unobtrusive. Very flat frequency response, although the material that it's mounted on can have a significant impact on the sound quality. XLR connector.
  • Electro-Voice 635a dynamic – Affectionally known as "the Buchanan Hammer" by roadies in the 70s who would use the microphone for stage assembly. A workhorse mic and very sturdy, the 635a is a classic ENG (Electronic News Gathering) microphone and spawned the EV-50, another common ENG mic (especially in the US). In the recording world, the 635a is often used as a room mic for drums, a live band, vocals, or field recording. No windscreen needed. Good for loud sources, but has a noticeable noise floor. Has a boost in high-mid frequencies, along with sharp roll offs in the low-end and top end. XLR Connector.
  • Sony ECM50 Lavalier – electret condenser, powered by battery or phantom power. Great bass response for voices, especially for an omni.  XLR Connector.
  • Sound Grabber Crown PZM (1/4” and 1/8”) – PZM stands for Pressure Zone Microphone often used for recording conferences and speeches. Works great as a piano mic or field recording.
Stereo
  • Audio-Technica 825 – stereo X/Y pattern field recording mic. Designed for capturing a live sound field (ex. live musical performance, stereo room recording, using for on-set full environment sound). XLR Connector.
  • Sony ECM-MS957 – has rotating capsule to adjust the stereo pickup pattern, mid/side capsules with switchable pick-up angle, also has sensitivity adjustment. A moderately sensitive mic. Good for instruments. 1/8" Connector.
  • Sony ECM MS 907/908 – has a mid-side switch to switch from 90º to 120º, low profile design and super portable. 1/8" Connector.

  • Rode NT4 - X/Y Stereo cardioid Condenser. Great for capturing a stereo field. 90 degree near-coincident alignment. Ideal for overheads, choir vocals, field recordings, or room mics to capture an environment or space.

Super-cardioid / Shotgun
  • Audio-Technica Shotgun – condenser shotgun mic, good at rejecting off-axis sound and capturing audio from long ranges. Has low-cut frequency, designed to be used with video cameras. XLR Connector.
  • Electro-Voice RE16/RE18 Dynamic Super Cardioid – uniform frequency response regardless of direction. Pop filter. Very neutral sound, can be used for various instruments and vocal, but not a lot of top end. XLR Connector.
  • Parabolic Microphone – ideal for long-range recording. Capable of magnifying signals up to 75 times that of a normal omni-directional microphone, and often used for sporting events and other loud environments to isolate sounds. XLR Connector.
  • Rode NTG-1 Shotgun Lightweight shotgun mic, comes with furry windscreen making it ideal for outdoor recording. XLR connector.
  • Sennheiser MKE300 Shotgun – condenser, hyper-cardioid. Designed to be mounted on the hot-shoe of a camcorder and Canon Rebel T2i. Good for shooting video. Mono mini connector.