In this guide: Dynamic vs condenser · Phantom power · Polar patterns · Voiced or flat · Proximity effect · What to use on what · Condensers on stage · Ribbon microphones · Wireless capsules · Care and failures · Common mistakes · FAQ

Two decisions do most of the work when choosing live microphones: dynamic or condenser, and which polar pattern. Get them right and a cheap microphone in the right place beats an expensive one in the wrong place; get them wrong and you spend the show fighting feedback.

How dynamic and condenser microphones differ

Dynamic: a coil moving in a magnetic field

A moving-coil dynamic microphone is a loudspeaker running backwards: a coil of fine wire fixed to a plastic diaphragm, suspended in the gap of a permanent magnet. Sound moves the diaphragm, the coil moves through the field, and a voltage appears. That is the entire signal path: no electronics, no power supply, and on an SM58 even the cartridge is user-replaceable. Dynamics are therefore tough and handle enormous sound pressure. The moving mass of coil plus diaphragm is comparatively high, so transients and high frequencies are softened: Shure specifies the SM58 at 50 to 15,000 Hz and the SM57 at 40 to 15,000 Hz. Output is lower than a condenser’s, so you run more gain.

Condenser: a charged diaphragm and a fixed plate

A condenser microphone is a capacitor. A very light conductive diaphragm sits a fraction of a millimetre from a fixed backplate and the pair holds a charge; sound changes the spacing, the capacitance changes, and that becomes a voltage. With no coil to drag around, the diaphragm is far lighter than a dynamic’s, which is why condensers resolve detail and transient attack that dynamics smooth over: Audio-Technica specifies the AT4053b at 20 to 20,000 Hz.

The charge has to come from somewhere and the capsule’s high impedance has to be converted, so every condenser contains active electronics and needs power. Externally polarised designs bias the capsule from the supply, as Audio-Technica specifies for the AT4053b; pre-polarised electret capsules hold a permanent charge and only power the internal preamp, as Sennheiser specifies for its MME 865 wireless head. Electret is not a mark of lower quality: Shure’s Beta 87A is an electret condenser.

Phantom power in one section

Phantom power sends DC up the balanced pair, equally on pins 2 and 3 with the screen as the return, so it is invisible to the audio. The standard is IEC 61938, which defines P12, P24 and P48: 12 V through matched 680 ohm resistors, 24 V through 1.2 kilohm and 48 V through 6.81 kilohm, limited to 10 mA per channel. Almost every mixer supplies P48, and most stage condensers accept a range: Shure specifies the Beta 87A and Beta 98AD/C for +11 V to +52 V, Audio-Technica the AT4053b at 48 V DC, 4.8 mA typical. It does nothing for a dynamic and does no harm, so switching it off for the vocal dynamics is unnecessary. Ribbons are the genuine exception, covered below.

Polar patterns: the decision that controls feedback

A polar pattern describes how sensitive a microphone is at each angle around it, and on a stage full of wedges, cymbals and guitar rigs it decides how much of that noise lands in the channel. The most useful thing to know is where a pattern is least sensitive, because that null is what you aim at the monitor. Shure publishes the angles plainly: a cardioid is least sensitive at the rear, 180 degrees off-axis; a supercardioid at 125 degrees; a hypercardioid at 110 degrees. Shure also puts typical front pickup angles at around 115 degrees for a supercardioid and as low as 105 degrees for a hypercardioid. Tighter patterns reject more overall, but less at the rear than a cardioid, and they demand better technique.

Voiced or flat: reading a frequency response

Live microphones are rarely flat. They are voiced for a job, doing work you would otherwise do with EQ. Shure specifies the Beta 52A at 20 Hz to 10 kHz with a presence boost at 4 kHz: a kick drum microphone that hears the thump and the beater click and does not pass cymbal wash above 10 kHz. The SM57 has a contoured response with a presence rise so instruments cut through, and the Beta 87A a gradual presence rise for vocal clarity. A flat response is what you want when the source already has the character you are after: acoustic guitar, piano, strings, an overhead pair on a kit. That, rather than “condensers sound better”, is why condensers dominate those jobs.

Proximity effect and handling noise

Every directional microphone shows proximity effect: as the source gets closer, low frequencies rise. Omnidirectional microphones do not, which is why they sound consistent at any distance and why lavaliers are usually omni. On stage it is a tool and a trap: a singer working close gets warmth for free, while a presenter drifting between two and twenty centimetres from a lectern microphone produces a tone that moves around all night. Manufacturers design around it, and Shure specifies an electronic low-frequency roll-off on the Beta 87A precisely to compensate.

Handling noise is the other mechanical reality, and the fix is a shock mount: Shure fits a pneumatic shock-mount system to the SM58 and SM57 and a cartridge shock-mount to the Beta 87A. On stands, a suspension mount beats any processing. Mounts, clips and windshields are in microphone accessories.

What to use on what

Vocals

A cardioid dynamic handheld is the default lead vocal microphone: it survives being dropped, tolerates a singer who moves, ignores damp, and its softer top end forgives a shouty PA. Supercardioid alternatives trade a narrower sweet spot for more isolation. For the three most cross-shopped vocal dynamics see our SM58 vs Beta 58A vs Nexadyne comparison.

Drums

Kick drums get a large-diaphragm dynamic voiced for the job. The Beta 52A is the archetype: supercardioid, 20 Hz to 10 kHz with a 4 kHz presence boost, neodymium magnet, hardened steel mesh grille and an integral locking stand adapter. Snare and toms are traditionally small dynamics angled across the head and away from the hi-hat, though clip-on condensers are worth knowing: Shure’s Beta 98AD/C is a miniature cardioid condenser on a gooseneck drum mount, running on +11 V to +52 V phantom through its supplied in-line preamp, and it gives faster stick attack and tidier staging. Hi-hat and overheads are condenser work, but on a small loud stage be honest about whether you need overheads at all: often the cymbals are loud enough acoustically, and open condensers above the kit just feed the wedges.

Guitar cabs and bass

A small cardioid dynamic almost touching the grille cloth is still the standard cab technique, and position across the cone changes the tone more than the microphone does: on-axis with the dust cap is bright, out towards the edge is warmer. Bass is the source where a microphone is often the wrong answer, because a DI box gives a clean, feedback-proof signal with no stage rumble in it. Mic the cab as well only when the amp is deliberately part of the sound, and watch the phase relationship when you blend the two.

Acoustic instruments

Acoustic guitar, piano, brass and strings all suit a flat condenser, and all four are awkward live for the same reason: hearing them properly means opening a sensitive microphone into a loud room. The answers are proximity and pattern. Clip-on condensers mounted on the instrument keep the capsule centimetres from the source, which is why they dominate live brass and strings. A grand piano takes a pair of small-diaphragm condensers inside the lid, or a boundary microphone where stands are impossible.

Speech, choir and theatre

Lecterns and conference tables are condenser jobs, using gooseneck microphones or boundary microphones on the surface, and pattern matters more here than anywhere: a hypercardioid gooseneck aimed at the mouth gives far more gain before feedback under ceiling speakers than an omni will. Choirs are covered from above or in front with two or three condensers spaced for even coverage. Drama and musical theatre run on miniature condensers: head-worn booms and hairline capsules on body-worn transmitters, usually omnidirectional because they sit close to the mouth and need consistent tone as the head moves, with hypercardioid floats along the stage edge as backup.

When a condenser is worth it on stage

“Dynamics live, condensers in the studio” is wrong often enough to unpack. A condenser earns its place on stage when:

• It can get close to the source. Clip-ons on brass, strings, toms and percussion win because proximity does the isolation for them.
• Monitoring is in-ears, not wedges. Remove the wedges and the main feedback path goes with them. Our small venue PA guide covers how monitoring shapes the rest of the system.
• The stage is genuinely quiet. Acoustic acts, presentations, worship, spoken word.
• The performer has consistent technique. A singer who stays on the microphone is flattered by a condenser; one who works it at arm’s length is not.

Ribbon microphones, briefly

A ribbon microphone suspends a very thin corrugated metal foil in a magnetic field. Like a dynamic it generates voltage from motion, but the element is far lighter, giving the smooth top end engineers like on guitar cabs, brass and overheads. The pattern is usually figure-of-eight because the foil is open on both sides. Passive ribbons produce very little output and want a high-gain preamp; active ribbons contain electronics and require phantom power.

They are the most fragile microphones in common use: wind, a plosive or a kick drum blast can tear the foil, so they should never go outdoors unprotected or inside a drum. Royer notes its own ribbons “are not usually affected by the presence of phantom power” but advises switching it off when connecting or disconnecting, and calls cross-patching through a live phantom-powered patchbay “the leading cause of blown ribbons in professional studios”. A miswired cable that shorts pin 1 to pin 2 or 3 does the same.

How wireless capsules map to wired microphones

Everything above still applies once the cable comes off, because a wireless handheld is a familiar capsule screwed onto a transmitter body, and on most professional systems that capsule is interchangeable.

Shure sells its capsules as the RPW range and the mapping is direct: RPW120 is the Beta 87A supercardioid condenser, RPW184 the KSM9, RPW192 the KSM11, RPW124 the VP68 omnidirectional condenser, and the dynamic Nexadyne capsules arrive as RPW200 (Nexadyne 8/C cardioid) and RPW204 (Nexadyne 8/S supercardioid). Shure notes the RPW120 fits most of its interchangeable handhelds but not BLX or GLX-D, so entry-level systems are generally fixed-capsule. Sennheiser follows its wired evolution numbering: MMD 835 and MMD 935 are dynamic cardioid heads, MMD 845 and MMD 945 dynamic supercardioid, and the MME 865 a pre-polarised condenser with a supercardioid pattern. An existing rack can therefore be re-voiced with new wireless capsules rather than new systems, and our wireless microphone buying guide covers the radio side, bands and UK licensing.

Care and failure modes

• Dropped dynamics. A rattle, a sudden level drop or a dull sound after a fall points at a damaged cartridge. Many vocal dynamics take a replacement cartridge, so a dead microphone is often a cheap repair.
• Moisture in condensers. Condensation across a charged capsule causes crackling and dropouts, and a cold microphone brought into a warm venue condenses internally. Let kit acclimatise before powering up, keep silica gel in the case, and dry a wet microphone slowly.
• Phantom power and ribbons. Patch cold, keep phantom off on passive ribbon channels, and test cables: pin 1 shorted to a signal pin can destroy a ribbon.
• Blocked grilles. A grille packed with dried spittle dulls the top end: unscrew it, wash it in soapy water, dry it and refit.

Common mistakes

• Condenser overheads in a small, loud room. Two open condensers a metre above the kit in a pub are an expensive room microphone pair that caps how loud the vocals can go.
• Omni on a loud stage. An omni has no null to aim at the monitor. Reserve it for capsules that sit close to the mouth, or quiet rooms.
• Microphone too far from the source. Doubling the distance costs roughly 6 dB of direct sound while the spill stays put. Most feedback problems on a small stage are distance problems.
• No windshield outdoors. A built-in grille is a pop filter, not a windshield. Outdoor work needs foam or fur windshields on every open microphone, and ribbons should not be out there.
• Too many open channels. Every open microphone adds gain, so mute what is not in use.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a dynamic and a condenser microphone?

A dynamic uses a coil on a diaphragm moving in a magnetic field, so it generates its own voltage and needs no power. A condenser uses a charged diaphragm and backplate as a capacitor, so it needs phantom power for its electronics. The dynamic is tougher on a loud stage; the condenser is more detailed on quiet sources.

What is the best microphone for live vocals?

For most bands, a cardioid or supercardioid handheld dynamic: it survives stage life, tolerates a moving singer and gives the most gain before feedback in front of wedges. Choose a condenser handheld when the stage is quiet or monitoring is on in-ears.

What microphones do I need for drums live?

A workable minimum is kick and snare: a voiced large dynamic inside the kick, a small dynamic or clip-on condenser on the snare. Add clip-ons on the toms, then condensers on hi-hat and overheads if the room needs them.

Which polar pattern gives the most gain before feedback?

The one whose null lands on your monitor. Shure puts a cardioid’s least sensitive angle at 180 degrees, a supercardioid’s at 125 degrees and a hypercardioid’s at 110 degrees. A hypercardioid rejects the most, but needs accurate aiming and is worse directly behind.

Why does the vocal sound boomy when the singer gets close?

Proximity effect: all directional microphones lift low frequencies as the source gets closer. Engage the high-pass filter on the channel or the microphone. Some designs compensate internally, like the roll-off on the Beta 87A.

Does a dynamic microphone need phantom power?

No. It does nothing for a dynamic, and leaving it enabled does no harm. Condensers require it, and it is a hazard on passive ribbons.

Do I need a DI box or a microphone for bass guitar?

A DI is the reliable default: clean, consistent and immune to stage rumble and feedback. Add a dynamic on the cab only when the amp’s character is part of the sound, watching for phase cancellation.