The 7 Best Vocal Microphones For Home Studios, Ranked By Price

If you're setting up a home music studio, your microphones is one of its most important elements. Unless you plan to create every sound in your songs from scratch, you'll need to track instruments and record vocals. But, like a lot of studio gear, they can be expensive, ranging from about $100 dollars on the low end to nearly $1000. It can be difficult to pick the right one, and it's tempting to overspend to make sure you get a high-quality product. However, there are fantastic microphones at every price point.

I've been a musician my entire adult life, and I've spent a lot of time exploring gear and connecting with other musicians to see what they use. What you learn over 10 or 15 years of doing this is that even though everyone has unique needs, there are a lot of pro audio products that pretty much everyone has simply because those products are hard to beat. When it comes to microphones, I've rounded up the ones you'll probably get recommended the most by a plurality of musicians. Here they are, ranked by price, with more on our selection process later on.

The microphones in this list are all XLR microphones. That means they use the analog XLR connection standard rather than a digital connection such as USB. If you connect them to a computer or smartphone, you must use an audio interface, which is a piece of gear you'll need regardless to get the best results with a digital audio workstation and the best studio monitors. So, with that out of the way, let's press record on the best vocal microphones for home studios at every budget.

For musicians just starting out, it's hard to go wrong with the AKG P120. This large-diaphragm condenser microphone is dirt cheap (at least by pro audio standards) and extremely versatile. It competes against other fantastic entry-level microphones such as the Audio Technica AT2020, but in my experience delivers superior results. It proves especially effective for recording spoken word or rap vocals with a max sound pressure level (SPL) of 130, but also punches above its weight class for sung vocals, especially in the tenor or alto range. It preserves a lot of detail in the mid-bass to upper-mid range. It's also very solidly built, which makes it great for traveling.

One issue both I and other reviewers have faced is self-noise, which is noise produced by the microphone itself. Higher self-noise levels are common in budget microphones, and the P120 has a self-noise level of 19dB, whereas more expensive mics can get below 5dB. There are steps you can take to clean things up after recording, but it can be a slight pain. Nonetheless, it's really hard not to love this microphone. Although it was my second ever microphone and I now have much better ones, I still use my P120 for recording videos and gaming.

AKG is known for making audio gear that punches above its weight class, and it's easy to imagine another company charging quite a bit more for the P120. In fact, the P120 could actually be a better choice than more expensive microphones if you're a novice. That's because condenser microphones are quite sensitive, and can actually end up sounding worse if you don't know how to treat your environment or position them. The P120 is comparatively forgiving, which makes it easier for an audio engineer to clean up your recordings.

As noted above, the Audio Technica AT2020 is another strong competitor in the entry-level studio microphone category. At just $100, it punches above its price tag. That's expected for Audio Technica, which has a reputation for making high quality products at bargain prices. For that money, you're getting a cardioid pattern condenser microphone with a maximum SPL of 144dB, which makes it a good all around microphone for studio use, though best for vocals.

The downside of this mic is that, like the P120 above, it has a pretty high self-noise level of 20dB. This was the first microphone I ever bought, and since I didn't know what self-noise was at the time, I nearly went crazy trying to figure out why it sounded "like that." (In the mic's defense, I was doing a lot of other stuff wrong, too.) You can work around this, and it won't matter nearly as much in some mixes as others, but it's worth noting. Regardless, this is a pretty great microphone for $100. It's responsive, and it's also built like a tank. It comes with a stand mount, adapters, and a soft protective pouch; accessories are nice to see at this price point. 

Like the P120, the AT2020 is a fantastic choice for those dipping their toes into music production, or as a spare microphone for when you need to track multiple things at once or want an extra mic on an amp. You'll also often see it as part of a bundle with the ATH-M50x headphones or other gear, so be on the lookout for deals.

Picture a microphone on a stage at a concert. Don't tell me what you're thinking. I already know it's a Shure SM58, a microphone that has become synonymous with stage performance. Every musician, stand-up comic, and U.S. president is familiar with its slender, tapered stem leading up to an elegant bulb like an aluminum ice cream cone. If you don't already have one, you won't regret adding it to your collection.

The SM58 is notable for several reasons. First, it's a dynamic vocal microphone with a uniform cardioid polar pattern. In basic terms, that means it focuses on the sounds directly in front of it while ignoring those to the side. This helps it isolate a singer's voice onstage without picking up the crowd singing along. Second, it's exceptionally durable. Many microphones are delicate, but you'd have to use some force to dent the SM58, let alone break it. Third, it has a built-in pop filter. The iconic rounded grille at the top doesn't contain the microphone itself; it is a pop filter that helps the microphone not to pop when encountering harsh plosives (hard consonants like the "P" sound in the word "party"). Fourth, it doesn't require phantom power to function. And lastly, it's relatively cheap, clocking in at about $100.

If you're planning on doing live shows, you'll want an SM58 in your arsenal. Some venues require you to bring your own microphone. Moreover, using your own mic is more hygienic. And it's often easier to give a better performance with equipment you know and use. The Shure SM58 is always in my show bag, and I keep one close at hand in my home studio for quick and easy vocal recording.

The Sterling ST155 is at the heart of my own home studio. With its fixed cardioid pattern that helps to capture the right balance of audio and room, it's my go-to microphone for vocal recording, and it's not half bad for tracking acoustic instruments, either. It has a sound I would describe as precise but not clinical. Chalk that up to its hand-assembled design and custom-wound transformer, which impart a sense of warmth and presence to recordings.The ST155 can be a bit finicky in a space without much treatment, with some noticeable self-noise before the -10dB switch is engaged  — Sterling claims 22dB of self-noise, which is quite high and definitely the biggest thing to be aware of before buying the ST155. Once you dial it in, though, this thing is crisper than an autumn leaf. 

In fact, for musicians on a budget, it's hard to get a better studio microphone around the $200 price point, especially considering that it comes with a fantastic custom shock mount and an aluminum hardshell flight case. It has both pad and highpass filter switches, and a maximum SPL of 144dB with the pad on, 134dB without. It's really a studio multitool, able to adapt to a variety of vocals and instruments without much fuss, which makes it a great choice if you can only afford a single microphone for your studio.

The Rode NT1 is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone widely considered to be one of the best studio microphones in history, and certainly one of the best-selling, with its iconic tapered grille design. Many popular artists from the past couple of decades, especially hip-hop and EDM acts, have recorded with it. Although the original NT1 was released in 1991, and is still available for purchase today, the NT1 5th Generation and NT1-A are both newer editions that provide new takes on the classic microphone. If you're looking for a USB mic for podcasting, the 5th Generation comes with both XLR and USB connections.

The NT1 is notable for its extremely low self-noise of just 4dB, which means vocalists and instrumentalists can get exceptional detail from it. Its cardioid polar pattern makes it a great studio mic, while its decently high SPL of 132dB give it versatility. Lately, even podcasters have begun to sing its praises, since the USB connection on the 5th Generation NT1 makes it more versatile for that purpose. It has a mostly flat signature, meaning it doesn't boost any area of the frequency range too much. It has slight peaks in the low and high ends, which help to enrich vocals and add a sense of heft to vocals that can help situate them better in a mix.

While I don't own an NT1 myself, I've had the opportunity to use them in the past, and it's definitely on my shopping list the next time I get a case of gear acquisition syndrome. Partially, that's just because of how synonymous the NT1 is with that "studio quality" sound you hear on your favorite albums. As an industry standard, seasoned audio engineers often have an easier time working with recordings produced on it since they understand its dynamics. No microphone is a substitute for a good performance in a well-treated vocal environment, but the NT1 can certainly make a good performance sound better.

The Shure SM7B is by this point among most recognizable microphones on the planet. If you spend any time online, you've seen it used by podcasters, streamers, bedroom musicians, and more. That's because the SM7B is a dynamic microphone that's extremely good at off-axis rejection and handling sound pressure. Simply put, it hates picking up anything but your voice, and it can handle sudden changes in volume without distortion. These qualities mean that, even in rooms with very little acoustic treatment, the SM7B still works quite well. This makes it my go-to choice for podcasts, where multiple people talking near each other would interfere with other types of microphone, as well as for bedroom singers and rappers, who don't want to deal with the room tone and reflections that large condenser mics typically found in treated vocal booths can pick up. Plus, the Shure's built-in pop filter means you don't need to be as concerned with plosives. For vocals in untreated environments, it's the option that means the least work for me.

However, for as much of a plug-n-play microphone as the SM7B can be, its price is higher than other microphones on this list. Amazing it is to play around with at other studios, it's certainly out of this writer's price range. That is in no way to dissuade you from purchasing it, but you should be certain that there isn't a cheaper microphone better suited to your needs. If you only plan on recording vocals or spoken word, it's hard to beat the SM7B's purpose-built functionality, but if you want to track instruments, you'll be better off with the Rode NT1 or Sterling ST155. Moreover, the Shure will fall short in live settings where you'd be better off with its little sibling, the SM58.

Let me be clear: do not spend $3,300 on the Neumann U 87 Ai dual-diaphragm condenser microphone unless you just signed a multi-million dollar record deal and are about to record your next multi-platinum album in a professional grade home studio. This is simply too much microphone for the vast majority of home setups, and you can get most of the way to its performance for less than a tenth of what it costs. But it's on this list regardless because it didn't feel right to write a list of the best vocal mics without including a Neumann product. The Beatles, Snoop Dogg, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Mac Miller and Amy Winehouse have all recorded on one of these bad boys, among many others legendary musicians. As for me, I've only had the chance to be in the presence of one.

Microphone technology is interesting in that people kind of nailed it decades ago. Sure, mics continue to innovate, but the Neumann U87 came out in 1967. That's two years before the first moon landing, for reference. Its primary innovations were FET (field effect transistor) technology and phantom power, both common today and included on other mics above. It also had a selector for three selectable polar patterns  — omnidirectional, cardioid, and figure-8  — making it incredibly versatile for not only vocals but guitar amps, drum kits, pianos, and much more.

The Neumann U 87 Ai, the most modern version, debuted in 1986. It added some improved electronic circuitry, but the microphone capsule remained unchanged. The U 87 Ai features a max SPL of 127dB, a signal to noise ratio as low as 68, and a self-noise level of 12-15dBa. It remains a timeless classic for the most dedicated audio professionals.

Each of the products on this list was selected based not only on the immensely positive reputation they have in the audio community, but also based on personal, hands-on experience using them in a home studio setting in most cases. Those not personally tested were also referenced with professional reviews to ensure that these recommendations adhere to SlashGear's rigorous editorial standards.