You’re about to get started on your first recording, and you want the vocals to sound amazing. Your wish list has lots of mics on it in the $1500 to $4000 price range, but they don’t quite fit in the budget yet. So where should you start when shopping for a great vocal mic that won’t break the bank? We asked around at Sweetwater and got great recommendations from the engineers/producers who work here. Here are some great mics that will allow you to cut great-sounding vocals right now.
Best Mics Under $300 for Recording Vocals:
sE Electronics X1 S
The sE Electronics X1 S will astound you on vocals, offering sound quality that rivals mics that cost 10 times as much. The clarity and low end of this mic at this price point is simply unbelievable. The X1 S sounds like it should easily cost $1000. The cardioid X1 S offers gold-sputtered 1″ diaphragms with a 2-position pad switch (-10, -20) and a 2-position low-cut switch (80Hz, 160Hz).
The sE Electronics X1 S is robust and warm with clear mids and highs and offers an excellent value. The Studio Bundle, which comes with the mic, shockmount, pop filter, and Reflexion filter – all for under $300 – is a great way to add a quality setup to your rig without breaking the bank.
Tim Harrington, Sales Engineer
Best Mics Under $300 for Recording Vocals:
Telefunken M80
The Telefunken M80 is a high-quality handheld supercardioid dynamic mic that excels in typical dynamic applications such as snare drum, toms, guitar, and more. Because of the super-thin diaphragm, you’ll be shocked at what it sounds like on vocals. Paired with a nice preamp, you can achieve the sonic equivalent of a studio mic.
In general, many people look for cheap condensers as a low-cost alternative, when in fact, there are a lot of dynamic mics that are marketed as ‘live’ microphones that sound great. For that kind of money, the Telefunken M80 continues to be a great choice when recording vocals. It has a smooth, raised top end and reduced proximity effect. This is a result (in part) of its very thinly wound diaphragm. I have a lot of people (when they hear it on recordings) ask me if it’s a condenser. If you don’t want the raised top end, the M81 is the same mic minus the high-frequency bump.
Mark Hornsby, Studios Director of Operations/Senior Producer
Best Mics Under $300 for Recording Vocals:
RODE NT1
The RODE NT1 is one of the quietest studio microphones made, with a miniscule 4.5dB of self-noise. This large-diaphragm cardioid condenser mic combines impressive frequency response, a lightweight aluminum body, triple-axis Lyre-system shockmount, and pop screen. It’s everything you need in a vocal mic, and it’s an amazing value.
Super flat with no top-end shrillness, the RODE NT1 continues to be a popular vocal mic under $300. It’s a great all-around first mic that takes processing amazingly well. Plus, it comes with an awesome stainless steel pop filter and Lyre-suspension shockmount. It’s a great mic and a great bargain.
Tyler Berggren, Sales Engineer
Great for vocals, the RODE NT1 Kit is a very solid and popular option that provides an excellent value at under $300. It’s voiced more similarly to RODE’s original NT1 and isn’t quite as bright as the NT1A.
Mike Arango, Sales Engineer
Best Mics Under $300 for Recording Vocals:
Miktek PM9
The rugged Miktek PM9 offers amazing midrange clarity and a flattering top end. With its American-made custom transformers and supercardioid pickup pattern in a sleek black package, it’s a great addition to your studio.
The Miktek PM9 has a rich midrange and a full low end, yet it never gets muddy. It offers great detail for a dynamic and has great off-axis rejection for isolating vocals in live band applications. If your singer would rather sing along with speakers than headphones, this is the mic for that.
Tyler Berggren, Sales Engineer
Best Mics Under $300 for Recording Vocals:
Blue Microphones Bluebird SL
The Bluebird SL is a new, improved take on the very popular, very stylish Bluebird large-diaphragm condenser mic. The combination of a hand-tuned diaphragm, a highpass filter, and a -20dB pad makes this mic even more versatile than before.
The Blue Microphones Bluebird SL is a great vocal microphone that’s really easy to manipulate after the fact in post. Its small presence boost on the top end gives it a forward quality, and it’s very workable with standard compression/de-essing. Instead of distorting/crackling on S’s like many other mics at this price point, it treats them well, which is perfect for modern pop recording. I engineer and mix for a songwriter who owns one of these, and I have yet to ask him to redo anything.
Thomas Leahy, Sales Engineer
The Blue Microphones Bluebird SL has full-bodied low end and clear mids with a little air on the top. Plus it’s great on sax, too!
Tim Harrington, Sales Engineer
Best Mics Under $300 for Recording Vocals:
AKG P220
The AKG P220 offers exceptional value among large-diaphragm condenser mics, incorporating a cardioid pickup pattern, switchable -20dB pad, and 300Hz bass roll-off. It will handle exceptionally high SPLs up to 155dB. It comes with an aluminum carrying case and shockmount.
While working with a songwriter in Virginia Beach, we used the AKG P220 for vocals and ran his track through the Shelford Channel. It was warm, soft on the top end, and sounded like a million bucks – but in reality it costs less than $200. In fact, it fit the vocalist so well that we used it instead of mics that cost 10 times more.
Thomas Leahy, Sales Engineer
Best Mics Under $300 for Recording Vocals:
Lauten Audio LA-220
The LA-220 is a large-diaphragm cardioid condenser featuring a 1″ pressure gradient capsule, ultra-low-noise JFETs, and a transformer-balanced output. The highpass (120Hz) and lowpass (12kHz) filters really increase the tonal flexibility of this mic. It comes complete with a shockmount.
I have been very impressed with the Lauten Audio Series Black as a vocal microphone and would recommend the LA-220 as a good sub-$300 option for vocals. Its low-cut and high-cut switches provide nice sonic options while tracking.
Mike Arango, Sales Engineer
