Best Studio Microphones For A Home Studio: Top Picks

Best Studio Microphones For A Home Studio: Top Picks

Studio Microphones

Home recording and mixing can indeed compete with some commercially produced music, with the right amount of love and care. Microphones are a fundamental part of the recording chain and should not be overlooked.

Best Home Studio Microphones: Top Picks for 2023

Is your own home studio just for mixing, or are you recording too?

Microphone choices for me were relatively simple, I had two things to consider:

  • Quality and Robustness - No matter how careful you are with microphones, over time, they will be dropped and knocked about. Particularly if you’re recording space is limited to a spare bedroom, for example.
  • Price Level - I didn’t want something cheap but didn’t want something that would cause my bank balance to hemorrhage. When starting out, it’s crucial to think about the cost-quality balance.

The answer to both of these considerations, for quality and price, is ‘SHURE.’

These are the Top Home Studio Microphones for 2023:

Why I Picked the Shure Products

There is a reason that you hear SM58 and SM57 banded about at band rehearsals or recording sessions. These are two of the most versatile and robust microphones on the planet. Vocalists love the SM58 for its sound, but I think more for the fact that it can be dropped and is so sturdy. It can be abused onstage and off.

For micing any drum kit, I knew I wanted two overheads, three toms, snare top, snare bottom and kick out. I already owned an SM57 for general use, so that meant with the PGA7 setup, this suited my needs perfectly.

Features to look out for when choosing microphones:

  • Pickup Pattern
  • Sound Pressure Levels
  • Frequency Response Curves
  • Proximity Effects
  • Dynamic Range
  • Weight
  • Impedance

What Type of Microphone Should I Use for Studio Vocals?

I have written an in-depth article covering “Quality Professional Studio Sounding Vocals On a Budget” (see article here), where I listed the following budget microphones:

Pop Filters

And if you haven’t already, check out the article here on pop filters.

Pop filter products:

Microphone Stands

Don’t waste money on unbranded microphone stands, they are cheap, and they don’t last five minutes. Go for any of these Hercules models, and you won’t go far wrong.

Not sure how to budget for all of your microphone needs? Check out our home studio budget calculators here.

About Me

Hello! I’m Tim Williams.

Back in 2009, I bought myself a copy of Pro Tools and recorded some home made music. It was challenging to start with, as I had no idea what I was doing. I made many mistakes on my journey - some fun, some expensive, and many time-consuming! I find running a Home Music Studio a fascinating and rewarding hobby and still enjoy it every day. This website is where I’d like to share everything that I’ve learned.

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