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:

• Shure SM57 (see this product on Amazon here)
• Shure SM58 (see this product on Amazon here)
• Shure PGA7 (see this product on Amazon here)

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:

• MXL 770 (see this product on Amazon here)
• MXL 990 (see this product on Amazon here)
• Audio-Technica AD2020 (see this product on Amazon here)
• Samson C01 (see this product on Amazon here)
• and the following higher budget microphones:
• Shure PGA 27 LC (see this product on Amazon here)
• Audio-Technica AT2035 (see this product on Amazon here)
• AKG Pro Audio P420 (see this product on Amazon here)

Pop Filters

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

Pop filter products:

• Stedman PS101 Pop Filter (see this product on Amazon here)
• MXL Mics MXL-PF-002 Pop Filter (see this product on Amazon here)
• Budget Microphone Pop Filter (see this product on Amazon here)

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.

• Hercules MS532B Ez Clutch Tripod Microphone Stand (see this product on Amazon here)
• Hercules MS632B Ez Grip Tripod Microphone Stand (see this product on Amazon here)
• Hercules MS432B Stage Series Microphone Boom Stand (see this product on Amazon here)

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