Professional studios need the best microphones they can get in order to satisfy their customers’ requirements. The price range of $500 to $1000, is a great one to start looking for some high sound quality condenser microphones that will deliver amazing sound during the recordings.
Sound engineers, have to look among some of the best companies that manufacture such microphones, such as the Neumann, Shure, Avantone, Lewitt and Electro Voice. These are all extremely experienced companies that can easily that they engineer first-class products.
The individual interested in buying a microphone at this price range should really save up some money, or invest some of the money that he earns with his current equipment. It is essential that you know your budget limitations, and if the prices seem a little too much for you, you should avoid these microphone and look for more affordable solutions that deliver great sound results as well.
Maximum sound quality is almost guaranteed from the suggestions of our list. We have gather some of the most fascinating condenser microphones available in the market. Our advice is to search about their specifications as soon as possible, if you are a professional audio engineer that is looking to upgrade his studio equipment and improve the overall sound of his recordings.
We recommend that you own a well-soundproofed room or studio before you purchase one of the microphones at this price point, because they tend to be extremely powerful and can capture every single sound detail during the recording, such as air, breath, external sounds or even heartbeats.
Considerations regarding microphones of under $1000
Quality
The quality of the microphone you are about to purchase, is the most important thing you should consider. There are differences between microphones considering the quality, most of the times minor ones.
For instance, some microphones tend to focus on the lower frequencies and add a certain type of depth in the vocals. On the other hand, there are types of mics that focus on enhancing the presence of the voice, which means they boost the mid-high frequencies and add character to the voice.
Functionality
The functionality of the microphone you buy need to be exceptional in order to deliver the best results possible. Make sure that it has all the right cables and ports, so that you can avoid connectivity issues with the rest of your equipment, such as pre-amplifiers, audio interfaces and mixing consoles.
Features
You should always take a close look to your microphone’s features. Most microphones come with many additional items that you are going to find absolutely necessary during your recording sessions. Such items are shockmounts, pop filters, microphone stands, wind caps and carrying cases.
Price
The price point of just under $1000 guarantees that almost every microphone you are about to purchase was designed to meet all your requirements, even the most demanding ones, in order to deliver more than satisfactory results and high quality sound recordings focus on every single detail of the vocals or instruments that are going to be used.
Best condenser mic for vocals under $1000
1 – Neumann TLM 102 MT
The TLM102 is one of the most affordable microphones that the Neumann Company has manufactured, considering vocal condenser microphones. It is a large diaphragm, transformerless capacitor mic and has fixed cardioid polar pattern
The particular microphone is one of the smallest mics of Neumann, especially if you compare it with other models of the same company such as the U87. Its weight is 260g, its length measures 116mm and it has a diameter of 52mm.
The TLM102 has a capsule with an edge-terminated diaphragm which helps it have the best performance possible, and can easily compete with the rest of the similar microphones of the same price point. The mic has no pads or low-cut and high-cut switches, which makes the design appear a little empty, but on the positive side, it does not affect the sound quality, which remains great.
This microphone is completely suitable for loud instruments, such as brass, string instruments along with amplifiers or even drums, although it was built mainly for vocal use. That means that the TLM102 has a nice presence around 6kHz and above, which emphasizes the mid and high-ends.
The capsule of the microphone has a diameter of just under 1 inch. It is surrounded by an elastic mount in order to eliminate possible vibrations from external factors, and the grille adds a pop screen for a better view of the capsule. The integral pop screen does a nice job when it comes to preventing popping issues, but it is advised that you use a pop filter for better results.
The TLM102 comes in a cardboard box with a very simple design, and it is available in black and nickel finishes. The package also includes a standmount.
The price of the microphone is really worth the money investment into this great microphone, considering its high sound quality standards. It is certain that we are talking about an excellent microphone, which is perfect for vocal recording sessions with a neutral sound and a slight mid-high frequency presence.
2 – Electro Voice RE-20
The EV RE20 is a cardioid microphone with LF rolloff, and a design patent by Electro Voice, which is called the Variable D, which minimizes the proximity effect as much as possible. The microphone is broadly used by radio stations for broadcasts, but it is perfectly suitable for every professional studio as it is a microphone for all purposes.
The Electro Voice RE-20 works well with vocals, electric guitar and bass, guitar amplifiers, drums and many more instruments. Most the instrument recorded with this microphone, can benefit for the warm and smooth sound that it delivers, along with its flat frequency response.
The EV RE20 has a very characteristic sound when it comes to recording vocals. It has an amazing presence, which boosts the mid frequencies, and it can easily eliminate unwanted noises or sound reflections, providing a very clean and bright recording result.
The low ends of this microphone are extremely satisfying, and it can enhance the sound of kick drums or snares in a great way. It can give a great representation of the sound sources recorded with the particular microphone, although it does not have a very quick transient response, so sounds like hi hats or cymbals do not always benefit from the Electro Voice RE-20.
Sometimes it quite difficult to put this microphone in the correct position, due to its weight and size, so you should pay attention to this. It can become a difficult task to place it in front of drums, toms, kicks or snares, and its stand does not really help make this job easier.
Nevertheless, the Electro Voice RE-20 is well priced under $1000 , and it is an excellent microphone for all studio purposes. It does an amazing job adding character and boosting the presence for both male and female vocals, and it is a great choice for those who want to record various instruments, both electric and acoustic.
3 – Shure KSM42
The KSM42 is a fixed cardioid side-address condenser microphone. It has a dark bronze metallic color and it was designed especially for vocal recording sessions, although it has the ability to easily record instruments in great detail as well.
The microphone comes with a hard case, a pouch, and open-case ShureLock rubber suspension mount and a magnetically mounted Popper Stopper, which has a magnet made of solid materials and is capable of holding the filter to the body of the microphone.
This way, the strength of the magnet ensures that the stopper stays in position, and it eliminates the extra features of other dedicated mounting items. The microphone itself has a very stable and strong structure, with many additional new designs and features.
It has a pre-amplifier, the Prethos Advanced Preamplifier, which provides reduced external and inner noise, which ensures that there will be provided the maximum performance results during the recording, raising the already high standards of this great microphone.
In addition to this, the KSM42 is a single pattern, cardioid, condenser microphone, which has two diaphragms, the powered front and the passive back. The membrane that was placed additionally, is used to reduce the proximity effect and the rest of the low-end noises that may occur, which is extremely helpful when it comes to vocal recordings.
The KSM42, is capable for capturing the sound of vocals in the best way possible, without reducing the quality of the vocal to the slightest. The microphone has amazing functionality levels, and along with the Prethos pre-amplifier, it can make the vocals stand out and add character without crating low-end muddiness or any unwanted noises.
Air and breath noises are eliminated with the help of an internal and external pop filter that is included in the package, and the microphone provides a very warm sound with a subtle vocal presence in the higher frequencies. It comes with a carrying case, a pouch and it is overall a great option for those that want an amazing all-purpose microphone for their studio.
4 – Avantone BV-1
The BV1 comes in a very big case, which has faux alligator-skin trim. The weight of the whole package is pretty big, and this is due to the power supply, the shockmount, the pop screen that can be attached to the microphone, and a large cable with switchcraft connectors.
The mic is kept extremely safe inside the package, with the help of a hardwood box that has particular slots for the microphone and the rest of the items that are included in the package such as the XLR cable.
The design of the capsule seems slightly vintage. It has a cylindrical main part as the body, and a metal trim with a nice paintwork. The neck of the BV1 is rather thin, so it is very suitable for the pop shield to fit in, and hold steady around the microphone.
The design of the Avantone BV-1 can be considered classy and elegant. On the body, you can find two switches. The first one is the volume control 10db pad, and the second is the low-cut filter switch for the 80Hz. There is also a pointer knob to control the polar-pattern.
The microphone has nine patterns, 7 different types of cardioid, a figure-8 and an omnidirectional. There are also connectors included on the PSU for the cables such as the XLR output. There is a blue light to indicate whether the power is on or off, and you can use a switch in order to turn the microphone on.
The price of the Avantone BV-1 is considered rather affordable, although that is completely dependable upon your budget limitations. It provides great value for the money if you consider the specifications and the functionality of the microphone, along with the amazing case, the cables, the shockmount and the pop shield that are included in the package.
5 – Lewitt LCT 640
The LCT 640 is a condenser microphone that has low-cut filter switches, output attenuation and multipattern or twin output. You can determine which mode is on with the light that changes color on the logo, and the color of the light changes to red when the capsule starts clipping.
The microphone has a generally bright sound, although subtle in many ways, and has very stable and warm low ends. When in dual mode, you can access the second diaphragm output with a three-pin connector, which is placed at the side of the body.
There is also a mini three-pin XLR cable included in the package along with other items and accessories that you are going to need in order to achieve better results, such as a foam windshield, a suspension cradle, a pouch for the safety of the microphone and a magnetic pop shield.
If you turn the LCT 640 side next to you sound source, you can turn on the stereo options, which are provided by the twin output. You can turn the outputs to opposite directions and create an amazing stereo effect with panning. This way, you can use the panning amount to adjust the width of the stereo effect.
The Lewitt LCT 640 is a great microphone, which delivers excellent sound results in most occasions. It works extremely well with vocal, but it can provide fascinating sound results when recording instruments too. The functionality levels are over the sky, and the buyer gets great value for the money that he invests into this amazing microphone.