Home Studio Recording: 4 Top Overhead Microphones

When it comes to home studio recording you want to make sure that you have good equipment to produce quality sounds. Everything from the instruments, mixing board, computer software, speakers, wires, and microphones need to be as good as you can afford. Working with inferior products can be frustrating to someone who wants to make a living in their home recording studio. When it comes to overhead mics, there are some great options to choose from. Here is a small list of those that you should take a look at.

Samson CO2 Condenser Mic

This is a slim microphone that works great as an overhead mic. This microphone has gold plated XLR connectors that produce a great sound without a lot of feedback and ambient noises. The supercardioid pickup also helps with blocking out the surrounding noises while only letting in those sounds from your voice. The extended frequency response excels at picking out all the little nuances of your voice and any instrument sounds. These microphones are sold in pairs and are budget friendly at around $140.00 per pair.

Shure SM 81

Another condenser microphone that works great at picking up the sounds of instruments with its super low frequency filter. While this will make for a very good overhead microphone, it is not something that works well with voice. Any type of acoustic instrument is sure to sound very good with the Shure, as well as piano and some percussions like cymbals. A great deal, the SM81 generally runs around $350.00 per pair.

AKG C-414

This is a microphone that is known as a large diaphragm condenser that is a standard in many recording studios. For a home studio this type of large overhead mic will work great with an acoustic piano, voice, and drum. The microphone is onmidirectional and has a hypercardioid frequency response for filtering out a lot of other noises for crystal clear sounds. The mic is powered with phantom power so that is something to keep in mind when looking at the C-414. The price point of this type of microphone is also something else to keep in mind as it is priced over the $1,500 range.

Shure KSM32

This supercardioid condenser microphone delivers incredible noise reproduction and has an ultra low mass 2.2 micron diaphragm for excellent transient response. A very common sight among many home studios, this microphone is perfect for just about any type of instrument you want to use. An omnidirectional mic, you can play acoustics, wind instruments, percussions, or voice can all be handled easily with the KSM 32. One of the big features that a lot of home studio owners like is the versatility. You can use this mic in a studio or on stage making the need for several different mics unneeded. You can slide this mic in front of an acoustic guitar or at the base of a kick drum without any worries of feedback or distortions. The price point falls at a middle range of around $500.00 per single microphone. However, if you are into serious production, then the KSM32 is something that will make up for its price very easily.