A Beginner’s Guide to Setting Up a Home Studio to Record Vocals: Microphones

If you are looking to set up a home studio for your vocal recording needs, the most preferred way to do the same is to start small and expand over time. The amount of money you should invest in building even the most basic home studio setup will depend on what you want to focus on.

While cover singers, rappers, broadcasters, and podcasters may only be looking for a setup capable of recording good quality vocals, music producers may need a setup that also focuses on other aspects of music production.

Users who are constrained by budget constraints should ideally focus on the essentials first and then invest in more expensive products once they have mastered the basics. If you’re a vocalist, you’ll need a good quality microphone. As part of the Amazon Prime Day sale, several microphones are on offer.

To decide the best microphone for your vocal recording needs, you will need to know the two microphones that are commonly used as part of a home studio setup.

While USB mics are a good choice for beginners as they can be plugged directly into a PC, XLR mics need an audio interface to work and cannot be plugged directly into a computer. On the other hand, they allow multiple microphones to be connected at the same time and are ideal for live shows, elaborate podcasting sessions and music production.

XLR microphone

XLR microphones are widely used in the audio industry. These are the microphones most used by professionals, including rock bands, rappers, and singers. XLR microphones use three-pin male and female connectors to capture an analog signal. Also, most professional audio recording equipment is designed for these microphones.

It is important to note that XLR microphones cannot be connected directly to a PC as they require an audio interface to work.

These microphones are a great choice for professional music studios, live shows and professional podcasts, as the flexibility of the audio interface allows multiple microphones to be connected at the same time. What this essentially means is that if the interface has eight XLR inputs, users can record an equal number of simultaneous tracks by plugging in multiple mics at once.

USB microphone

USB microphones are much simpler to set up and use when compared to their XLR counterparts. These mics are usually cheaper and don’t require an audio interface to work.

Users can plug USB microphones directly into laptops and PCs. This makes USB microphones a great choice for beginners. Investing in USB mics can be a great idea for rappers, singers and cover artists who are only focused on recording vocals and don’t want to invest a lot.

These mics are capable of recording clean, crisp audio, and users can simply plug these mics via USB and use a DAW on their PC to start recording their vocals in high quality. It is important to note that the actual quality of recordings will depend on a number of factors including; the quality and specs of the exact microphone you’re using, room noise protection, and the texture of your voice, among others.

USB microphones work seamlessly with Mac and Windows computers, making recording new podcasts and music simple and straightforward.

The Best Microphones You Can Buy During Prime Day 2022

As part of the Amazon Prime Day Sale, several microphones are on sale. Interested users may consider some of the devices mentioned below to set up their home studio.

Maono AU-PM461TR USB Condenser Mic

O Maono AU-PM461TR USB Condenser Mic (opens in new tab) will be available for Rs 1,499 as part of the sale. The USB microphone has an integrated professional sound chipset and features a 14mm electret condenser transducer. The microphone supports a sampling rate of 192KHZ/24BIT, which will allow users to record clear vocals. The microphone also comes with a stable tripod stand.

The Maono condenser microphone features a cardioid pickup pattern that suppresses unwanted background noise and captures clean audio coming from the front of the microphone. It also comes with a microphone gain knob that can be used to increase the microphone’s sensitivity.