7 Best Vocal Mics that Will Make You Sound like a Pro in 2023

The first thing you’ll notice about the Rode NT1 is its robust construction with an all-metal body and metal mesh grill. The design maintains a similar aesthetic to its predecessors but with some differences. The all-black body is complemented by a silver mesh grill, a departure from the previous all-black or all-silver designs.

Like its predecessors, the Rode NT1 features an XLR port at the bottom. However, one of its latest upgrades is that the XLR port discreetly houses a new USB-C port, allowing for convenient plug-and-play.

The new USB-C port makes the Rode NT1 5th gen a great portable mic that can be used on the go. While there are other portable USB mics like the Elgato Wave:3 or the HyperX Quadcast S, they might not be approved by your clients for professional use. However, the Rode NT1 is a mic that people would trust to use professionally.

The Rode NT1 has an extremely low self-noise of 4dB and a high SPL of 142 dB, so it’s nearly impossible to overdrive the microphone’s circuitry. The Rode NT1 sounds identical when connected using XLR or USB, and I could hardly tell the difference between the audio quality. This proves its incredible audio quality in USB mode, as other USB/XLR hybrid mics often suffer from inferior audio quality when using the USB connection.

The Rode NT1 is a smooth-sounding large diaphragm condenser microphone with a neutral frequency response and cardioid pickup pattern. It does have a slightly mid-forward sound, with good details in the treble and a strong presence in the bass.

It is not just one of the best microphones for vocals for the price, but it can also be used as a broadcast microphone for voiceover and even recording acoustic instruments, electric guitars, bass, and drums.

One of its new features is a true game-changer – 32-bit floating point selection in USB mode. This feature allows you to salvage clipping audio above 0 dBFS by normalizing the levels in post-production to make them clean and audible.

Having 32-bit floating point is incredibly useful for singers singing rock or metal ballads with extreme dynamic ranges. However, it’s important to note that the 32-bit floating point can’t salvage clipping audio from a live performance; it can only be done in post-production with a DAW that supports 32-bit floating point.

Another amazing upgrade of the Rode NT1 5th Gen is a powerful in-built DSP that gives you access to Rode’s flagship APHEX processors like Big Bottom and Aural Exciter and other standard processors like compressor and noise gate, which can significantly improve your audio quality in real-time. You can access the processors using the Rode Central or Rode Connect apps.

The microphone comes with a generous list of accessories, including a microphone dust cover, a stable shock mount with a 5/8” and 3/8” thread adapter, a pop filter, a USB-C to USB-C cable, and an XLR to XLR mic cable.

If you’re keen to learn more, check out our full review of the Rode NT1 5th Generation!

The Earthworks ICON is built like a tank with a fully stainless steel body and mesh grill, weighing a hefty 1.5 lbs, which helps reduce handling noise and accidental bumps. Its silverish machine-cut steel body gives it a sleek, modern look that would not be out of place in Tony Stark’s lab.

The ICON is one of the few microphones on the market that is proudly made in the USA. It is equipped with a proprietary Triad-Orbit M2-R short-stem orbital mic adapter, which uses a ball-swivel mechanism for easy and precise angle adjustments.

This feature is a significant improvement over conventional microphone stand adapters, which typically offer only one or two axes of adjustment. Although the provided mic stand is rather short, the microphone can be mounted to any boom arm for added flexibility.

The microphone’s mesh grill doubles as a pop filter for rejecting plosives and eliminating the need for a separate pop filter that might obstruct the view during video recordings.

The Earthworks ICON utilizes a small diaphragm condenser capsule with a cardioid pickup pattern, effectively isolating the speaker’s voice from background noise. Furthermore, there isn’t any significant off-axis coloration to the microphone sound, so room reflections will not change the quality of the audio too much.

The Earthworks ICON delivers a very realistic and smooth sound that is not just for great vocals, but also excels as a broadcast mic for podcasting or for capturing instruments like violin, electric, and acoustic guitar.

It offers detailed and open mids, crisp high-ends, and avoids the overly boosted or bright recorded sound common with other condenser mics like the Audio Technica AT2020.

Unlike many USB microphones that use cheap analog-to-digital converters, resulting in a crunchy and digitalized sound, the Earthworks ICON maintains a high-quality audio output that is as good as many top-notch XLR mics, including its more expensive XLR counterpart, the Earthworks ICON Pro.

The microphone’s strong proximity effect requires careful distance management to avoid overly boosted and muddy bass.

Its USB connection simplifies setup by eliminating the need for an audio interface or audio mixer, but I only wished it was a USB-C port instead of a USB micro.

The Earthworks ICON also has a 3.5mm headphone jack for zero-latency monitoring that can be enabled in Windows operating systems. However, it’s worth noting that the live input monitoring cannot be natively enabled in a MacOS and requires a DAW like Logic Pro.

The mic’s USB connectivity and headphone jack makes this a portable mic that can be easily set up with a laptop when you are on the go.

The ICON comes in a hard box with foam inserts that snugly fit the microphone and mic stand. This box can also be used as a storage box with its all-around interior foam protection.

The KSM8’s defining feature is its Dualdyne capsule, which houses two diaphragms. This innovative design reverses airflow, minimizing the proximity effect to an unprecedented degree.

This means that even when you’re up close and personal with the mic, there’s no buildup of muddy bass sounds. Instead, you’re treated to clear, crisp vocals that remain consistent whether you’re on or off-axis from the microphone.

The KSM8’s controlled proximity effect and consistent off-axis response result in a wide sweet spot, giving performers more freedom to move and groove on stage. This dynamic mic also maintains a tight cardioid polar pattern across all frequencies, making it excellent at rejecting background noise.

The KSM8 also delivers amazing microphone sound quality. Compared to the SM58, the KSM8 offers a flatter, more natural sound, requires less gain, and produces less handling noise. It’s also smoother all around, with more detail in the bass and clarity in the mids and highs. Despite being a dynamic mic, it almost rivals the detail of a condenser mic, and it does all this without needing phantom power.

The KSM8 isn’t just a great vocal mic, though. Thanks to its fast transient response, it’s also great for recording electric guitar amps and drums. It can easily capture the attack of a snare drum or the nuances of finger-picking. And unlike the SM57 and SM58, the KSM8 retains details in the bass while sounding crisp in the high-ends.

Shure has also taken into account the practicalities of live performance. The KSM8 features a pumping pneumatic internal shock mount and diaphragm stabilization system that significantly reduces handling noise and plosives. You could be tossing the mic from hand to hand, and you won’t hear much ruffling.

However, just because the KSM8 has a durable all-metal build and an excellent shock-absorbing system, it doesn’t mean you should attempt a mic drop with this rather expensive dynamic microphone!

The KSM8 comes with a zippered hard carrying case with a cushioned interior, a microphone mount, and a 5/8” to 3/8” thread adapter.

If you’re keen to learn more, check out our full review of the Shure KSM8!

The DPA 2028 is a hand-held condenser mic made in Denmark, constructed using technology very similar to its flagship DPA d:facto mic, but at half the price. By adopting a non-modular approach, DPA has managed to reduce manufacturing costs without sacrificing quality, resulting in a mic that’s sonically very similar to the DPA d:facto.

The microphone comes with a hard zippered case with foam inserts for the mic and mic clip. It also comes with a soft case, just in case you want to close the case on the hard case. (See what I did there?)

The DPA 2028 is equipped with a foam windshield inside the metal mesh grill. Unscrewing the grill reveals an internally screwed-on pop filter, made as thin as possible to prevent distortion. The foam windshield and internal pop filter act as a double-layered defense against plosives and wind. The condenser capsule is also held by an internal robust shock mount, greatly reducing handling noise.

First-time users of the DPA 2028 are often shocked at how good this mic sounds. Expecting the usual rough, grainy sound of a dynamic microphone, they are greeted with the amazing accuracy and detail of the DPA 2028.

It’s crisp, clear, smooth, and natural, much like the Neumann KMS 105. The full and deep bass response doesn’t distort like most handheld dynamic mics, and it’s great at picking up transients like kick drums, snares, and high hats.

The DPA 2028 is sensitive and robust, picking up loud and soft transients equally and efficiently. Performers can focus on authenticity rather than volume, as the microphone captures the nuances of the human voice with remarkable clarity.

With an incredibly high SPL of 160dB, this mic gives you a lot of headroom. If you love belting or extreme vocals like singing metal, you won’t feel like you’re hitting a brick wall with the DPA 2028. It also handles the proximity effect well, so you can get up close and personal without getting muddy.

Unlike most hand-held vocal microphones like the Shure SM58 and Sennheiser e835, which are only good for live performances, the DPA 2028 excels both on stage and in the studio. It’s a high-quality, super-cardioid mic that doesn’t discriminate between live performances and recording sessions.

The OC818 is handcrafted in Vienna and offers excellent off-axis rejection, making it adept at rejecting background noise, especially for a condenser microphone. The off-axis response is equally impressive, with little change in tone as you speak at different angles.

With a low self-noise of 9dB, tight and warm bass quality, balanced mids, and smooth upper frequencies, it stands out as one of the best vocal mics for clarity and detail. It is also great for recording electric guitar amps, giving the right amount of aggressiveness to the trebles without sounding harsh. Additionally, it sounds very balanced when recording an acoustic guitar, with natural mids, deep low ends, and crisp highs.

Holding the OC818 is like clutching a solid silver bar; it’s robust and has little resonance when you tap on its body. Its single metal mesh grill encloses the microphone, acting as an effective Faraday cage to reject RF noises. With a classic microphone design like the Neumann U87 and AKG C414, it’s a vintage lover’s dream with modern innovations.

It comes with three physical selector switches for polar pattern, high pass filter, and attenuation pad. The attenuation pad even has a quirky gradual drop to -10dB when activated, rather than an immediate drop.

Perhaps one of its most groundbreaking features is the dual output mode. The signals from both capsule diaphragms can be routed independently and recorded separately for stereo sound using an XLR cable for the front diaphragm and the provided mini-XLR cable for the rear diaphragm. You can then play around with the StereoCreator plugin to adjust spatiality, change stereo width, and more.

The OC818 also offers the PolarDesigner plugin to sculpt the microphone sound in real-time or post-production. You can change polar patterns across five frequency bands similar to an EQ curve, adjust the level of proximity effect, eliminate or salvage certain frequencies, etc.

There is also a novel PolarPilot app that allows you to configure your own polar pattern on the mic. However, this requires the purchase of the OCR8 Bluetooth Remote, which will cost an additional $179, but it is honestly not necessary to have.

Furthermore, there are complaints from users about problems pairing the OCR8 with their mobile device, and the PolarPilot app is not very well-designed, but I’m sure that can be fixed in future updates.

The OC818 comes in a hard carrying case with buckles and foam inserts, a shock mount, a firm mount with a mic clip, a 5/8” to 3/8” thread adapter, a foam windshield, and a mini-XLR to XLR cable.

If you’re keen to learn more, check out our full review of the Austrian Audio OC818!

The Pure Tube is an elegant sight to behold. With its all-black metallic design, iconic green diaphragm ring, sharp beveled edges, and a see-through glass panel housing a glowing warm orange tube, it is truly one of the most beautiful microphones I’ve seen. It feels hefty at 1.52 lbs, has a robust all-metal build, and has a sturdy metal grill. Even the power supply is sleek and compact, unlike its bigger brother, the LCT 1040.

Stripped down from the bells and whistles of the LCT 1040, the Pure Tube has no controls, buttons, dials, or switches. It’s a plug-and-play setup that delivers natural harmonic tube saturation with minimal tweaking.

The Pure Tube is a large diaphragm condenser microphone that is being marketed as a microphone optimized for vocals, which is quite uncommon. Most high-end microphones will boast that they are suitable for every application, including drum overheads, vocals, acoustic instruments and electric guitar amps, and more. But with the Pure Tube’s innovative design, it’s clear why Lewitt was able to make such a claim.

With no capacitors and semiconductors in the signal path, it offers an incredibly pure tone with a very low self-noise of 7dB. That’s impressive for a tube microphone, often associated with being noisy. The transformer-based filter balances proximity effect, reducing muddiness, much like the Shure KSM8.

The gold-sputtered 1” condenser diaphragm adds crispiness and clarity, while the hand-selected 12AU7 tube creates harmonic saturation that results in a warm and deep tone, much like a vintage ribbon mic.

The Pure Tube has a very flat frequency response curve with very good bass and treble extension. The low ends are full-bodied and well-defined and only start to roll off gently from 50Hz. The mid-range sound is natural, warm, and detailed, while the higher frequencies are articulate, smooth, and not overly boosted like other contemporary condenser microphones like the Neumann TLM 103.

The Pure Tube set comes with several high-quality accessories, including a hard plastic transport case with foam inserts that allow you to store the Pure Tube safely for years.

There is also a sleek shock mount, a magnetic pop filter, a 16-ft 7-pin XLR cable, a power supply, and a microphone pouch. The shock mount is robust and one of the best I’ve seen, greatly reducing bumps and handling noise, and can be adjusted quickly with a quick-release lever.

The first thing we noticed is the microphone’s robust construction. The P120 boasts an all-metal body and a metal mesh grill, ensuring durability that could potentially last a decade. It feels as heavy as the highly esteemed Neumann U87 Ai, which says something about its build quality. Also, its design looks pretty similar to the Audio Technica AT2020, which makes you wonder if AKG was trying to ride on the success of its competitor.

The microphone is accompanied by an all-metal mount adapter, which kind of looks like the stand adapter of the Audio Technica AT2020. However, it lacks a storage pouch, so you’ll have to keep it in the original box or one of your own storage boxes. But at this price point, I shouldn’t be complaining.

It is equipped with several useful features, including a switch for bass cut-off at 300 Hz and a 20dB pad switch, ideal for miking loud electric guitar amps or drum overheads. These features enhance the microphone’s versatility, making it a valuable addition to any recording setup.

The microphone exhibits a high SPL of 130dB, which increases further when the 20dB pad is activated. This ensures the microphone’s ability to handle loud sounds without distortion, a crucial attribute for recording a wide range of vocals and music from rock to metal.

In terms of sound quality, the P120 delivers a crisp, flat-frequency response with a rich and warm tone, making it ideal for vocal recording. It’s almost like a ribbon or tube mic, but without the hefty price tag. It offers a smoother high-end compared to the Audio Technica AT2020, which can sound somewhat harsh around 7kHz. Additionally, the P120 exhibits superior handling of plosives compared to the AT2020.

However, the P120 has some self-noise at 19 dB, so you’ll need a good preamp to get a clean signal. It also has a bit of resonance when you tap on the microphone’s body, but unless you plan on using it as a percussion instrument, that shouldn’t be a problem.

If you’re keen to learn more, check out our full review of the AKG P120!