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Choosing which microphone to buy is a tough decision as we are all to some extent limited by budget. Did you choose your studio microphones really because you liked the sound or was it because someone told you they were the best one to use? Is it because of a glowing review in Sound on Sound or is it simply because its the best thing you can afford? After the thorny financial qestion there are two different criteria to consider when choosing your studio microphones.
If you are trying to create a particular sound then you might choose a microphone that is specifically tailored for that job and most large diaphragm condenser microphones have deliberately tailored frequencies that give the mic a particular "character". Much is made of the deliberate smooth sound of valve mics or the presence peak of certain vocal mics.
However if you want to capture a performance, then you will want to choose a microphone that will capture that sound without adding or subtracting anything (or at least as little as possible). Most studio microphones are designed within a price range and the non-linearities in a microphone's design can distort and change the sound they receive. At the top end companies like Sennheiser and Neumann have spent years and huge sums in development to minimise these distortions and to come as close as modern technology will allow to create the most accurate and tranparent microphones available. Obviously there are going to be differences in quality between these mics and the latest budget Chinese copy but most people out there will be happy to make their recordings with the cheaper mics as buying a Soundfield or a pair of Sennheiser MK30s is out of the hobbyists price range. Nevertheless, the microphone is the most important part of the recording and reproduction process and choosing which microphone to use on a particular job is a key part of the recording. It is the very first link in the chain, that vital part that changes acoustic energy into electrical energy and what is lost here can never be regained later. If this link in the chain is not right, it will degrade forever all that follows.

 

The secret is to understand the recording chain and all the elements have to be in place to get it right. If you have good performers with tuned instruments (and that includes the voice) and they are in a nice sounding space then with a little experimentation of mic position you can get a good recording from almost any microphone. There have been a number of listening tests where the listeners weren’t told which mic they were listening to and dependent on the room and position, people often preferred the sound of a £70 Shure to a £1500 Neumann. It really is down to confidence and experience. Have a listen to the drum sounds on some of the great 60s albums like Sgt Pepper and you can't really hear the kick or the toms but the recordings sound fantastic. Even better check out Bebop a Lula by Gene Vincent and hear what can be done with a couple of old ribbon mics and a mono tape recorder. Stunning!
So,when choosing your studio microphones don’t get bogged down with the idea that you can't record decent music without spending thousands of pounds on the latest must have gear. Use what you’ve got and experiment with different mic positions and more importantly different rooms. The best advice is to go down to your local club and start recording the bands. Then you'll realise why every live venue has a box full of SM57s and 58s.
When it comes to choosing studio microphones there is no substitute for experience. Try any decent microphone and experiment. Try different mics in different positions to see which one works best on that particular day.

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