Best Condenser Microphone

1)  Manley Reference Cardioid Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone

Sonically Irresistible

You’ve been considering it for a while: a high-end tube mic that’s leagues beyond anything you currently own. We invite you to consider the Manley Reference Cardioid. When a track needs to make an impact, the Reference Cardioid obliges, with a sound that’s bold and authoritative, yet stunningly transparent. For years, it’s been a top choice for engineers and producers looking to record huge-sounding vocals and instruments with audiophile-grade sonics. Its nuanced, silky top end is extended well past the range of human hearing. The mids are warm and clear. The bass is powerful and punchy. Whatever the source, you’ll always get eat-it-with-a-spoon results with the Manley Reference Cardioid.

Professional polish, right out of the box

Since its 1990 introduction, the Reference Cardioid has become an industry standard, thanks to the deity-like presence and weight it imparts to pop, rock, rap, and R&B vocals as well as voice-overs. It’s also great for capturing massive drums when deployed on toms or overheads. Saxophones rule when recorded with this mic. In fact, the Reference Cardioid enhances any source, delivering punchy, larger-than-life tracks with that elusive professional polish, right out of the box. At Sweetwater, we consider the Reference Cardioid a “just add talent” mic. It’s a serious tool for making audacious statements with your music.

Big, bold, and beautiful

When it comes to microphones, there’s a certain alchemy that goes beyond specs. For the Reference Cardioid, Manley applied their considerable expertise in tube circuits to engineer a mic that calls to mind certain coveted vintage European tube mics. It features the same top-shelf components as Manley’s lauded Gold Reference mic, but has a thicker-gauge (6 micron) center-fixed cardioid-only capsule with a gold sputtered diaphragm. With its lavish tonal balance and liquid midrange, the Cardioid Reference is a first-call mic for guitars, drum overheads, saxophone, and of course, vocals. If you’re spending time trying to EQ and compress life into your tracks, perhaps you’re using the wrong mic. Try the Reference Cardioid. Which Manley mic is right for you? Check out our Manley Mic Comparison and find the one that best fits your needs!

Instant superstar vocals

Whether you know it or not, you’ve heard the Manley Reference Cardioid. It’s been used on countless top hits, movie trailers, and commercials. Powerful, girthy, and forward-sounding, it sounds great right from the get-go. Tracks recorded with it sit beautifully in the mix without your having to shoehorn them in with EQ and compression. If you’re looking for instant superstar vocals, put your talent in front of the Reference Cardioid. You won’t be disappointed.

Legendary Manley build quality

Like all Manley gear, the Reference Cardioid is handcrafted in the company’s Chino, California labs with painstaking attention to detail. As an example of Manley’s thoughtful design and construction, consider that the inner works of the microphone can be slid out from the housing in one piece, should service be required. Another nice touch is Manley’s proprietary swivel with T-bar handle and locking clutch that requires no tools to adjust. The mic body is machined from brass — a material with superior shielding properties. With its bold, black finish and red accents, this mic looks like it means business. Which brings us to this point: If you have clients coming into your studio, appearances matter. When they see the Manley Reference Cardioid, they’ll know they’re dealing with a professional studio. And when they hear how great you’ve made them sound, you may well have picked up a client for life.

Manley Reference Cardioid Microphone Features:

• Traditional Manley tube circuitry for that larger-than-life sound
• All-tube design with triode 12AT7
• Custom-wound output transformer with nickel laminations and humbucking bi-filar windings
• Switchable 10dB pad tames extra-hot sources
• Highest-quality components used throughout
• External PSU and 20′ power supply cable with locking 6-pin connectors
• Included waterproof flight case with key, leather capsule protector,
• Warranty: 5-year parts and labor, 90-day vacuum tubes (upon registration)
• Handcrafted in Manley Labs’ Chino, California facility

2 )Neumann U 87 Ai Set Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone

The Industry-Standard Large-Diaphragm Condenser

The Neumann U 87 Ai is the modern incarnation of a classic microphone. Introduced in 1967, the U 87 gained instant favor with engineers, producers, and their clients; by the mid ’70s it was a staple in every world-class recording studio. And it still is. Walk into a session, and you’ll see 87s everywhere. On pianos, vocals, toms, overheads, guitar cabs, brass, strings, congas — you name it. The mic’s popularity is easy to understand: it ushered in a new era of audio fidelity and reliability, and with three selectable polar patterns (cardioid, omnidirectional, and figure-8), plus a switchable highpass filter and 10dB pre-attenuation pad, the mic is incredibly versatile, and an ideal choice for a broad range of recording techniques. The Neumann U 87 Ai is the industry-standard large-diaphragm condenser mic. Read on to find out what it can do for you.

 

A great choice for most any source

When you’re striving for fidelity, clarity, and authoritative presence, the U 87 Ai — with its ruler-flat midrange and gentle presence boost — is your go-to mic. We all need vocals to shine in the mix, and the 87 was born for this. It’s not right for every vocalist, but you will find it the vocal microphone of choice on innumerable iconic recordings. Piano? Grand or upright, when you need an acoustic piano to sit pretty in a thick track, a couple of 87s will get the job done.

Switchable polar patterns

Offering a choice of three switchable polar patterns (omnidirectional, cardioid, and figure-8), the U 87 Ai gives you impressive flexibility when it comes to exploring different recording techniques. With two 87s, you can implement stereo techniques such as spaced pair (A/B), XY (including Blumlein), ORTF array, and mid-side (M-S). For full orchestra, add a third 87 for the minimalist — and highly effective — Mercury Living Presence technique: three spaced omni 87s across the orchestral soundstage, centered above the conductor’s podium.

Updated with modern circuitry

Neumann produced the original U 87 from 1967 to 1986, when it was replaced by the current version, the U 87 Ai. The U 87 Ai features upgraded electronic components; however, the capsule design remains unchanged. The modern circuitry increases the mic’s operational headroom by reducing the resistance through which the capsule bias voltage is supplied. This gives you 10dB higher sensitivity for identical sound pressure levels and improves the signal-to-noise ratio by 3dB.

Filter and attenuation

If you’re using the U 87 Ai to capture a loud source, the microphone’s switchable 10dB pre-attenuation pad comes in handy. With the pad activated, the mic accepts sound pressure levels up to 127dB — perfect for miking tom toms or a dimed guitar amp stack.

An additional switch engages the mic’s low-frequency cutoff, which reduces undesirable mud and rumble at the input of the microphone amplifier. This setting also compensates for proximity effect, the bass boost that all pressure gradient transducers exhibit when placed very close to a source.

U 87 Ai shown in Matte Black

Neumann mics are not assembly-line products

In 1928, Georg Neumann founded the company that bears his name and introduced the first mass-produced condenser microphone, the CMV 3, a.k.a. the Neumann Bottle. Ever since, the Neumann badge has stood for unwavering quality. Neumann’s instantly recognizable diamond is more than a corporate logo — it is a quality seal. Every microphone that bears it is testimony to this proud tradition. This level of excellence requires rigorous quality control to maintain Neumann’s status as a leading manufacturer of studio microphones. Neumanns are not assembly-line products; they’re handcrafted in Germany by highly skilled technicians.

Precision crafted for world-class performance

The distance between membrane and electrode of a mic capsule is 35 microns — less than the width of a human hair. The layer of gold applied to a U 87 Ai capsule diaphragm is just 0.03 microns thick, equivalent to 208 atoms of gold. Even minute levels of contamination can adversely affect sonic characteristics, which is why Neumann mics are assembled in a state-of-the-art clean room with monitored dust levels under 100 particles per cubic foot — suitable conditions for the production of semiconductor chips and heart catheters.

At Sweetwater, we know what it takes to become a world-class manufacturer. It’s not enough to build one great mic; the real trick is to be able to supply the pro audio industry — year after year — with units that all sound identical. To this end, Neumann sets the tolerances of each microphone to the minimum possible variance as compared with an equivalent Neumann product. This is what some mic manufacturers do with matched pairs — but Neumann does it for all their microphones. So when you use two 87s to capture an accurate stereo image, you can do so with confidence.

Essential accessories included

The U 87 Ai Studio Set comes with genuine Neumann accessories. Your U 87 Ai is a high-end microphone that will capture every nuance of a performance. It will also pick up unwanted environmental sound, such as rumble, that can mar an otherwise perfect take. Since the U 87’s introduction, Neumann’s spider-style elastic shockmount has been used in top studios worldwide to isolate the mic against mechanical stand-borne vibrations. The Studio Set also includes Neumann’s highly effective pop filter, quality mic cable, and protective wooden jeweler’s box for your U 87 Ai.

Neumann U 87 Ai Studio Set Features:

• Large-diaphragm FET condenser microphone
• Pressure-gradient transducer with double-membrane capsule
• The studio microphone classic
• Three directional characteristics: omni, cardioid, figure-8
• Switchable low-frequency roll-off
• Switchable 10dB pre-attenuation
• Ideal as main and support microphone in practically all recording situations
• Requires +48-volt phantom power
• Includes shockmount, pop filter, mic cable, and wooden storage box

3)Warm Audio WA-47 Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone

An Inspired Re-creation of a Tube Mic Icon

Their acclaimed vintage-inspired compressors, preamps, and mics have famously upset the pro audio price/performance ratio; so when Warm Audio turned its attention to the granddaddy of large-diaphragm tube condenser microphones, you know it had to be good. And it is. With its discrete, transformer-balanced vacuum tube circuitry and custom reproduction capsule, the WA-47 nails the huge, bold sound of the beloved and revered ’47 — a sound heard on countless iconic recordings.

Flash back to any top recording studio in the 1960s. You’ll see the venerable ’47 everywhere. It was Sinatra’s vocal mic of choice and one of George Martin’s go-to microphones on Beatles sessions, and it now occupies a lofty perch in the pantheon of the greatest microphones ever made. It’s this classic circuit design — dating back more than half a century — that Warm Audio closely followed for the WA-47. But this is no mere clone, and innovations abound. Nine available polar patterns and robust 140dB SPL handling translate to incredible versatility; there’s literally no source the WA-47 can’t finesse with its inimitable seductive sonics. Engineers at Sweetwater who have worked with the iconic original are beyond impressed. And you will be, too.

Nine polar patterns = amazing flexibility

The WA-47’s nine polar patterns — cardioid, omni, and figure-8; plus six in-between patterns — give you amazing flexibility when it comes to exploring different recording techniques. Cardioid, with its moderate side and near-total rear rejection, is useful for just about any studio task. Omni is great for capturing room ambience along with your source. Use a figure-8 technique to overdub a sax with natural slap or record two singers on one mic (just be sure of the balance).

With two WA-47s, you can implement stereo techniques such as spaced pair (A/B), X-Y (including Blumlein), ORTF array, and mid-side (M-S). And don’t forget those six in-between pickup patterns, which open up yet another world of possibilities!

A ’47 for the rest of us

What can you achieve with the WA-47? Every studio needs at least one pair of high-quality large-diaphragm condenser mics, and the Warm Audio WA-47 is designed after a legendary one. You can use the WA-47 on anything — with world-class results. It’s simply stunning on vocals, acoustic guitars, double bass, electric guitar and bass cabs, piano, drums and percussion, strings, brass, woodwinds, and any other source you’d care to throw at it. In fact, you could mic an entire symphony orchestra with nothing but three judiciously placed WA-47s set to omni.

Considering its amazing price, it would be wise to at least double your value and get two for recording tracks in stereo. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard a grand piano spring to life when miked with a pair of ’47s. For drum room mics, use two WA-47s and nuke the stereo signal with a fast compressor. Positively explosive!

Quality components make the Warm difference

How does Warm Audio do it? They order parts and build in quantity, which keeps costs down and delivers amazing value, but they do not cut corners on parts. The WA-47 is built with premium all-discrete components, such as a JJ Slovak 5751 vacuum tube, Wima and Solen French capacitors, a TAB-Funkenwerk USA output transformer, and a custom reproduction of the capsule used in the vintage ’47, designed with the same hole configuration and frequency response.

A large part of any microphone’s sound is contributed by its capsule. The complexity of the k47 capsule used in the WA-47 requires a painstaking manufacturing process; such high quality is typically not found in affordable condenser mics. For Warm Audio, premium parts and meticulous design deliver a superior-sounding microphone — one that doesn’t cost a fortune. Stellar performance, top-shelf parts, and amazing value: that’s the Warm Audio formula — and the WA-47 nails it.

Warm Audio WA-47 Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone Features:

• Custom reproduction ’47-style k47 capsule
• TAB-Funkenwerk (AMI) USA output transformer
• JJ Slovak 5751 vacuum tube
• Wima and Solen French polystyrene capacitors
• Polar patterns: 9 patterns — Cardioid, Omni, figure-of-eight + 6 mixed patterns
• Self-noise: 11dBA
• Dynamic range: 130dBA
• Maximum SPL: 140dB (<0.5% THD)
• Frequency range: 20Hz–20kHz
• Output impedance: 200 ohms
• Rated load impedance: ≥2k ohms
• S/N ratio: 82dBA
• Equivalent noise: 10dBA (IEC651)
• External IEC grounded PSU
• Gotham 5-meter GAC-7, 7-pin tube microphone cable
• Includes wood presentation box, shockmount, and IEC power cable

3)Telefunken TF51 Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone

A Modern Take on the Legendary Austrian Sound

Developed, handcrafted, and tested to fastidious quality standards in Telefunken’s Connecticut facility, the Alchemy Series is the company’s next-generation large-diaphragm tube condenser microphone. Inspired by classic mics — but far from slavish re-creations — these mics are designed and voiced from the ground up with unique sonic profiles. The Telefunken TF51 large-diaphragm tube condenser mic is a fresh take on the classic “Austrian” sound associated with vintage Telefunken ELA M 251E and C12 microphones. The TF51 continues the 251 legacy, delivering smooth midrange and airy highs while capturing every nuance of the source in gorgeous detail.

Sumptuous results on vocals, acoustic instruments, and percussion

The original ELA M 251E, introduced in 1960, is reverentially considered to be one of the most beautiful-sounding mics ever made. With rare working-condition vintage 251s going for big money, the TF51 is a no-brainer if you’re after that uniquely smooth, present, and open sound you’ve heard on countless hits. Simply put, the Telefunken TF51 delivers sumptuous results on vocals, acoustic instruments, and percussion.

Top-drawer components

The TF51’s astonishingly lifelike fidelity is a product, not only of design, but of top-drawer components inspired by those found in the vintage classics. The 6072A vacuum tube (also deployed in Telefunken’s ELA M 251E and C12) is matched to an edge-terminated capsule inspired by the historic CK12. The TF51 also employs a custom German-made Haufe transformer, again, similar to the C12 and 251E. This meticulous attention to detail gives the TF51 its wonderfully and creamy sonic profile.

Explore the sonic possibilities

The TF51’s three polar patterns — cardioid, omnidirectional, and figure-8 — give you immense flexibility when it comes to exploring the sonic possibilities offered by different recording techniques. With two of these superb microphones, you can implement stereo techniques such as Spaced Pair (A/B), X-Y (including Blumlein), ORTF array, and mid-side (M-S). You could even mic an entire symphony orchestra with nothing but three judiciously placed TF51s set to omni.

The next-generation 251

Sweetwater tip: Every serious studio should have at least one pair of high-quality large-diaphragm tube condenser mics — and the Telefunken TF51 is inspired by a legendary one. You can use the TF51 on just about anything — with world-class results. It’s simply stunning on vocals, acoustic guitars, double bass, electric guitar and bass cabs, drums and percussion, strings, brass, and woodwinds. And you haven’t lived until you’ve heard a grand piano spring to life when miked with a pair of TF51s. Considering its unique sonic virtues, impressive performance, and outstanding value, it would be wise to have two of them in your mic locker for recording tracks in stereo!

Telefunken TF51 Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Mic Features:

• A fresh take on the classic “Austrian” sound
• Cardioid, omni, figure-8 polar patterns
• Open and detailed frequency response
• Smooth, airy top end reminiscent of the ELA M 251E
• Balanced low end and natural midrange
• CK12-style edge-terminated capsule and custom Haufe transformer, similar to the C12 and 251E
• Telefunken Elektroakustik 6072A vacuum tube
• Hand assembled in the USA
• Included M903 Power Supply, M803 Tube Microphone Cable, ZC03 Shell Case, M703 Shock Mount, M782 Stand Mount, and MS01 Microphone Sleeve

4)AKG C414 XLII Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone

Discover the Power of a Reinvented Classic

The AKG C414 multi-pattern condenser microphone needs no introduction. Because of its ability to handle many different sources, it’s been used in some of the world’s leading broadcast facilities, recording studios, and performance stages. AKG has upped the game with the addition of their C414 XLII, improving the C414’s already legendary adaptability. With its nine polar patterns, leading-edge technology, state-of-the-art components, and reference-quality results, the AKG C414 XLII condenser microphone ushers in a new standard in microphone versatility.

Sonic character of the legendary AKG C12

The C414 XLII has been improved by offering a slight presence boost and by providing the spatial reproduction capability of the legendary AKG C12 microphone. This characteristic response and spatial detailing makes lead vocals and solo instruments stand out, even in a dense mix. This signature upfront sound is also excellent for distant miking applications, making the C414 XLII ideal for classical music or drum ambience miking.

Nine polar patterns for multiple applications

This multi-pattern workhorse mic sounds amazing on just about anything. The C414 XLII offers nine pickup patterns, which enable you to choose the perfect setting for every application. In addition to the five patterns traditionally offered by the C414 (omnidirectional, wide cardioid, cardioid, hypercardioid, and figure-8), you also get four intermediate settings that let you dial in the best in-between pattern to suit your application and environment.

Great control features give you great flexibility

If the nine polar patterns aren’t enough to get the sound you need, the C414 XLII offers a bevy of other control options to fine-tune the microphone to your needs. The C414 XLII offers three different bass cut filters and three switchable pre-attenuation pads at -6dB, -12dB, and -18dB. The mic also carries a clipping LED right on the face, so you know if you’re overloading it. And all the controls can easily be disabled for live sound applications.

 

AKG C414 XLII Multi-pattern Condenser Microphone Features:

• Multi-pattern condenser microphone for a variety of applications
• 9 switchable polar patterns
• Lock mode disables all controls for live and installation use
• Incredible dynamic range of 152dB
• 3 bass cut filters and pre-attenuation levels
• Peak hold LED detects overload peaks
• Includes carrying case, pop filter, windscreen, and spider-type shockmount
• Frequency range: 20hz-20kHz
• Pre-attenuation pad: 0dB, -6dB, -12dB, -18dB, switchable
• Bass cut filter slope: 12dB/octave at 40Hz and 80Hz; 6dB/octave at 160Hz
• Requires 48-volt phantom power

5)sE Electronics Rupert Neve RNT Multi-pattern Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone

Mere Mic Magic

What happens when sE Electronics and legendary electronics designer Rupert Neve team up to design a large-diaphragm tube condenser microphone? An all-out assault on the state of the art. The RNT incorporates a high-voltage tube circuit within the microphone body, a separate power supply sporting a discrete Class A amplifier circuit with the same custom op-amps as Rupert Neve Designs’ flagship 5088 mixing desk, two of Rupert’s custom transformers, and a custom sE mic capsule that delivers staggeringly high-bandwidth frequency response and enormous headroom. The Floor Box (power supply) gives you three gain settings and two switchable active highpass filters. A 9-way switch varies the polar pattern from omni to cardioid to figure-8, with three steps in between each setting.

 

Stunning clarity and dimensionality

The RNT is actually the third microphone in the fruitful collaboration between sE Electronics and Rupert Neve Designs, founded by the renowned pro audio designer Mr. Rupert Neve. Much like the RNR1 active ribbon mic and RN17 small-diaphragm condenser, the RNT is truly special, developed over several years of meticulous listening and measurement by Mr. Neve, Mr. Siwei Zou, and the engineering teams of Rupert Neve Designs and sE Electronics. The RNT delivers the larger-than-life sounds of coveted vintage tube microphones, updated for the modern studio with stunning clarity and dimensionality.

Legendary sonic character

If you’re after huge-sounding vocals and instruments with audiophile-grade sonics, reach for the RNT. Its nuanced, silky top end is extended well past the range of human hearing. The mids are warm and clear. The bass is powerful and punchy. The RNT is ideal for everything from delicate, ambience-rich recordings to close-miking of voices and intensely loud instruments. You could even mic an entire symphony orchestra with nothing but three judiciously placed RNTs set to omni. Whatever the source, you’ll always get eat-it-with-a-spoon results with the sE Electronics RNT

sE’s finest capsule gives you access to nine polar patterns

It all starts with the finest (and most sophisticated) capsule sE has ever built. Handcrafted and individually tuned at the sE factory, the RNT’s gold-sputtered 1″ true condenser capsule features a sophisticated electrode design that delivers flawlessly natural sound quality. The precision tuning of the dual-diaphragm capsule makes it possible for you to choose the ideal polar pattern for every application from a 9-position rotary switch on the Floor Box front panel. The RNT’s textbook cardioid pattern, for instance, is highly effective at minimizing off-axis pickup. Want to mix in a little room ambience? Dial it counter-clockwise (back towards omni). Add a taste of front- and rear-lobe bleed? Switch it clockwise toward figure-8.

The crowning touch for your mic locker

Engineers at Sweetwater are blown away by the incredible versatility of the RNT — not to mention the sound, which is heavenly. Bolstered by the legendary sonic character of Rupert Neve’s famous transformers, the RNT has an alluringly rich, nuanced, and open sonic character that renders instruments and vocals in stunning, almost three-dimensional high fidelity. It delivers the performance you expect from the world’s most renowned recording gear. With its lofty pedigree, the RNT is a crowning touch for any serious mic locker. Why not yours?

sE Electronics RNT Premium Multi-pattern Tube Condenser Mic Features:

• Engineered for sweet, musical performance and bulletproof isolation
• Hand-crafted, gold-sputtered 1″ true-condenser capsule
• 9 selectable polar patterns
• Hand-selected ECC82 tube and custom Rupert Neve Designs audio transformers
• Microphone-grade tube is carefully selected and pretested
• Enhances your recordings with stunning realism and depth
• Unique tube circuit design optimized for driving the first custom-made transformer
• Custom-made, discrete Class A Rupert Neve Designs amplification
• Utilizes the same op-amps found in Rupert Neve Designs’ flagship 5088 console
• Discrete op-amps ensure quality without compromise: enormous headroom, ultra-wide bandwidth, and zero crossover distortion
• A second custom-built Rupert Neve Designs audio transformer in the Floor Box
• Hand-crafted metal housing with premium finish
• All-metal construction built with extreme attention to detail
• Efficient rejection of electrical interference and noise
• Active gain stage with three switchable levels
• Provides 24dB of extended dynamic range for a wide range of applications
• Discrete Rupert Neve Designs op-amp cards ensure pristine performance
• 2 switchable active highpass filters to reduce rumble or compensate for proximity effect
• Includes custom shockmount, RNT Floor Box, 8-pin cable, IEC power cable, wood presentation box, flight case, and user manual with warranty card