Cheap Import Condenser Microphones
The classic studio days of recording had a certain mystique.
One of them was how they got such a great, airy sound. There
were plenty of musicians who had four or even eight track
tape recorders at home, and a lot of them saw enough use
to wear them out. Despite all of this recording, much of
what was recorded would only pass for band rehearsal or
bootleg tape recordings. One of the reasons for the crisp
airy sound the studios achieved was condenser microphones.
Back in the day a good condenser microphone could be purchased
, but a guitar player would have to sell one of his guitars
to acquire it. They were as expensive as most professional
instruments, and more expensive than some. For a long time,
this was one of the divides that separated professional
musicians from recording engineers. Being a recording engineer
obviously required it’s own skill set, but it also demanded
a fortune in equipment.
The early condenser microphones were made by specialty
European microphone companies, and demanded a high dollar.
In addition to being expensive, they were also fairly fragile.
Because the design was more recent, and the use was mainly
limited to high-end studios, there wasn’t a great need for
shock absorption or moisture protection. This led to a great
many high-end microphones meeting their demise due to a
clumsy musician, or an errant drop. It was only as more
musicians and touring companies started to use condenser
microphones that they started to provide more shock absorption
built into the microphone. Most condenser microphones still
come with some sort of warning about moisture content or
handling, but few of them are as fragile as their vintage
counterparts.
Currently, there are a lot of companies offering inexpensive
condenser microphones. With all of these companies offering
cheap condenser microphones manufactured overseas, it’s
becoming harder to differentiate between the good and the
bad sounding condenser microphones. Not every condenser
microphone made overseas sounds bad. On the other hand,
not every condenser mic made overseas sounds good. It depends
on what specs the microphone is built to. If an engineer
specifies a cheap condenser microphone that functions just
fine, but has an erratic frequency response, the manufacturer
will produce a very poor quality microphone. A microphone
is not great simply because it uses a condenser technology
instead of dynamic microphone technology. The specs that
the microphone is built to have more of an effect than anything
else.
One of the main things to look for in a cheaper condenser
microphone is a lack of advertising. I know that some advertisers
will say the product they are describing is being advertised
because of its greatness, but that doesn’t hold true in
this instance. If you are looking for an inexpensive condenser
microphone, every penny counts. If you purchase a brand
that advertises frequently, part of the money you pay goes
into advertising. Instead of buying the product, you are
paying the company to convince you of the superiority of
their products. I have found that some of the companies
that do very little advertising produce great condenser
microphones for very little money. So the more you see a
product advertised in this price range, be wary. The product
you are purchasing may be the same as a microphone put out
by a more economical company.
Unfortunately, with this price range comes a certain disclaimer.
These companies did not make their name by selling the highest
quality microphone available. They are not going to refund
you if you think the sound is not quite what you were looking
for in a microphone. They don’t have enough money tied up
in the product to stand behind the sound. Most of them provide
some sort of warranty, but that is different than saying
“I know this microphone is one of the best you can find
to produce accurate, detailed recordings.” So, you do need
to use some discretion when shopping in the lower range
of condenser microphones. There are no guarantees. While
there are some great microphones available at this level,
it seems to be on a hit or miss basis. You usually have
to try the microphone out to make a good decision.
So, if you deal with a music store that has a lot of lower
end condenser microphones in stock, and will let you take
them home to your studio to demo them, relax. Feel free
to try them out at will, on whatever kind of demo program
your local store has to offer. If you have no such store
around you (which describes the vast majority of home studio
owners), good luck and beware. Do as much homework as you
can online, and figure out what kind of warranty the company
you are dealing with offers. If a product comes highly recommended
and you feel right about the transaction, then go for it.
Above all, relax. Remember that just a few years ago you
would have been happy to pay twice the price and get half
of the quality for a cheap condenser microphone. Just think;
you could always use it for a spare microphone around the
studio. Who knows when you need to mic a guitar amp up a
flight of stairs, or mic a thunderstorm outside for some
background tracks?
