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An instrument microphone plays a vital role in making music great sounding, concentrated and more powerful.
It is a wonderful small piece of equipment that makes music fuller than when hearing it raw. Also, an instrument microphone has the ability to make sound more appealing and appreciating without the noise and the nuisance.
With the features and best benefits an instrument microphone offers, it is truly a must-have for musicians both playing in the studio or live. However, just like purchasing other musical instruments, it is not enough to just pick what you like; it is important that you know how it looks, how it can be used and how it performs.
If you think of buying an instrument microphone anytime soon, you are on the right page, this microphone test will share with you the things to consider when buying one. We will also share a brief review about the 2 best-performing microphones for instruments in the market today: the Sennheiser E609 Silver Super Cardioid Instrument Microphone and the GLS ES-57 Audio Instrument Microphone, from which you can get reference and inspiration from.
Best Rated Instrument Microphone: Sennheiser E609
This Sennheiser E609 Silver Super Cardioid Instrument Microphone is tagged as the best-rated one on the market for all the best reasons: it is durable, versatile and absolutely best-performing! So, putting your money on one is nothing but a worthy and fulfilling investment.This instrument microphone is made of high-quality steel and metal components. It comes with a 10-year warranty and a protective covering for optimum safety during use. Most importantly, because of this instrument microphone’s midrange peak of 3-6,000Hz, it can showcase sounds in its most genuine and beautiful state.
This microphone is easy to use with an instrument or an amplifier. If you want to connect it to your guitar amp, all you have to do is to connect the chord from the amplifier’s port to the microphone’s port, and put the microphone in front of the amp’s speakers. You will be amazed on how this Sennheiser E609 Silver Super Cardioid Instrument Microphone has the ability to recognize the sound from the instrument played, without the noise, vibrations and further ado.
This Sennheiser E609 Silver Super Cardioid Instrument Microphone costs around $$$, and is highly recommended for use on banjo, brass, drums, and guitar amp.
Alternative Instrument Microphone: GLS Audio ES-57
If you want to own one of the best instrument microphones in the market without having to spend too much on it, this GLS ES-57 Audio Instrument Microphone is the best choice for you. This instrument microphone has a unidirectional polar pattern type that enables it to recognize music only from a single direction. So, it is best to use for instruments such as drums, percussion as well as for vocals.This instrument microphone has a 50-15,000Hz frequency response and a sensitivity ranging from -72dB-1,000Hz, making it a great choice for recording and live performance uses. In addition, with the features this GLS ES-57 Audio Instrument Microphone has, it concentrates on recognizing instrumental sounds without the static.
No wonder this GLS ES-57 Audio Instrument Microphone is the best-selling one in the market, because it does not compromise quality and performance with its affordable price. In addition, it can be best used whether on studio recording or live performing. However, to get the best performance out of this instrument microphone, I highly suggest you use a preamp with it, just to enhance sound quality and recognition.
This GLS ES-57 Audio Instrument Microphone costs around $$, making it an absolutely great value for money.
What to Consider When Buying An Instrument Microphone
Sensitivity
An instrument microphone’s sensitivity plays a vital role in sound recognition. It is based on its polar pattern, which is a microphone’s sensitivity field that is able to recognize the sounds coming from all or specific direction/s. An instrument microphone can be unidirectional, bi-directional or omnidirectional.
A unidirectional instrument microphone is a type that recognizes sounds from a single direction and disregards the sounds coming from other directions. Furthermore, a bi-directional instrument microphone is a type that recognizes sounds from east and west directions alone. Lastly, an omnidirectional instrument microphone is a type that recognizes sounds from all directions.
With these polar pattern types, you have an idea on what type of instrument microphone to purchase. However, if your main purpose on buying one is for music recording purposes only, it’s best if you choose the most common type, which is the unidirectional instrument microphone.
Versatility
Technically, instrument microphones differ from each other because of their sensitivity features determined through their polar pattern types. However, with constant innovation, there are already multi-pattern ones available in the market; this means you can purchase a single instrument microphone that can be switched from an omnidirectional polar pattern type to a unidirectional one (or vice versa), according to need, convenience and environment.
Frequency Response
An instrument microphone’s frequency response is its ability to recognize sounds from low- to high-rage frequencies (measured in hertz Hz). Ideally, instrument microphones intended for bass drum use should have a frequency response of around 30-50Hz; however, the lower the frequency response, the better.
Price
Usually, the quality and performance an instrument microphone can offer can be determined by its price. Just like other musical instruments or even products in general, the higher the price is, the more we can expect from it; same goes with an instrument microphone.
Instrument microphones that are quite expensive tend to have more essential features than those affordable ones. This is because a quite expensive instrument microphone could be made by a well-known brand and made with high-quality metals. However, there’s no pressure in having to buy an expensive one; you can always opt for an instrument microphone that’s within your budget. Just make sure to test it and know its quality and performance from other users before purchasing one.
If you are confused as to which instrument microphone to purchase, fret no more, for we will provide you reviews on 2 of the best-performing instrument microphones in the market: the Sennheiser E609 Silver Super Cardioid Instrument Microphone and the GLS ES-57 Audio Instrument Microphone.
Instrument Microphone Video
For you to have a glimpse on how an instrument microphone does its wonder in making sound crisp, clear and absolutely great, you can check out this short clip about the best-selling instrument microphone in the market today; the Sennheiser E609 Silver Super Cardioid Instrument Microphone.
Conclusion
With these quick guide and reviews on the best-performing instrument microphones, you now have an idea and a bit of enlightenment on what to choose. Share this article with your musician friends so they, too, will know what to look for in an instrument microphone before buying one. Rock on!