Published on this page in the GuitarFella archive — what our editors chose at the time, not a lab test.
Last Updated: November-23-2018
We didn’t have to change too much on this budget condenser mic chart, although we tweaked a few things to make the content even more helpful. We also removed the older Sterling Audio ST51 and added yet another quality model from MXL – the 770.
Condenser microphones are undoubtedly one of the must-have pieces of equipment in any recording studio today.
Due to their intricate designs, you used to have to spend a small fortune to find one that delivered a passable performance. In 2018 that’s no longer the case! Not only can you find
great condenser mics that cost less than $100, but you can find some that actually put others in higher price categories to shame.
In today’s article we are highlighting a handful of the best wallet-friendly condenser mics. For so few beans, these entry-level mics are very impressive! Stick around after the chart for a guide on what to look out for when buying your new mic. Let’s get started!
Top 7 Condenser Microphones Under $100
Are Budget Condenser Microphones Worth It?
Building a home studio on a budget can be tricky, especially if your goal is to record music and vocals. When it comes to recording, condenser mics are essential to get the job done. As the chart above has demonstrated, you can indeed pick up a good condenser mic for less than $100.
But are budget mics really that good? Or do you have to stretch your budget to, say,
the $300 price range? It all depends on what features you need (more on this later on), but for the majority of home studios and beginners, affordable condenser mics are perfectly capable of producing decent results.
With that said, let’s take a look at some of the things you should consider when you shop for a cheap condenser mic.
One of the most common attributes of budget condenser mics is simplicity in both design and features. The design of most budget mics is pretty basic, which isn’t a bad thing – at the end of the day, you’d prefer a manufacturer to spend their limited budget on producing a durable, functional mic as opposed to something that looks great but falls apart the moment you open the box!
Having said that, most of the budget mics on our list look decent too. They may lack distinctive features, but they are often sleek and uncluttered with simple color schemes. Providing the mic has a quality metal body (avoid plastic where possible), you know it will be able to take a bit of a beating. Under standard studio conditions, none of the mics we feature will give you any trouble because of their build quality.
Next, look at what comes under the hood. When it comes to the diaphragms, you will usually find small in this price range, although large-diaphragm models are certainly available. Many of these will feature a gold-sputtered Mylar design – or something fairly similar – which is the standard at this price range. XLR connectivity is more or less standard too, with few exceptions (such as USB connectivity). Remember your
audio interface will need phantom power if this is the case.
As for other features, they vary from brand to brand. Some will offer things like attenuation switches and buttons to make signals smaller and cut certain frequencies, although this is only the case with some mics – it’s not expected in this budget range. Others will come with accessories including cases, mic stand mounts, and shock mounts.
How Good Do Budget Condensers Sound?
While they will struggle when pitted against a higher-end mic, budget condenser microphones can sound surprisingly good, depending on what you use them for. For the most part, affordable models will work very well for voice recording, which is what most users will need one for in the first place.
Whatever the brand, the mic should deliver very little negative coloration and a good dose of midrange warmth, even though they probably won’t make you sound like Taylor Swift, Kanye West or whatever singer you admire (hey, we aren’t mind readers)!
One area where the simplicity of design is apparent is the mic’s polar patterns. With a budget mic, you are often limited to a fixed cardioid polar pattern, which means that most of these mics are directional and will isolate the desired sound. You usually have to stretch your budget into
the under $500 range to end up with flexibility in your pattern choice.
Noise pollution is another issue that deserves some attention. Fortunately, the majority of budget condensers are good at dealing with ambient noise. Of course, they will pick up some of it, but you won’t get a recording that is drowned in unwanted noise – thankfully, those days are gone!
Recording Instruments with Budget Condenser Mics
Vocal recordings aside, one of the most popular uses for condenser microphones is to capture instruments. There is no reason you cannot use a cheap microphone to record instruments such as acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, piano and drums, although max SPL levels are very important here – especially if you plan on capturing higher volumes. Most of the models we have featured will be sufficient for this application, although some are better than others (check their individual reviews for more on this).
The Final Word
At the end of the day, buying a budget condenser microphone is no longer a need to settle for something substandard. Sure, they may not deliver the best sound quality out there, and the features they offer may be a little limited, but you will be surprised at what an affordable mic can achieve these days.
We hope the models we have highlighted today help inspire you ahead of a purchase. Make sure to read some reviews and watch some videos of the mics on your shortlist, before adding a new mic to your home studio.