Dynamic Vs. Condenser Microphones

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Welcome to Podcasting Q&A, brought to you by the people at Buzzsprout.
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I'm your host, Cara Pacetti, and I'm bringing you the best tips and strategies to keep you podcasting with confidence.
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Since we recently covered the differences between a USB and an XLR microphone, I wanted to just go ahead and take this opportunity to explain some differences between other types of microphones.
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So we're going to be talking about a condenser and a dynamic microphone, while including a little bit of a vocabulary lesson along the way.
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So I'll be honest, the names of these microphones make things sound way more complicated than they really are.
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The good news is that once you understand just how each microphone works, choosing the right one becomes much easier.
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When we discussed XLR versus USB mics, the main difference was how they connected to your computer.
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When it comes to a condenser versus a dynamic microphone, the biggest difference comes down to how sensitive each microphone is to sound.
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First, I want to start with a dynamic microphone.
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Dynamic microphones are less sensitive to surrounding sound, which means they capture the sound that's closest to the microphone, which is your voice.
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Dynamic microphones are great for podcasters because they're incredibly good at rejecting background noise.
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If your air conditioner kicks on or your dog starts barking in the next room, or your kids are playing down the hallway, a dynamic microphone will do a much better job of focusing on your voice and ignoring everything else around you.
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The reason this is a great microphone for podcasters is because when you're just starting out, not everybody has access to a professionally sound-treated studio.
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A lot of us are just recording from our home office that we've placed a bunch of pillows and comforters on our desk, or we may even be recording from inside of a closet.
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So having a microphone that helps you reject any outside noise is going to help you get that clear and crisp audio that you would as if you were recording in a professional studio.
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So to get the best sound out of your dynamic microphone, mic technique is going to be important here.
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The recommendation is to hold the microphone about two to four inches away from your mouth.
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Or of course, if you have a boom arm or you can connect the microphone where you're not holding it, that's even better.
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And since they're less sensitive, they'll also need a little more gain to reach that optimal recording level.
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All right, so now it's time for a bonus vocab word.
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A word you may see come up in your research is the word cardioid.
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I don't want you to get hung up on that word if you see it.
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This term is just describing the pattern in which the microphone is picking up sound.
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An easy way to describe this is that a cardioid microphone is designed to hear your voice from the front of the mic while minimizing sounds from the sides and from behind you.
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But not to worry, most popular dynamic and condenser microphones will be using this cardioid pattern.
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So, as a little bonus, does anybody have a guess on how they came up with the name cardioid?
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Go ahead and click the Send Us fan mail link in the show notes and let me know what your answer is.
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I'd love to share it on our next episode.
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Now that you know a little bit more about dynamic microphones and how they work, I want to leave you with some recommendations of popular examples of this type of microphone.
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The first is a Shure SM7B, which is actually what I'm recording on now.
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There's also a Shure M V7, a Samsung Q2U, and a Rode Pod mic.
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So now that I've introduced you to the dynamic microphone, I'd like to go over what a condenser microphone is.
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So I'm sure you've guessed it, but a condenser mic is actually more sensitive to sound than the dynamic microphones.
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The trade-off here is that they capture everything.
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Your voice sounds great, but so does your ceiling fan, your keyboard, and the neighbor mowing the lawn next door.
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And every little echo in your room is captured and added to your audio track.
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So just like the dynamic mic, we need to consider mic technique here.
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Since these microphones are more sensitive to sound, you can actually sit a little further away.
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The recommendation is to be about four to eight inches away from the microphone and it will still pick up your voice clearly.
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And since this microphone is more sensitive to sound, it actually requires less gain since it's designed to capture quieter sounds.
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Okay, so I'm gonna throw another vocab word at you.
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The word is gain.
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I've said it a couple of times, and I'm not talking about the laundry detergent.
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Gain is actually the strength of an audio signal that's entering a device.
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So the input, while volume is the strength of the signal leaving your device.
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So when you're listening to a podcast and you're turning up your audio controls, this is controlling the volume.
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So this is controlling the output of that audio signal.
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But when you're recording into a microphone, you can actually control the audio signal that's going into your interface or even going directly into your computer, into your recording software.
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And that is called gain.
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And so, depending on the sensitivity of the microphone you're using, it will determine whether that gain needs to be turned up or turned down.
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Some of the popular examples of a dynamic microphone include a blue Yeti, a Rode NT1, or an Audio Technica AT2020.
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So just like the XLR versus USB microphone setup, neither option here is better than the other.
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They're just different and they're better suited for different recording environments.
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The question here is which one is right for you?
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For most podcasters, especially those recording at home, we almost always recommend a dynamic microphone.
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Most people aren't recording inside professionally treated studios.
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They're recording in home offices, bedrooms, kitchens, or spare rooms where there's naturally some background noise.
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A dynamic microphone helps to eliminate many of those distractions before they ever make it into your recording.
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That means less editing afterward and a cleaner listening experience for your audience.
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If you do have a quiet recording space with good sound treatment, a condenser mic can capture an incredible detail and warmth in your voice.
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Many voiceover artists, musicians, and professional recording studios use condenser microphones because they're designed to capture every little nuance of your performance.
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If you've invested in acoustic treatment and have control over your recording environment, then a condenser mic can absolutely be the right choice for you.
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So while it's important to choose the correct microphone, the way that your recording space is set up also has a lot to do with the quality of your audio.
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So I've actually released an entire episode on creating a home studio and treating it for the best audio possible.
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And so I'm gonna link that in the show notes below.
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If you want to check that out next, you can find that there.
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At the end of the day, your audience isn't listening to your microphone.
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They're listening to you.
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So my recommendation is to pick the microphone that helps you create clear audio consistently.
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That way you can spend your time publishing episodes instead of worrying about your gear.
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I hope this episode proves that no questions are off limits.
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If you have a question and you want us to do a deep dive into a solution, send it in using the Send Us fan mail link in the show notes or reach out to us on the Podcaster Success team by emailing support at buzzsprout.com.
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Be sure to join us every Monday to kickstart your week.
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Thank you so much for listening.
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And as always, keep podcasting.