Difference between Condenser Microphone and Dynamic Microphone: Which one is best for you?

Are you in the market searching for the microphone suited for a specific need of yours. Here in this article, we have tried explaining the basic characteristics and differences between the condenser and dynamic microphones and the best microphone available currently. We hope this article will help you to choose the best microphone for vocals, singing, YouTubers or for podcasting.

First, let’s understand the basics of a microphone – How does a microphone work?

Microphone in principle is a transducer which converts the acoustic energy (sound wave) into electrical energy (audio signal).

The converted voice/sound signal into an electrical signal can be passed through an amplifier (to boost the sound/signal) to the loudspeaker, which will convert this electrical signal into an acoustic signal/sound wave.

What is a dynamic microphone?

The principle of working with a dynamic microphone is very simple and is listed below:

The sound waves produced, hits the diaphragm built inside the microphone causes it to move back and forth or vibrate
Which in turns leads the coil attached to the diaphragm to vibrate
As the coil moves through the permanent magnet (used to produce the magnetic field), an electric current starts to flow through it
This electric current is then passed towards the loudspeaker and the same process occurs in reverse
It doesn’t necessarily require an external power source but using an audio interface would greatly enhance the sound capturing and output quality
Cardioid pattern, mostly pick up the sound from the front and is least sensitive at the back

Fig: Internal structure of a dynamic microphone

Pros:

Mostly affordable
Suitable for use in the outdoor/stage or not so quiet places due to the cardioid pattern of sound capturing
Does not require external power
Sturdy and durable

Cons:

Less sensitive than condenser microphones, not suitable for multi-person podcasting
Requires an additional audio interface/amplifier for best results

Preferable Use:

Outdoors/stage
Voice recording at home where ambient noise is present (Condenser mics are most suitable for recording studios or very quiet places due to their high sensitivity and omnidirectional pattern)

What is a Condenser microphone?

So, what is the basic working principle of a condenser microphone, let us dive in:

In condenser microphones, there are two plates, namely front and back plate which are electrically charged
The front plate is made of a very thin material and works as a diaphragm and along with back plate it forms a capacitor
The two plates have voltage between them, which is provided by an external power source (namely Phantom Power)
When sound wave struck the diaphragm, it vibrates, causing the distance between the diaphragm and backplate to change. This, in turn, changes the capacitance
When the two plates are close to each other, the capacitance increases and similarly when they are far apart, the capacitance decreases causing the electrical signal/current to flow

Fig: Internal structure of a condenser microphone

Pros:

Very sensitive and picks up discrete noise/sounds
Multi-person recording, podcasting due to (mostly) omnidirectional lobe patterns
Good frequency response
No need of preamps

Cons:

Expensive in comparison to the dynamic microphones
Not Suitable for use in the outdoor/stage or noisy places
They are subject to distortion while using them for recording loud instrument/sounds
Requires external phantom power to work properly
They are fragile

Preferable Use:

Indoors, soundproof areas or areas where there is no ambient noise is present
Indoor recording, podcasting/interviews

Verdict:

There is a separate use case of each of the types of microphones. You must first keep in mind your area of usage before buying a microphone. The usage area/case could be an outdoor interview session, studio recording, loud stage environment, live performance, acoustic instrument recording, vocals etc.

Defining the use case will help you get the better and expected results out of your purchase. As per our testing, we are very sure to suggest that:

Pick up a dynamic microphone if: