9 Best Vocal Mics Under $200 In 2024

1. Shure SM58

Now, for every beginner out there, this is an affordable mic that gives you amazing quality. If you’re looking to place the mic near your guitar or drums, it will pick up the sound pretty well.

This mic is also called Beta 58. It is the most common handheld dynamic mic (scroll down to understand the difference between Dynamic and Condenser mic) for vocals.

What I mean by handheld is literally, held in your hand.

This is the mic mostly used for live performances. It is for shure (terrible pun).

It is of the good quality mics out there, that is affordable.

Shure SM58 mics have a small diaphragm. What this means is that they pick up on the small incoming sound waves very easily.

That’s why you can always hear the singer breathe; when they’re using this mic. It is a unidirectional cardioid mic. This means that the mic will pick up sound only from one direction.

This mic also gets rid of background noise. So, even though you can hear minute details when close to the mic, like breathing, the mic will not pick up on noises produced around you.

Some more technical details:

Its frequency response ranges from 50 to 15000Hz. That’s a pretty good range.

It has a sensitivity pattern of -54.5dBV/Pa.

This is the first mic that I purchased. When I first decided to get a mic, I imagined a burnt hole through my pocket. To my surprise, it wasn’t the case. This mic stayed with me for too long. It’s so durable. The on/off button is so convenient to have in a mic. So, while practicing, I was in control of when I wanted the mic on or off.  I have also used this mic with instruments. My guitar sounds pretty incredible when picked up by the Shure SM58.

2. Blue Yeti USB Mic

For beginners, looking to start their own Youtube channel from their houses, you guys, this is the mic you should buy.

This is perhaps the most commonly used mic. Today’s world is so technology savvy, it’s incredible. This mic comes with a USB that you can use directly with your PC/laptop and viola! It’s that easy.

This mic is used to record vocals. Like I said, if you’re going to start your YouTube singing channel, this one’s for you. It is even used for podcasts, skype calls and streaming. Cool, right?

The Blue Yeti is a condenser mic. It is more sensitive to high frequencies. The diaphragm is pretty thin so it’s a little more susceptible to tearing; when compared to a dynamic microphone.

The mic can work with four patterns of receiving sound. It’s a cardioid mic (picking sound from the front). It’s also unidirectional. It’s also bi-direction (sound picked up from 2 sides, that is, front and back) and it’s also omnidirectional (sound picked up from all sides). It’s so many things.

The cardioid feature is best for vocals! 

If you’re looking to use this for sound designing purposes, this mic can get both left and right channels to work, making it one of the best mics for stereo mode.

The range of frequency lies from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. That’s pretty much what you need to pick up the lowest to the highest frequency for singing or podcasts etc.

To be very honest, it’s because it took me 2 minutes to set up the mic at home. It was that easy because of the USB cable. When I decided to start recording music at home, the Blue Yeti was my first pick. It came with a shock mount! All I had to do is place it on my table and connect it to my laptop.

3. Rode NT1A WITH USB

Here’s yet another rad condenser mic. The Rode NT1A comes with a USB cable. Ah, the convenience.

Rode has been a very trustable brand when it comes to mics.

It is a really good quality mic and here’s why:

Rode NT1A is good with voice recording. Vocalists, this is something you should look into. Like the Blue Yeti, it can be used for podcasts and even instrument recording. So if you have a guitar that is accompanying you while you sing, this mic will pick up both pretty clearly.

It is a large-diaphragm condenser mic which makes it sensitive to all frequencies. It has a larger surface area to perform that function. This mic can be used for something that has lows, mids and highs. The mic itself produces very little of its own noise (5dB). It’s a cool feature because it gets rid of unnecessary sound that the mic produces itself.

It seriously gets rid of plosives. In a way that you sound like the most eloquent speaker. Even as a rapper, this is something you should look into. When it comes to beat-boxing or rapping, it’s so important to not have jarring sounds (especially the P’s and B’s). Not just that, it’s super good with acoustic vocals and acoustic guitars. Plus it comes with a USB. By now you can tell that I love convenience.

4. Audio-Technica AT2020 Vocal Cardioid Mic

Commonly referred to as AT2020, this one is highly appreciated. Every user so far has had almost no problems with this mic, making it widely used.

We already know the features of a condenser microphone. If you’re still confused, you can scroll down and go through the difference. Now, a condenser mic is super sensitive to frequencies, making it an ideal choice for recording vocals, podcasts and instruments too. The instruments could be guitars or even drums.

It also comes to great use for home recording and for streaming purposes as well.

It is a cardioid mic. This means that its pick up pattern captures sound only from the front. This is a feature best for vocal recording and studio recording.

Its frequency response lies between 20Hz to 20,000 Hz.

It also has a large gold-plated diaphragm. Gold is used because it doesn’t corrode easily.

Self-noise of the mic is 5dB, much like the Rode NT1A.

It’s pretty cheap for a mic that provides that kind of quality. It’s one of the few durable condenser mics. It provides a warm and crisp sound. It is ideal for both projects that you do at home as well as studio projects.

5. Sennheiser E835 Dynamic Cardioid Vocal Microphone

Most of us remember Sennheiser as a brand that made amazing headphones. Guess what, they also make amazing mics!

It is a dynamic cardioid. This mic can withstand a very high sound pressure level (SPL) and is unidirectional, making it perfect for vocals.

This is again, a more live performance kind of mic. The sound quality is amazing. It has clarity and helps with a projection of voice.

A lot of anchors and emcees use this mic for the very purpose of projection.

The frequency response ranges from 40 to 16000Hz.

This mic does not allow unnecessary noise to seep through. This is because it has a shock mount system.

Sennheiser E835 can record up to 140 dB and can be used on drums. They are very transparent in sound. Crisp and clear!

It’s the perfect live music mic! If it can withstand high SPL in the sound emitted, there’s nothing else you need. It’s clear, durable and affordable. That’s why I give it the runners up award for ‘Best Vocals Mic’.

6. Mxl 770 Vocal Cardioid Microphone

Since it’s a cardioid mic, picking up sound only from the front, it will ignore the sounds/noise around the mic. At least, to its best.

The Mxl 770 as the name suggests, is a perfect vocal mic.

It is a small diaphragm condenser mic.

It is used to capture sound sources that have more highs in them than lows (because these mics are more sensitive to high frequencies).

Apart from vocals, they can also be used to record strings like acoustic guitar and even the flute.

The frequency response ranges from 30 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Don’t forget that all condenser microphones require a phantom power of 48V to work.

The Mxl 770 has an incredible sound quality with amazing high-end clarity. This mic is more than what you bargained for!
With its price so low and quality so high, it’s a win-win for every vocalist and instrumentalist.

7. Blue Spark SL

The Blue Spark SL is yet another brilliant condenser mic. This microphone is a large-diaphragm condenser mic.

What this means is that it is very sensitive to sound and cannot withstand high sound pressure level (SPL).

This mic can be used to detect the 3 frequency bands: lows, mids and highs. Lows are anything below 300 Hz. Mids range from 300 to 900 Hz and highs range from 150 Hz to 300 Hz. That’s a pretty cool feature.

Lows give body/oomph to your sound. Mids add definition and roundness. Highs add presence and pronunciation.

The Blue Spark SL uses the JFET or junction field-effect transistor. It’s a type of circuit. What does this mean? It’s a voltage-controlled device. The JFET offers an advantage, it basically helps with giving the best kind of output when it receives low noise.

So there’s less distortion in the output and produces high-quality sound.

It has a gold-plated large condenser diaphragm.

It is a cardioid mic, meaning it receives sound signals only from its front.

There are no rumbling sounds with this mic. Plus, it has a toggle switch. That was a pretty sweet feature to have, according to me. Looking to start a YouTube channel? The Blue spark SL is a good choice!

8. Sennheiser e906

Looking for a good dynamic mic? Here’s one for you.

Now this mic is super adaptable to your needs. Here’s how:

The mic can offer a feature where you can change the effect of your sound from bright to moderate to dark.

It provides amazing tonal balance. It keeps the bass just right, doesn’t let the highs accentuate too much and gives enough mids to have a body. And all of that comes under $200.

The Sennheiser e906 can be used both on stage as well in a studio.

Since it’s a dynamic mic, it allows you to record vocals, podcasts, streaming but also instruments like drums, guitar and keys and guitar amps.

It’s super durable so don’t freak out if you drop the mic. Even if it’s after a cool riff-off.

The Sennheiser e906 is a super-cardioid. The feature is more or less the same as a cardioid mic but picks up sounds from the front; and a little bit from the back.

This mc can be used anywhere and does not require one single isolates sound to be captured.

I really happen to like the fact that you can change the settings of this mic. You can make the sound go bright, moderate and dark. Which is why a lot of Jazz singers prefer this mic. Another reason why I chose this mic is because of its shape. You can literally place this mic anywhere and it will pick up the sound.
Looking for a mic that you can place anywhere with amazing quality?

9. AKG Perception 120

I have been mentioning that some mics cannot withstand high SPL or sound pressure level. Well, this one can.

The AKG Perception 120 can change its SPL. That’s a rad feature to have for under 200 dollars.

The frequency response ranges from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

AKG P120 has a cardioid pattern. As you can tell, it’s the most common polar pattern. It picks up sound only from the front.

So vocals, instruments like the strings, drums and even really tiny sounds like footsteps walking away. That’s how cool this mic is.

This mic also has another brilliant feature. It has a switchable attenuation pad. What this does is, it allows you to increase your Max SPL from 130dB to 150 dB.

Now, mics that allow you to do so are usually; super expensive. The AKG P120 is one of the few mics that provide this kind of quality for a price that’s kind of unbelievable.

This mic also cuts some frequencies from the bass to avoid unwanted, rumbling sounds.

The AKG P120 is a condenser microphone, so it does require a phantom power of 48V.

It is a high performance mic. Look at all its features! And for the price that you get this (well below $200), it’s incredible.
It’s a smart buy for beginners because you will never have to get rid of this one or buy new mics. You can use this at any stage. Also, the shape of the mic is really cool. It’s like holding a long pencil.