What is a dynamic microphone?

• Used for: loud sounds, live instruments/ amps, drums
• Pros: cheap, durable, doesn’t need a power source
• Cons: not very sensitive to quiet or high-frequency sounds

What is a condenser microphone?

• Used for: quieter more complex sounds with a greater range of frequencies
• Pros: sensitive, accurate
• Cons: more expensive, more delicate, don’t deal well with very loud sounds

What is PHANTOM POWER?

No, phantom power isn’t some kind of mysterious force produced by ghosts floating around in your home studio nor is it “the ghost who walks”. It simply refers to the tiny amount of power needed to make the diaphragm move. Most Condensor mics require Phantom Power and your audio interface would have a switch for turning this ON after connecting the mic to it.

What are Ribbon microphones?

A ribbon microphone shares more similarities with a dynamic microphone. It differs in the fact that is has a thin ribbon (hence the name) of aluminum, rather than plastic as the diaphragm.

They are expensive and are extremely fragile. Even a light breeze could break one. So handle them with utmost care.