When starting a podcast, it’s almost certain what type of microphone you will be using – a condenser microphone.

The industry standard in studio recordings, vocalists and broadcasters alike have trusted condenser microphones for decades for their vocal clarity and audio quality.

But what makes a condenser mic so well-suited for studio work? And what models of condenser mic should you be looking out for? Allow us to walk you through this and much more.

Browse condenser microphones by popularity here. Or see our breakdown of condenser vs dynamic microphones.

Anatomy Of A Condenser Microphone

A condenser microphone comprises of a diaphragm like any other mic, but a very lightweight one in comparison to dynamic microphones, suspended next to a solid metal plate.

When sound waves hit the diaphragm, it moves, and the movement against the metal plate is converted into an electrical signal by the capacitance.

Once the electrical signal has been created, the output voltage is very high but with almost no current, so it requires an impedance converter. This buffers the signal between the capacitor and wherever the signal travels next, making more current available in the signal and helping to make the signal easier to process.

Due to the impedance converter adding current, condenser microphones require external power supply to operate.

Historically this meant that condenser microphones would require a seperate power supply unit, and on old tube electric systems this external PSU could be rather large and inconvenient.

From the 1960s, however, as transistor technology took over, a standardized system – developed by legendary microphone brand Neumann – enabled condenser microphones to be powered straight from the mixing desk and eliminated the need for an external power supply by utilising P48 ‘phantom power’.

P48 has become the world standard in this area, and although tube technology microphones are occasionally still used for when a vintage sound is required, condenser microphones are by default equipped with transistor and phantom power technology now – making them just as convenient to operate as dynamic microphones, which do not need any additional power to operate.

What Makes Condenser Mics Unique?

Due to the lightweight diaphragm and other factors, condenser microphones are renowned for their excellent sound quality, particularly in the sensitivity of sound waves they are able to pick up.

Condenser microphones can follow the sound wave more accurately, and ergo are perfect for recording quiet to mid-range sounds that need every detail to be captured.

Obviously a more expensive and sophisticated dynamic microphone will trump a cheap, rudimentary condenser microphone, but put two microphones side-by-side of equal specification and the condenser microphone should win out each time.

Advantages of Condenser Mics for Podcasting

More than likely, you should look to use a condenser microphone for podcasting as a matter of principle. That is not to say that a dynamic microphone won’t be able to do the job; more that a condenser microphone is naturally suited to podcasting due to the aforementioned sensitivity in picking up audio signals.

This is the main reason they are the industry standard for studio work, particularly with recording vocals or acoustic instruments. And even relatively entry-level units offer very clear and accurate audio quality for strong value for money.

So no matter what level of podcasting you are at, between entry level and high-end, for the most part there are condenser microphones out there to suit your level and give strong audio quality regardless of how much money you spend.

And whereas historically the need for external power was an issue, this is more than negated in contemporary condenser microphones through the P48 phantom power described above.

Even USB microphones can support this phantom power easily, meaning plug-and-play USB condenser microphones are super effective whilst being super convenient; just connect to the USB port on your desktop computer or laptop and away you go.

Disadvantages of Condenser Mics for Podcasting

There are relatively little downsides to condenser mics in terms of using them for podcasting, but the main advantage that dynamic mics have over them is reliability and ruggedness.

Due to the delicate nature of the condenser microphone’s internals, a dynamic microphone can stand up to the rigours of live performance and touring a lot better – hence why nine times out of ten, you will see live performers using dynamic microphones.

It is unlikely you will be putting as much wear and tear on your microphone in a podcasting context, but it’s worth considering particularly if you plan on building a portable podcasting setup which will require transporting the equipment a lot.

Crucially, the condenser microphone’s sensitivity can sometimes be a downside, particularly when recording louder sounds – it can get overwhelmed in that respect. Again, this is where a dynamic microphone has an advantage.

With careful setting up of levels, it’s unlikely you will ever overwhelm a condenser microphone in a podcasting context – the Shure SM7 dynamic microphone achieved worldwide recognition for being used to record the vocals to Michael Jackson’s iconic hit song ‘Thriller’, and we doubt you will be singing quite that powerfully for sustained periods of time during your podcasts! Worth bearing in mind nonetheless.

Finally, the cost factor. The truth is, you do pay a little more on average for condenser microphones over dynamic mics; while dynamic microphones generally top out at around $500 for top-end models, condenser microphones can command as much as $5,000 to $10,000 price tags.

Of course, to a degree, you pay for what you get, but even at the low end you generally pay more for a condenser microphone over an equivalent dynamic model. That is not to say there are no affordable and effective condenser microphone options available – as you will see below – but it’s another thing to consider.

If you are operating on a budget, it might be possible to start off with a cheaper dynamic microphone that still offers acceptable sound quality for what you need.

Types of Condenser Microphone

Like dynamic microphones, there are multiple different types of condenser microphone available, and it’s important to consider which types would be most effective for your podcasting uses.

Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphones

The most common kind of condenser microphone, this is the classic shape you often see used in recording studios when singers are laying down vocal tracks. It is also used for recording other kinds of instruments in the studio, normally more delicate or quieter instrumentation.

This should probably be your default for podcasting, as the large diaphragm (though still not as large as the average diaphragm in a dynamic mic!) is so good at capturing voices – your voice should come through nice and clear.

Small Diaphragm Condenser Microphones

Very much the opposite of the large diaphragm models, a small diaphragm condenser microphone – affectionately known as a pencil microphone due to the slim design of the body – is as it says on the tin, a smaller diaphragm design on the condenser.

What effect does this have? It helps to capture high-frequency details in crystal clear precision; it’s very popular to use for recording vocals, often combined with a large diaphragm vocal mic, or acoustic guitars and drum cymbals.

Multi-Pattern Microphones

A special variant of large diaphragm condenser microphone which enables one microphone to operate the three most common polar patterns of microphone recording – cardioid (which we have already covered in detail on this very site), omnidirectional and figure-8 – all in one very useful package.

You do tend to pay more premium prices for multi-pattern mics, and for beginners they are not really a priority as the more complex variety of operations can just add confusion. However, if you want a versatile mic that can really take your podcasting to the next level, this is a great choice to consider.

USB Microphones

There are both dynamic and condenser USB microphones available, and if you are indeed a beginner this is probably the best place to start out. Units like the Blue Snowball iCE or Samson CO1U are the leading base-level USB condenser microphones for very good reason; they offer decent audio quality levels in a very strong value for money package.

For starting out podcasting, USB condenser mics are a must – just be careful to not go too base-level and risk cheap not always being cheerful.

Shotgun Microphones

Often used on outside shoots, shotgun microphones are a special kind of condenser microphone that features a special interference tube device, designed to reject noise from outside the very small direction of pickup.

With wind, weather and background noises all being a factor on outside shoots, these microphones are designed specifically for that purpose – focusing on picking up sound from one very specific direction and rejecting as much sound from outside that direction as possible.

You probably won’t need one of these for podcasting, unless you want to combine video or are likely to be recording in an environment with a lot of background noise or an outdoors location.

Recommended Condenser Mic Models

Here’s the part you are all interested in; our recommendations for condenser microphone models for your podcasting needs. They range from affordable to elite-tier, but most importantly there are models here to suit all budgets and levels of podcasting experience.

Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone

If you see anyone asking for advice on what microphone to start off with for streaming and podcasting purposes, chances are one of the top answers will be this one.

The unique spherical shape and effortlessly easy setup are big pluses in this microphone’s favour, and honestly, for starting out in podcasting you won’t want for anything else; the audio quality is really good for a base-level microphone at this price point.

Samson Sac01UPro USB Microphone

Another USB plug-and-play microphone, slightly above the Snowball in terms of price, but in this case you definitely pay for what you get.

The latest in the 01U line, the previous C01U model was renowned for giving superb audio quality at a very affordable price point, and this latest model continues that trend – sub-$100 for a microphone that provides quality this great is an absolute steal.

Rode NT1-A Condenser Microphone

For when you want to take the next step up, Rode are an excellent choice. Renown for producing excellent microphones of all types, their NT1-A is an excellent condenser microphone for when you want to take the plunge into XLR based microphones – the extra cost will be rewarded, trust us.

Rode NT-USB Cardioid Condenser Microphone

Want the quality of the NT1-A but with the USB plug-and-play convenience of the Snowball and the Samson? Rode were thinking of you when they made this one. Priced above both of the latter microphones but below the NT1-A, this is a fantastic package for those who want top-level quality but still wish to retain the convenience of USB connectivity.

Shure SM81-LC Cardioid Condenser Microphone

The premium option for a small diaphragm condenser microphone, this is the most expensive of the options we have listed here – but for good reason.

Known for the legendary SM58 dynamic cardioid microphones, Shure’s condenser microphones are just as excellent, and features a durable steel body, multiple low-frequency settings and a flat response curve for maximum accuracy of sound source reproduction.

Conclusion

Overall a condenser microphone should be your preferred option for a podcasting microphone, and as we’ve demonstrated here, the options for great condenser microphones are not limited to the premium tier of pricing.