The Best Studio Microphone For Under $1000

Are you looking for the best microphone for your studio for under $1000? Of course you are. Who wants a bad mic and who has $1000 to spend on one microphone these days anyway? I sure don’t, and I do audio for a living. But with so many mics to choose from in that price range, which one is the best? Well fear not, I will tell you, so listen up. The best studio microphone for under $1000 is…the one you have!

Via Brett Weinstein

Disappointing But True

I hate to be the gear party pooper or the studio debbie downer, but you need to hear the truth. If you’re spending your time, energy, and money searching for the absolute best microphone (at any price point) you’re not going to find it. There are literally one billion microphones to choose from, and just as many opinions on which ones are the best. But the truth of the matter is, it matters little which mic you use.
 
What you actually need to do is embrace the microphone(s) you already have and simply get to work. Much like the best way to get better mixes, guaranteed, is to actually practice, the best way to get a better recording is to practice, not buy another microphone. If you already own a simple cardioid condenser or dynamic microphone, you likely can get a fantastic recording.

Give Your Mic A Chance

It seems so obvious to me how for as many negative reviews you might find online about a given microphone, there are just as many glowing reviews. As much as you might loathe your current mic locker, someone else across the world is making hit records with it. Have you considered that maybe, just maybe you have been too quick to judge your microphone? Have given it a fair chance?

Perhaps you need to master the art of mic placement. (Don’t we all?!). Perhaps your mic shines a bit better on certain sources, compared to others. Ruling it out entirely might be foolish if it is the best mic for certain jobs. Or perhaps you’re like a lot of us, and you just have a “mental” block with the microphone’s quality, not a sonic one. You’ve heard bad things so you assume you need to replace it.

Forget What The Internet Says

I remember my first studio microphone well, a Behringer B1 condenser. I bought in college because it was only $100 and came with a carrying case. Nice! Well with all the Behringer bashing and brand snobbery that was floating around the internet, I quickly began the hunt for a “better” mic. One that was more, how can I put it, socially acceptable to use.

But overtime I kept using the B1 and found it to actually be one heck of a microphone. Instead of replacing it, I’ve used it on countless recordings and still use it regularly to this day! Had I succumbed to what everyone online was saying about Behringer or the B1 in particular, I would have begun a fruitless quest for the “best” microphone in my price range. When all along I had a fantastic studio mic sitting in my studio, ready to get to work.

There Is No Best

Promise me this. You’ll stop believing the lie that there is some definitive “best” microphone floating out there in a given price range. It doesn’t exist. With so many mics being made today, you truly cannot go wrong. Just pick one that fits your budget and needs and use it like mad. Don’t stop recording. Don’t stop learning. Remember, the best mic is the one you already have.