What is a condenser microphone?

A condenser microphone uses a thin, conductive membrane which sits in front of a static metal backplate. Incoming sound waves cause the diaphragm to vibrate, creating a difference in air pressure. The condenser mic then translates into an audio signal. To achieve this conversion, condenser microphones require phantom power.

Condenser microphones are recording tools that rely on a particularly sensitive vibrating diaphragm to capture sound.

Condenser microphones are considered the most versatile recording studio microphones and can be used to record essentially any instrument.They are somewhat more fragile and sonically sensitive than dynamic mics, making them great for recording vocals and acoustic instruments.

Condenser mics are typically held up by a shock mount that uses elastic bands to suspend the microphone in the air.

There are two types of condenser microphones: large-diaphragm condenser mics and small-diaphragm condenser mics.

Large-diaphragm mics are better at picking up deeper, low-end sounds, while small-diaphragm mics are better at picking up high-frequency sounds.

For example, you might use a large-diaphragm condenser microphone to record vocals, and a small-diaphragm condenser mic to record acoustic guitars or as drum overheads to pick up cymbals.