Choosing a Beyerdynamic Dynamic Microphone

Dynamic microphones are a common choice for speech in rooms without acoustic treatment. They are generally less sensitive than condenser models, so when used close to the mouth they usually pick up less of the room. Beyerdynamic makes dynamic models for broadcast and podcast speech, live vocals and instruments. This guide explains how to narrow down the options and how to confirm that the microphone you pick works with your computer or recorder.

Before you start

First decide what you will use the microphone for most: video calls, streaming, podcast voice, singing or instruments. Then check what you will plug it into. A microphone and audio interface work locally and do not need an online service. Any noise suppression, recording or upload is handled by your operating system or app. Whether that app processes audio locally or in the cloud, and where it saves files, is something to confirm in the app's own documentation.

• Connector: most dynamic microphones, including many beyerdynamic models, have an XLR output. A computer cannot take XLR directly, so you need an audio interface, a mixer or an XLR-to-USB adapter. Check the connector on the spec sheet for the exact model, and do not assume a USB version exists.
• Gain: dynamic microphones have a fairly low output, so speech at a normal distance can need a lot of preamp gain. Check that your interface or mixer can provide enough clean gain for the sensitivity listed for the microphone.
• Phantom power: a dynamic microphone does not need it. Leave it off unless an inline preamp in the chain requires it, and follow that device's manual.
• Mounting: check the thread size, and whether a stand mount, boom arm adapter or shock mount comes in the box or is sold separately.

Step-by-step instructions

• 1. Define the source and distance. Close speech on a desk or boom arm, a singer on stage and a guitar amplifier each suit different designs. Beyerdynamic's range includes broadcast-style models, handheld vocal models and instrument models, so read the intended application on each product page.
• 2. Choose a pickup pattern. A cardioid pattern rejects sound from directly behind the microphone. Supercardioid and hypercardioid patterns narrow the front pickup further but have a small rear lobe, so where you put speakers or monitors matters. Narrower patterns help with background noise but require you to stay in front of the capsule.
• 3. Check end-address or side-address. Some microphones are spoken into from the end and others from the side. Placing a side-address model the wrong way is a common cause of thin, distant sound.
• 4. Compare sensitivity and plan your gain. Compare the sensitivity figures of shortlisted models, making sure the units are the same. A lower-sensitivity model needs more gain, so check this against the gain range of your interface or mixer.
• 5. Check practical details: built-in windscreen or pop protection, handling noise for handheld use, any on/off switch, the included accessories and whether a cable is supplied.
• 6. Connect the microphone. Run an XLR cable to a microphone input on your interface or mixer, then connect the interface to your computer. Set the input to microphone level, turn phantom power off and start with the gain at its lowest setting.
• 7. Select the devices. In your operating system's sound settings and in the app you use, choose the interface as the input device. Choose your headphones or speakers as the output device.
• 8. Match the sample rate. Set the interface and the app to the same sample rate, usually the one your project or call app expects. 48 kHz is common for video work.
• 9. Keep the change reversible. Note your previous input device and app settings before changing them so you can switch back if needed.

Check the output

Record a short clip at the distance and volume you will actually use, then listen on headphones. Raise the gain until the input level meter shows healthy movement while you speak. Leave headroom so that loud moments do not reach the top of the meter.

• Hiss: record a few seconds of silence. If hiss becomes obvious when the gain is high, the preamp is struggling with the microphone's low output.
• Background noise: listen to the silent section for fans, keyboards or traffic. Then try turning the microphone so that its rejection side faces the noise source.
• Tone: move closer and further away. Bass increases close to the capsule because of the proximity effect, and popping sounds point to plosives that need a windscreen or a slight angle.
• Format: check the sample rate and bit depth of the saved file in your recording app or file properties. Call apps compress audio, so what other participants hear will differ from a local recording. If the app has a microphone test feature, use it as well.

Common problems and next steps

• No signal: confirm that the correct input device is selected, the cable is seated properly, the interface channel is set to microphone level and the app has microphone permission in your operating system's privacy settings.
• Very quiet: raise the preamp gain and move closer. If the gain is already at maximum, consider an inline preamp or an interface with more clean gain. Boosting volume in software also boosts noise.
• Distortion: lower the gain, or move back slightly if you are speaking very loudly.
• Voice in one ear only: an interface input is mono, and some apps record it as the left channel of a stereo track. Set the track or the app's input to mono.
• Echo during calls: use headphones so the microphone does not pick up sound from your speakers.
• Crackles or wrong pitch: the interface and app sample rates usually do not match. Set both to the same value.
• Still unsure between two models: compare their spec sheets for pattern, sensitivity and connector, and check the retailer's return terms before buying.