Microphones

• Check our offers for your brand new recording microphone
• Condenser microphone: unparalleled brightness for your professional recordings
• Need more freedom on stage? Try our wireless microphones
• All the gear you need for your studio: try our microphone sets
• Maximum power and durability: make yourself heard with our megaphones
• Choosing the right microphone: here are some tips

Check our offers for your brand new recording microphone

A good microphone is the first requirement to create quality audio recordings, as the voices and music that will compose the final result of your multimedia production are captures by this essential device. Using a professional microphone with a good frequency response and a good signal-to-noise ratio is important not only when playing live, but also to achieve optimal recording levels, making post-production editing much easier to 'clean' tracks and optimise volume.

The microphones you can find on HiFi-Tower meet high-quality standards and are easy to use and handle. Whether you need a wireless microphone, a condenser microphone, or a complete set to build your studio from scratches, we offer you a wide range of products with many features and an excellent quality standard. Take a look at our product gallery, including microphone accessories such as rods, pop shields, microphone holders and mounts and discover the solution that best meets your needs, taking advantage of our offers and excellent value for your money.

Condenser microphone: unparalleled brightness for your professional recordings

Condenser microphones are one of the most sensitive audio devices on the market today, essential in all radio and recording studios to capture all the nuances of the voice and instruments recorded live. This type of professional microphone stands out for the extremely accurate way it records the audio source. To work, it requires a connection to the power supply, usually via phantom power supply (also called +48V), generally provided by the sound card or mixer desk. When in operation, the condenser microphone stores electricity on two small plates located inside: the diaphragm, located at the front, and a second metal plate, located just behind the first.

When sound waves hit the microphone diaphragm, it vibrates and converts its capacity (which is the stored energy) into an audio signal. This process causes the condenser microphone to pick up a more authentic sound, with superior detail and quality than traditional dynamic microphones. For this reason, it is used in all contexts where it is essential to achieve the best sound quality, such as for a radio recording or podcast. As condenser microphones require an adequate power supply (both to power it and to send the audio signal to the sound card), quality cables are essential. Using cheap accessories is risky, as you can lose recording quality: for this reason, make sure you are always using good-quality cables and connectors to tap the full potential of your condenser microphone fully.

In our product gallery, you will find wide diaphragm condenser microphones with vaporised gold microphone capsules, with unusually wide frequency responses and excellent dynamics. These models are perfect if you are looking for the highest standards, and are available with either a standard cannon output or as USB microphones, making it easy to plug them directly to your computer if you don't have a sound card. Anti-pop filters eliminate background noise, while the adjustable desktop tripod provides high levels of comfort. Our condenser microphones also have a first-class aesthetic design, with gold, blue and silver and classic black variants, to ensure your microphone is pleasing to your eye as well as to your ears.

Need more freedom on stage? Try our wireless microphones

The microphone cables can turn into a real jungle that limits the freedom of movement of musicians on stage. With a wireless microphone, captured audio signals are sent through radio frequencies to a receiver which then transmits them to the sound system, eliminating the need for cables on stage. A wireless microphone, or radio microphone, is therefore handy when you need total freedom of movement, without being limited by the presence of the cable, and it is perfect for events in many situations, including schools, gyms, squares and places of worship.

A wireless microphone consists of a transmitter and a receiver; the former can be handheld when integrated into the microphone or bodypack when contained in an external box to be attached to clothes, instruments or other accessories, while the latter processes the signal and transmits it to the amplifier. Thanks to the presence of two antennas, wireless microphones receivers allow minimising the interference generated when the signal bounces bounce against the walls; the reception is based on the VHF frequency band and is guaranteed within a radius of 50 meters.

All the gear you need for your studio: try our microphone sets

Are you setting up your home recording studio from scratches? Then have a look at our microphone sets. The combination of the most suitable components results in quick and easy installation and an optimal user experience. Microphone arm with a floor stand or a table-top mounting clamp allows the positioning to be adjusted to the height of any user. Anti-pop filters and condenser microphone stands help offsetting any vibrations caused by movements on the floor and unwanted signal peaks so that your recording is always clean. Take advantage of the convenience of buying everything you need to accompany your microphone and set up your home recording studio in no time.

Maximum power and durability: make yourself heard with our megaphones

For rallies, sports events and any outdoor event where you need to make yourself heard by an audience when announcing something important, a megaphone can come extremely handy. Among our products, you will find a variety of megaphones with solid power output, covering long distances, and with adjustable volume levels that guarantee usability in any situation, ensuring the message is always getting through.

Thanks to their robust and weatherproof construction, the megaphones you find on HiFi-Tower can be used outdoors without any problem, offering power outputs between 60 and 80W. Among the additional features they offer, some of our megaphones are equipped with an internal mp3 player for maximum versatility in any type of event, allowing you to play files from a USB pen drive or SD card. Some models are also available with a built-in siren, and with an additional battery with 1500 ampere charge.

Choosing the right microphone: here are some tips

• Choose your microphone based on the sound you want to record
  First of all, you need to analyse your sound source, i.e. any element that generates sounds that can be captured and that you will use in the final mix. Make a note of your sound sources and how many microphones you need. Do you need to record voices, instruments or ambient sounds? Will you need one microphone or more? Which sounds do you need to discard, and which ones to use?


• Determine the correct directionality
  Knowing the directionality of the microphone makes it easier to capture only the sound you want. For this purpose, it is important to have a basic knowledge of the existing terminology to define a microphone, based on its polar pattern. To make an analogy with images, the polar diagram is the "focal length" of the sound, or in other words, the microphone's pick-up angle, which is based on level, direction, frequency, and other factors. In general, microphones can be omnidirectional, bidirectional and directional. Omnidirectional microphones respond by capturing sound from all directions, while bidirectional microphones capture front and back sounds through a membrane that vibrates in two opposite directions. They are great for recording ambient sounds, but they are gradually becoming less important as more specific microphones become available in their directionality.
  Cardioid microphones are the equivalent to wide-angle lenses, and its capture range is shaped like a heart (hence the name). The supercardioid model allows a more distant pick-up, like a telephoto lens, by closing the 180º pick-up angle and rejecting lateral sounds. If you want to point the microphone at the mouth of one or more speakers, this is the ideal choice. Some models close the pickup angle even further, and they are the so-called hyper cardioid.


• Sensitivity control and sound pressure level
  Sensitivity and SPL are two sides of the same coin, telling you about decibels or the "volume" that the microphone can pick up. Simply put, higher sensitivity refers to how low the microphone can be heard. The lower the value, the more sensitive it will be, being able to capture quieter sounds. Sound Pressure Level is the opposite concept of sensitivity. This factor is particularly important when recording scenes with sounds that cause a lot of noise: a good SPL microphone will capture every detail of the explosion, while a sub-optimal level "cuts" the sound leaving an inadequate noise. Also, in a whispered scene, if the sensitivity of the microphone is not low enough, you will not be able to hear what is being said.


• Check the response curve
  Will your microphone be able to pick up bass sounds? Is it more suitable for high or medium voices? Knowing how the microphone responds to certain frequencies is crucial, as some microphones work better at frequencies that resemble the human voice, while others can capture bass sounds more easily. Check the microphone’s response curve to find out what it's best suited for. For example, a microphone with low frequencies peaks is good for recording shocks, motor or ambient sounds. If the response curve shows peaks in the mid-high frequencies, it will be suitable for recording voices, while a peak in the treble is ideal for metal, glass, etc. sounds.
  Although some microphones have a flat response, so no peaks or variations between each frequency, for videos it is advisable to use a response curve optimised for what you want, especially when recording voices. Some microphones emphasise low frequencies as you get closer; this is a well-known fact for condenser microphones, but it also occurs to a lesser extent for dynamic microphones. Consider this, because getting too close, or staying too far away from the microphone, will make a voice sound different.


• Consider the type of microphone
  A microphone is used to capture sound and transform it into electricity. There are several ways to do this, and different types of microphones have been created for this purpose. Also, because of their specific use, many microphones have different shapes. You just have to decide which one is right for your project.


• Go for the quality standard you need
  Many factors defining a microphone are straightforward. Still, price and quality don't have to go hand in hand, meaning that they don't grow at the same pace: there comes a time when the price goes up a lot, and you just get slightly higher performance in return. When you're about to buy a microphone, ask yourself if you really need this quality. In our shop, you will find several microphones that will meet more than your expectations, whether you are a demanding user or a beginner.