The Best Studio Mics For Podcasting

Let's start with a large-diaphragm condenser (LDC) that brings out the truth in just about every source, whether musical or voiceover. The WA-14 is an authentic recreation of the most truthful studio mic of all time. With a mostly flat frequency response plus a slight presence boost (1-2 kHz), the WA-14 is immediately pleasing to the human ear, focusing on frequencies that we hear best and associate closely with human speech. Compared to the average dynamic mic, the WA-14 will add clarity and presence, inserting a little polish into your podcast audio. Use in cardioid mode for a single guest, or in a treated room with a powerful preamp, try the WA-14 in bi-directional mode to capture two guests speaking to each other. 

Pros: Rich warmth + high-end clarity | Natural sound for speech | Versatile for music/audio

Best for: Quiet rooms where added clarity is desired. 2-person setups (figure-8 pattern) 

Street Price: $399

The RE20 by Electro-Voice is instantly recognizable as a professional dynamic humbucking coil broadcast microphone. The pioneer of “Variable-D” tech, the RE20 is not as impacted by the proximity effect that plagues most dynamic and ribbon microphones, where bass is added and boomy as the subject gets closer to the microphone. The RE20’s popularity also stems from its smooth and full bass with a little added high end to help voiceover work stand out over sound beds. The strong background noise rejection is another celebrated feature of the RE20, making it better for noisy or unreinforced sound environments. 

Pros: Classic broadcast tone | Virtually indestructible | Elite noise rejection

Best for: Professional podcast/broadcast setups in noisy environments with high-powered preamps

Street Price: $449

The next mic on our list delivers that classic, rich radio voice that all podcasts long to achieve. Recreating a mic known for use on low-end sources like kick drums and bass, the WA-47F picks up and enhances the low end of voice and broadcast, delivering a tone more akin to radio, cutting out brittle & shrill brightness while maintaining a sweetness in high-end clarity. The WA-47F is a faithful recreation of a vintage FET-based mic known for capturing clarity even when sources are loud. What’s interesting about the WA-47F as a podcast/broadcast mic is the frequency response and clarity. WA-47F has a gradual presence boost from 1.7 kHz - 4 kHz with a trailing dip at 5 kHz. What this does is add presence (upper-midrange emphasis) to voicework without the possible sibilance associated with some of the true high-end frequencies. This mic will produce exceptional clarity in rooms provided the environment isn’t too loud. As a cardioid-only mic, WA-47F should be able to reject mild HVAC noise but won’t handle being under the subway. The WA-47F also handles high-SPLs very well, so if you moonlight as a drummer/metal guitarist, or your podcast tends to get folks to raise their voices unexpectedly - this is the mic for you! 

Pros: Rich midrange, tight bass, added clarity | Versatile for music/audio | Handles loud sources well

Best for: Adding clarity without losing low-midrange & bass response

Street Price: $599

It would be impossible to talk about the Neumann TLM 103 without acknowledging Howard Stern. The mic ubiquitously graced the broadcast studio for decades delivering the signature sound of Stern. While the mic can’t make you sound like Howard Stern tonally, it does provide clarity and balance and due to its use in a professionally treated broadcast studio, the mic’s sensitivity is not a problem at all. Leveraging a capsule most closely related to the Neumann U87, the TLM 103 foregoes a transformer for a streamlined design that suits the voiceover environment well. If you can’t quite swing the $1200 price tag, check out our bonus mic below!

Pros: Added high-end clarity | Handles boomy bass well | Small profile for easy mounting

Best for: Ultra-treated rooms with great sound isolation & boom/desk setups 

Street Price: $1195

If a transformerless LDC seems like the right fit, but you want to save the budget for room treatment or a professional mic preamp, the WA-47jr is a great place to start. The WA-47jr is a contemporary version of the popular '47-style studio mic. While the WA-47jr has a more contemporary (vs. vintage) circuit design, the jr still leverages the timeless K47-style capsule known for capturing deep bass, rich mids, and smooth highs. Like the WA-47F mentioned above, the WA-47jr will save you from a sibilant top end while delivering clarity in the midrange. An added switchable 70Hz high-pass filter helps remove boomy bass. The included -10 dB pad helps manage louder-than-normal sources, and the polar pattern selector makes it easy to select how the mic’s capsule focuses on sound. These added features make the WA-47jr a wildly versatile mic at an unthinkable price point. 

Pros: Balanced frequency response | Multi-featured | Versatile for music/audio | Best budget microphone

Best for: Versatility in voice/speech recordings and audio applications

Street Price: $299

If you’ve ever marveled over the pristine sound quality of popular YouTube shows with open desks and no visible mics, think Hot Ones, then this shotgun + lavalier setup could be the right mic solution for your show. Depending on the audio style you are trying to produce, there may be a mandate to leave mics out of the camera shot. A scenario like this requires pro mics designed specifically to reject noise, even when the environment is studio-quiet. The supercardioid pattern of the Schoeps CMIT ensures that a high level of clarity will come through wherever the mic is pointed and nowhere else. You can get away with a single CMIT if the podcast calls for only one person to speak by pointing it right at the source. When one or multiple guests are involved, adding the DPA lavaliers (Lavs for short) helps capture isolated sounds from each participant. Just because you have many people on the show doesn’t mean you should ditch the shotgun mic! Keeping the shotgun mic helps provide a clear ambient track to mix in so the conversation doesn’t sound overly sterile. This mic setup transports the listener into the room with you, like a fly on the wall for the conversation. 

Pros: Extreme clarity for spoken word | Virtually invisible on-screen | Versatile for videography 

Best for: Quiet sound stages. Treated, so there won’t be a ton of background noise, but large enough to have a little pleasing “room tone” echo.

Street Price: $4000+

If the idea of ultimate clarity and frequency response is enticing, but the cost seems too high, consider the WA-8000 the best of both worlds. A true reproduction of the OG mic for Rap, Hip-Hop & R&B, WA-8000 delivers unprecedented audio clarity without sacrificing warmth at its price point. Consisting of a custom-crafted K67-style capsule, NOS French tube, and a custom transformer from Lundahl Sweden, the WA-8000 delivers professional results inside and out. The added heat sink prevents the tube from overheating, keeping the WA-8000 tube at an ideal operating temperature. The WA-8000 starts boosting frequencies at 1kHz, firmly in the “presence” zone but adds boosts at 3kHz and from 7-10kHz to capture all that pristine high-end information in the recording process. A preamp with onboard EQ can help tune the WA-8000 to the exact sound profile you want to achieve. WA-8000 as a podcast or voiceover mic is ideal for environments with sound reinforcement with minimal background noise. 

Pros: No-compromise clarity & rich midrange | Superb sensitivity | Versatile for music/audio

Best for: Acoustically treated rooms with minimal background noise

Street Price: $1199

If you want to bring the sound of the most iconic vocals, tracks, and records to your studio (for both music and podcast), the WA-87 R2 might be the mic for you The WA-87 R2 is an authentic reproduction of the most popular studio vocal mic of all time. With a fairly flat frequency response from 60Hz - 6kHz, WA-87 R2 captures bass, low mids, and upper-midrange/presence with clarity. The boost from 6-10kHz helps add “air” and clarity in the high end. When you switch over to recording music, the WA-87 R2 delivers timeless audio reproduction on a variety of sources. The WA-87 R2 will likely do best in rooms with minimal background noise, but your listeners will be rewarded with pristine audio captured by a mic design and circuit known for capturing some of the greatest audio of all time.