Best condenser microphone under $100

condenser microphone

When you're starting out in your audio production you are often on a very tight budget. You need your interface, your monitors, your DAW and most importantly your microphone.

Now you may not want to buy a $1000 condenser microphone to start out, because you can get a great recording microphone for under $100.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't upgrade when the time is right and you've outgrown your microphone, but don't think that you can't get a good sound with a low budget microphone.

Try out some of these options when you're looking to start recording. Here are five condenser microphones that I've found that are under $100 and after using them, you should get a pretty good idea of what you'll need next.

AKG Perception 120

I've used the Perception 220 microphone a lot and if this mic is anything like it's older brother then I can definitely recommend it to anyone wanting a cheap, but dependable condenser microphone. It has a bass roll-off which is good to have in your home studio.

M-Audio Nova

M-Audio is the go-to brand for home recordist and budget studio engineers. As the advertiser says “At this staggeringly low price, these puppies will turn up everywhere.” I would tend to agree, if only because I've used the M-Audio Luna to great effect.

Audio Technica AT2020

This microphone blows everything else in this price range out of the water. It's amazing how cheap it is but still sounds this good. Listen to the smooth and professional acoustic guitar sound this mic is capable of achieving.

I think the audio sample speaks for itself. It was only one AT2020 recorded at the 12th fret of an acoustic guitar. Simple, easy and sounds amazing. The only drawback I see is that it doesn't have a pad switch nor a bass roll-off which could pose a problem in a home studio session.

What are your favorite microphones that you've bought for under $100? Share it with us!

MXL 440

This recording microphone is a frequently mentioned microphone on the Gearslutz forums, as the typical “great cheap mic”. They're supposed to sound great out of the box, but also lend themselves well to modding, if you have a DIY tendency.

MXL V67G

I know, I know, two MXL mics in the same post. No I don't work for the company, nor do I endorse these mics over the others especially. It's just that MXL has made a great business out of budget recording microphones. This one is designed for vocal work and might make a great purchase if you are looking to record vocals mainly.

To budget, or not to budget?

Noted, these microphones are cheap. They might not hold their own against the $2000 recording microphones. But they certainly have their uses and for some applications and instruments might even win a microphone shoot-out with the big guns.

These are all viable and affordable options for the budget studio engineer starting out. You can also find other alternatives on Ebay where there is a constant stream of microphones going around for much less than the listed price. Who knows, maybe your best condenser microphone for under $100 is actually a $300 dollar mic?

If you have any suggestions, or other microphones you'd like to share, let us know in the box below.