Females Need Different Mics Than Males

Portrait of young woman recording a song in a professional studio

Microphones are made to pick up the frequency, with some options tapping into lower frequencies or higher frequencies more efficiently. This means that certain microphones will be better for women than men, thanks to the different frequency of voices. As a female singer, then, you might need a different mic.

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Females Need Different Mics Than Males

Women and men tend to sing in different registers. Now, this isn’t always true, of course, as there are men who have exceptional falsettos or women who are impressive tenors. But for the most part, different mics will help each different voice sounds shine.

Male Voices

For example, with a male voice, you will want a condenser that makes the deeper sound clearer. Especially with men who have a particularly deep voice, it might be difficult to find a mic that eliminates some of the bass and helps your own voice shine.

In this case, it may be better for male vocalists to work with a small-diaphragm mic, which can pick up sound evenly regardless of the frequency. Or you can invest in a large-diaphragm mic, made specifically for lower frequencies.

Female Voices

Especially when you’re trying to hit the high notes, the female voice tends to be a little bit harsh, or might be just a little bit softer and harder for most mics to pick up. In this case, you need a mic that will capture the frequency of your voice.

In this case, you might pick a mic that has a cardioid pattern, meaning that it is made to brighten mid-ranges of sound. This allows for your vocal range to be reproduced properly. You may even pick an option that has a wide frequency range so that any pitch sounds clear.

Why Buy a Different Mic?

You might look through all of this and wonder if you really still need to buy a different mic. After all, any mic will help boost your sound, so why buy a unique one?

Well, your microphone will help to emphasize any unique quality to your own voice. This is why a dynamic microphone might emphasize a deep voice well, while condenser microphones might make the sound clearer.

Ultimately, this will ensure better performance, whether you have a deeper or higher voice, and will help match how you perform—like if you tend to move around a lot while you perform.

How to Choose Your Mic

You want to buy a different mic, but the question is—which mic should you actually pick? Consider the sensitivity of the mic you have in mind first. The higher the sensitivity, the more focused sound it will produce, and if it has a high sound quality, it will work better to make all voices more pronounced.

This means choosing an option that is able to block out noise from around you. You won’t need to worry about any background noise interfering with your sound.

For male singers, you might choose something with a polar pattern that is made to boost deeper sounds. Female vocals perform better when using something more dynamic.

Regardless of which type of mic you choose though, it is, of course, important to consider the cost associated with it. If you have multiple singers of different registers, you might choose a mic that works more efficiently with all vocal ranges. It may not pick up your sound as well as a specified mic would, but it would still be able to make your voice shine.

Conclusion

Generally speaking, you can choose any mic you want; even one that matches all vocal registers. Ultimately though, the best option is to choose a mic that matches the vocalist. Not only will this provide you with great sound, but it will ensure that your voice truly shines. Whether you’re singing or recording, the right mic will make a world of difference for both male and female vocalists.