Dynamic mics are everywhere. The EV RE-20 and its cousin the N/D-27 are probably the most ubiquitous dynamic studio mics in use. The Shure SM7 (and still sometimes the SM5) are also common. Heil has made inroads as well. Even Neumann has the BCM 705. But there is another option to the dynamic mic. Perhaps it's time to consider a condenser mic in the studio.

There are misconceptions about condenser vs. dynamic mics for on-air use. Some claim condensers aren't rugged enough for jock use. That's not really true any more. The cost of many condensers can be higher than a dynamic, but not by much. Condensers require phantom power, but most preamps and consoles can provide that with no effort.

There are potential benefits for condensers. Condensers usually have a lower self-noise floor and higher sensitivity than dynamics. A condenser's lighter diaphragm (compared to a dynamic) can respond quicker to transient sounds. Condensers typically have a flatter frequency response as well. We selected a few common condenser choices for radio studios.

Model	AKG C4500 BC	Audio-Technica AT4040	MXL BCC-1	Neumann BCM 104	Rode Broadcaster
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Pattern	cardioid	cardioid	cardioid	cardioid	cardioid
Frequency Response	30Hz - 20kHz	20Hz - 20kHz	20Hz - 20kHz	20Hz - 20kHz	20Hz - 20kHz
Diaphragm Size	1"	1"	0.87"	1"	1"
Output Impedance	200Ω	100Ω	150Ω	50Ω	40Ω
Max SPL	145dB	145dB	148dB	140dB	128dB
Sensitivity	-34dB	-32dB	-49dB	-32.4dB	-34dB
S/N A weighted	86dB	82dB	78dB	87dB	80dB
Orientation	end address	side address	end address	side address	end address
Filter	bass-cut	80Hz high-pass	high-pass	100Hz low-cut	high-pass
Pad	-20dB	-10dB	-	-14dB	-
Weight	450g	360g	720g	500g	577g
Notes	-	-	-	changeable headgrilles	LED on-air indicator
MSRP	$819	$495	$350	$1,080	$629
URL	akg.com	audio-technica.com	mxlmics.com	neumannusa.com	rodemic.com
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Click here to enlarge the polar patterns.