The 8 Best Instrument Microphones (2023 reviews)
Are you planning to buy instrument microphones, and are you confused about the options ?
Your search ends here.
Our review process:
Our Top Picks:
Best Overall: Buy: GLS Audio Instrument Microphone READ REVIEWBest For wireless trumpet: Buy: Shure Instrument Microphone READ REVIEWBest For Snare: Buy: XTUGA Instrument Microphone READ REVIEWBest For Studio sessions: Buy: CAD Audio Instrument Microphone READ REVIEWBest For latching onto drums: Buy: Sennheiser Pro Audio Instrument Microphone READ REVIEWBest For Snare bottom: Buy: Lewitt Instrument Microphone READ REVIEWBest For metal: Buy: Audiotechnica Instrument Microphone READ REVIEWBest For direct Use: Buy: Sennheiser Instrument Microphone READ REVIEWBest Overall: GLS Audio Instrument Microphone
Buy on Amazon The gls audio instrument microphone should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. If you are on a budget and need a mic that does a WONDERFUL JOB at recording guitar or higher pitched sounds, the ES. It is heft, heavy, and feels well made. It is a good mic for upper mids, and a great deal. The sound of this mic is slightly raspy. It's quite a bit stronger than a microphone also. The mic has a more mid eq driven sound. It's quite a bit stronger than a microphone. It is rugged and would take the rigors of live gigs.Why We Like This:
- Flute has a very pure sound
- Loud and crystal clear on the big auditorium house speaker
- Sounds great outside the kick or under the snare
Best For wireless trumpet: Shure Instrument Microphone
Buy on Amazon Not everyone likes to purchase microphone for their daily usage, but the shure instrument microphone would be an anomoly. This microphone is the best match for an instrument mic for a Resophonic guitar or a banjo. The Beta98H/C features a 3 m (10 ft.) high-flex cable with attached preamplifier (XLR connection) cardioid condenser instrument microphones that clamp onto the bell of wind instruments or onto the rim of percussion instruments. It features a black metallic finish and grille with a frequency response. The cord is very thin and constantlyin tangles. It is a powered mic so the amp will need to have Phantom power on the XLR connection to it for it to work. The sound is very good and the whole item finishing seems strong and durable. The arm on the mic is very flexible, but it will also hold its' position exactly where it has been positioned. The tone is natural and even, with no EQ curve getting in the way.Why We Like This:
- Excellent product from shure, top quality and performance
- Good pick and plenty of chord for most configurations
- Delivers what they promise
Best For Snare: XTUGA Instrument Microphone
Buy on Amazon Next on the list, we've got yet another microphone that manages to win our hearts. It's the xtuga instrument microphone and it's widely considered as microphone that has the most suitable features. It is a high output supercardioid dynamic microphone designed for professional sound reinforcement and project studio recording. It includes seven mic cables which is a great value addition. These have narrow pickup patterns and can pick up sounds from the rear. The sound is crisp with every beat. It includes everything you need to get going is included. It is made of hard plastic and provides great support and different angles for placement. The cables and mounting accessories are a great bonus. It provides high gain before feedback and excellent rejection of unwanted noise.Why We Like This:
- 2 wind screens for condenser mics
- Clear sound good gain, and no complaints so far from that perspective
- Plenty of mics to capture the entire set
- Good enough for recording little demos at home
Best For Studio sessions: CAD Audio Instrument Microphone
Buy on Amazon We would, of course, be remiss if we didn't mention cad audio instrument microphone for daily purpose. The actual dynamic mics for the drums themselves are AMAZING. The kick, snare & Tom mics have the attachment foot molded into the mic case. It provides off-axis rejection crucial for on-stage clarity. The stands are pretty solid and the cables work really well. There are 5 balanced dynamic mics and 2 balanced condenser mics. The cardioid polar pattern focuses sensitivity to the front of the microphone while minimizing sources arriving from the rear. The oil will ease the friction and friction.Why We Like This:
- Includes d19 snare, (3) d29 tom, d10 kick and (2) c9 overhead
- Lot of satisfied buyers
Best For latching onto drums: Sennheiser Pro Audio Instrument Microphone
Buy on Amazon If you often find yourself confused about convenient and suitable microphone, sennheiser pro audio instrument microphone should be your first option for buying. While being marketed primarily as a great mic for drums (especially useful is the removable clamp), it's high SPL capability allows it to be stand-mounted and used to mic such horns as trumpet, sax, and trombone. It includes a wide-range of dynamic and condenser microphones, each tailored to capture clear and detailed sound with low handling noise and high feedback rejection. The sound is truly outstanding. It is a robust microphone for close-miking drums, brass and woodwind instruments, capable of handling very high sound pressure levels in excess of 160db. They sound great and clip on and off the rim of the drums easily. The sound is solidly built but not too heavy and the mounts are very easy to use. The sound mix options are quite endless.Why We Like This:
- Very professional sound and low profile/footprint
- Outstanding for snare drum and rack toms
- Super convenient, affordable and lightweight way to close mic toms on a live gig
- Awesome mic, light sturdy and sounds good
Best For Snare bottom: Lewitt Instrument Microphone
Buy on Amazon Best part: lewitt instrument microphone costs comparatively low and it is available to ship in 24 hours. The MTP 440 dm is a versatile dynamic instrument microphone for anyone looking to achieve a remarkable sound in live and studio situations. It features a tailored frequency response perfectly suited for live and studio applications. It makes for great drum overheads. On snare, it gives you a great "crack" and "thwap" when you strike it. It’s much darker and does not have the huge presence of hump in the upper mids/ highs that the shures (and tons of clones) have. It’s great for certain voices that get strident in 3 to 6k nasal frequencies. In terms of sound quality, it's basically a smoother sounding SM. It is used to use a 57 but this mic adds so much more clarity with out sacrificing low-end response. This is especially noticeable on clean tones, but metal tones sound excellent as well.Why We Like This:
- Realistic tone right out of the box
- Great alternative to a shure sm57 for guitar and snare
- A very solid and good sounding mic
- Tonally balanced, much better than an sm57 for high gain applications
Best For metal: Audiotechnica Instrument Microphone
Buy on Amazon We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate microphone. The audiotechnica instrument microphone is exactly that - it's a simple microphone that hits all the right notes. The ATM230 hypercardioid instrument microphone brings a compact drum model to audio. It features rugged metal construction that stands up to the rigors of live and studio applications, and comes with (3) at8665 drum mounts and (3) protective pouches. It makes the atm230 ideally suited for miking toms, snare and other percussion instruments. It allows it to be placed in a wide variety of setups. The Hypercardioid polar pattern keeps the focus on the sound source, directionality that is aided by the mic's low-profile design, which allows it to be placed in a wide variety of setups. It is designed to excel in high spl applications, delivering full, well-rounded audio with an exceptional low-end. The Low-profile design permits versatile placement around the drum kit.Why We Like This:
- Big, warm low-frequency response with excellent attack
- 3 -pack of atm230 dynamic instrument microphones
- Handles very high spl at close range
Best For direct Use: Sennheiser Instrument Microphone
Buy on Amazon We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate microphone. The sennheiser instrument microphone is exactly that - it's a simple microphone that hits all the right notes. Sennheiser makes great quality gear and this is no exception. It features durable, steel construction. The microphone features a dynamic element with a cardioid polar pattern for picking up loud sources without noise and distortion. It features a pivoting angle for optimum positioning. The telescoping boom arm is adjustable from 19.3 to 33.9" in length, allowing you to angle and extend the mic placement however you need it. It is ideal for direct use on the most problematic bass signal. It is a cost effective, reliable solution for sound reinforcement and recording applications. The Rugged build quality and the sound is awesome for any genre of music.Why We Like This:
- Rugged, lightweight aluminum body for stable positioning on long microphone boom arms
- Good brand reputation