Shure KSM44 Condenser Microphone

Your music is only good as the signal chain you used to make that music and there is no more important element in your signal chain when capturing an acoustic source than your microphone. This article is about one microphone that will certainly get the job done and which isn’t outrageously expensive (although it’s certainly not cheap either.)

The Shure KSM44 is the condenser mic that I’m talking about. I have plenty of personal experience with this mic because it’s been the “go to” mic in my home recording studio for about seven years and I have used it to record a variety of sources during that time.

The KSM44 Condenser Mic is a large diaphragm condenser microphone and it is a “multi-pattern” mic. What’s multipattern mean? Well there are three different patterns that mics can record in (what makes the KSM44 “multipattern” is that it can be switched between all three.) The directional patterns are omnidirectional, figure-8, and cardioid.

Cardioid means that the mic only records what is coming from the front of the mic while rejecting all of the sound coming from the back and the sides. A figure-8 pattern records sound from the front and the back while rejecting everything coming in the sides of the mic. An omni pattern picks up everything from all around. Each of the recording patterns can be useful in different situations and this is why it’s such a good thing that this microphone can be used with any of these patterns.

Many condenser mics favor certain frequencies when recording in order to “color” the sound in some way. While this “color” can be perfect in some circumstances, having a mic that has a neutral response can allow you a lot more versatility. The KSM44 is famous for it’s flat response and this is one of the biggest reasons why it is such a versatile mic.

Like every other condenser, this microphone requires a mic preamp in order to function. The quality of the preamp can significantly change the quality of the sound you get and investing in a good quality mic preamp should be your next move after getting a good condenser mic.