Sennheiser's curiously shaped e 609 Silver completely does away with mic stands. Just throw a cable over the top of your cab and dangle an e 609 Silver from it, making sure that the flat face of the mic sits nicely against the grille cloth. Adjust the 'hang' so that the mic is directly over a speaker and – voila – you're all set. If gravity intrudes, fix the cable to the top of the cab with a bit of duct tape.

These mics have a slightly crazy-looking frequency response. There's a lift in the midrange, another in the high frequencies, but then a fast tail-off from about 10kHz upwards. The polar pattern is pretty focused, and rear rejection is good, so cymbal bleed is minimal. Many broadcasters like to close-mic because the resulting proximity effect gives their voice a warm richness. But there’s a problem. Many broadcasters also like to fidget, turn their head, move about and generally forget that their lips are supposed to remain as close to the mic as possible. This monkeying about changes the tone of their performance drastically. Warm and rich one second, thin and whiny the next. Of course, there’s a ‘but’. Off the record, even Shure’s own people would candidly admit that the SM58 had been so successful that it didn’t just inhibit its competitors in the marketplace, it inhibited Shure as well, and fixed people’s perceptions in an unhelpful way. There was a price the customer paid for the industry standard vocal mic, and that was it. Introducing a better mic at a higher price became difficult when the market was quite satisfied with what it already had, thank you very much. If the SM58 saw off competitors from other microphone manufacturers, it also hindered Shure from improving the breed. The M80 also features an American made custom wound impedance matching transformer which is where the magic really takes place. When coupled with our proprietary capsule assembly, the results have won hearts and minds in far less time since it's introduction than we ever imagined possible. The M80 Dynamic from Telefunken has a wider frequency response and higher SPL capabilities. M80 has a low weight capsule and stylish, slimline capsule membrane. This makes the M80 easy to hold when on stage and lets the artist focus on their performance.Investing in one of these mics is a no-brainer, but which one? Clearly, it's got to be the one that suits your vocals or application better – but, let's face it, they're so inexpensive, you'll probably end up buying both eventually.

It is also voiced slightly differently to the SM7B, with a presence bump between 2k and 10k, which may help a little with clarity but could also bring issues with sibilance (accentuating undesirable 's' and 'sh' sounds). The integrated pop shield and tight cardioid pattern enable podcasters to record or stream a ready-made sound that's well isolated and free from room noise. True to form, mid-range articulation is good, and the mic doesn’t sound overly bright in the higher frequencies. The proximity effect isn't massive, so if you want a deep, rich voice then you'll need to get in close. This is a microphone that’s been developed to bring out the very best from the human voice, but there's nothing to stop you miking up drums or guitar cabs with it, too. It sounds good, too – both detailed and authentic. The cardioid pattern rejects off-axis noise from other performers well enough without stifling the vocalist if they move away from the mic a little. The built-in wind and pop-filter is effective at limiting plosives and sibilants, too.

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The sE Electronics V7 has been developed to sound great whatever you throw at it – or, for that matter, whatever it's thrown at. Its all-metal construction is designed to shrug-off years of onstage use and abuse, letting your vocals shine night after night. I did miss the extra finesse of the d:facto, but as a rule the artist needs to be happy on stage to give off the best performance for me to amplify, and switching over to the Beta 57 did just that. I also got some nice outboard to help make the Beta 57 hold its own a bit more against the loud band, and with that achieved I was happy losing the condenser. I used an Empirical Labs Distressor compressor inserted on Van’s input channel and a SansAmp PSA 1-1 dialled in on an aux return for some extra growl.” Quiet Or Loud? Unfortunately, many budget interfaces struggle to reach anything like this level, but all is not lost. You can easily add a relatively inexpensive mic activator to add more gain. Popular models include the Triton Audio FetHead, the Cloud Microphones Cloudlifter and sE Electronics’ DM1 and DM2. In terms of price, the MTP 550 DM sits towards the lower end of Lewitt's range of live vocal microphones, but that’s not to say that corners have been cut. Far from it. Pay twice as much for the MTP 840 DM and Lewitt will provide you with some nice extras such as active circuitry and a low-cut filter, but they’re not essential. Matt Telford is currently working with Postmodern Jukebox, with whom he has gone through a number of different mics in search of sonic perfection.Matt Telford, like a growing number of engineers today, has a foot in both live and studio camps. He has been handling both with Postmodern Jukebox for over five years and has toured the world many times.

On first impressions the two mics look quite similar. But look a little closer and you’ll spot the subtle retro styling on the M80. The bevelled sides and raised diamond icon make the M80 the more stylish option in my opinion. A gentle roll-off of the low end from 200Hz does a good job of counteracting the proximity effect. This means you can sing right next to the grill without worrying too much about sound quality.The Shure Beta 58A was designed as an upgrade to the industry-standard SM58, with an extended high frequency range. It has a lot of similarities to the Telefunken M80.

Can anyone comment on the Telefunken M80 or AKG D7 compared to any of the mics I've mentioned? Also, would a condenser be a better option? I've been considering the Shure Beta 87a, Rode S1 and Audix VX5? The extra sensitivity of the E945 makes it more susceptible to plosives, those little bursts of air which cause deep popping sounds. Again, its microphone technique that can help with this – angling the mic very slightly to the side. You can also try using it with a windshield on stage, or with a pop shield in the studio. Alternatively, you can choose an active dynamic mic or one that works over USB. Cutting that rumble

Who’s shallow enough to buy a recording microphone based on looks alone? OK, OK, put your hands down. You disappoint me, you lot, you really do. From all of these mics my favourites are the JZ HH1, Sennheiser E935/945, EV 767a and Shure beta 58. The AKG D5 and Sennehiser E838 are also pretty impressive considering their extremely low UK price at the moment! With a robust build quality and a sparkling high-end this dynamic supercardioid mic is a favourite for lead vocals and snare drums, and a perfect companion on the road. The ATR2100x-USB is unashamedly an entry-level mic with a price-tag to match. In short, this is a great mic to consider if you’re just starting out as a vocalist or podcaster and only have a modest budget to play with.