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April 25, 2026
Beginner's Gear Guides: Stage Staple Microphones
Reinforce and record your live show with these must-have microphones.
When you're building a mic collection for your performance venue or portable PA rig, dynamic mics like the Shure SM58 and SM57 are hard to beat for reinforcing vocals, drums, amps and more. We've also got a few handheld condenser mics for the discerning vocalist.
Need more mobility on stage? Check out our selection of wireless microphone systems. Handheld wireless mics are ideal for sung vocals or any situation where multiple performers are passing a mic around, and headset microphones and clip-on lavalier mics are perfect for reinforcing presentations or speakers.
Finally, no stage microphone guide would be complete without a few recommendations for live recording microphones. Try these stereo mics to capture your performance for posterity.
When you're building a mic collection for your performance venue or portable PA rig, dynamic mics like the Shure SM58 and SM57 are hard to beat for reinforcing vocals, drums, amps and more. We've also got a few handheld condenser mics for the discerning vocalist.
Need more mobility on stage? Check out our selection of wireless microphone systems. Handheld wireless mics are ideal for sung vocals or any situation where multiple performers are passing a mic around, and headset microphones and clip-on lavalier mics are perfect for reinforcing presentations or speakers.
Finally, no stage microphone guide would be complete without a few recommendations for live recording microphones. Try these stereo mics to capture your performance for posterity.
Handheld Vocal Microphones
To most people, "microphone" means "handheld vocal mic." The Shure SM58 dynamic microphone is indispensable for spoken or sung live vocals, while the Shure PGA58 from the PG ALTA series is a comparable low-cost alternative. The Telefunken M80 has the wide frequency response and airy high-end of a condenser in a dynamic mic, giving you a signal that needs very little EQ. If you're reinforcing a particularly nuanced vocalist, a handheld condenser microphone can also deliver extended high frequencies for a crisper, more detailed vocal sound.
Dynamic Instrument Microphones
Once you've miked up the vocals, mic up the kick drum, snare drums, and guitar amps with these tough dynamic microphones. Not only do dynamic mics tend to survive on-stage abuse better than condenser microphones, they also tend to be more affordable -- a plus for anyone looking to build their live mic collection on a budget.
Sennheiser e604 Evolution Dynamic Cardioid Rack Tom and Snare Microphone
$159.00
- No Credit Check6 payments of$26.50/mo
Handheld Wireless Microphone Systems
Whether you're miking a church service or a karaoke night, wireless microphones give presenters and performers the freedom to move around the stage. Most professional wireless microphone systems operate in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band, which offer the most simultaneous compatible channels (if you need to run many mics at the same time. If you just need one or two mics, consider a cost-effective entry-level digital wireless mic system running in the 2.4 GHz band. Check out our Wireless Microphone System Buying Guide for more on what to look for when shopping for wireless mics.
Sennheiser XSW-1 e835 Dual Vocal Wireless Microphone System
$749.00
- 12 payments of$62.42/mo
- No Credit Check6 payments of$124.83/mo
Sennheiser EW-D 835-S Vocal Set Wireless Microphone System
$749.00
- 12 payments of$62.42/mo
- No Credit Check6 payments of$124.83/mo
Shure BLX24/PG58 Handheld Wireless PG58 Microphone System
$329.00
- 8 payments of$41.13/mo
- No Credit Check6 payments of$54.83/mo
Xvive M5 Handheld Digital Wireless Microphone System
$299.99
- 8 payments of$37.50/mo
- No Credit Check6 payments of$50.00/mo
XLR Plug-On Wireless Systems
If you already have an XLR handheld microphone you like, XLR plug-on wireless system can turn your wired mic into a wireless mic. These cost-effective systems make it easy to go wireless with your existing mic collection!
Xvive U35 5.8 GHz Digital Plug-On Wireless System for XLR Dynamic Microphones
$229.99
- No Credit Check6 payments of$38.33/mo
Xvive U35D 5.8 GHz Dual-Channel Digital Plug-On Wireless System for XLR Dynamic Microphones
$439.99
- 8 payments of$55.00/mo
- No Credit Check6 payments of$73.33/mo
Sennheiser XSW-D XLR Base Set Digital Wireless Microphone System
$349.00
- 8 payments of$43.63/mo
- No Credit Check6 payments of$58.17/mo
Headsets, Clip-On Mics, and More Wireless Systems
Wireless headsets are perfect for instructors or presenters that need their hands free. If a headset is too obtrusive, a tiny lavalier microphone can clip on to a performer's shirt, or even hide in an actor's wig or costume. These mics use a "bodypack" transmitter that fits in the performer's pocket. Check out our Wireless Microphone Buying Guide to learn more about what to look for when choosing a wireless microphone system.
Sennheiser EW-D ME 2 Lavalier Set Wireless Microphone System
$749.00
- 12 payments of$62.42/mo
- No Credit Check6 payments of$124.83/mo
Sennheiser EW-D ME-3 Headmic Set Wireless Microphone System
$799.00
- 12 payments of$66.58/mo
- No Credit Check6 payments of$133.17/mo
Shure SLXD14/SM35 Headset Wireless Microphone System
$849.00
- 12 payments of$70.75/mo
- No Credit Check6 payments of$141.50/mo
Shure SLXD14/93 Lavalier Wireless Microphone System
$799.00
- 12 payments of$66.58/mo
- No Credit Check6 payments of$133.17/mo
Stereo Microphones for Live Recording
Recording a show can be a high-pressure situation, since there are no "second takes" with a live performance. Fortunately, stereo microphones make the task of live recording a little easier. Place a stereo mic on a tall stand in the middle of the performance space. If you're already capturing a soundboard feed from your stage mics, the stereo room mic can help give your recording a sense of space.
A matched pair of microphones takes more work to set up than a single stereo mic, but matched pairs give you a bit more flexibility with placement. Try setting up up a matched pair of cardioid condenser microphones in an X-Y coincident pair, with the diaphragms as close to each other as possible, pointing toward opposite edges of the source to be recorded, at a 90- to 110-degree angle.
A matched pair of microphones takes more work to set up than a single stereo mic, but matched pairs give you a bit more flexibility with placement. Try setting up up a matched pair of cardioid condenser microphones in an X-Y coincident pair, with the diaphragms as close to each other as possible, pointing toward opposite edges of the source to be recorded, at a 90- to 110-degree angle.
Rode NT4 Stereo Condenser Microphone
$529.00
- 8 payments of$66.13/mo
- No Credit Check6 payments of$88.17/mo
Universal Audio Standard SP-1 Small-Diaphragm Condenser Microphones Pair with Hemisphere Mic Modeling Plug-in
$399.00
- 8 payments of$49.88/mo
- No Credit Check6 payments of$66.50/mo
Rode NT55-MP Condenser Instrument Microphones Matched Pair
$859.00
- 12 payments of$71.58/mo
- No Credit Check6 payments of$143.17/mo
Rode M5-MP Matched Pair Cardioid Condenser Microphones
$199.00
- No Credit Check6 payments of$33.17/mo