Thomas Smolen is a street musician and the Author of 99 Buskers of London: Through the Eyes of London’s Street Musicians, which invites you to explore the world of one of the city’s most iconic subcultures through the eyes of the street musicians themselves. He also checked out their equipment, leading to a lot of knowledge about the guitars buskers use!

Also, once you’ve got your guitar, see our huge list of the best amps for street musicians.

 

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I’ve been a street musician in the UK for about eight years. Last year I went around London interviewing local buskers about their lives and music. I also wanted to find out what kind of gear they were using. Below, I’ve put together some information about about choosing the right microphone for your street music performance.

Getting the sound wrong can turn a good performance into a terrible one. Getting it right means you will be able to project your music effectively against background city noise while maintaining balance and clarity. A lot of this comes down to research and experimentation, learning to tweak levels of your voice and/or instrument to suit the environment. There’s no replacement for experience and developing control and confidence in your voice. However, once you have the right microphone, then you know have you a solid, quality base to work from.

With this in mind, a good microphone for street music is much the same as a good microphone for any live performance. There are three big brands here: Shure, Sennheiser and AKG, ranging from about £30-£200. Behringer also offer some cheap alternatives and there are some effective karaoke-style microphones available for a fraction of the price. Below are some of the models that are most popular with London’s street musicians.

 

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1. Shure

Shure is by far the most popular brand among London’s street musicians. They are not quite at the top-end as dynamic microphones go but they are designed for professional live performance. Watching videos of live shows, I like to look out for what microphones artists use. More often than not it’s a Shure SM58 or Shure BETA 58A.

 

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Shure SM58-LC Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone

 

 

 

Shure BETA 58A Supercardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone

 

 

 

Shure 55SH Series II Iconic Unidyne Dynamic Vocal Microphone

 

 

 

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2. Sennheiser

Sennheiser represents the top-end of the microphones in this range. At around £200, it’s probably a fair bit more than most street musicians would spend on a microphone. I’ve not used one myself but I know them by reputation. If I were in the market for a quality dynamic microphone then I’d probably at least want to try out a Sennheiser mic to see what I’m missing out on if I spend £100 less on a Shure or AKG. The models below are Sennheiser’s most popular cardioid and super-cardioid models.

 

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Sennheiser E935 Cardioid Dynamic Handheld Microphone

 

 

 

Sennheiser E945 Supercardioid Dynamic Handheld Microphone

 

 

 

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3. AKG

AKG is the third of the three big brands here. They produce a range of professional quality microphones and are around half the price of their Shure equivalents. Many musicians simply prefer the sound of AKG – In London, the AKG D5 seems to be the mic of choice for beatboxers. One musician assured me that AKGs have a more dynamic range, while Shure microphones tend to focus on the midrange. Below are two of the most popular models.

 

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AKG D5 Supercardioid Dynamic Microphone

 

 

 

AKG Pro Audio Perception P3S Dynamic Cardiod Microphone

 

 

 

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4. Behringer

Behringer have a reputation for producing music and electronics equipment of a competitive standard for a fraction of the price of some the bigger brands. Some associate the name with low-quality, some with excellent value for money.

 

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Behringer Ultravoice XM8500 Dynamic Cardioid Vocal Microphone

 

 

 

Behringer BA 85A Dynamic Microphone

 

 

 

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Headset Microphones

Whoever’s braved Saturday night busking or playing to a rowdier crowd soon learns that firm “mic-management” is part of the job. Everyone wants a go on the microphone and you can easily find yourself losing control of a performance, having gear broken or stolen, or worse. A good solution is a headset microphone.

There are other reasons for choosing a headset microphone. They don’t need a stand, they’re extremely lightweight and it’s one less thing to faff about with when setting up. It also allows for more freer movement around your pitch and, if you’re playing something like drums or piano, then you don’t have to worry about turning your head to the microphone every time you want to sing.

On the downside, affordable headset mics aren’t generally regarded as offering the same quality as  classic microphone models. You also don’t have the option of singing further away or closer to he mouthpiece. Finally – importantly – most headset mics you come across are condenser microphones and aren’t really suited to live singing (see definitions above). That said, there are some dynamic headset microphones designed especially for live vocal performance.

 

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Shure WH20XLR Dynamic Headset Microphone (Wired)

 

 

 

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Mic Stands

Trying to keep gear as lightweight and portable as possible is always an issue. The microphone itself doesn’t add too much baggage but, unless you’re planning on using a headset mic or holding the mic in your hand, then you’ll also need a stand. A mic stand can also provide a strong grounding point for your show when performing to a larger crowd.

Assuming you’re not driving from pitch to pitch or you have a few roadies to help you, a cheap, lightweight stand is probably most suitable. Below are a few of the models I’ve come across.

 

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Samson MK-10 Microphone Boom Stand

 

 

 

Hercules MS432B Stage Series Microphone Boom Stand

 

 

 

Tiger Boom Microphone Stand with Mic Clip

 

 

 

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Finally, a note on types of microphone:

Condenser Vs. Dynamic – Condenser mics are extremely sensitive. They require extra power from the amp (phantom power) and are mostly used in studio recording. Dynamic mics are less sensitive and are more commonly used for live performance. They do not require phantom power. All the mics above are dynamic mics.

Cardioid Vs. Super-Cardioid – This refers to the direction and frequency of sounds that the microphone is designed to pick up. There are a number of nuances. In general, cardioid microphones are easier to work with if you don’t have much technical experience. They are preferred for situations where the singer’s head is likely to be moving around a lot (e.g. when they’re also playing an instrument). With super-cardioid microphones you get a bit more close-up sensitivity (not always desirable). They’re ideal for dedicated vocalists who can maintain good microphone control and want to shut out background noise. They’re sensitivity also makes them good for softer, singer-songwriter style music. The list below includes both cardioid and super-cardioid mics.

 

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Thomas Smolen is a street musician and the Author of 99 Buskers of London: Through the Eyes of London’s Street Musicians, which invites you to explore the world of one of the city’s most iconic subcultures through the eyes of the street musicians themselves.