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Recommendations · U7 of 8
This is an updateable recommendation page, not a course article — it includes device models, prices, and comparisons, and should be revisited roughly every 6 months as they change. It does not cover why or when a room microphone is worth adding — see “Room Microphones” (T10) for that reasoning.
Once the decision has been made to add a room microphone, a practical question remains: which microphone should be bought? There are, in principle, two microphone types to choose from, and the choice between them mostly comes down to what kind of mounting spot is available in the room and how visible the microphone is allowed to be.
Two Microphone Types
| Boundary microphone | Condenser microphone on a stand | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Flat, placed directly on a level surface (e.g. the floor or a table) — the surface itself is part of the microphone’s operating principle | A traditional small- or large-diaphragm condenser microphone, mounted on a microphone stand or a hanging mount |
| Fit | Good when the room has a suitable horizontal surface near the desired pickup point and a stand should not be visible in an aisle or pew row | Good when a mounting spot already exists overhead (e.g. a balcony rail, a ceiling truss, a wall console) or no suitable flat surface exists |
| Visibility in the room | Low profile, unobtrusive | More visible — the stand or hanging mount becomes part of the room’s appearance |
| Need for phantom power | Yes — PRO44: 9–52V, Shure MX391: 11–52V (both also work below 48V; see T10) | Yes — Behringer C-2: 48V (see T10) |
| Approximate price range | A mid-priced model roughly 100–150 €, a more prestigious brand noticeably more | The cheapest option can be cheaper than a boundary microphone, but a stand and possibly a hanging mount are also needed |
Neither type is universally better than the other — both need the mixer’s phantom power and a free channel to work, as already covered in T10. The difference is mainly practical: a boundary microphone suits a situation where the desired pickup point is low and a stand should not stand in the middle of the room, while a condenser microphone on a stand works well when a mounting spot already exists overhead or is otherwise ready.
Examples of Models Available
Among boundary microphones, a widely available example that has been on the market for a long time internationally is the Audio-Technica PRO44 (a cardioid boundary microphone). Its indicative price at the time of writing this check is roughly 120–140 €, depending on the retailer. A higher-priced alternative in the same microphone type is the Shure MX391 series, which is likewise very widely available internationally, but whose current euro-denominated price was not confirmed from a reliable European source as part of this check.
On the condenser-microphone side, one example is the Behringer C-2 — a pair of small-diaphragm condenser microphones, usually sold as a pair and used either singly or both together. Their indicative price is roughly 40–70 € per pair, clearly cheaper per microphone than the boundary microphones mentioned above — though the price of a stand and any hanging mount comes on top.
These three models serve as indicative examples across different price ranges, not as absolute recommendations. Checking the lineup and prices before buying is always necessary, since both availability and price level vary by market and by date.