The 6 Best Microphones for Smule (and How to Connect them) (2024)

If you want the best possible audio recording quality on Smule, the popular karaoke app, you need a good microphone. Luckily, there are many suitable options on the market.

My top pick is the Shure SM58. This is an extremely popular dynamic mic hailing from a juggernaut of a microphone company.

My budget pick is the IK Multimedia iRig Voice. This is an Android/iOS-compatible, handheld microphone at a very good price.

There are two options for connecting/using a microphone for Smule:

• Get a good microphone (options below) and use a device such as the IK Multimedia iRig Pre HD to allow you to connect this to your phone.
• OR you can get a quality mic like the Shure MV51 that plugs directly into your phone!

Dynamic microphones work better if you’re going to have a lot of background noise or the acoustics of your room are not very good.

Condenser microphones, on the other hand, are much more sensitive. They record with great quality, but you need to be in a quiet house and a room that’s not very echoey.

(The iRig Pre HD even supports condenser mics. Just hit the “phantom power” switch on the side of the device, and you are good to go!).

The 6 Best Microphones for Smule

1. Shure SM58

Top Pick - Very popular dynamic microphone with excellent, quality sound.

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2. IK Multimedia iRig Voice

Budget Pick - Affordable, handheld microphone for Android and iOS devices.

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3. Rode NT1-A

Pro Pick - Full-packaged condenser mic, great sound quality.

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4. Audio-Technica AT2020

Budget-friendly, highly popular condenser microphone for various settings.

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5. Sennheiser E835

Standard and light dynamic microphone.

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6. IK Multimedia iRig Mic HD 2

USB/iOS microphone, excellent for Smule.

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Let’s compare these in more detail.

1. Shure SM58

Top Pick

Very popular dynamic microphone with excellent, quality sound.

View Price at SweetwaterView Price at Amazon

When you think about a microphone, chances are there is an image in your head that looks a lot like SM58. Shure’s model is one of the most used models in the world and for a good reason as well.

This is a dynamic vocal microphone, which allows for recording and emitting of both singing and speech as well. It comes with integrated wind and breath filters which combined with a hard metal grill do their job nicely.

This cardioid mic isolates the main sound source, effectively diminishing background noise, and is a great all-around microphone that will cover all of your needs. With a frequency response of 50Hz-15kHz, 94dB SPL rating, and 150-ohm impedance, it’s a natural top choice.

2. IK Multimedia iRig Voice

Budget Pick

Affordable, handheld microphone for Android and iOS devices.

View Price at SweetwaterView Price at Amazon

The IK Multimedia iRig Voice is a handheld, condenser mic that works with Android devices (phone, tablet) and iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac). It works great with Smule so you can pump out some karaoke tunes.

This cardioid microphone is extremely affordable and easy to connect with its generous compatibility. Not to mention, you also have the EZ Voice app to process, record, and share your vocals. Paired with the FX suite, you get 9 vocal effects like auto-tune, compression, EQ, reverb, chorus, delay, and more.

For the given price, this lightweight mic is an excellent choice if you plan on rocking karaoke night!

3. Rode NT1-A

Pro Pick

Full-packaged condenser mic, great sound quality.

View Price at SweetwaterView Price at Amazon

Rode is a well-known name in the microphone world so it’s no surprise that it’s on this list. The NT1-A is a great condenser mic that comes with everything you might need. It has a large recording head, meaning you’ll catch every sound you want.

The great thing is that it comes with a shock absorber and a pop filter. This means that you’ll be able to set it up for the best recording straight out of the box. Note that you’ll need to get a phantom power supply of 48v to use this mic.

See our video review about Rode NT1-A below:

This large-diaphragm, condenser microphone is a top choice if you want quality vocals, full frequency range spectrum (20Hz-20kHz), high-SPL handling, and the full recording/singing package (included).

4. Audio-Technica AT2020

Popular, Budget-friendly

Budget-friendly, highly popular condenser microphone for various settings.

View Price at SweetwaterView Price at Amazon

The Audio Technica AT2020 is an extremely popular condenser microphone at a very attractive price that you might have seen in studios or home setups already. Due to the modest price tag, quality sound, and appealing specs, this mic is one to consider.

Paired with the IK iRig Pre HD, this baby will do wonders for karaoke. With a cardioid polar pattern, full-spectrum frequency response (20Hz-20kHz), a stunning max SPL rating of 144dB, and 100-ohm impedance, the AT2020 will amaze you.

Naturally, you will need a 48V phantom power source for it to work, but other than that, it should be straightforward to pair and connect with your device of choice.

5. Sennheiser E835

Well-rounded

Standard and light dynamic microphone.

View Price at SweetwaterView Price at Amazon

The Sennheiser E835 is another dynamic microphone from a well-known manufacturer. The E835 is an iconic mic that is well-known and loved around the world. This is the standard microphone that’s used for vocal and percussion recordings. It’s light and easy to use, as it doesn’t need any additional power.

This mic boasts really good specs such as the 40Hz-16kHz frequency response, 150dB SPL handling (pretty amazing), and 350-ohm impedance.

It features a built-in shockmount to handle noise and is especially impressive at keeping steady vocals, no matter the position, isolating the sound source well. If you want a consistent, quality vocal performance, the E835 will not disappoint.

6. IK Multimedia iRig Mic HD 2

Purpose-made

USB/iOS microphone, excellent for Smule.

View Price at AmazonView Price at Guitar Center

The IK Multimedia iRig Mic HD 2 is a great choice for karaoke purposes due to its USB/iOS compatibility. It comes with an integrated preamplifier for balancing vocals and has all the necessary accessories included with the purchase.

This cardioid, condenser mic has a 20-20 frequency range, good SPL handling of 125dB, and is incredibly lightweight. The LED display for status and level is the bread and butter for karaoke settings, making it a good choice among karaoke microphones.

A lot of factors contribute to the popularity of this mic for karaoke. The Integrated windshield, the headphone output, included accessories, and good specs make it an option worth considering.

What is Smule?

Smule is a karaoke-playing app. You can find it both for iOS and Android, and it’s the most popular karaoke app in the world. You can play it with your friends and you can also record and share videos of yourself singing for other members of the community to rate them and enjoy them.

You can choose from thousands of different songs from all ages and territories, adjust your voice through different filters, and have different effects to set up your voice to sound just as you want it to.

The importance of using a pop-filter

If you’ve ever recorded something, you have noticed that on certain letters you can hear a pop when you say them in the microphone. This is a well-known effect of plosives – sounds that create a popping sound when being recorded straight into the microphone.

This is the consequence of the air coming at really high speeds from your mouth when you say certain sounds. This high-speed air hits the microphone and creates that popping sound everybody hates.

To prevent this, people usually use pop filters – those circular meshes you can see in front of the microphones and you always wondered what those are exactly. Pop filters are really cheap these days and even if you don’t want to spend extra money, you can find really good tutorials online on how to make one yourself.

Also, check out our article on microphone stands if you need to get one.

Use this setup with other apps

Once you set up your recording equipment, you don’t have to use it just for Smule. This will work on any recording equipment, from your phone, computer, or even studio settings. Always keep in mind that this equipment is really easy to use and versatile, so play with it and see what you’ll get.

Conclusion

I hope that this article was informative and helped you find the best microphone for Smule that suits your needs. Even though most people will use them just for karaoke, you don’t have to be restrained just to the Smule app – you can use it freely in different situations, experiment with it, and have fun!

My top recommended karaoke mic is the Shure SM58, an extremely popular dynamic mic hailing from a very well-known manufacturer.

My second recommended karaoke mic is the IK Multimedia iRig Voice, an Android/iOS-compatible, handheld microphone at a very good price.