SM86

Tonal Profile

Handheld cardioid condenser for stage vocals, with a three-stage pop filter and a shock-mounted cartridge.

Gain Staging Advice

-50 dBV/Pa sits 9 dB above an SM7B and 16 dB below an AT4040 - handheld condensers live between the two families, and this is usually the cheapest way off a hungry dynamic without moving to a studio microphone. Phantom power is the actual decision, not the level: an SM58 works into a passive mixer, an SM86 does not work there at all.