What is the difference between a condenser and a dynamic microphone?

A condenser microphone uses a lightweight, electrically charged diaphragm that needs external power, either 48V phantom power from a mixer or interface, or a battery. That power lets it respond to fine detail and produce a more open, extended sound, which is why studios lean on condensers for vocals, acoustic instruments, and voiceover work. Large-diaphragm condensers favor warmth on vocals; small-diaphragm condensers favor accuracy on instruments and overheads. The tradeoff is sensitivity: a condenser also picks up room reflections, air conditioning, and background noise as readily as it picks up the source. A dynamic microphone works off a simple moving-coil design with no external power required. It takes more sound pressure before distorting, tolerates handling and drops better, and rejects more of the room around it, which is why live vocals, broadcast booms, and untreated spaces default to dynamic. USB microphones for podcasting and streaming are almost always condensers with the preamp and converter built in.

In a treated studio recording a quiet source, pick a condenser for the extra detail. In a live room, a stage, or anywhere sound bleeds in from outside the mic, pick a dynamic. When unsure, a dynamic is the safer default for anything outside a treated room.

• Condensers need phantom power or a battery; dynamics need neither.
• Condensers are more sensitive, so they pick up room tone along with the source.
• Dynamics take more sound pressure before distorting and hold up to rough handling.
• In an untreated or loud room, a dynamic usually sounds cleaner despite the lower spec sheet.
• Large-diaphragm condensers suit vocals; small-diaphragm condensers suit instruments and detail work.