Recording the beautiful sound that comes off your Cajon can be a pain. Not all the mics out there can pick up the sound coming from your Cajon.
There aren’t really a lot of mics that are built specifically for Cajons. But some mics work great with banjos, congas, and frame drums. And those mics are often a good match with Cajons.
We’ve gone through around twenty different mics while testing. Then we came up with the top picks. You can find the best mic for Cajon after going through the article.
Don’t worry. We tried our best to make the analysis a bit comparative. So you would get a good idea about how all of the mics work.
Types of Mics for Your Cajon
So which mics would work best for your Cajon? I’d say that mics that go with kick drums are good picks. The category is quite specific. So it’s not quite feasible for companies to only make dedicated mics for Cajons.
In any case, we picked out five different microphones that are similarly priced for your convenience.
Don’t worry about the technical bits. It’s straightforward to mic a Cajon.
Top 5 Best Mic for Cajon
| Image | Price | Product Name | Connectivity | Polar Pattern | Connector Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Check Current Price | Shure SM57-LCE Cardioid Microphone | Wired | Unidirectional | XLR |
  | Check Current Price | Shure BETA52A Super Cardioid Microphone | Wired | Unidirectional | XLR |
  | Check Current Price | Telefunken M 80 Handheld Microphone | Wired | Unidirectional | XLR |
  | Check Current Price | AKG Pro Audio D112 MKII | Wired, Wireless | Unidirectional | XLR |
  | Check Current Price | Audix D4 Dynamic Microphone | Wired | Unidirectional | XLR |
We know what you’re thinking after checking the comparison table. Yes, you can’t really differentiate the products here through it.
So here’s a more visual representation of what we thought about these mics for Cajons-
1. Shure SM57-LCE Cardioid Microphone
With the shorter comparison out of the way, here’s our first product. Shure is sure to get some attention when it comes to kicking drum microphones, get it? Whatever.
We picked this out of all others on the top spot for a reason. So what is it?
Let’s talk about what comes in the box. Well, you only get a mic and the mount. And this is pretty much the same thing across all the mics that we featured.
But you do get the option to add an XLR-to-USB adapter with this one. Unfortunately for you, they priced the whole package at twice the price. So you can probably buy another mic with the price you pay for the adapter.
You can save quite a few bucks if you opt for a cheaper adapter that does the same thing.
But this is also the cheapest mic for Cajon on the list. So you can probably
We know Cajon mics don’t need to be wireless. But this one misses out on that feature. We wouldn’t have talked about it if the third mic on the list didn’t have the wireless interface. So we’re going to have to deduct points here.
Although they boast a lot about the 40-15000Hz frequency response, I think you won’t get extreme results with this.
We paired this with our Cajon, reading the frequencies well enough. The aftereffects indeed catch the beats. So we were able to head a distinct Cajon noise.
This means that the mic is just good enough for a Cajon mic.
Things That Can Improve:
- This mic isn’t on the sturdier side. But you can probably live with this since it’s the cheapest on the list.
- The mic clip that comes with this isn’t particularly durable. A sturdier mic clip might help you out in this case.
2. Shure BETA52A Super Cardioid Microphone
Up next, we have another premium offering from Shure. It’s not the most expensive one here. So you still have a bit of leeway.
If anything, this one is different. The overall shape of this mic for Cajon is kind of different from the others. And this is the heaviest mic on the list too.
So you might want to consider getting a decent stand for this. Otherwise, the weight might offset the balance. This could end up harming the actual sound that the mic reads.
This one certainly has the upper hand when it comes to durability. The alloy steel build puts this one on top. But we thought it was priced a bit higher than it should have been.
But this one seemed to hold up better than even the most expensive mic on this list. We’ll talk about that one next.
As for this Shure mic, it’s sure to capture audio with decent clarity. We could hear the sound just fine with decent headphones. You might be interested in knowing about headphones that work with this audio.
Unlike the others, this mic uses a AAA battery. So you can guess that it isn’t operated like the others.
Just don’t think that you’re holding a hairdryer while you’re handling this. Trust me, we thought it was a hairdryer too.
Regardless. This picks up the high end quite well. A lot of people think this has a decent thump on the low side. But I think they could’ve done this better.
Things That Can Improve:
- A bit on the expensive side. You can pick up the first product if you want a cheaper alternative.
- The thump in the low end isn’t remarkable. Check out a mic with a better thump if this bothers you.
3. Telefunken M 80 Handheld Microphone
Coming in at third place, we have a basic microphone from Telefunken.
The M 80 from Telefunken manages to hold up quite well against the others on the list. With that said, this falls short in the frequency range by the slightest of margins.
This one has the lowest range of 50Hz. Even the Shure mic on the top spot has the lowest range of 40Hz. And that one’s two times less expensive than this one. So make your call wisely.
I’d say where this one takes the cake is in the options. You get to choose from the basic one, the cherry with wooden accents, the gold one, and the chrome one.
We had the cherry one, and it matched quite well with our Cajon’s aesthetics. You might also want to give this a try.
Telefunken always manages to get the basics right. And it’s the same case with this one. While it’s not the best on the list, this has potential. But there’s plenty of room for improvement.
Things That Can Improve:
- Not the best top ends. If this bothers you, you can opt for a condenser mic.
- It’s expensive for the features it provides. A cheaper microphone might do the trick for you if this is concerning.
4. AKG Pro Audio D112 MKII
We have a microphone from AKG up next. The Pro Audio D112 MKII from AKG made it into the top five.
And although it’s a crowd favorite, we have mixed opinions.
First off, we don’t appreciate the high price point. This thing is the most expensive mic on the list. And it just didn’t seem to lie up to its price in our eyes.
But we’re not going to be too harsh on this one. That’s because this is the only one with a wireless mode on the list. It’s also a comparatively higher impedance than the others.
When it comes to the mic’s weight, this happens to be one of the lightest. So there’s that. While we thought that the larger diaphragm of the mic was weird, it supposedly serves a purpose.
They claim that the mic picks up lower frequencies better with this design. While the differences in results weren’t that drastic, we think they’re onto something.
Things That Can Improve:
- There’s a slight latency with the wireless mode. Sticking to the wired mode is the best option.
5. Audix D4 Dynamic Microphone
Lastly, we have the Audix D4 Dynamic mic. And it is perfectly fine if you haven’t heard about the company before.
The maximum frequency response of 18000Hz puts this in the same bracket as the other mics on the list.
Another thing that puts this on this bracket is the price. It’s similarly priced to the others. But it’s a shame that this one doesn’t offer any variations.
Although they claim that this handles the higher SPLs without any sort of distortion, we’ll disagree. Handling that extremely well is an exaggeration. It’s decent at best.
Hooking this up to our Cajon was easy. Although it doesn’t come with a mic clip, you can probably hook this up with a cheaper alternative.
Things That Can Improve:
- This isn’t too well built. If this bothers you, you can go for the second mic on the list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use condenser microphones for my Cajon?
Yes, condenser microphones work decently for Cajons too. Their versatility makes the mics work with all instruments. But they do suffer in the durability department.
How can I amplify my Cajon?
Using a mic for Cajon towards the top soundhole of the Cajon works wonders. This is the more effective way using the least effort. And you can use a dynamic microphone like a Shure mic to make full use of this.
Can I opt for cheaper mics?
You can definitely try out cheaper mics like this one from Meinl. Such condenser microphones are easier to stick with your Cajon’s surface. So if the convenience factor is important to you, you can opt for such microphones.
Final Words
In the end, all that matters is how the audio sounds in your ears. And if the mic cannot replicate what you hear while playing the Cajon, it’s a no-go.
On your hunt for the best mic for Cajon, you might see other recommendations too. Pick up where you left off if something goes wrong with your choice.
We’re sure that you can pick the perfect mic for your Cajon with your help. Let us know how your search went.
