Roy, there are many different types of mics, all for different purposes.
As you guessed, the mic you have is designed for different equipment than that which you now wish to use.
What do you want to use the mics for? To record your Voice? To record a musical instrument? If so what musical instrument? There are many other applications a mic can be used for, but the first thing to decide is what purpose you will want to use the mic for? Only then will you know what mics to purchase.
You could make a list. You might find that really you need several different mics for various purposes. That it would be a good idea to buy several over a long period of time, when and as you can afford them.
But when you know what you want to use the mic for and what your budget for that is, you will be able to tell us and get good advice on the type of mic to purchase with recommendations for particular models.
So there are many, many, different types of mics. (There are even laser mics that industrial spies can point at windows far away and record what is being said in a room). The windows vibrate with the sound.
Always make sure your gain and level faders are turned down before you connect or disconnect mics.
Generally, there are three main mic types that the equipment you have, would be hooked up to.
1 ) Condenser Mics which use Phantom Power @ 48Volts (see the switch in TotalMix).
There are Large Diaphragm Condensers, mainly used for Vocals (which “flatter” and “enhance”).
And Small Diaphragm Condensers, mainly used for Instruments (which are more accurate).
Both could be used for either application but are mainly used as described. Both need Phantom Power. That is VERY IMPORTANT.
So, connect everything up, then switch on PP and wait a minute before using these mics.
When you finish, always switch off PP and wait a minute before you disconnect these mics.
ALWAYS follow this procedure without fail.
2 ) Dynamic mics, (Moving Coil) some of which are commonly used for Live Vocals, but some are often used equally well on Recordings.
Particular models are favoured both for Vocal use and Instrument use because of the quality of sound they bestow. So again, they can be used for both purposes.
But USUALLY, Dynamic Mics do not need Phantom Power at all.
So, make sure your PP switch is off before using these mics.
ALWAYS follow this procedure without fail.
3 ) Dynamic mics, (Ribbon). A Ribbon Mic is also a Dynamic mic but works in a different way and sounds great on Vocals and Brass instruments.
You probably don’t need to think about these but I mention them because you will come across them and won’t then be confused about them.
But USUALLY, Dynamic Mics do not need Phantom Power at all.
So, make sure your PP switch is off before using these mics.
ALWAYS follow this procedure without fail.
You will read that you can use such Dynamic mics even if Phantom Power is on and they won’t be affected or damaged as a result. This is because many cheap live mixers only have a single phantom power switch for all the channels. Unlike your very clever TotalMix which provides individual switches.
Why bother about the procedure then? Because like being in the Military, it’s the drill that is important. It conditions you to do what you need to automatically especially when you are very involved with other matters.
Knowing what you are doing and why for each mic is like a drill and will prevent the chance of bad things happening. When you are busy recording or have someone else around, your mind will be elsewhere and its easy to do silly things that could damage your equipment. THEN the drill will save your bacon.
A great many of the people that cry their hearts out about something bad that happened to their equipment they didn’t want, do so simply because they never bothered to discipline themselves to follow very simple procedures of the type I am encouraging you to follow.
Turn gain and faders down before connecting. Do the same before disconnecting. Don’t connect or disconnect anything while Phantom Power is on.
Take time to learn the best mics to buy, but to get you started you could purchase a cheap Large Diaphragm Condenser mic for small money that would get you started.
https://www.studiospares.com/audio-tech … lsrc=aw.ds
