•  Iden%fy(the(differences(between(dynamic(and(condenser(microphones(in(terms(of(

MICROPHONES sound(genera%on,(benefits(and(drawbacks(
•  Understand(and(use(the(terms(transducer(and(electromagne%c(induc%on(

A(microphone(is(a(transducer(that(converts(between(sound(and(electrical(energy.((
There(are(two(important(types(of(microphone;(dynamic(and(condenser.(
Dynamic Microphones Condenser Microphones

ELECTRICAL(SIGNAL(
DIAPHRAGM(

DIAPHRAGM(
CHANGING(CAPACITANCE(
CAPACITOR(
PLATES(
POWER(
COIL( MAGNET(

CAPSULE(

Dynamic(microphones(use(electromagne@c(induc@on( Condenser( microphones( use( a( capacitor( to( capture(

to(capture(a(sound(signal.( sound.( ( The( sound( causes( the( vibra@on( of( the(
(The( sound( causes( the( vibra@on( of( the( diaphragm,( diaphragm,(which(is(one(plate(of(a(capacitor.(
(which(causes(the(magnet(to(move(through(the(coil.( ( the( capacitor( plates( are( powered,( moving( the(
As(
(
This( induces( an( electrical( current( in( the( coil( that( is( diaphragm( causes( a( change( in( capacitance( &( thus( a(
(
current(flows.(
propor%onal(to(the(disturbance(of(the(diaphragm.(
Dynamic(microphones(are(oCen(used(for(sources(with(a( Condenser(microphones(are(oCen(used(for(studio(work(
high( SPL( (sound( pressure( level,( or( volume).( They( are( as( they( have( a( wide( and( flat( frequency( response( and(
robust( and( oCen( rela@vely( inexpensive,( and( don’t( capture(high(frequencies(well.(They(are(very(sensi@ve.(
require(phantom(power.( However,( because( the( capacitor( needs( powering,(
However,(their(high(frequency(response(is(oCen(worse( condenser( microphones( require( phantom( power( or( a(
than(condensers(&(they(have(a(low(output(volume.( baNery,(and(can(be(quite(expensive(and(fragile.(
Some(lesserOused(types(of(microphones(are(ribbon,(PZM,(electret(and(contact.( A(polar(paSern(
( tells(us(how(sound(
A(microphone’s(frequency(response(tell(us(the(frequencies(it(picks(up(in(rela%on( is(picked(up(
to(the(human(hearing(range.(It(is(common(to(see(a(graph(of(a(microphone’s( around(the(
microphone.(
frequency(response.(
The(flaSer(the(graph,(the(more(‘true’(the(sound(is.(
If(a(graph(has(any(par%cular(peaks,(this(means(that(
those(frequencies(are(captured(louder(than(they(
are(in(‘realOlife’.(This(is(coloura@on.( OMNIDIRECTIONAL(
A(microphone’s(transient(response(is(how(quickly(
the(diagram(can(move(when(disturbed(by(a(
vibra%on.(Large(diaphragm(condenser(microphones(
tend(to(have(a(fast(transient(response.( CARDIOID(

The(proximity(effect(is(when(low(frequencies(are(emphasised(when(you(get(closer(
to(the(microphone.(This(can(be(fixed(by(moving(further(back(or(by(using(EQ(later(
on.(Some%mes(this(effect(is(used(to(give(a(‘warmer’(sound.(
Plosive(sounds(cause(a(big(disturbance(in(a(microphone’s(diagram(causing(a(‘pop’( FIGUREQOFQEIGHT(
sound.(Sounds(like(‘p’(and(‘d’(are(par%cularly(bad(for(this.(A(pop(shield(can(be(
used(to(avoid(such(issues.(
Sibilance(is(‘s’Olike(sounds(which(jump(through(the(mix.(Some(engineers(tape(a(
pencil(to(the(microphone(to(avoid(this,(or(a(deesser(can(be(used(in(produc%on.(( HYPERCARDIOID(
SM58(image(licensed(under(the(Crea%ve(Commons(ANribu%on(2.5(Generic(license(from(hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shure_SM58.jpg.(AKG(C214(image(licensed(under(the(
Crea%ve(Commons(ANribu%onOShare(Alike(3.0(Unported(license(from(hNp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AKG_C214_condenser_microphone_with_H85_shock_mount.jpg.(