-
Wanna Know The Different types of Microphones?


We've all seen them being used atleast once in our lives, be it being used at a concert to make Justin Beiber sound 10 times louder (and manlier), or being lowered down from the ceiling of a wrestling ring for the announcements, but all these MICROPHONES essentially do the same thing but in a different way which brings up the question of the different types of Microphones.

                                      Image result for different microphones                                       

First off lets us look at the principle a microphone uses to work. A Microphones is technically a transducer which is a device that converts a type of energy into a different type, which in the case
of a microphone, converts physical energy into electrical energy. Different types of microphones accept and convert sound pressure differently which gives the microphones it's characteristic on the basis of their textures, qualities and uses. 

Instead of getting into detail, we'll just look into the TWO main "umbrella" categories of microphones, which are

  • Dynamic Microphones
        &
  • Condenser Microphones  


A Dynamic Microphone, also called moving-coil microphone has a few components inside of it, which help produce the sound through a speaker, which are the diaphragm, coil and magnet. The diaphragm element,which is placed in front of the magnet, moves back and forth due to sound pressure with respect to sound waves. There is also another part in between the diaphragm and magnet which is a coil. Due to the vibrations coming from the sound waves, the coil also moves. This movement inside produces an electromotive force across the terminals of the coil, with which in turn, sound is produced.
       
Image result for working of dynamic microphone gif 
If you're looking for something reliable and versatile, then you would want to start with dynamic mics. Thanks to their moving coil magnetic diaphragm, these mics reliably capture sound and can do so even at high sound pressure levels. Which allows you to use them for miking loud sound sources like bass and guitar amplifiers, and even drum kits without worrying about damage AND they also work quite well in quieter settings.

Image result for dynamic microphones


A Condenser Microphone, which is also known by the name capacitor microphone or  electrostatic microphone consists of a component, made up of a thin film covered with a conductive material like silver or gold suspended over a powered backplate. The diaphragm is a piece of an electrical circuit that transforms voltage with movement and this voltage turns into the output of the microphone which is what we all hear.

Image result for working of condenser microphone gif 
 Not all microphones like the dynamic microphones, require power to work whereas condenser microphones do require it. This power is supplied by means of an outside “power supply” or something many in the industry refer to as “phantom power” which gets its name from the fact that it cannot be seen hence "Phantom" and in light of the fact that there is no extra wiring or connections to carry the direct current power from the support to the microphone. Phantom power is a direct current voltage given back through the microphone cable from the console to the capacitor microphone to run its internal hardware. Mostly all audio consoles have a built-in 48 volt supply that can be sent to the required microphone through the microphone (XLR) cable. Since they use this technology instead of actual moving coils like the dynamics, fidelity and sound quality is improved, making these mics ideal for precision recording in the studio. Whatever instrument you are trying to record, condenser mics will get the job done so long as the sound pressure levels aren't too high. Just remember to handle them with care as they are not as robust as dynamic mics.



Image result for condenser microphones 


References


A Mic for Every Occasion: Types of Mics and Where to Use Them. (2013, February 03). Retrieved  November01,2017,from http://inventorspot.com/articles/mic_every_occasion_types_mics_and_where_use_them

Cross-Section of a Typical Condenser Microphone [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from                    https://www.mediacollege.com/audio/microphones/condenser.html 

[Different types of Dynamic microphones] [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gearank.com/guides/best-dynamic-microphones

[Different types of  microphones] [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.homebrewaudio.com/7-important-microphone-types-that-you-should-know/

[Different types of condenser microphones] [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.micreviews.com/guides/top-10-best-condenser-microphones

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gearank.com/articles/types-of-mics
What a Microphone Does. (n.d.). Retrieved November 01, 2017, from http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/site/b0d226992d31e25d/index.html#phantom

THE DYNAMIC MICROPHONE. [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://artsites.ucsc.edu/ems/music/tech_background/te-20/teces_20.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
Image
The inline mixing console......What is it? There are essentially two different sources of sound in a typical recording studio. One obviously from the artist or source you are recording, and the other from the track which was already recorded on your digital audio workstation (DAW). You want to be able to listen to, as a recording engineer, to both these sources on your loudspeakers in the control room. Inline mixers are a specially configured type of mixer that are able to monitor ‘multitrack’ tape returns using the same channels that were used to connect line ins and microphones, I.e. the two different sources we saw earlier. This would be in opposition to the other type of mixers known as ‘split mixers’ which difference is that they have separate inputs dedicated to returns and sends. Since the inline mixer basically does a two in one job, they have the advantage of beings smaller and comparatively cheaper. It would just generally have a few more knobs and switches on e...
Read more
-
Image
How the COVID-19 situation affected my learning It’s a sad truth today that no one can say that the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t affected them in any way possible. Having said that I just wanted to dwell into my personal experience dealing with it and how I used this free time to learn as much as I could in the field of Audio. I’m sure for all of us the first few days under quarantine were a bit odd, but during this time, as hard as it may be confined at home for the longest time, the best thing you could do is look at the positives and try and learn something new. Personally, I have been trying to get better at producing music and learning more on how to use Logic Pro X. In addition to this I have been watching a lot of webinars from audio professionals and companies that have helped a lot. I've been able to ask questions to seasoned professionals. For example I have been following an instagram live series by the Shure team in India, called Shure Engineer Spotl...
Read more
-
Image
Critically Listening to a Whole Album One of my classes in the studio 1 unit at SAE Institute Dubai was all about listening critically. This means to pay attention to details that one would not notice at the first listen, but when you hear it once, you cannot miss it again. Be it a good thing or a bad thing, it makes the difference between professionalism and amateur work. By training our ears to listen and judge specific frequencies & sounds, we help ourselves to ensure a better outcome in our end product, whatever it may be within the audio field. In one of our classes, we listened to the whole album titled ‘DAMN.’ in one sitting. Listening to all 55 minutes of it in one stretch was truly eye opening, or should I say, ear opening. We were able to listen to exactly what the artist was trying to convey to the listeners throughout the album. We were able to appreciate all the efforts put into the album by the artist and all those who worked behind the scenes ...
Read more