Microphones and Room

Acoustics and Their Influence on

Voice Signals
Svante Granqvist 1, Jan vec 2
1

Department of Speech, Music and Hearing (TMH), Royal Institute of

Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden
2

Groningen Voice Research Lab, Department of Biomedical

Engineering, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Recording voice
Microphones
SPL calibration
Room acoustics / Noise
Recommendations

Microphone directivity
Two common directivity patterns
Omnidirectional
Picks up sound from all directions

Cardioid
Mainly pics up sound from the front of the
microphone; good for suppression of ambient
noise and reverberant sound

Omnidirectional is preferrable unless

ambient sound is a problem

Microphone
frequency response
Omnidirectional measurement
microphones can be flat within a
dB 20-20 000 Hz
Microphones for stage/studio
use often have a peak around 510 kHz
Cardiod microphones have a
distance dependent bass boost
(proximity effect)

Microphone
recommendations
First choice should be an omnidirectional
electret or condenser microphone
If ambient noise or reverberation is a problem
Consider using a head mounted omnidirectional
microphone
Consider a directional microphone
at least 30 cm from the mouth or,
at the distance which gives flat response

Make sure that you fully understand the

consequenses before using head mounted
directional microphones
Do not use dynamic microphones

SPL calibration
calibrator
A calibrator is a device that is
attached to the microphone
and generates a well-defined
SPL (usually 94 dB, 1kHz)
Standard for measurement
microphones
Make sure the calibrator fits
tight on the microphone
Never, ever use it for
directional microphones!

SPL calibration
loudspeaker & level meter
Generate a test tone with
a loudspeaker or use a
sustained vowel
The level at the
microphone is measured
by a level meter close to
the microphone

SPL calibration
Level meter at 30 cm,
mic at mouth
Can be used for
headmounted
microphones
Automatically accounts
for the short distance
between mic and mouth
Results in calibration as
if level had been
measured at 30 cm

SPL calibration
Recommendations
Take the time to do level calibrations!
A simple calibration with the voice and a
level meter is often enough
Calibration is not difficult, still it often goes
wrong
Keys to successful calibration:
Verification
Experience / establisment of a standard procedure

Room acoustics

Room acoustics
Recommendations
Use an acoustically treated room to
reduce reverberation
Put the microphone well inside the
reverberation radius
Put the microphone even closer for soft
voice
Beware of reflective surfaces

Five points to
bring back home
1. Directional microphones suffer from a proximity
effect, use omnidirectional microphones if possible
2. SPL calibration is cool
3. Voice SPL needs to be reported with a distance
(e.g. 30 cm)
4. 30 cm is the smallest acceptable distance for
sound level meters and microphones not fixed to
the head
5. At distances larger than the reverberation radius,
voice is always altered by the reflected sound

Big nonos
Measure H1-H2 with a head mounted
cardioid microphone
Record LTAS of the voice using a
microphone at a distance of 2 metres
Use a calibrator on a directional
microphone
To say: I dont need SPL calibration for this
specific study

Thank you!