Microphone: Characteristics, Classifications, and Types

MICROPHONE
Characteristics, Classifications, and Types.

What is a Microphone?
What is a Microphone?
A small, portable assembly for the pick-
up and conversion of sound into
electrical energy.
Sound Waves
Sound Waves
Electrical energy
Sound Generating Elements of a Microphone
Diaphragm, voice-coil, air pressure

Characteristics of Microphones
1- Sound-generating Systems
DYNAMIC Microphone
• Most rugged
• Can withstand high-sound
levels (input overload)
• Can withstand fairly extreme
temperatures
• No battery needed
• Good for vocals and music
instruments
CONDENSER Microphone
• Sensitive to phyisical shock

• Sensitive to input overload
• Sensitive to temperature
change
• Needs small battery
• Higher quality sound at
greater distances
RIBBON Microphone
• Sensitive to phyisical shock
• Sensitive to input overload
• Sensitive to temperature
change
• No battery needed
• Higher quality sound at
greater distances
Other Types (according to Sound-
generating Systems)
• oldest and simplest microphone that

CARBON Microphone
uses carbon dust.
• the technology used in the first
telephones and is still used in some
telephones today.
• The carbon dust has a thin metal or plastic
diaphragm on one side. As sound waves hit
the diaphragm, they compress the carbon
dust, which changes its resistance. By
running a current through the carbon, the
changing resistance changes the amount of
current that flows.
generating Systems)
FIBER OPTIC Microphone

• fiber optic microphones can be extremely small, and they can be
used in electrically sensitive environments.
• They can also be produced with no metal, which makes them very useful in
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications and other situations where
radio frequency interference is an issue
generating Systems)
LIQUID Microphone
• invented by Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas

Watson
• a precursor to what would later become the condenser microphone
• used a metal cup filled with water and sulfuric acid. A diaphragm was placed
over the cup with a needle on the receiving side of the diaphragm. Sound
waves would cause the needle to move in the water. A small electrical current
ran to the needle, which was modulated by sound vibrations.
• The liquid microphone was never a particularly functional device, but it
makes a great science experiment
generating Systems)
ELECTRET Microphone
• most widely used microphones on Earth

• cheap and relatively simple, electret mics are used in cell phones, computers
and hands-free headsets
• a type of condenser microphone in which the external charge is replaced
with an electret material, which by definition is in a permanent state of
electric polarization
generating Systems)
LASER Microphone
• works by capturing vibrations off of a plane, like a windowpane, for

example, and transmitting the signal back to a photo detector, which
converts the reflected laser beam into an audio signal.
generating Systems)
CRYSTA
L
Micropho
ne
• By attaching a diaphragm to a
crystal, the crystal will create a signal
when sound waves hit the diaphragm.
2- Pick-up Patterns
• the territory within which a

microphone can hear well.
• Omnidirectional, Bidirectional,
Unidirectional, and Cardioid
2- Pick-up Patterns
OMNIDIRECTIONAL Microphone
• the microphone hears sounds from all

directions EQUALLY well.
2- Pick-up Patterns
BIDIRECTIONAL Microphone
• the microphone hears better in

TWO OPPOSITE directions.
2- Pick-up Patterns
UNIDIRECTIONAL Microphone
• the microphone hears better in

ONE direction (the front of the
microphone than its side or back.
2- Pick-up Patterns
CARDIOID Microphone
• the microphone hears in a HEART-

SHAPED pattern but hearing is
more concentrated on the front
rather than on the side.
2- Pick-up Patterns
CARDIOID Microphone
• the microphone hears in a HEART-

SHAPED pattern but hearing is
more concentrated on the front
rather than on the side.
3- Physical Forms (Mobile &

Stationary)
o MOBILE o STATIONARY
o Hand o Desk
o Lavaliere o Stand
o Boom o Hanging
o Wireless o Hidden
o Headset o Long distance

Stationary)
HAND Microphone

Stationary)
LAVALIERE Microphone

Stationary)
BOOM Microphone

Stationary)
WIRELESS Microphone

Stationary)
HEADSET Microphone

Stationary)
DESK Microphone

Stationary)
STAND Microphone

Stationary)
HANGING Microphone

Stationary)
HIDDEN Microphone

Stationary)
LONG DISTANCE Microphone

Special Features of Microphones
POP FILTERS
Eliminates breath pops
that could occur when
someone is speaking
into the mic at close
distance.
It also reduces
distortion when the mic
is held close to a very
loud sound source.
Special Features of Microphones
WINDSCREEN
It’s made of acoustic
foam rubber, is put on
the microphone to
eliminate, or at least to
reduce, the low rumble
of wind noise.
When used outside,
shotgun mic are
entirely covered by
windscreen.
USING THE MICROPHONE
How to use a hand microphone:
• CHEST POSITION (ex.: news reporting, hosting)

• MOUTH (ex.: outdoor reporting/hosting)
• SINGING
• INTERVIEWING CHILDREN
CHEST
POSITION
MOUTH
POSITION
SINGIN
G
INTERVIEWING
CHILDREN
INTERVIEWING
CHILDREN
Microphone Techniques:
• ON-MIC
• OFF-MIC
• FADING ON
• FADING OFF
• BEHIND OBSTRUCTION
ON-MIC
• The speaker is closer to
the mic
• It appears the speaker is
at the main scene
• OFF-MIC
• The speaker is away from the
mic
away/far from the main
scene
• FADING ON
• The speaker is moving
closer to the mic
moving towards the main
scene
• FADING OFF
• The speaker is moving
farther from the mic
• It appears the speaker
is moving away from the
main scene
• BEHIND OBSTRUCTION
• The speaker is talking
behind a wall/room.

Microphone: Characteristics, Classifications, and Types

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MICROPHONE

Characteristics, Classifications, and Types.

Diaphragm, voice-coil, air pressure

• Sensitive to phyisical shock

• oldest and simplest microphone that

FIBER OPTIC Microphone

• invented by Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas

• most widely used microphones on Earth

• works by capturing vibrations off of a plane, like a windowpane, for

• the territory within which a

• the microphone hears sounds from all

• the microphone hears better in

• the microphone hears better in

• the microphone hears in a HEART-

• the microphone hears in a HEART-

3- Physical Forms (Mobile &

3- Physical Forms (Mobile &

3- Physical Forms (Mobile &

3- Physical Forms (Mobile &

3- Physical Forms (Mobile &

3- Physical Forms (Mobile &

3- Physical Forms (Mobile &

3- Physical Forms (Mobile &

3- Physical Forms (Mobile &

3- Physical Forms (Mobile &

3- Physical Forms (Mobile &

LONG DISTANCE Microphone

• CHEST POSITION (ex.: news reporting, hosting)

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