Microphones

Noise is an inherent issue in the world of audio. Maintaining a high signal-to-noise ratio is critical to getting a clean audio signal from your recordings, sound reinforcement, and playback. A good signal-to-noise ratio starts at the microphone. What is a good signal-to-noise ratio for a microphone? Ideally, we want no noise in the mic…

Microphones are found nearly everywhere nowadays (we carry them around in our devices all day). However, there was a time when microphones did not exist at all and had to be invented. Who invented the microphone? Emile Berliner invented the first microphone in 1876 with Thomas Edison. David E. Hughes independently created the same type…

There are so many microphones to choose from on the market today. When looking for a microphone, it’s great to know the different types of mics and what makes one microphone different from another. In this article, we’ll discuss every type of microphone there, looking at the differentiating titles we give to our microphones. Full…

Microphones are all around us: in our cellphones and laptops, at live music, broadcast, and presentation venues, and in the mic lockers of audio professionals. If you’ve ever wondered how all these microphones are made, this is the article for you! How are microphones made? Different microphone manufacturers produce their microphones differently. Some design and…

If you’re reading this article, chances are you use microphones regularly: on your cellphone, on your computer, etc. But if you want to learn how to optimize your use of more professional microphones for better audio, this is the article for you! How to use a microphone: To use a microphone properly, we must power…

The cameras on smartphones are continuously improving while the microphones remain functional but low-quality. When recording a video with your phone, it’s nice to have excellent audio to go with the amazing picture, which is where external microphones come into play. So how do we connect an external microphone to a smartphone? Connecting an external…

The diaphragm of a microphone is the primary component of the microphone transducer. Without a diaphragm to react to sound waves, a mic will not recreate produce an audio signal. Special care must be put into designing and manufacturing these diaphragms to function properly within the microphone. What are microphone diaphragms made of? Microphone diaphragms…

In your study of microphones, you may have come across “measurement microphones.” However, all microphones are effectively instruments of measurement. What do microphones measure, and how do they measure it? Microphones essentially measure the sound pressure variations around their diaphragms within a range of frequencies. As the sound waves cause varying pressure around the mic…

Magnets and microphones play huge roles in our everyday lives. You may have read somewhere that magnets play a central role in microphones. Is this true? Do Microphones Need Magnetism To Work Properly? Dynamic mics (moving-coil and ribbon) convert energy via electromagnetic induction and have built-in magnets around their diaphragms. Additionally, any mic with a…

Computer microphones have been around since the early days of personal computers. Connecting external devices to your computer usually requires a driver, so what about external microphones? Do microphones need drivers to work properly in computers? Connecting a mic to a computer via an audio jack will not require a driver since the computer is…