Are You Yearning to Learn More Of the Basics About Microphones for Beginners
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Sometimes in life, we allow technical things to stop us in our tracks from pursuing a dream. We know that the "thing" we want to achieve requires study, research, and technical "know-how" yet we become intimidated at the mere thought of doing something "technical". Today, we will help the beginner in the audio/visual arena take a deeper dive into the recording device essential for quality broadcasting. Now, let's talk about microphones.
What Are Microphones?
A Microphone is a device that converts sound energy into electrical energy. Microphones are classified by their transducing elements, pickup patterns, and physical characteristics. Now that we know the function of a microphone, let us look into the different types of mics along with the various characteristics and patterns associated with each kind.
Transducing Elements in Microphones
The three main types of transducing microphones are classified by their cost as well as durability. Depending on what qualities you are looking for in a microphone will determine what conversion element works best for the project or event you will use to create great sound quality.
Dynamic/Moving Coil Microphone - a coil wrapped around a magnet - is the most rugged type of microphone and is very affordable for most individuals
Condenser Microphone - produces a high-quality sound but is less rugged than dynamic mics and requires a little more care in handling. A condenser microphone is in the middle price range
Ribbon Microphone - high quality yet sensitive microphone. A Ribbon microphone is on the expensive side and can run anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars
What Are Pick Up Patterns?
Microphones have pick-up patterns or the direction the microphone picks up sound. There are 3 basic sound pick-up directions with subsets of the unidirectional pattern.
The 3 types of directional pick up characteristics are:
Omnidirectional - with this type of microphone, you will hear the sound well from all directions. This type of microphone is great when you want to pick up all surrounding sounds. This is used if you want to get the sounds of the outside or crowds of people all talking or doing things all at the same time.
Bidirectional - this type of microphone picks up sound from two opposite sides (left to right or up and down). This pick-up pattern is great for radio announcers and guest interviews or one on one back and forth banter.
Unidirectional (aka Cardioid) - this microphone pickup pattern is designed for someone to hear from the front of the microphone only. The "Uni" also means one therefore it only picks up sound in one direction which is toward the front only. This microphone also is characterized by its shape which is similar to that of a heart hence the description is sometimes called "cardioid".
Physical Characteristics/Types
The Lavalier or Lav microphone is very common and is often used by newscasters, reporters, or moderators - a lavalier is a small, omnidirectional microphone and is used mainly for voice pick up. In the past, lavalier microphones were very fragile as well as expensive. They have evolved over the years in durability.
The Handheld Mic is a unidirectional microphone and is often used when someone wants to maintain more control over who's voice or audio is projected. Reporters, hosts, or people conducting interviews usually direct the handheld microphone when they want a guest/interviewee to respond to a question or make a statement.
Boom Mic - shotgun Boom microphone is suspended from a boom pole and is usually not seen in a video/film shoot.
Desk/Stand Mics - desk microphones are attached to a small stand that sits on a desk or table. Omnidirectional or Dynamic microphones
Wireless Mics (aka radio mics) - broadcasts the signal from the microphone to a small receiver which in turn is connected to an audio mixer
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Summary
When purchasing microphones, it is best to comparison shop based upon the characteristics and pick-up pattern you prefer to use for your project. A podcast host may want to look for a condenser microphone that may have a unidirectional pick-up direction. I recommend the Yeti microphone for its sound quality and easy plug-in capability. I will suggest other online and storefront stores for specific audio/visual items in future blogs.
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Denise Sutton
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