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Microphone Characteristics and Specifications

This comprehensive overview by David Josephson delves into microphone characteristics and specifications, highlighting the evolution of standards from US ANSI to European norms. It covers essential topics such as sensitivity, noise levels, and impedance, explaining their impact on microphone performance and preamp requirements. Additionally, it examines power needs, frequency response, and the influence of environmental factors, such as proximity effect and time-domain characteristics. This guide is essential for audio professionals seeking to understand the intricate details of microphone design and functionality.

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Microphone Characteristics and Specifications

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  1. Microphone Characteristics and Specifications Audio Days 2011 Paris David Josephson Josephson Engineering, Inc. Santa Cruz, California

  2. A bit about standards • in the beginning ... US ANSI, DIN, European and UK national broadcasters • how standards work today • measurement standards • legalisms

  3. Basic electrical specifications • sensitivity – determines preamp requirements • noise level – quieter than recording ambient level? • impedance – does the cable and preamp affect signal? • power requirements – can the preamp supply?

  4. Sensitivity • millivolts per pascal (mV/Pa)

  5. Impedance • actual source impedance • minimum load impedance • balance

  6. Noise level • “A”-weighted vs ITU-R BS.468 • rms average vs quasi-peak • why the number isn’t enough

  7. Power Requirements • IEC 61938 phantom power • “the feeble phantom”

  8. Frequency Response • under what conditions? • direction • distance • sound source geometry • tolerance? • smoothing?

  9. Proximity effect • not only bass boost up close, but bass rolloff at a distance • disappears when there is no gradient (at 90º)

  10. Midrange and HF characteristics • midrange often associated with pressure gradient venting or diaphragm resonance • high frequency variations often due to scattering • ...and we’re still only talking about on-axis, anechoic response

  11. Time-domain characteristics • mostly affect high frequencies • reflections from grille • resonators to boost HF response

  12. References www.josephson.com/refs

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