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The Audio Recording Condenser Microphone Is The Perfect Studio Choice

By Bruce Hathaway

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 01Jan2011 Word count: 575 Viewed: 398 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

The audio recording condenser microphone has been around since the mid 1920's. Basically they are a device for turning sound waves into electrical impulses. Edward Christopher Wente started development at Bell laboratories in 1916 as part of telephone innovations and is credited with their creation.

The condenser microphone gives amazing clarity and can capture sound nuances with incredible detail. Based on a design using charging capacitance between a fixed back plate and a moving diaphragm, the fluctuation of the diaphragm changes the distance between the two surfaces which in turn alters the capacitance or strength of the electrical charge. Back plates can be made from a range of materials from metallised plastic to solid brass. An ultra thin diaphragm is treated with gold for conductivity which can be applied in many ways from spraying to an evaporated 24 Karat process. The more rigid the back plate and the more evenly the gold is distributed on the diaphragm the more precise the tolerances will be, and the better the recording quality.

Nowadays some items are made using state of the art, computer controlled manufacturing facilities in order to achieve the high levels of precision required and to render the highest quality of sound. All this modern technology can make these microphones very expensive. They are also quite fragile and so they are used mainly for studio work. Small diaphragm models have very good transient response which allows the reproduction of the "speed" of an instrument which is particularly good for strings. While a larger diaphragm gives a deeper sound which is particularly good for vocals.

Now there are USB versions for the home DJ. These combine a built-in audio interface and mixer with a studio quality mic allowing the input of backing track and vocals at the same time. With all sorts of mixing software available this becomes ideal for the project studio.

The other main microphone produced is a dynamic microphone which is more durable but does not have the same clarity. These are more widely used for stage work due to their more rugged nature. Good condenser microphones are generally much more expensive than dynamic microphones. Dynamic mics sound pretty much the same with little low end and a somewhat brittle sound.

Most condenser mics also require the use of external power for the electrical charges. This is easily supplied by most mixing boards. An electret condenser mic has a particular type of capacitor with a built-in permanent voltage, a little like a permanent magnet. Although these do not need an external power source, decent electret mics usually include a pre-amplifier which still needs external power. Due to their sensitivity they are not good for certain high sound pressure levels. In addition, a 10 decibel pad accommodates the intensity of bass instruments, kick drums and guitar amps, while a bass cut filter removes the lower extremes of vibration. In some mics these are switchable and can therefore be turned off when not required. For vocals a pop-screen will probably be required as the sensitivity to transient noise will cause the "P" and "SH" sounds to distort.

On the whole the audio recording condenser microphone, which first came into existence as part of a telephone, and then allowed movies to talk, is proving it's worth today in sound studios across the globe. The choice and availability is wide, so there should be something to suit every need and every pocket.

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