![]() ![]() This is what makes them better able to pick up higher frequencies and softer sounds, but also why they aren’t good with loud sounds. Condenser mics are more sensitive to sound thanks to how lightweight their diaphragms are, allowing them to be moved by sound waves more easily. This makes condenser mics great for soft vocals and instrumentals, while dynamic mics work better with drums, percussion and even loud vocals. Condenser microphones tend to be more expensive and are better suited at recording higher frequency and more delicate, quieter sounds. Dynamic microphones tend to be relatively low cost and are good for recording a good range of sounds, especially strong and/or loud ones. Dynamic microphones and condenser microphones each have their own pros and cons. You might be wondering whether one type of microphone is better than another. Advantages and disadvantages of condenser mics They are able to keep a permanent charge by having a special material known as electret within them. But there are condenser microphones that can keep their charge on their own, known as electret microphones. Usually condenser mics require external power, both to keep the charge in the capacitor and to boost the current of the signal produced so that it can be properly received. This creates an electrical signal which can then be recorded and interpreted. This changes the capacitance, or alters the electric field, in a way proportional to the sound waves. When sound moves the diaphragm, it changes the distance between it and the backplate. These opposing conductive materials form a capacitor, which can hold a charge and therefore form an electric field. As for the backplate, it’s most often made of brass, a conductive alloy of copper and zinc. ![]() Mylar is an often used material for both condenser and dynamic microphone diaphragms as it’s known for being durable, flexible and lightweight.īeing covered in an extremely thin layer of gold allows the mylar diaphragm to be conductive. Gold-sputtering is the process of applying a layer of gold atoms to the surface of a material. Most of today’s condenser mics have a diaphragm made of what’s known as gold-sputtered mylar. It’s mainly older microphones that are like this, however. In order to make the diaphragm of a condenser mic conductive, some have a thin layer of metal foil attached. Diaphragms, backplates, and electric fields For a more in depth explanation of how they work, we’ll have to get a bit more technical. Condenser is another word for capacitor, thus the name condenser microphone. Thus sound is converted to an electrical signal.Ĭondenser mics work in a similar way in that they also use a diaphragm, but rather than moving a magnet or coil, the diaphragm is made to be conductive and moves opposite of a metal backplate, forming a capacitor. Either way, the coil goes around the magnet and the movement of the coil and the magnet relative to each other is what generates electric currents. Dynamic microphones collect sound with a membrane or diaphragm which is moved by sound along with either a coil or magnet attached to it. There are several different kinds of microphones, but two of the most common types are dynamic and condenser mics. How is a condenser microphone different from other microphones? As a matter of fact, if you plug a speaker or a pair of headphones into a mic port it can work as a microphone, although not very well. The way in which a microphone converts sound to electrical signal is actually the exact opposite of the way in which a speaker converts an electrical signal into sound. This signal can then be altered by equipment or recorded and edited as needed. ![]() Sound is waves of energy or vibrations in the air, which the microphone can capture and transform into an electrical signal. Put simply, they convert sound into electricity. To best understand what a condenser mic is, it’s important to first go over how microphones work in general.
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