Microphone

Shure Brothers microphone, model 55S, multi-impedance "Small Unidyne" dynamic from 1951

A microphone, colloquially called a mic (/maɪk/), or mike,Template:Efn is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in telecommunication, sound recording, broadcasting, and consumer electronics, including telephones, hearing aids, and mobile devices.

Several types of microphone are used today, which employ different methods to convert the air pressure variations of a sound wave to an electrical signal. The most common are the dynamic microphone, which uses a coil of wire suspended in a magnetic field; the condenser microphone, which uses the vibrating diaphragm as a capacitor plate; and the contact microphone, which uses a crystal of piezoelectric material. Microphones typically need to be connected to a preamplifier before the signal can be recorded or reproduced.

Quotes about the microphone

• Choosing different mics to capture a variety of instruments is an art form. There are countless options at different price points and there are no right answers. EQ adjustments to treble, bass and midrange frequencies can make an inexpensive mic sound good. Mic placement can change the sound dramatically. Whenever I'm not sure how to record an instrument, I move my head around until it sounds nice, then I replace my head with a mic. (Trade secret!) Also, what does the room sound like where you're recording? Are there a ton of reflections or reverb that could affect clarity? Are the lights buzzing or is there a humming refrigerator in the background that could be unplugged? Are you outside and need a dead cat windscreen?
  • Josh Rogosin of NPR (April 2, 2019)