Microphones

What to Know Before Buying a Microphone?

Microphones - Use

There are many reasons why you may need a microphone. Avid singers may want a karaoke microphone, dedicated gamers need a gaming microphone or a gaming headset with a mic to communicate with their teammates. You may be interested in recording popular podcast with a podcast microphone. Continue reading to find out more about microphones.

• Handheld - classic microphones that you can either hold in your hand or put on a microphone stand.
• Lavalier - also known as a lapel mic, is a small microphone that you clip on your clothes. Commonly used by TV anchors and YouTubers.
• Desktop - designed to be placed on a desk; suitable for home use or lectures.

Microphone - Connectivity

When choosing a microphone, consider what do you plan to connect it to and how.

• 3.5 or 6.3mm jack - standard connector for connection to PC, mobile phones, dictation machines etc.
• USB microphones come equipped with a standard connector for connection to a Windows PC.
• Lightning is one of the connectors for connection to the MAC.
• Micro USB microphones are used for mobile devices, such as mobile phones or tablets.
• XLR connector for professional models. It is most often 3-pin and connects to mixing consoles or other professional systems.
• Wireless microphones most often feature Bluetooth technology (you can look for a Bluetooth microphone).

Microphone Type

If you are buying a more expensive and professional mic, you should consider the type.

• Dynamic microphone - suitable for open-sky performances, live feeds, music production and so on. Perfectly sufficient for normal home use, e.g. Skype calls.
• Condenser microphone - used mainly in recording studios. Condenser microphones have higher sensitivity and lower noise levels and require a separate power source.

Microphones - Directionality

Directionality determines from which direction and with what level of sensitivity the microphone picks up sound. The table below shows the most common types.

• Omnidirectional microphones capture equally from all directions and do not need to be rotated to the sound source. They pick up not only the sound source but also its surroundings.
• Cardioid microphones pick up best on their own axis. Other directions are suppressed and receiving sound from the rear side is minimised.
• Bidirectional microphones pick up sound from two opposite directions; the sound coming from a 90° angle is the most suppressed.
• Switchable directionality allows you to switch between these characteristics.

Microphones - What Not to Forget?

• Impedance is important if you want to achieve an optimal connection to the amplifier. The value should be about 5 to 10 times smaller than the amplifier impedance.
• Sensitivity is the ratio of the output voltage or value to the input pressure. Higher numbers indicate higher microphone sensitivity, which means a mic can catch softer audio changes.
• Frequency range indicates the range of frequencies a microphone is able to discern. To put it simply, the higher range the microphone has, the more sounds it can record.
• Wind protection is most often made of foam and prevents the transmission of sounds generated by the wind. It is particularly suitable for outdoor performances.
• Power supply is required by some types of microphones. The most common power supply is "phantom power", which means that the microphone is connected to the device via an XLR connector. Another common power supply is conventional AA batteries.

An amplifier is an electronic device whose primary purpose is to amplify an output signal to make it strong enough for further use.