Test your basic knowledge |

Microphones Theory

Subject : engineering
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Responds to air pressure variations outside of the capsule; Not selective of direction; Natural polar pattern is omnidirectional.






2. Best signal- to- noise ratio; Minimal phase cancellation; Quality representation of what is being recorded; Attempt to ignore unwanted external noise.






3. Often look like large diaphragm studio mics; Talk or sing into the side of the microphone.






4. Characterized by a vacuum tube transducer; Heat rises so many are hung upside down to prevent heat from reaching the microphone head; Avoid jostling or shaking these fragile mics.






5. Fixed plate that is charged with polarized voltage found in condenser mics; Usually constructed of milled brass; Has a number of holes drilled in it to provide damping for diaphragm.






6. Polar pattern produced when you add a little bit of bidirectional to the omni pattern.






7. Big + & - (More front with less opposite rear)






8. Keep in proper case; Never disassemble shockmounts






9. Considered to be the best mic ever made; VF14 Tube.






10. Built by AKG for Telefunken and regarded as one of the best vintage condenser microphones ever.






11. The world's first single element cardioid mics.






12. A stereo miking technique similar to coincident pair - where the mics are set up with some distance between them; Distance and angle of microphones may differ; Creates a more defined stereo image; Produces very sharp images; Provides more 'air'.






13. The first AKG dynamic microphone.






14. Utilized primarily on condenser and ribbon mics to isolate it from vibrations that might otherwise be transmitted to the microphone through the mic stand.






15. Modern drummer who has created a large kit and innovated several ways of capturing the sound from his massive kit.






16. Dynamic; Cardioid; End Address; Manufactured by Electro Voice; Large Diaphragm; Humbucking Coil; Bass Roll Off Switch; Minimizes proximity effect; Ideal for broadcasting and sound engineering techniques.






17. Coincident stereo miking techniques that has two microphone diaphragms occupying (as near as possible) the same space; Capsules often on top of each other; Not good for noisy locations.






18. Sounds that arrive at the 0






19. Early example of switchable polar patterns; Had both a dynamic and a ribbon capsule inside of it which when combined produced other polar patterns.






20. An extremely strong acoustic nano- film designed to replace the foil ribbon in ribbon microphones.






21. Angle of maximum signal rejection in a microphone polar pattern.






22. Condenser; Cardioid; Side Address; 48V Required; Large Diaphragm; Manufactured by AudioTechnica; Transformerless circuitry virtually eliminates low- frequency distortion.






23. Rotating speaker cabinet design featuring separate treble and bass drivers that can switch speeds; Speaker rotate from front to back creating a Doppler effect; Resulted in new spatial perception for each note. Stereo miked up top and single miked at






24. 12V DC; 24V DC; 48V DC






25. The measuring device used for loudspeaker room response testing.






26. Consumers can listen to live broadcasts over telephone lines; Individual one- way experience that required a subscription service to listen to performances.






27. 4 to 6 ft. from the player; Mic should be placed below the line of sight of the bell - rotated at about 40 degrees off- axis - and tilted upward.






28. Determined by: Ribbon Thickness (about 3 to 6 microns); Corrugations/Inch; Tension of the Ribbon.






29. Reduces the power of a signal used when the trim itself cannot prevent overload in the mic line level signal.






30. Most sensitive to sounds arriving from the front while rejecting sounds from rear; Shaped like a heart; Rejects most signals from 180






31. Proportional to: Magnetic field strength; Length of the conductor; Velocity of conductor moving through the magnetic field.






32. The head or top of the guitar where the tuning pegs are located.






33. - Omnidirectional: 1 - Cardioid: 1.7 - Supercardioid: 1.9 - Hypercardioid: 2 - Bidirectional: 1.7






34. Coincident pairing of two bidirectional mics that make a pattern of crossing Figure 8's.






35. Dynamic; Cardioid; End Address; Manufactured by Sennheiser; Unique mic clip with quick- release button; Large diaphragm dynamic element handles high SPL's - making it great for recording guitars and drums.






36. Derived from two words; 'electr' from electrostatic and 'et' from magnet.






37. Never store mic in a damp place; Keep dirt & dust away from the mic; Never 'pop' test the mic; Check if a mic is working by lightly scratching the grill.






38. French broadcasting stereo mic technique; An X-Y type with the mics 17cm apart and at a 110






39. Dynamic; Cardioid; End Address; Manufactured by Shure; Considered the industry standard for live vocal performance microphones; One of the best- selling microphones in the world.






40. Modeled to mimic a human head for extremely good spatialization; Shaped like a human head.






41. An instrument for detecting sound transmitted through water commonly manufactured using ceramic piezoelectric material.






42. Condenser; Cardioid; Side Address; 48V Required; Manufactured by AudioTechnica; Ideal for project/home- studio applications; Low price; Remains the low cost performance standard in side- address condenser mics.






43. Often look like handheld vocal mics; Talk or sing into the end of the microphone.






44. Pair of omni mic elements mounted on opposite sides of a spherical shaped capsule.






45. The first microphone sold by Shure; Military awarded Shure a contract to build microphones in WWII.






46. Vintage Tube Mics hold voltage after being unplugged; Be sure grounds are connected to power cord and that the charge has left microphone prior to striking.






47. To capture two perspectives on the same sound.






48. Shows the total range of the mic's internal pre- amp; Measured in dB (decibels).






49. Adds two outer right and left rear facing mics to a Decca tree for surround sound depth.






50. Pair of omni mic separated by a circular absorptive baffle.