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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. A flat or roughly flat strip on the neck of a stringed instrument against which the strings are pressed to shorten the vibrating length and produce notes of higher pitches.






2. 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.






3. Solid State and Tube.






4. Coincident pairing that is at 90






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






6. The method by which microphones are classified.






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






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






9. + (only); (Front capsule alone)






10. Condenser; Cardioid/Hypercardioid; End Address; 48V Required; Manufactured by AKG; Can be powered by internal 9 V battery for field recording; Improves clarity of speech with the PB 1000 Presence Boost Adapter.






11. Condenser; Cardioid; End Address; 48V Required; Manufactured by AudioTechnica; Switchable 80 Hz Hi-Pass Filter; Ideal for professional recording and critical applications in broadcast.






12. Older ribbon microphone weighing 8.5 lbs. nearly all of it the large magnet!






13. The lowest - and usually most intense - frequency of a complex sound; Most often perceived as the sound's basic pitch.






14. The tuning machines of a guitar; Part of the tuning key that strings are threaded through and twisted.






15. Causes an increase in low frequency response as one gets closer to the source.






16. A 3- mic array using omni mics with left - right and center placement; Center is placed about 5 ft. closer to the source to eliminate 'holes' in the middle and the center levels are reduced for an even sound; Forms a triangle.






17. The part of the guitar you turn to tune the strings in order to get the right sound out of the guitar when one plays.






18. Divisions on the fingerboard which represent the position of a specific note or tone.






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






20. Moving a conductor (a coil of wire) through a magnetic field will cause a voltage to be induced across the conductor.

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21. Dynamic; Cardioid; End Address; Manufactured by Sennheiser; Very small and compact; Especially suitable for use with drums and brass instruments; Includes a clip to mount directly on drums.






22. Cable wrapping method that reduces interference and makes it easier to unravel the cable.






23. Timing difference between two waves; Waves interfere cancelling each other out and altering frequency response; Measured in degrees; Can be caused by reflections of sound waves; Can be reduced by putting cabinet or amp at an angle.






24. 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.






25. 2 - 4 ft. from player; Placed below the line of sight of the bell - rotated at about 30 degrees off axis - and tilted upward.






26. Stereo coincident pairing where the middle mic (usually a cardiod) is facing source and a bidirectional side mic is placed at 90






27. Works exactly like condenser mic but one of the two plates is manufactured as a capsule with a permanent static charge so there is no external power source necessary; Requires phantom or battery to charge internal mic preamp.






28. 4800 ft/sec






29. Measurement of the mic's sensitivity; Measured in mV/Pa (millivolts per Pascal).






30. Changes in air pressure from the front or the back can cause polarity cancellation; Sides have good rejection; Natural polar pattern is bidirectional.






31. 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.






32. Carbon; Ceramic/Crystal; Magnetic/Dynamic; Ribbon; Condenser






33. Sounds that arrive from angles other than the 0






34. Radio Frequency Interference






35. Dynamic; Super-Cardioid; End Address; Humbucking Coil; Brilliance Switch; Manufactured by Sennheiser; Acknowledged as the most accurate and versatile dynamic mic available.






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






37. To oppose with equal weight or force as in the length of the boom arm versus the weight of the microphone.






38. Responds to air pressure variations outside of the capsule; Not selective of direction; Natural polar pattern is omnidirectional.






39. Microphone consisting of two parallel metal plates - each holding an opposing charge (+ or -) and thus creating a capacitor to induce an electrical charge as sound waves move the diaphragm; Require a solid- state or tube preamplifier.






40. 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'.






41. DC Voltage Req'd for capsule polarizing voltage and internal mic preamps; 3 sources: External Power Supply Unit (PSU); Phantom Power; Battery.






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






43. Very robust and durable; Used in telephones until 1990's; Currently finds applications for military use.






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






45. Used for stereo miking to ensure correct balance and imaging.






46. 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.






47. Developed the condenser microphone in 1916 at Bell Labs.






48. When using two microphones reverse the polarity of the bottom mic.






49. Phenomenon causing carbon microphones to lose sensitivity as granules become packed together over extended use; To remedy problem mic is gently rapped on hard surface.






50. Pure polar pattern that receives sound from both the front and back; Also known as a 'Figure 8' pattern; More proximity effect that Cardioid or Hyper Cardioid; Often found in ribbon mics.