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. Increasing magnetic field strength is the only practical means of increasing output voltage; Conductor movement is limited due to tension of the ribbon; and ribbon length increases lead to a loss of high frequency response.






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






3. Delicate and require extreme care; NO PHANTOM POWER; Becoming more popular than ever because of highly efficient magnets - lower manufacturing costs - and great fidelity.






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






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






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






7. Sounds that may be broadcast over the radio or internet.






8. 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.






9. Tube microphone capable of SPL's over 140dB.






10. Filters only the bandwidth of frequencies that are supposed to (or allowed) to pass through; High and Low Pass are examples.






11. Condenser; Cardioid; End Address; Manufactured by Shure; Small condenser design that is great for instrument recording.






12. The first dynamic microphone with changeable polar patterns.






13. Omnidirectional: 360






14. Microphone with 4 large diaphragm condenser capsules; 3 bidirectional and 1 omni; Can be combined to make any polar pattern.






15. Allow sound to reach the rear of the capsule/diaphragm - to create cardioid - supercardioid - and hypercardioid patterns In single capsule pressure gradient microphones.






16. An electromagnetic microphone - in which a thin - corrugated ribbon is suspended within a high magnetic flux field; Excellent transient response due to the small amount of acoustic energy required to move diaphragm.






17. 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.






18. Coincident pairing angled between 90






19. Mics in which sound waves vibrate a piezoelectric crystal that generates a varying voltage.






20. Measurement of Sound Pressure; stated as being N/m2 with a Newton being a measurement of force equal to about 9.8 lbs; Equal to 94dB SPL






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






22. Solid state version of the U67.






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. This is what is measured to produce an electrical signal in condenser mics; This changes as sound waves strike the diaphragm causing the distance to the back plate to change.






25. Device used to calibrate sound pressure measurement devices; Emits a single 1 kHz frequency over a sustained period of time.






26. One of the world's greatest condenser microphones prized for the CK12 capsule.






27. Three or more microphones working together to capture a stereo or surround image of the sound source.






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






29. Verify that the boom is placed over a microphone leg prior to use to provide added balance and stability.






30. Using omnidirectional as a reference of 1 - this is a measurement of how much farther you can be from a mic to achieve equal output level in other polar pattern microphones.






31. Part of a mic stand that the mic stands on.






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






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






34. Stereo configuration using a spaced pair 3-10 feet apart.






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






36. Tube manufactured for the new version of the AKG C12 (called the C12-A); Powered by Norelco.






37. 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.






38. Extremely narrow area of sensitivity in front with extended reach; Also has multiple lobes which vary in position with frequency; Not made from combining pure patterns - but created by using an interference tube.






39. Quartz; Barium Titaniate - Tourmaline; Rochelle Salt - and even cane sugar.






40. Used to filter heating current in certain mics; Invented by Georg Neumann.






41. German broadcasting stereo mic technique; An X-Y type with the mics 20cm apart and at a 90






42. - Omnidirectional: 100% - Cardioid: 33% - Supercardioid: 27% - Hypercardioid: 25% - Bidirectional: 33%






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






44. Small microphone attached to the bridge of a string bass or to an acoustic guitar to amplify its sound.






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






46. 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.






47. 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.






48. Shows the level of self- noise from a microphone's internal electronics; Measured in dB (decibels).






49. + & - (Front & rear in opposite equal amounts)






50. 12V DC; 24V DC; 48V DC