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. When miking an amp placing it near the center of this will make it sound brighter; Miking near the outer edge of this will make it sound darker and more mellow in tone.






2. Tube with ports down the side with the mic capsule at the bottom; Sounds entering the tube from on - axis interact inside the tube with the sounds coming in through the side ports - an interfere with each other in such a way as to partially cancel of






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


4. Mic in which the diaphragm moves in response to sound waves and an attached pin/rod moves; Coil attached to pin/rod moves alone with the diaphragm.






5. Will yield a 6dB increase in output - but will cause a loss of high frequency response.






6. Aluminum Ribbon - Bi-Polar (Figure 8); Side Address; Manufactured by Shiny Box; Buttery mid- range improves digital recordings and smooths out modern treble; Best on drums - piano - overheads - and vocals where treble is focused.






7. One of the oldest mics; Diaphragm mounted on & compresses cup of tiny granules of carbon (100 microns big) that increase current flow when compressed by sound waves and vary electrical current; Also called Resistance Mics;






8. + & + (Front & rear in equal positive amounts)






9. The property of certain crystals that causes them to produce voltage when a mechanical pressure such as sound vibrations is applied to them; Originates from Greek word 'piezein' (to compress).






10. 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.






11. The graphic representation plot of the sensitivity of a microphone from any direction over a 360






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






13. Device or transducer used for converting sound waves or acoustical energy into electrical energy






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






15. 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.






16. 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'.






17. French physicist who pioneered piezoelectricity.






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






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






20. Dutch broadcasting stereo mic technique; An X-Y type with the mics 30cm apart and at a 90






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






22. Commonly utilize large diaphragm dynamic mics.






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






24. First microphone invented by Georg Neumann






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






26. Coincident pairing that is at 90






27. 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.






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






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






30. Radio Frequency Interference






31. EMI employee that was the innovator of many coincident pairing mic techniques; Mid/Side & Blumlein techniques are associated with him.






32. Magnetic field opposite to that which presently exists; Do this on the bottom mic when miking a snare with two mics.






33. Condenser; Cardioid; End Address; 48V Required; Manufactured by Neumann; Consists of three compact miniature microphones; Has a gentle rise at about 9 kHz that provides tonal balance that is fresher and livelier.






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






35. Solid State and Tube.






36. Configured to simulate the spacing and directivity of human hearing; Box shape with two 'ears' on each side.






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






38. 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






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






40. Raises the body of the microphone increasing height.






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






42. 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.






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






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






45. Sensitive in a narrower pattern in the front than a cardioid and has a prominent/pronounced lobe at rear; Rejects most signals from 110






46. 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.






47. Captures sounds arriving 90






48. Known as 'The Bottle' this was the first mass - produced condenser mic.






49. Forward facing bipolar mics spaced 20cm apart.






50. First to mass produce the condenser microphone in 1929; Improved cutting lathe technology by developing direct drive turntables; Invents 48V Phantom Power to power the new condenser microphone for Norwegian State Television.