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. 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.






2. A gradual - continuous decrease in low frequency response.






3. More compelling sound - giving both depth and perspective.






4. 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.






5. The measure of how quickly a mic's diaphragm will react when it is hit by an acoustic sound wave.






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






7. Close mic placement can help guard again bleed from other instruments and takes advantage of proximity effect; Center of cone = Brighter; Outside of cone = Darker; Reflections can create phase issues (can be reduced by putting the cabinet at an angle






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






9. Electro- acoustic device attached to a transducer that vibrates to receive or produce sound waves which put the device into motion.






10. Shure's newer ribbon studio mics; KSM 353 & 313 (Roswellite); KSM 44 - 32 - & 27.






11. An electrical device characterized by its capacity to store an electric charge;






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






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






14. Sounds that arrive from angles other than the 0






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. Method of creating low end effects from a bass drum by creating a tunnel at the mic end thus trapping sound and amplifying low end boost.






17. 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.






18. Flat plate that controls or directs the flow of sound energy in a crystal/ceramic mic.






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






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






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






22. 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.






23. Basket/grille made out of a specific type of copper wire to block protect the mic from physical damage and to protect the mic from stray RFI






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






25. Sounds that arrive at the 0






26. 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






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






28. Tough & rugged; Can work in extremely high SPL environments; Less responsive to transient frequencies b/c of diaphragm mass is heavier than sound waves.






29. Commonly found in acoustic guitar pickups; Ceramic piezoelectric material is used in hydrophones (underwater mics) because of durability.






30. 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.






31. Solid state version of the U67.






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






33. The first AKG dynamic microphone.






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






35. 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.






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






37. Use coincident or near coincident pairings; Too many microphones will cause phasing issues.






38. 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.






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






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






41. 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.






42. 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.






43. Sensitive in a slightly narrower pattern in the front than cardioid and has a small lobe at rear; Rejects most signals arriving from 125






44. The method by which microphones are classified.






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






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






47. 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






48. Omnidirectional: 0 - Cardioid: 8 - Supercardioid: 12 dB - Hypercardioid: 6 dB - Bidirectional: 0






49. 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.






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