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






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






3. 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.






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






5. French physicist who pioneered piezoelectricity.






6. Overall measurement close to the overall sound level in frequency response charts.






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






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






9. 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.






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






11. Mounts on a single stand to provide for adjustable spacing and angling between mics.






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






13. Used to make sure you have accurate angles & capsule spacing when miking in stereo.






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






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






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






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. 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.






19. Barrier made of shaped wire covered with a piece of nylon that is placed between a sensitive mic and the talent to avoid damage to the diaphragm of the mic.






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






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






22. Omnidirectional: 360






23. 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.






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






25. E = Blv - e - Electromotive Force (in volts) - B - is the magnetic field strength - l - is the length of the conductor - v - is the velocity of the conductor moving through the magnetic field






26. Shure's ribbon microphone that utilizes Roswellite to prevent ribbon damage.






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






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






29. Tough & rugged microphone that contains an element consisting of a dome- shaped diaphragm and a moving 'voice coil'; Operates on principles of magnetic induction.






30. 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.






31. The moving plate of a condenser capacitor; Constructed of a thin piece of metal or thin plastic - such as Mylar - coated with gold or nickel; .05 - 10 microns thick.






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






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






34. Digital device used to Fourier Forms; Used to measure the specific number of sine waves in a specific frequency in a specific setting.






35. 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.






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






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






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






39. 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.






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






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






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






43. 12V DC; 24V DC; 48V DC






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






45. Pair of cardioids facing to the front and rear - plus a sideways - facing figure 8; Mid- sides pair plus another rear- facing cardioid which is combined with the same Figure 8 mic for the surrounds.






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






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






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






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






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