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






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






3. The first AKG dynamic microphone.






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






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






7. 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.






8. 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.






9. 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.






10. To capture two perspectives on the same sound.






11. Used in production sound for multiple perspectives on the set; Used in Audio Post to record a number of mics into a recorder with minimal set- up & tear down.






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






13. 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






14. 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






15. Sounds that arrive at the 0






16. 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.






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






18. 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.






19. Condenser; Cardioid; Side Address; 48V Required; Large Diaphragm; Manufactured by Rode; Widely recognised as the world's quietest studio microphone; Ideal for vocals - voiceover - and acoustic instruments.






20. 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.






21. 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.






22. 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.






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






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






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






26. 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.






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






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






29. 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.






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






31. 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.






32. 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.






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






34. 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.






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






36. Sounds that arrive from angles other than the 0






37. Cable wrapping method that keeps every coil on top of the next; May cause interference and tiny curls or tangles.






38. 2 - 4 ft. from player; Placed below the line of sight of the bell - rotated at about 30 degrees off axis - and tilted upward.






39. 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.






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






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






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






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






44. 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.






45. The measuring device used for loudspeaker room response testing.






46. 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.






47. 4 coincident mics each positioned at 90






48. 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.






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






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