1.
MICROPHONE
Characteristics, Classifications, and Types.

2.
What is a Microphone?

3.
What is a Microphone?
A small, portable assembly for the
pick-up and conversion of sound
into electrical energy.
Sound Waves
Electrical energy
Sound Waves

4.
Sound Generating Elements of a Microphone
Diaphragm, voice-coil, air pressure

5.
Characteristics of Microphones
1- Sound-generating Systems
DYNAMIC Microphone
• Most rugged
• Can withstand high-sound
levels (input overload)
• Can withstand fairly extreme
temperatures
• No battery needed
• Good for vocals and music
instruments

6.
Characteristics of Microphones
1- Sound-generating Systems
CONDENSER Microphone
• Sensitive to phyisical shock
• Sensitive to input overload
• Sensitive to temperature
change
• Needs small battery
• Higher quality sound at
greater distances

7.
Characteristics of Microphones
1- Sound-generating Systems
RIBBON Microphone
• Sensitive to phyisical shock
• Sensitive to input overload
• Sensitive to temperature
change
• No battery needed
• Higher quality sound at
greater distances

8.
Characteristics of Microphones
Other Types (according to Sound-
generating Systems)
CARBON Microphone• oldest and simplest microphone
that uses carbon dust.
• the technology used in the first
telephones and is still used in some
telephones today.
• The carbon dust has a thin metal or
plastic diaphragm on one side. As
sound waves hit the diaphragm, they
compress the carbon dust, which
changes its resistance. By running a
current through the carbon, the
changing resistance changes the
amount of current that flows.

9.
Characteristics of Microphones
Other Types (according to Sound-
generating Systems)
FIBER OPTIC Microphone
• fiber optic microphones can be extremely small, and they can
be used in electrically sensitive environments.
• They can also be produced with no metal, which makes them
very useful in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications
and other situations where radio frequency interference is an issue.

10.
Characteristics of Microphones
Other Types (according to Sound-
generating Systems)
LIQUID Microphone
• invented by Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Watson
• a precursor to what would later become the condenser
microphone
• used a metal cup filled with water and sulfuric acid. A diaphragm
was placed over the cup with a needle on the receiving side of
the diaphragm. Sound waves would cause the needle to move
in the water. A small electrical current ran to the needle, which
was modulated by sound vibrations.
• The liquid microphone was never a particularly functional device,
but it makes a great science experiment

11.
Characteristics of Microphones
Other Types (according to Sound-
generating Systems)
ELECTRET Microphone
• most widely used microphones on Earth
• cheap and relatively simple, electret mics are used in cell phones,
computers and hands-free headsets
• a type of condenser microphone in which the external charge is
replaced with an electret material, which by definition is in a
permanent state of electric polarization

12.
Characteristics of Microphones
Other Types (according to Sound-
generating Systems)
LASER Microphone
• works by capturing vibrations off of a plane, like a windowpane,
for example, and transmitting the signal back to a photo
detector, which converts the reflected laser beam into an audio
signal.

13.
Characteristics of Microphones
Other Types (according to Sound-
generating Systems)
CRYSTAL Microphone
• By attaching a diaphragm to a
crystal, the crystal will create a
signal when sound waves hit the
diaphragm.

14.
Characteristics of Microphones
2- Pick-up Patterns
• the territory within which a
microphone can hear well.
• Omnidirectional, Bidirectional,
Unidirectional, and Cardioid

15.
Characteristics of Microphones
2- Pick-up Patterns
OMNIDIRECTIONAL Microphone
• the microphone hears sounds
from all directions EQUALLY well.

16.
Characteristics of Microphones
2- Pick-up Patterns
BIDIRECTIONAL Microphone
• the microphone hears better
in TWO OPPOSITE directions.

17.
Characteristics of Microphones
2- Pick-up Patterns
UNIDIRECTIONAL Microphone
• the microphone hears better
in ONE direction (the front of
the microphone than its side
or back.

18.
Characteristics of Microphones
2- Pick-up Patterns
CARDIOID Microphone
• the microphone hears in a
HEART-SHAPED pattern but
hearing is more concentrated
on the front rather than on the
side.

19.
Characteristics of Microphones
2- Pick-up Patterns
CARDIOID Microphone
• the microphone hears in a
HEART-SHAPED pattern but
hearing is more concentrated
on the front rather than on the
side.

20.
Characteristics of Microphones
o STATIONARY
o Desk
o Stand
o Hanging
o Hidden
o Long distance
3- Physical Forms (Mobile &
Stationary)
o MOBILE
o Hand
o Lavaliere
o Boom
o Wireless
o Headset

21.
Characteristics of Microphones
3- Physical Forms (Mobile &
Stationary)
HAND Microphone

22.
Characteristics of Microphones
3- Physical Forms (Mobile &
Stationary)
LAVALIERE Microphone

23.
Characteristics of Microphones
3- Physical Forms (Mobile &
Stationary)
BOOM Microphone

24.
Characteristics of Microphones
3- Physical Forms (Mobile &
Stationary)
WIRELESS Microphone

25.
Characteristics of Microphones
3- Physical Forms (Mobile &
Stationary)
HEADSET Microphone

26.
Characteristics of Microphones
3- Physical Forms (Mobile &
Stationary)
DESK Microphone

27.
Characteristics of Microphones
3- Physical Forms (Mobile &
Stationary)
STAND Microphone

28.
Characteristics of Microphones
3- Physical Forms (Mobile &
Stationary)
HANGING Microphone

29.
Characteristics of Microphones
3- Physical Forms (Mobile &
Stationary)
HIDDEN Microphone

30.
Characteristics of Microphones
3- Physical Forms (Mobile &
Stationary)
LONG DISTANCE Microphone

31.
Special Features of Microphones
POP FILTERS
Eliminates breath
pops that could
occur when
someone is speaking
into the mic at close
distance.
It also reduces
distortion when the
mic is held close to a
very loud sound
source.

32.
Special Features of Microphones
WINDSCREEN
It’s made of acoustic
foam rubber, is put
on the microphone
to eliminate, or at
least to reduce, the
low rumble of wind
noise.
When used outside,
shotgun mic are
entirely covered by
windscreen.

33.
USING THE MICROPHONE
How to use a hand microphone:
• CHEST POSITION (ex.: news reporting, hosting)
• MOUTH (ex.: outdoor reporting/hosting)
• SINGING
• INTERVIEWING CHILDREN

34.
USING THE MICROPHONE
CHEST POSITION

35.
USING THE MICROPHONE
MOUTH POSITION

36.
USING THE MICROPHONE
SINGING

37.
USING THE MICROPHONE
INTERVIEWING CHILDREN

38.
USING THE MICROPHONE
INTERVIEWING CHILDREN

39.
USING THE MICROPHONE
Microphone Techniques:
• ON-MIC
• OFF-MIC
• FADING ON
• FADING OFF
• BEHIND OBSTRUCTION

40.
USING THE MICROPHONE
Microphone Techniques:
ON-MIC
• The speaker is closer to
the mic
• It appears the speaker
is at the main scene

41.
USING THE MICROPHONE
Microphone Techniques:
• OFF-MIC
• The speaker is away from
the mic
• It appears the speaker
is away/far from the
main scene

42.
USING THE MICROPHONE
Microphone Techniques:
• FADING ON
• The speaker is moving
closer to the mic
• It appears the speaker
is moving towards the
main scene

43.
USING THE MICROPHONE
Microphone Techniques:
• FADING OFF
• The speaker is moving
farther from the mic
• It appears the speaker
is moving away from the
main scene

44.
USING THE MICROPHONE
Microphone Techniques:
• BEHIND OBSTRUCTION
• The speaker is talking
behind a wall/room.