| A
microphone, sometimes referred to as a mike or mic (both IPA
pronunciation: [ma?k]), is an acoustic to electric transducer
that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones
are used in many applications such as telephones, tape recorders,
hearing aids, motion picture production, live and recorded
audio engineering, in radio and television broadcasting and
in computers for recording voice, VoIP and numerous other
computer applications.
A microphone is a device made to capture
waves in air, water or hard material and translate it to an
electrical signal. The most common method is via a thin membrane
producing some proportional electrical signal.
Most microphones in use today for audio use
electromagnetic generation (dynamic microphones), capacitance
change (condenser microphones) or piezoelectric generation
to produce the signal from mechanical vibration.
A lavalier microphone is made for hands-free
operation. A tie clip microphone is a small electret or dynamic
microphone used for television, theatre, and public speaking
applications, in order to allow hands-free operation. They
are most commonly provided with small clips for attaching
to collars, ties, or other clothing.
These small microphones are worn on the body
and held in place either with a lanyard worn around the neck
or a clip fastened to clothing. The cord may be hidden by
clothes and either run to an RF transmitter in a pocket or
clipped to a belt, or run directly to the mixer.
These miniature mics are often supplied with
a choice of push-on grilles of differing lengths which provide
gentle high-frequency boost by forming a resonant cavity.
A peak of around 6 dB at 6-8 kHz is considered beneficial
for compensating loss of clarity when chest mounted, and a
peak of a few decibels at 10-15 kHz when mounted in the hair
above the forehead.
This method of boosting high frequencies does
not worsen noise performance, as electronic equalization would
do.
How
to buy a Wireless microphone | Microphone
Buying Guide | Types
of microphones and their applications
|
Microphones
positioning tips | What
is a tie clip microphone?
|
