INTRODUCTION
The microphone is an input device developed by Emile Berliner in 1877. Microphones’ primary function is to convert sound waves into electric waves. It converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. Thus, we can say that the microphone is a transducer. The transducer is a device that converts one form of energy into another.
⦁ Mechanical Wave Energy: It carries energy as an oscillation of matter within a medium. So, it can move across media which have elasticity and inertia.
Mechanical waves energy comes into play because of sound waves’ presence.
⦁ Electrical Energy: It exists in the form of electric current and electric potential.
Audio signals in microphones exist in the form of electrical energy.
Sound waves are mechanical waves within the audible frequency range of 20 Hz – 20000 Hz.
The main purpose of a microphone is to capture sound waves and return an audio signal. We can amplify, record, or manipulate these audio signals.
LONG-RANGE MICROPHONES:
Sound quality and loudness get affected by the distance between microphone and source. Noises and other disturbances like the wind also affect the sound quality.
To have a good sound quality from directed microphone, it must have:
⦁ High sensitivity and selectivity, even if noises have a higher level than real sound.
⦁ High directivity for excluding noise signals that are higher than useful sound signals. Directivity means the capacity to attenuate noise signals coming from surroundings.
Finding a microphone that has both of these characteristics is a tedious task. One of the solutions is to have a microphone with the following specifications:
⦁ High directive microphone with low sensitivity.
⦁ Low directive microphone with high sensitivity.
TYPES OF LONG-RANGE DIRECTIONAL MICROPHONES:
Six general types of directional microphones are:
⦁ Parabolic: As the name suggests these microphones have parabolic shapes. They reflect incoming sound waves to a focal point where the microphone is present. The bigger the diameter of the reflected surface, the bigger its amplification. Noise does not affect the sound quality much in this microphone. Since sounds are coming from different angles having different phases.
⦁ Phase Grid: These microphones receive sound from sources located on one plain surface. Sources are present perpendicular to the incoming audio sources.
⦁ Gradient: These microphones are different from phased receivers. Phased receivers add the same phase signals to get more sensitivity. While gradient microphones function on calculation by direction.
⦁ Running wave: These so-called pipe microphones receive sound along wave direction. They do not receive sound from the perpendicular direction. Longer the waveguide, the bigger the sensitivity.
⦁ Shotgun Spy: These microphones have a very narrow-angle pickup pattern. They pick up only those sounds that move towards them and reject other noises. They can identify and pick up even the ill-defined sounds from a faraway distance.
⦁ HORN TYPE: It is useful in microwave applications. It uses analogous principles. Thus, with equal validity, it can help us design a loudspeaker.
There are a lot of myths about directed long-range microphones. We hear that these microphones can reach distances of 100, 200 meters, or beyond that. These numbers are for commercial use. Directional microphones can register sound from a distance close to 50 meters.
SOUND SHARK LONG-RANGE MICROSCOPE:
Klover Products is the leading manufacturer of parabolic microphones. It’s the parent company of Sound Shark.
One of the longest-range microphones is Sound Shark. It provides a great alternative to shotgun microphones. Pick up pattern of this microphone is also more focused than a shortgun microphone. It can capture audio from 30 feet or more, compared to 3 to 5 feet for a typical shotgun microphone. It rejects more peripheral and noisy sound than a shotgun microphone. With Sound Shark there is no need for a speaker to wear a microphone.
Key Benefits of using Sound Shark are:
⦁ Wind Resistant
⦁ Compatible
⦁ Risk Free
⦁ Durable & Flexible
HOW DOES A PARABOLIC MICROPHONE FUNCTION:
Microphone converts sound pressure into an electric signal. When a parabolic dish contains this microphone inside it, it becomes ‘Parabolic Microphone’.
The shape of this microphone collects the incoming sound and focuses it onto a single point. As a result, sound gets amplified. Because origin of sound is now from single point.
One of the paramount feature of this microphone is its dish shape. If shape is not the ideal parabolic geometric shape, performance of microphone suffers. Amplification also suffers and sound energy also gets scattered.
HOW DOES A REGULAR MICROPHONE FUNCTION:
⦁ Whenever someone speaks, sound waves generation takes palce. These waves move across the microphone and generate energy.
⦁ Whenever these sound waves hit the diaphragm, it moves back and forth. The diaphragm is usually made up of very thin plastic, present inside the microphone.
⦁ A coil connected to the microphone also moves in a similar fashion.
⦁ A permanent magnet produces a magnetic field. Coil cuts these magnetic fields while it’s back and forth movement. As a result, an electric current runs through it.
⦁ An electric current runs through the microphone which helps in recording the sound. On amplification, we can store these sound waves in a loudspeaker. Loudspeaker then converts electrical energy into higher louder sound.
TYPES & PARTS OF A MICROPHONE:
Basic types of microphones are:
⦁ Omnidirectional Microphone
⦁ Unidirectional Microphone
⦁ Close-talk Microphone
⦁ Bidirectional Microphone
⦁ Clip-on Microphone
A microphone contains several components to work, such as:
⦁ Wind Screen
⦁ Diaphragm
⦁ Magnetic Core
⦁ Coil
⦁ Capsule
⦁ Body
⦁ Output
USES OF MICROPHONE:
Microphone finds its usage in many places. A few of them are as follows:
⦁ Voice Recording
⦁ Recording sound of musical instruments
⦁ Voice Recognition Technology
⦁ Online Chatting
⦁ Gaming
⦁ Allow internet user for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
⦁ Recording voice for singing, podcasts, interviews and many others.
DEFINING A SPECIFIC MICROSCOPE:
The transducer type of microphone helps in defining a microscope. The most important specifications which helps to describe a microphone are:
⦁ Transducer Type
⦁ Frequency Response
⦁ Polar Response
⦁ Sensitivity