Fig. 1: Diagrams from Wente’s 1916 patent application show the condenser microphone in cutaway view. Diaphragm (#6), which is grounded, is stretched only 5/10000th of an inch from the backplate (#7), ...

When designing a microphone assembly the other day, I reached for an electret condenser microphone capsule without thinking. To be strictly accurate I ordered a pack of them, these small cylindrical ...

Electret microphones are capable of high-quality output, and are prized for their smooth frequency response. However, unlike other types, they can’t simply be plugged directly into a mixing desk.

In the Aug. 10 issue, we wrote about the centennial of condenser microphones. Let’s look more closely at electret condenser microphones. Fig. 1: The few components that make up an electret microphone.

The electret microphone capsule is similar to those commonly used in telephones, cassette recorders, and computers. The element functions as a capacitor with a fixed trapped charge. Sound pressure ...

In a late-November post, I discussed various microphone options available (I quote) “in terms of options for you to consider using in your next virtual work meetings and/or off-hours jam sessions.” At ...

There are different kinds of microphones, but they all do about the same thing, which is to turn acoustic sounds into electronic signals that can be amplified, modified, or recorded. When you speak ...

Microphones can be found just about everywhere nowadays. Most people reading this article will have a cell phone in their pocket which uses a microphone to transmit an audio signal to other phones all ...