Dynamic Microphone Mic
September 24th, 2010What’s a Condenser Microphone?
A Quick Tip for Podcast Newbies: Dump the Headset Condenser Microphone
Are you ready to podcast? You’ve got your music, your renegade DJ t-shirt with the sleeves cut off, some giant headphones like Rob Gordon wears in High Fidelity, and all your friends are eagerly awaiting your debut. You look ready…but what’s that horrible noise!? Static!? Cars driving by!? Dogs barking!? Adjacent apartment noise! yeah…did you really think a five dollar microphone was going to make you sound like James Earl Jones? If your podcasts are filled with unwanted background noise, and tinny vocals, consider a condenser microphone.
That headset microphone that makes you sound like you’re on a pay phone in a windstorm depends on a bit of wire and a magnet to convert your vocals into sweet electric goodness. To get an audible sound, the signal then has to be boosted by your computer sound card. Unfortunately, the computer can’t tell the difference between your nightingale voice and the truck that just drove by your window. Chances are, you’ve been boosting the good noise along with the bad.
Condenser microphones produce a signal using metal plates and an electrical field generated by external power sources, such as batteries or power from a mixer. A condenser (or capacitor) microphone will provide a louder, and usually cleaner output than a cheap dynamic microphone. The inner workings of condenser microphones capture a better range of sound than cheap headset mics. With some proper adjustment, you will get a more natural sounding vocal recording.
The disadvantages of Condenser microphones, aside from their higher cost, are very slight for podcast artists. Condenser microphones give off more feedback when exposed to high volumes, which is not usually a problem for podcast vocals. The complexity of a condenser microphone’s design also makes them more fragile than dynamic microphones. For a podcaster, this means no screaming directly into the microphone, and no juggling. Other than that, the mic will be safe on your desk until you’re ready to rock the web.
So how much is this gonna set you back? Expect to pay between $60 and $200 (U.S.) for what is considered a budget condenser microphone. The good news is there are many companies who produce microphones in this price range with excellent sound quality for podcasting. The bad news is to use a condenser microphone, it will have to be powered. Some condenser mics are capable of running on battery power. Most, however, rely on power provided by a mixer. A common setup uses 48v “phantom power” supplied by an XLR cable. Check your microphone manual or with the manufacturer for specific power requirements. Shop around several music stores for affordable power sources, as prices sometimes vary greatly.
A condenser microphone comprising:an electrostatic transducer including at least one conductive vibrating plate, at least one fixed electrode, and first and second output terminals, two output voltages which are out of phase with respect to each other being generated between thevibrating plate and fixed electrode in response to vibration of the vibrating plate, and the generated two output voltages being supplied from the first and second terminals, respectively;
A first field effect transistor and a second field effect transistor both of the same conductivity channel type, gates of said first and second field effect transistors being connected to the first and second output terminals of saidelectrostatic transducer, respectively, and drains of said first and second field effect transistors being connected to a DC power supply;
A first resistor and a second resistor both connected between the gate of said first field effect transistor and ground and between the gate of said second field effect transistor and ground, respectively, to hold the DC potential of each of saidgates at ground level;
Output circuit means including a transformer with a primary coil and a secondary coil, the primary coil being directly connected between the sources of the first and second field effect transistors, and a output signal which corresponds to thedifference between the source potentials of the first and second field effect transistors being picked up from the second coil.
When podcasting, your condenser microphone is the first step in achieving quality sound. If you sound terrible people will turn you off. Save up some bucks and dump that cheap headset!
About the Author
Ningbo Tongxin Microphones offers the best variety of quality Condenser Microphone for Studio, Podcast, USB, Instrumen, Conference, Broadcast and Field Recording.
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