The 2 Main Types of Microphones

The 2 Main Types of Mics

Condenser Microphones

These types of microphones have a much greater transient and frequency response, which is the ability to reproduce the pace of the sound. They're most commonly found in music studios and tend to have a louder output, but are much more sensitive to loud sounds. Their sensitivity to low sounds means that they're more fragile than their counterpart - the dynamic microphone. 

Condenser microphones need 'phantom power' which in usually supplied by a mixing board in a studio which tends to have a switch with '48V' on in, which refers the the 48 volts of power being supplied to the microphones.

Condenser are generally much more expensive than dynamic microphones but cheap ones can be bought to, although they may not be of high quality. There tend to be two main types of condenser mics which are labelled on the size of their diaphragm.

Large Diaphragm Microphones (LDMs)

- Used mainly for studio vocals and instrument recording.

Small Diaphragm Microphones (SDMs)

- Used for sounds that are solid and have a wide frequency

- Very sensitive to transient noises like 'P' and SH' sounds that cause distortion.

Dynamic Microphones

These microphones are more rugged in comparison to condenser mics. They're resilient to moisture and abuse which makes them good for onstage performances. Unlike the condenser microphones, dynamic mics do not require their own external power supply however, their sound quality is never as accurate. This could be due to their limited frequency response. Although, this gives these microphones the ability to withstand high sound pressure levels. 

Directional Microphones

Different types of microphones pick up sound is various way because of the audio patterns formed by the way the sound travels. Understanding these patterns gives you a better understanding of what microphone you'll need in your given situation. These patterns are:

Omni-Directional

A good all purpose microphone which gathers a wide range of sound from all directions. It is great for picking up all voices in debates or group discussions. For a good quality sound, this microphone must be held close to the source. These types of microphones are found in camcorders.

Omni-Directional Audio Pattern

Cardioid 

This pattern is in someway, heart-shaped (hence the name). It is typically used to pick up sounds that are sourced from the sides of the microphone and also behind it. Handheld microphones used in news interviews usually use microphones that pick up this audio pattern

Cardioid Audio Pattern

Uni-Directional

Used mainly in shotgun microphones, this audio pattern has a great focus on a specific sound to block out an ambient noise. This is a great microphone when you're trying to pick up one sound amongst many such as picking up one persons voice in a discussion.

Uni-Directional Audio Pattern