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AET1380 Microphones & Loudspeakers Worksheet
Use Alten, Chapter 4 (Microphones), "Microphone Design…Past, etc.", Chapter 3 (Loudspeakers &
Monitoring), class ppts, etc., to answer the following.
Microphones – Past, Present, & Future + Principles
Who is considered to be the ‘inventor’ of the 1st microphone & when? What was it intended for?
What is a ‘microphone’? What is an ‘element’? How do we classify microphones?’
What are ‘carbon mics’ used for & why?
Who designed the first capacitance microphone & when?
How does a capacitance microphone work?
When was the moving-coil microphone designed?
How does a moving coil microphone work?
When did RCA introduce its popular 77DX ribbon microphone?
How does a ribbon microphone work? JAK
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AET1380 Microphones & Loudspeakers Worksheet
Which came first, capacitance, moving coil, or ribbon microphones? Which was adopted first for
studio usage?
When did the Neumann Company begin manufacturing the quality condenser microphone known
as the ‘U-47’?
Which type of microphone must have a power supply (“phantom power”) or a battery in order to
operate?
In general, which are the most rugged and durable types of microphones?
Microphones – Patterns
What is a “polar pattern”? Sketch below three microphone polar pattern diagrams (cardioid, bidirectional, omni-directional).
Microphones – Placement
Why use "close" or “distant” microphone techniques? What are the advantages and disadvantages
of each?
In general, what microphone techniques were employed in the 1920s/30s40s vs later?
JAK
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AET1380 Microphones & Loudspeakers Worksheet
What are some techniques to provide better "isolation" or "separation" when using multiple
microphones in the recording studio?
“3-to-1 ratio”… in regard to microphone use, what is this principle or “rule”?
What effect does ‘phase cancellation’ have on microphone placement?
What is the major benefit of a PZM (pressure-zone microphone)?
Explain the purpose of 'stereo micing'.
What is the difference between a near-coincident pair, spaced pair, and coincident (X-Y) pair of
microphones?
Describe the ORTF and M/S techniques (include a sketch).
Microphones – Characteristics
Briefly describe these technical features (characteristics) of microphones:
Frequency response
Overload
Transient Response
JAK
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AET1380 Microphones & Loudspeakers Worksheet
What is one of the primary reasons for the sound character difference between different types of
microphones?
What is "rumble" and how can we reduce it?
What is "proximity effect" and how do we reduce it?
What is a "pad' designed to do?
Loudspeakers & Monitoring
What is a ‘loudspeaker’ and what does it do?
What are the three basic types of loudspeakers? What type is most common & how does it work?
What does ‘passive’ and ‘active’ powering mean?
What is the purpose of a ‘crossover’?
JAK
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AET1380 Microphones & Loudspeakers Worksheet
How do ‘frequency response’ & ‘linearity’ describe the performance of a loudspeaker?
What is ‘distortion’, and what are some (at least two) types that relate to loudspeakers?
What do the terms dynamic range, sensitivity, and polar response mean relating to loudspeakers?
How do room acoustics & the placement of loudspeakers affect their performance (and what we
hear)?
What is the difference between near-field & far-field monitoring? (Give features of each.)
JAK
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