week 2 - mics and decibels

The three main types of microphones are dynamic, condenser and ribbon. There are six common polar patterns which I have learned over the past two weeks: Omni-directional, unidirectional- cardioid, supercardioid, hypercardioid as well as bidirectional (figure of 8) and shotgun.

To research deeper into the differences of supercardioid and hypercardioid in terms of practicality, it is said that supercardioid has a tighter focus at the front as compared to a cardioid, hence, it is more feedback resistant. For an even narrower pickup angle, hypercardiod comes in place (which contributes in greater rejection of unwanted noise and feedback). Both of these mics are also less sensitive at the sides. These microphones are useful for isolating unwanted sound and record a much precise sound of the instrument/vocals. Omni mics can be used to record natural ambience (room reflections) or also for recording the entire drum set on its own. Bidirectional mics can be convenient in a talk show/interview involving the host and the guest to save using one extra mic. It is also good at capturing mid-range frequencies, for instance, vocals, brass or flute, providing a smooth tone to it.

DECIBELS

Decibels (dB) is an unit used to measure sound, power or intensity level by ratio. Though it is commonly used to measure sound level, it can also be used to measure level of signals in electronics. In order to express sound levels in a manageable manner, it uses a logarithmic scale instead of a linear one.