Everything You Need To Know About Studio Condenser Microphone

If you’re going to be recording sound, you’re going to need a microphone. The choice of the type of microphone can depend on many things and one of these is where you’ll be recording the sound. If you’re on stage and require a microphone, a dynamic microphone will serve you well. However, if we talk about studio microphones then your best choice, in most cases, will definitely be a condenser microphone. Condenser microphones have always been the recording microphones of choice when it comes to studio recordings. There are many reasons why condenser microphones are so good at recording in studios. 

So, how does a condenser microphone work? Why is it only good for recording in studios? Before we get to those questions and their answers, let’s look at what a condenser microphone is.

If you’ve ever gone microphone hunting you will have come across two different types of microphones, a condenser microphone, and the dynamic microphone. The two words dynamic and condenser merely describe the principle used in each of these microphones to ensure they function effectively. 

A microphone is a transducer, a device that transforms energy from one form to another. In a microphone, the transducers convert acoustic or sound energy into electrical signals. After all, sound can’t travel through and to electrical devices without first being converted into electrical signals and that is what the transducer does. So, when we talk about the condenser microphone, it is using a condenser to convert sound waves into energy.

But what is a condenser? Condenser microphones are also called capacitor microphones, particularly by the British and the reason is that these microphones use a capacitor to change incoming sound waves into electrical energy. A condenser is just another name given to capacitors and that is how these studio microphones have earned their name. 

A capacitor is an electrical device that holds energy in the form of an electrostatic field between two metal plates that are very close to each other. The closer these plates are to each other, the higher the capacitance of the capacitor. The capsule of a condenser microphone is constructed in a fashion very similar to this as well. It consists of one thin membrane that is in close proximity to a solid metal plate.

The condenser microphone works very similarly to a capacitor. The two plates inside the capsule of the condenser microphone perform the job of converting acoustic energy into electrical energy. The thin membrane or diaphragm plate and the solid metal plate have some space between them, both plates are charged and while the backplate or the solid metal plate is fixed the diaphragm plate is movable. 

When sound waves hit the very thin diaphragm plate, they cause it to move, thus changing the distance between the two plates. This change in the distance also brings about a change in the capacitance between the two plates. This change in capacitance as a direct response to the rhythm of the sound waves changes the sound into electrical energy. 

However, as mentioned earlier, both plates are charged, which is a requirement for this phenomenon to work. For this purpose, a power supply or the presence of current is required for condenser microphones, and for that a power supply, a battery, or even the microphone cable itself can be used to provide power to the microphone. 

The incoming sound has just been converted into an electrical signal. However, this signal is too weak on its own to connect with other pieces of gear. While the condenser’s output voltage is quite high actually, it manages to produce a negligible amount of current. This is due to the fact that such a small amount of energy is stored in the condenser or capacitor due to its small size. For the purpose of making the signal strong or sturdy enough for it to be usable, something called an impedance converter is used. 

The impedance converter is nothing more than a circuit that acts as a buffer between the microphone capsule and everything else. It makes sure more of the signal current is available for it to be usable by other output devices.

The choice of whether to use a condenser or other types of microphone depends on several factors, technical and creative, and the physical settings of the recording. The diaphragm of condenser microphones is much lighter than that of dynamic microphones which allows these microphones to capture more precisely the high-frequency range. However, there is also a limit to the maximum signal level they can handle, and due to their complex nature, these recording microphones are also more severely affected when temperature or humidity levels reach their extremes. In a rock and roll concert or an outdoor environment with loud sounds, you would be better off using a dynamic microphone. In a more controlled environment, like a recording studio, however, the condenser microphone will lend you better results.

Condenser microphones offer superior sound quality, they offer crisp and clear sound and much lower noise than dynamic microphones. This also makes them the best vocal microphones, which is another reason why condenser microphones are always picked as studio microphones. 

Condenser microphones are also more expensive than dynamic microphones. While cheaper options are available, you should stay clear of them as their low quality will always have an effect on their performance. The sound from these microphones will always be noisy. That is why Nove Microphones takes great care in the construction of their condenser microphones. The attention to detail and the choice of high-quality materials used in every single Nove Condenser Microphone deliver the crisp and clear sound expected from high-quality condenser microphones.

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