Newbie microphone help

[John Willett]

The easiest way to think of it is the difference in how they pick up sound.

Condensers require phantom power, and are more easily broken. Dynamic are the opposite.
Condensers generally pick up more sound and have a warmer tone, but dynamic mics sound more natural.

As has been said, this is totally and absolutely wrong!

Condensers need power, but not necessarily phantom power.

The amplifier needs power, but this can be from a battery in the case of an electret mic.

Electret (pre-polarised) condensers do not need power for the capsule.

True condensers need power for the capsule, normally supplied via 48V phantom power and then stepped up to the voltage required - some capsules can require a capsule voltage of up to 200V (stepped up internally via a DC/DC converter). A valve (vacuum tube) condenser microphone normally requires a separate power supply with several voltages output to the mic.

A dynamic mic. does not normally need power as it makes it's own power by the voice-coil wiggling around in a magnetic field. But this is a moving coil microphone. A ribbon mic. is also a dynamic mic. and although many make their own power by the ribbon wiggling in a magnetic field, the output is quite low; so some modern ribbon mics have an internal amplifier which is powered by phantom power.

A condenser is not more easily broken than a dynamic; in fact it is probably the other way round.

A small diaphragm condenser is quite light, a dynamic is more heavy - drop a heavy dynamic so the magnet shifts and it will be damaged and unusable, a condenser dropped in the same way would likely still work fine.

Condensers tend to be more sensitive than dynamics as a dynamic mic. has a diaphragm that is vastly more heavy than a condenser and it takes more energy to get it moving.

"Warmer tone" is down to the design of the mic. and nothing at all to do with the difference between condenser and dynamic.

A dynamic is definitely not more "natural" than a condenser - in fact it's the other way round. A good, well designed, condenser is far far more natural than a dynamic. You don't see dynamics used in classical music recording where they are striving for the most natural and accurate sound - it's condensers all the way.

A condenser mic., which has a very light and responsive diaphragm, will follow the sound wave a lot more accurately than a dynamic mic. and will therefore be far more "natural" than any dynamic mic.

I hope this is all clear - if you have any questions please ask.


(I was Technical Manager at Sennheiser UK for 25 years and I now distribute Microtech Gefell in the UK - I also know the designers of most European microphones personally and get on well with all of them - so my credentials are good on this subject)

 

[ecc83]

Thank you John!
May I just add that the Old Warhorses, the SM57, 58s ARE very rugged but not all dynamic mics are made in such a BSH way (there are now some very acceptable ~30quid dynamics but don't try mending your shoes with them!)
Then! A lot of people (but by no means all!) like the "sound" of the old Shure's but it is a coloured sound and not in the least "natural". And you do not get dynamic reference mics for science and sound engineering purposes.

Ah! Might as well drop this in! Transformers were mentioned. For very good ones at fair prices the very old firm of Sowter are still going strong.
Dave.

 

[dainbramage]

I think the term "condenser" comes from an era when scientists did not have a clue what electricity was and thought Leyden jars worked somehow like steam engines!

FWIW, some languages still use a term resembling "condenser" for capacitors. Over here, we call them "kondensator".

 

[mark1971a]

I don't understanding what is meant by the difference in words. Doesn't sound like something worth any attention as it does not change the circuit inside.

One thing that is nice is online, you have a return period if the product does not work for you. So you really have no fear, trying it in your room.

Sowter? yes

Lundahl, Altec, cinemagic, triad, sure all incredible sounding. A difference you can hear. Some of those vintage transformers are over $100 and make are excellent for DIY mod projects. Pay attention to the output ratio ratio. It will be important when you build the preamp. Get the canned body transformers if possible.