Microphone

Introduction
• Microphone - device for converting
acoustic power into electric power that has
essentially similar wave characteristics. These
devices convert sound waves into electrical
voltages that are eventually converted
back into sound waves that are amplified
through speakers. Today, these handy
devices are often associated with music and
entertainment, but the history of the
microphone dates back as early as the
1600s when scientists started to look for ways
to amplify sound.
History
The 1600s
• 1665: While the word “microphone”
wasn’t used until the 19th century, one
inventor was a pioneer in the world of
transmitting sound across distances.
• Robert Hooke, an English physicist, is
credited with developing an acoustic
cup and string style phone.
The Early 1800s
• 1827: Sir Charles Wheatstone worked
on a device that could amplify weak
sounds & was the first person to coin
the phrase "microphone”.
The Mid 1800s
• Johann Philipp Reis designed a system
that used a metallic strip attached to
a vibrating membrane. This produced
an intermittent current in line with the
sound vibrations.
The Late 1800s
• 1876: Emile Berliner invented what
many consider the
first microphone while working with
famed inventor Thomas Edison. The
device used was a telephone voice
transmitter. Berliner, was best known
for his invention of the Gramophone
and the gramophone record, which
was patented in 1887.
• 1870s: A British-American inventor and professor of music,
David Edward Hughes invented the first carbon microphone. It
was based around the concept that when carbon granules
are compressed by sound waves, they change their
resistance.
• 1877: The idea for the carbon microphone was also
developed separately by Emile Berliner and Thomas Edison in
the USA. After a legal dispute, Edison was awarded the first
patent in 1877, although Hughes had demonstrated his
device before witnesses before Berliner and Edison had
developed their idea. Accordingly, Hughes is normally
credited with the idea. Hughes's microphone was the early
model for the various carbon microphones still in use today.
The Early 1900s
• 1915: The development of the vacuum tube
amplifier helped improve the volume output for
devices, including the microphone.
• 1916: The condenser microphone was patented
by inventor Edward Christopher Wente while
working at Bell Laboratories; the device is often
referred to as a capacitor or an electrostatic
microphone. His task, at the time, was to improve
the audio quality for telephones, but his work
also enhanced the microphone.
• 1923: Ribbon microphone was
introduced. Probably developed by
Harry Olson, it was able to provide a
considerable improvement in
performance over other years
• 1928: In Germany, Georg Neumann
and Co. was founded and rose to Neumann
Bottle
fame for its microphones. Georg
Neumann designed the first
commercial condenser microphone,
nicknamed “Neumann Bottle”
because of its shape.
• 1931: Western Electric marketed its 618
electrodynamic transmitter - the first
dynamic microphone. 618 ETD
transmitter
• 1959: The Unidyne III microphone was the first uni-directional
device that was designed to collect sound from the top of
the microphone, rather than the side. This set a new level of
design for microphones in the future.
• 1964: Bell Laboratories researchers James West and Gerhard
Sessler received patent no. 3,118,022 for the electroacoustic
transducer, an electret microphone. The electret microphone
offered greater reliability and higher precision at a lower cost
and with a smaller size. It revolutionized the microphone
industry, with almost one billion manufactured each year.
• 1970s: Both dynamic and condenser mics were further
enhanced, allowing for a lower sound level sensitivity and a
clearer sound recording. A number of miniature mics were
also developed during this decade.
• 1983: Sennheiser developed the
first clip-on microphones, one that
was a directional mic (MKE 40) and
one that was designed for the
studio (MKE 2). These microphones MKE 4 MKE 2
are still popular today.
• 1990s: Neumann introduced the
KMS 105, a condenser model
designed for live performances,
setting a new standard for quality.
• 2010: The Eigen mike was released, a microphone that is
composed of several high-quality microphones arranged on
the surface of a solid sphere, allowing the sound to be
captured from a variety of directions. This allowed for greater
control when editing and rendering sound.
Electro Acoustic
- recording, transmission and reinforcement of sound

Transducers
- Device that converts one form of energy to another in this
case, the acoustic domain to electrical domain. Usually a
transducer converts a signal in one form of energy to a signal in
another form.
Types of Transducers
• Active Transducers - No need for an external power source
• Passive Transducers - A need for an external power source

Electro-Acoustic Transducers
• Electromagnetic Transducer
• Electrodynamic Transducer
• Electrostatic Transducer
• Piezoelectric Transducer
Electromagnetic Transducer(EMT)
In an inductive type transducer, the
magnetic characteristic of the electric
circuit changes due to the motion of the
object.
The EMT is a self generating inductive type
transducer in which voltage signal is
generated because of the relative
motion of the conductor and magnetic
field
The electromagnetic transduction is governed by
Faraday’s Law
Electrodynamic Transducer
The electrodynamic transducer generates a voltage when the coil moves in
a magnetic field. This phenomenon is governed by the
Induction Law