| 3-to-1 Rule |
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When using multiple microphones, the distance between microphones should be at least 3 times the distance from each microphone to its intended sound source. |
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| Ambience |
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Room acoustics or natural reverberation. |
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| Attack |
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The response rate of the cymbal or drum. Some models are faster (more attack) than others. how fast an instrument reaches its peak volume after it is struck. |
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| Bi-Directional |
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Also known as a "Figure 8", this refers to a microphone which receive sound equally from both the front and back. |
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| Cardioid |
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Picks up most sound in front of the microphone and some from the sides. It is less susceptible to feedback in high volume environments. |
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| Condenser |
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Microphones which are more sensitive, give a smooth, natural sound and need to be powered (by Phantom Power). |
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| Dynamic |
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Dynamic mics have a simple, rugged construction and can handle very high sound pressure levels. |
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| Frequency Response |
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A graph showing how a microphone responds to various sound frequencies. It is a plot of electrical output (in decibels) vs. frequency (in Hertz). |
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| Interference |
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Destructive combining of sound waves or electrical signals due to sound waves or electrical signals due to phase differences. |
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| Inverse Square Law |
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States that direct sound levels increase (or decrease) by an amount proportional to the square of the change in distance. |
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| Isolation |
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Freedom from leakage; ability to reject unwanted sounds. |
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| Omnidirectional |
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Put simply, means the microphone picks up sound from all directions |
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| Phantom Power |
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Used to describe the method for transmitting DC electric power through microphone cables to operate microphones that contain active electronic circuitry (i.e condenser microphones) |
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| Phase Cancellation |
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Phase cancellation occurs when multiple microphones are used to pick up the same sound. For example, you may use two microphones to pick up the sound of a kick drum - one inside and one outside. As the microphones are in different places the sound will reach them at different times - which means that they may be 'out of phase' when the sound is played back |
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| Polar Pattern (Directional Pattern, Polar Response) |
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A graph showing how the sensitivity of a microphone varies with the angle of the sound source, at a particular frequency. |
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| Proximity effect |
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The proximity effect in audio is an increase in bass or low frequency response when a sound source is close to a microphone |
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| Rolloff |
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A gradual decrease in response below or above a specified frequency |
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| SPL |
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Sound pressure level (measured in decibels/dB) |
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| Super Cardioid |
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Picks up most sound in front of the microphone and very little from the sides, making it more directional than a cardioid mic. |
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| Sustain |
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The duration of the sound before it decays. |
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| Transient response |
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The response of a microphone to a change from equilibrium, or put simply how quickly the microphone can react to high frequencies in particular. |
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| X/Y Configuration |
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Involves utilizing two microphones on overheads - typically one would place the two mics close together and angled at about 75-90 degrees |
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