A microphone can be defined as transducer that converts any kind of sound into an electrical signal. Besides being used by musicians, microphones are also used in everyday gadgets such as tape recorders, telephones, hearing aids, radio and television broadcasts, computer speakers, and a number of other technical appliances.
Concerning the origins of the microphone, it can be said that the first microphone was invented by Emile Berliner in 1887.Although Berliner can be said to have invented the miscophone; nevertheless, it is Alexander Graham Bell that invented the first microphone that could be used properly.
The way in which a microphone operates is not that difficult to comprehend. Essentially, microphones capture waves by using a thin diaphragm and the vibrations are then converted into and electrical signal which can be described as an analog of the original sound.
In everyday life, the most common kinds of microphones which are used by musicians and various other people normally use capacitance change, electromagnetic generation and piezoelectric generation which acts to produce signals from mechanical vibrations.
The most common type of connecter that are used for microphones are Male XLR connector which are used on professional microphones, 3.5 mm mono mini phone plug
which are mostly used in computer microphones and 1/4'' mono phone plug which are mostly used consumer microphones.
Various techniques, which can be described as Microphone techniques, can be used to capture live soundstage. In essence, these techniques include the X-Y techniques, the Mid-Side (M-S) technique, Near-coincident recording, The Blumlein shuffler technique, The A-B technique, and the The Baffled Omnidirectional technique.All these techniques are different from each other and utilize special technology.For instance, the A-B technique uses a couple of omnidirectional microphones and at a slightly moderate distance from each other. This distance could range from 20 centimeters up to 1 meter .The Blumlein shuffler technique uses two microphones which are spaced around 20 cm and these can be omnidirectional , although this is not necessarily so. The Baffled Omnidirectional technique uses a couple of near-coincident omnidirectional microphones which have an absortive baffle between the and it has been said that The Baffled Omnidirectional technique is very closely related to the binaural technique.
The X-Y technique consists of the coincident placement of around two directional microphones, and when these directional microphones are placed coincidentally , the outcome is that a stereo effect is achieved .This effect is achieved due to the intensity difference between the sounds which are entering the microphone. An advantage of this technique is that the signal is mono compatible which in essence means that the signal can be played on a non stereo device.
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