Comparison Razer Seiren vs Blue Microphones Yeti

— Vocal(for karaoke). In accordance with the name, such models are intended primarily for the transmission of the human voice — during singing, artistic reading, etc., when not only speech intelligibility is important, but also shades of intonation. It is these microphones that can be seen on stage during concerts and other similar events, in karaoke equipment, etc. This category also includes models that can also be used as instrumental ones (see below).

— Buttonhole. The name of this type of microphones is due to the traditional method of fastening — on the collar, where the buttonhole is usually located; they have miniature size and the presence of a clip for holding on clothes. Such devices are known primarily as television transmission equipment — they are used by participants in television programs so that they can speak without using their hands with larger microphones. And some devices of this type are actually a “headset blank”, which turns into a full-fledged headset when headphones are connected.

— For a computer. Microphones designed for use with full size PCs. Such microphones usually have a capsule on a long stem, sometimes flexible (see below) and a stand for placement on a table surface. Their main purpose is voice communication using a computer, where the most important thing is not so much the accuracy of the transfer of details, but...the data transfer rate and their small volumes — therefore, the sound quality, usually, is relatively low.

— For a laptop. Like the PC microphones described above, "laptop" models are designed mainly for voice communication and have rather modest characteristics. Their key difference is the focus on use with portable devices, which is expressed primarily in compact size. In addition, for many of these microphones, the connection port also acts as a mount for placement on a laptop case.

— Instrumental. Microphones designed to mimic musical instruments such as saxophones, acoustic guitars (not equipped with pickups), percussion kits, etc. Note that despite the outward resemblance of some models to the vocal ones described above, “purely instrumental” microphones for voice processing are poorly suited, it is not recommended to use them for this purpose.

— Studio. Microphones designed for use in recording studios. Usually, they are designed for recording vocals. Differ in high quality of a sound transmission and the corresponding cost.

— Head. Microphones designed to be worn on the head — like headsets (only in this case there is no earpiece in the design). They are miniature in size and are similar in application to lavaliers (see above), but are located closer to the mouth and do not depend on the speaker's clothing. This allows the use of such models in specific situations where a lavalier microphone is unsuitable — for example, for filming a video with a strong level of extraneous noise.

— For conferences. Microphones intended for use in conference rooms, huddle rooms, grandstands, and similar locations. The design of such models can be different — a capsule on a flexible leg (see below), a disc placed directly on the table, etc. However, anyway, this variety is optimized for speech transmission and is designed for the maximum convenience of the speaker — so that the user is not distracted by choosing the optimal position relative to the microphone and the distance to it.

— For a video camera. Microphones designed, as the name suggests, for use with video cameras, primarily professional ones. Note that technically, any microphone can be connected to the input of the video camera, matching the connectors and main characteristics; however, this category only includes models that are designed to mount directly into a special mount on the camera body.

— For a voice recorder. A specific type of microphone designed exclusively for use with voice recorders. Such equipment, usually, is equipped with its own built-in microphones, but their capabilities may not be enough in some cases; and among high-end professional voice recorders there are devices that do not have a microphone at all. External microphones are usually connected via a 3.5 mm mini-Jack interface or via a proprietary connector (see below), while one of their distinguishing features is the absence of a wire: the plug is mounted directly on the microphone body and plays the role of not only a connector, but also a mount. Of course, miniature sizes are also characteristic of such devices.

— For phone/tablet. This category includes specialized microphones, originally positioned as accessories for smartphones or tablets. Usually, they are similar to the voice recorders described above in the sense that they are attached directly to the body of the device without using additional wires. Their main specificity, compared to the same models for voice recorders, is the connection method — usually a universal connector is used for this, like 30pin / Lightning, microUSB or a proprietary interface (see below for more details).

— For video production. Microphones intended for use in video recording. In fact, this variety includes two subgroups, each with its own specialization. The first is microphones, which can be conditionally called "reporter's". Usually, these include dynamic (see "Type") models with all-round directivity (see below) and good sensitivity. These features allow you to "hear" not only the voice of the reporter, but also the sound background around him; in addition, you do not need to accurately maintain the position of the microphone relative to the face, which is especially useful when interviewing other people. Also, "reporter" models have durable cases and are generally well protected from various troubles (although they are not necessarily completely moisture and shock resistant). The second variety of models for video production is “sound operator”: such microphones can often be seen on film sets mounted on long rods. They, in turn, are usually made unidirectional or bidirectional (for maximum filtering of extraneous sounds), and most often they are condenser types and provide a fairly high quality and reliability of sound transmission.

— Suspended. Microphones designed to be suspended, such as from the ceiling. Such models are intended mainly for choir singing, theatrical performances and other situations in which other types of microphones (standing on a stand, held in the hand or even clinging to the head) are not very convenient.

— Measuring. Measuring microphones are designed to calibrate sound installations. With their help, you can quickly and accurately adjust the loudness for a musical instrument, loudspeaker, sound recording equipment, etc. The key features of measuring microphones are a wide frequency range (20 – 40,000 Hz) and high frequency response stability. The measuring microphone measures the noise level and detects sound anomalies. Properly tuned, with the help of a measuring microphone, the sound installation will fully correspond to the acoustic features of a particular room.

Sensitivity describes the signal strength at the output of a microphone when it processes a sound of a certain volume. In this case, sensitivity means the ratio of the output voltage to the sound pressure on the membrane, expressed in decibels. The higher this number, the higher the sensitivity. Note that, as a rule, values in decibels are negative, so we can say this: the closer the number is to zero, the more sensitive the microphone. For example, a -38 dB model outperforms a -54 dB model in this parameter.

It should be borne in mind that high sensitivity in itself does not mean high sound quality - it only allows the device to “hear” a weaker sound. Conversely, low sensitivity is not an unequivocal sign of a bad microphone. The choice for this parameter depends on the specifics of the application: a sensitive device is useful for working with low sounds and in cases where it is necessary to capture the smallest nuances of what is happening, and a “weak” microphone will be convenient at high sound volume or, if necessary, filter out extraneous weak noises. There are models with sensitivity adjustment(and for models with a headphone output , headphone volume control may be provided).

The sampling rate of the analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) provided in the design of the microphone.

An ADC is a module responsible for converting an analogue signal coming from a microphone capsule into a digital format. It is used mainly in models connected via digital interfaces — for example, USB (see below) — and also in some wireless ones, where the digital format is used for radio communication.

The principle of analogue-to-digital conversion is that the analogue signal is divided into separate fragments, each of which is encoded with its own numerical value. If this is depicted graphically, then the graph of the analogue signal looks like a smooth line, and the digital signal looks like a set of “steps” close to this line. The higher the sampling frequency, the more “steps” fall on a certain section of a smooth line and the more accurately the digital signal corresponds to the original analogue.

Thus, high values of this parameter indicate a high quality of the microphone. However, it must be said here that for normal restoration of the original signal from digital (in other words, for normal reproduction of the sound perceived by the microphone), a sampling frequency twice the maximum frequency of the received sound is considered sufficient. For pure human speech, indicators of 2.3 kHz are considered record-breaking, and harmonics that complement the timbre of the voice do not exceed 8 kHz in frequency. Thus, a high sampling rate...is not required for normal speech processing. At the same time, models intended for studio recording (see "Intended use") may have rather high values of this parameter — up to 96 kHz inclusive. This is due not only to the sound quality (although it is also important), but also to the technical aspects of processing and mixing.

Also note that upsampling affects the amount of data transmitted, so high performance is not always optimal. Thus, some microphones allow you to change the value of this parameter; for such models, our catalog indicates the maximum value of the sampling rate.

The bit depth of the analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) installed in the microphone.

An ADC is a module responsible for converting an analogue signal coming from a microphone capsule into a digital format. It is used mainly in models connected via digital interfaces — for example, USB (see below) — and also in some wireless ones, where the digital format is used for radio communication. For more information on this conversion, see ADC Sampling Rate. But if the sampling rate describes the number of “steps” of a digital signal in a certain area, then the bit depth determines the number of signal level options available for each individual step. The higher the bit depth, the more such options and the more accurately the digital signal level will correspond to the analogue level.

Thus, this parameter also directly affects the quality of the conversion. If we talk about specific values, then 16 bits is considered quite enough for professional studio microphones (see "Intended use"), and high-end models can also have 32-bit converters.

The presence of its own LCD display in the design of the microphone. This, usually, is the simplest single-colour matrix, sometimes even of a segment type (as in an electronic watch, where the characters on the display are made up not of pixels, but of individual segments). At the same time, even the simplest displays provide extensive information and are capable of displaying various messages. Note that such extended information is relevant primarily for models with a wireless connection (see "Functions / Capabilities"): the display can be useful for notifying about the selected channel, battery status, etc. Therefore, most microphones with this function are wireless.

The type of power used by the microphone during operation.

- Phantom. 48 V power supply required for operation of condenser microphones, as well as some types of electret microphones(see “Type”). With the standard connection, electricity is supplied through the same cable that connects the microphone to the receiving device; Accordingly, for normal operation of such models, amplifiers, receivers or other equipment with a microphone input that has phantom power are required. However, the absence of such an input is also not an insurmountable obstacle - some microphones have adapters that allow you to receive phantom power from a 230 V network (for more details, see “Included”). Another alternative is the phantom/battery combo described below. In general, this method of power supply is convenient in that it allows you not to worry about the battery charge, but freedom of movement is limited by the length of the power cord.

— Battery. Powered by rechargeable battery. Note that it is often poorly suited for analog capacitor models - the required 48 V is difficult to provide with a small portable battery. But in electret microphones, battery power is used quite often. Another area of application for batteries is models with wireless connections (see “Features/capabilities”), in which autonomous power is required at a minimu...m for the operation of the transmitter. In any case, the battery is convenient due to the absence of unnecessary wires. It, of course, needs to be recharged periodically, but the power consumption of microphones is usually low and the battery life even in the most modest models reaches several hours.

— Phantom/battery. Microphones of this type can operate either from phantom power or from their own built-in battery (for more details on both, see above). This makes them extremely versatile and can be used regardless of the presence of phantom power inputs or suitable adapters. However, it must be taken into account that the performance characteristics when using different power sources may vary slightly; this point is usually indicated in official data.

— Batteries. Powered by replaceable elements of a standard size - most often AA (“pen-AA batteries”). The main advantage of such microphones is the quick replacement of batteries when discharged. Batteries are usually not included in the package and must be purchased separately. However, this provides an advantage - the ability to independently choose the type and brand of replacement batteries.

Note that when connected via USB, the microphone receives the power required for operation through the same connector; For such models, the type of power supply is not separately indicated.