Comparison SAMSON G-Track Pro vs SAMSON G-Track

- Dynamic. “Conventional,” or coil, dynamic microphones use a system of a diaphragm (membrane) and a coil that is placed in a magnetic field. From sound vibrations, the membrane, and with it the coil, begin to move, and an electrical signal is generated in the coil. Such models are relatively inexpensive, durable and reliable, and also cope well even with very loud and harsh sounds; in addition, they are more compact and lighter than the other type of dynamic microphones - ribbons (see below). Their main disadvantage is poor efficiency at high frequencies.

— Dynamic (tape). A variation of the dynamic microphones described above, in which the membrane is connected not to a coil, but to a thin (several microns) metal tape, hence the name. Historically, this is the first type of microphone with a dynamic operating principle, however, due to a number of shortcomings, it gradually lost wide popularity, giving way to coil-based options. Such disadvantages are, first of all, large size and large mass, complexity and high cost of production, as well as very low output impedance, which complicates the work with amplifiers. At the same time, tape models are characterized by extremely high accuracy of sound transmission over the entire frequency range, which allows them to be used in recording studios, at high-profile concerts, etc. Most modern models of this type are professional models, in particular studi...o ones (see “Purpose”).

— Condenser. The name of this type is due to the fact that the microphone is actually a capacitor, in which the role of one of the plates is played by a sensitive membrane (usually made of a metallized polymer). Due to the vibration of the membrane (under the influence of sound vibrations), the distance between the plates and, accordingly, the capacitance of the capacitor changes - these fluctuations in capacitance provide an electrical signal. Condenser microphones have uniform sound transmission over the entire frequency range, with a minimum of distortion, due to which this technology has found wide application in professional audio equipment. It is worth considering that for such a device to operate, additional power is required - the so-called. “phantom” (standard voltage - 48 V). However, this cannot be called a clear disadvantage, because amplifiers, receivers and other high-end equipment are often made with this requirement in mind. But obvious disadvantages include high price, sensitivity to shock and strict requirements for temperature and humidity; the latter makes condenser microphones poorly suited for outdoor use.

— Capacitor (tube). A specific type of condenser microphones described above. They use the same principle of sound production (with all the advantages and disadvantages), however, the amplification element in such models, in accordance with the name, is built on vacuum tubes. Technically, such an amplifier introduces more distortion into the signal than a transistor one, but this distortion gives the sound a characteristic coloring that is pleasant to many listeners. Simply put, you get that notorious “warm tube sound”; Moreover, achieving such an effect using a microphone is cheaper than using a tube amplifier, and for a number of technical reasons this option often turns out to be optimal. Almost all tube microphones have a studio purpose (see above). Their main drawback is their high price (several times more than that of “regular” capacitor analogues). In addition, such models have their own nutritional characteristics; To supply energy, a special adapter is usually supplied, which is also responsible for controlling additional functions such as changing the radiation pattern.

- Electret. In design, such microphones are similar to the condenser ones described above, but their design includes a plate made of the so-called. electret - substances with special electrical properties. This provides a number of advantages: electret microphones can be used outdoors without much difficulty, they can be made more compact, and such models are cheaper to produce; At the same time, the quality of sound transmission can be quite comparable to condenser ones. As a result, this technology is found in a wide variety of models - from miniature lavaliers and simple computer ones to studio ones (see “Purpose”). Note also that electret microphones also require external power, but this is not always phantom 48 V - for some varieties, a small amount of energy is sufficient, which can be provided by a compact battery or power supply via a 3.5 mm mini-Jack cable.

Directionality describes the ability of a microphone to pick up sounds coming from different directions, more precisely, the dependence of sensitivity on the direction from which the sound comes.

— Unidirectional. As the name implies, these microphones are capable of picking up sound coming from only one side. Note that the coverage area itself can be quite wide, but anyway it is located “in front” of the microphone. Unidirectional models are very convenient for the perception of sound from a single source, with maximum clipping of ambient noise.

— Bidirectional. This term in our case means two types of microphones. The first option is the classic bidirectional models, designed for the possibility of normal perception of sound from two opposite sides — roughly speaking, "front" and "rear"; at the same time, dead zones are formed on the sides, from where the sound is practically not perceived. This format of work can be useful, for example, for broadcasting a dialogue in a radio station studio, or when simultaneously recording two voices on one microphone. The second variety is microphones with a pair of capsules directed at an angle to each other (most often perpendicular); a similar design is used in models with a stereo recording function.

— Omnidirectional. Also, this variety is called "non-directional", which also to a certain extent ch...aracterizes its features. Such microphones do not have a clearly defined directionality — they perceive the sound coming from any direction with full sensitivity. An example of a situation where this format might be useful is a recording of a roundtable discussion.

Note that while most microphones only work in one directional pattern, some models support multiple directional patterns, with the ability to switch between them as desired by the user (see Features/Characteristics). The methods of such switching can be different: in some models it is enough to move the switch, in others you need to change the capsule.

The polar pattern of a unidirectional microphone (see above). There are models with DN switching.

By itself, such a diagram is a graph of sensitivity versus direction, built in the so-called polar coordinate system. For unidirectional models, there are three main options for the shape of the line on such a chart:

— Cardioid. A chart shaped like an inverted heart symbol (hence the name). Microphones with these characteristics cover a fairly large area in front, which makes it difficult to filter out extraneous sound sources that are close to the main source. At the same time, they are completely insensitive to sound coming from the rear.

— Supercardioid. These mics have a narrower front coverage than "classic" cardioid mics, making it easier to pick up directional sound. The downside of this is some (albeit rather low) sensitivity to sound coming directly from behind.

— Hypercardioid. The hypercardioid pattern further narrows the microphone's sensitivity zone in the front (compared to the supercardioid pattern), but widens this zone in the back.

The range of audio frequencies normally perceived and processed by a microphone.

The wider this range — the fuller the signal, the less likely that too high or low frequencies will be missed due to the imperfection of the microphone. However, in this case, it is worth considering some nuances. First of all: a wide frequency range in itself does not guarantee high sound quality — a lot also depends on the type of microphone (see above) and its frequency response, not to mention the quality of other components of the audio system. In addition, a large width is also not always really necessary. For example, for normal transmission of human speech, a range of 500 Hz — 2 kHz is considered sufficient, which is much narrower than the general range perceived by the human ear. This general range, in turn, averages from 16 Hz to 22 kHz, and also narrows with age. Do not forget about the features of the equipment to which the microphone is connected: it is hardly worth specifically looking for a model with an extensive range, if, for example, the amplifier to which it is planned to be connected severely “cuts off” the frequencies from above and/or below.

The maximum sound pressure perceived by the microphone, at which the harmonic oscillation coefficient does not exceed 0.5% — in other words, the highest sound volume at which no noticeable interference occurs.

The higher this indicator, the better the microphone is suitable for working with loud sound. Here it is worth considering that the decibel is a non-linear quantity; in other words, an increase in volume from 10 dB to 20 dB or from 20 to 40 dB does not mean a 2-fold increase in volume. Therefore, when assessing, it is most convenient to refer to comparative tables of noise levels. Here are some examples: a level of 100 dB roughly corresponds to a motorcycle engine or subway car noise; 110 dB — helicopter; 120 dB — the work of a demolition hammer; 130 dB, comparable to the sound of a jet aircraft taking off, is considered a pain threshold for a person. At the same time, many high-end microphones are able to work normally at a sound pressure of 140 – 150 dB — and this is a noise level that can cause physical damage to a person.

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 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.

The material from which the microphone body is made.

— Plastic. The main advantages of plastic are low cost, light weight and complete insensitivity to corrosion. At the same time, it is considered less reliable than metal, due to its relatively low strength (high-strength varieties of plastics exist, but in the case of microphones, it is usually easier to use metal after all). Therefore, this material is popular mainly among models for which lightness and miniature are important — primarily lapel, head and those that are installed on a video camera(see "Destination"). It is also often found in computer and laptop devices, but plastic microphones for vocals usually belong to the entry-level price category.

— Metal. Metal is more expensive than plastic and has more weight. On the other hand, metal microphones are much stronger and more reliable, besides, a microphone in such a case gives the impression of "solidity" (not least due to massiveness). This option is popular with mid to high end vocal, studio and instrument microphones.