M123 Recording Tech Tip
Condense this!
Condenser microphones are at the heart of nearly every studio, and rarely is a record made without one. The good ones are highly sensitive and also very accurate, and that is why condenser mics are such a staple. They help recordists capture sounds with an extended, precise response not found in most dynamic microphones. The heart of the condenser mic is its diaphragm: an extremely thin piece of either Mylar, plastic, or metal (and sometimes Mylar-coated plastic or metal) that is suspended in front of a metal plate called a back plate. When you hit the diaphragm and the back plate with voltage it creates a charge in the space between them. When a sound wave (air movement) hits the diaphragm, it moves into the charged field generating a fluctuation in voltage that is picked up and amplified by the internal preamp of the microphone. This internal preamp is why all condenser microphones require some form of power, usually from phantom power, but sometimes from an onboard battery. While condenser mics were traditionally expensive and used almost exclusively in pro studio settings, the last decade has seen a large selection of condenser microphones hit the market at prices well within the reach of most home studio owners.
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