Microphones

A microphone is a transducer that converts acoustical sound energy into electrical sound energy.

The three most common types are;

Robust.
Widely used in the sound reinforcement industry (particularly suitable for hand-held use).
Usually fitted with wind shields (bulbous, foam filled wire mesh which attenuates wind noise and 'p-blasting' from the vocalist's mouth).
Often provided with built-in bass attenuation to compensate for the 'proximity effect' (or bass tip-up, an effect of directional microphones when sound sources have their bass frequencies boosted when they are close to the microphone).
The design produces a 'peak' in the upper-mid frequency range (around 5 kHz) and a rapid fall-off in response above 8 or 10 kHz; this means the sound quality is restricted compared to other mic types.

Dynamic Capsule

Used for;

Vocals; the boosted upper-mid frequencies help to improve intelligibility.
Drums; dynamic mics can withstand high sound pressure levels (SPL's), which might damage other mic types.
Guitar Amplifiers; amps can also benefit from the 'presence' lift caused by the upper-mid frequency boost.

Typical dynamic designs include Shure's SM57 and SM58.

At best, is capable of very high-quality results.
Can record frequencies between around 40 Hz to around 14 kHz.
Smooth frequency response (frequencies are recorded without the microphone boosting or cutting them).
Delicate; cannot cope with high SPL's.
Can be physically quite large; the larger the ribbon, the larger the area to pick up sound waves and, therefore, the greater the electrical output .

Ribbon Capsule

Used for;

Ribbon designs include the Coles 4038 and various RCA designs.

The diaphragm can be very thin and light (a few microns thick) and so has less inertia. This means that the diaphragm can respond to higher frequencies more effectively than the dynamic microphone.
The typical frequency range is around 12 Hz to 20 kHz, but can exceed the range of human hearing at both the high and low ends of the spectrum.
Due to the microphone's preamplifier, condenser mics offer the best noise performance and the highest sensitivity of any studio microphone.
Can be made with virtually any response pattern.
Robust enough to handle many studio and live applications.
Needs powering, either by a battery or phantom powering via a desk.
Cannot handle high SPL's, unlike the dynamic type.

Condenser Capsule