What is the best microphone sensitivity in DB?
Sensitivity is one of the key characteristics of any microphone. It can be either high or low. You should familiarize yourself with the difference in order to choose the right device.
The content of the article
Microphone sensitivity in dB
Sensitivity is the ratio of input pressure and voltage. This indicator characterizes the number of output signals.
The indicator is determined by the following characteristics:
- Sound pressure.
- Giving signals.
The output signals under input influences are called sensitivity. It shows the output voltage in volts and how it will change if the sound pressure is increased or decreased.
When a person speaks or plays a musical instrument, the microphone senses the intensity of the signal and is able to convert such a wave into electrical waves.
Important! Average sensitivity is from 40 to 60 dB. But there are also models over 85 dB.
What is this indicator
This parameter is entirely dependent on the maximum value of the acoustic input signals. Therefore, when creating microphones, developers have some limitations, because if they make a mistake with the indicator, there is a risk that the signal will not arrive or will go beyond the limits when a person can safely perceive them (too loud).
With a high parameter, the signal quality will increase.This indicator also allows the device to transmit sounds if their source is far from the device (for example, on stage when the singer moves away from him). But at the same time, those who are too sensitive perceive extraneous noise strongly. For example, the sound of air when a singer moves on stage. Therefore, this indicator should not be too small, but a large one is not the best choice.
The parameter completely depends on the type of product. For example, for studio and table microphones, the sensitivity can be low, because during operation the person does not move, the signal source is close to the device, and most models are of good quality. But if the question concerns the buttonhole (when it is attached to clothing with a clothespin), a high indicator is needed here. This is due to the fact that the person’s head or other sound source is far away, and extraneous noise can have a bad effect on the quality of the signal.
Another parameter in which the indicator is important is where exactly the source is located. If sounds come from the side or behind, it is better to choose a device with good sensitivity.
What sensitivity is better to choose a microphone
A microphone with high parameters does not mean that it is better than one with low parameters. And it is an indicator of characteristics, but does not affect quality in any way. The choice depends on the specific task. But in addition to sensitivity, you should pay attention to the following parameters:
- Limit point.
- Presence of sound distortion.
- Presence of noise.
For high performance microphones, less gain in the amplifier is needed, but the headroom associated with the clipping point is lower.
And if you need to transmit a signal through a cell phone, microphones with a high such indicator may be limited, so sound distortion will appear. The limitation is related to the maximum acoustic level.
At the same time, devices with a low parameter are more suitable for transmitting signals over long distances, for example, for CCTV cameras or speakerphones on phones. In such cases, the greater the distance from the microphone to the source, the weaker the sound signal. For every doubling of the distance, the quality decreases by approximately half. But thanks to the excellent characteristics of modern models, the difference is practically not felt.
There is also a method to increase the sensitivity of the device. For this purpose, digital amplification is used. If the processor has a good bit capacity, the sound quality will not deteriorate when increased, and excess noise will not affect it in any way.
Sensitivity is not a parameter that greatly affects the quality of the product. Therefore, it is necessary to select its value without taking a break from using the microphone. Developers try to make products that have good performance (both high and low).
