Microphone development: do you know its origin?

On the afternoon of August 15, 1877, Edison sat in his laboratory and began to read aloud to a cylinder: "Mary held the lamb, and the lamb's fur was as white as snow." The 8-second lyric was played back from the cylinder in front of him after he read it aloud!

This cylinder is one of Edison's inventions-the phonograph.

Phonograph has promoted a new step in the development of audio, and the arrival of the audio era has had a huge and far-reaching impact on future generations.

The lyrics, which were read and recorded by Edison, became the first recorded voice in the world.

In Edison'sphonograph, there is a device that is the prototype of the microphone-the receiver.

In the era of mechanical recording, the microphone (receiver) is responsible for converting the sound signal into the vibration of the diaphragm (sound wave), which is transmitted to the thin needle to burn the foil.

Until the opening of the era of electronic recording, the microphone has become a sound wave specifically for electrical signals. This progress was mainly due to technological developments in broadcasting and wireless telegraphy, which led to the emergence of essential equipment such as electrical microphones and power amplifiers. Enables the sound to be recorded more accurately.

Famous inventor of the telephone Bell in the late 19th centurywas working on finding a better way to pick up the sound, he wanted to upgrade the phone at that time. Heinvented the liquid microphone and the carbon pellet microphone, but the effect is not ideal, can only be used reluctantly.

In 1876, Emile Bellina invented the carbon electrode microphone., Bell spent 5w (very expensive, equivalent to 1.1 million) US dollars to buy the patent, and used the electrode microphone on his own phone to upgrade the phone.

Carbon precision microphone is very similar to that of a small drum. The contacts are separated by a thin carbon layer. One of the contacts is attached to the diaphragm, which will vibrate under the action of sound waves. The other contact is connected to the output device.

It can transmit sound, can also amplify the sound.

Carbon electrode microphone, it is widely used, especially in radio and interviews.

Hal Tortan used a carbon electrode microphone when he broadcast the game for WMAQ in Chicago.

 

1925, Henry Harrison, E.C.Wente developed the first condenser microphone.to convert sound into electrical signals with sufficient sensitivity and bandwidth. In addition, a vacuum tube amplifier Maxfield designed by colleagues amplifies the electrical signals to the extent that they can drive the engraving needle (a set of complex engraving knives designed by Henry Harrison). The original electrical recording equipment which was practical and feasible at that time was successfully produced.

Henry Harrison got the patent for electrical recording under the name of "Western Electric" at that time.

In 1928, Newman successfully developed the popular Newman bottle microphone., and continued the traditional design of this microphone in subsequent products. Such as U67, U87, U89 and so on.

* CMV3 is the world's first commercially available condenser microphone. Because of its shape and size, this microphone is often referred to as the "Newman bottle", which is the common baby bottle.

In 1931, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) produced the first commercial microphone of the aluminum ribbon microphone, the RCA PB-31 microphone.

1932, a successor to the PB31, the 44A, was introduced.

Aluminum ribbon microphone was invented by Walter Schottky and a friend in 1923., but the technology has been in the dust for eight years. Finally, Harry F.Olson and Frank Massa obtained a commercial patent for a heart-shaped pointing aluminum strip microphone.

1949, Winnibstörst Laboratory (the predecessor of Sennheiser) developed a microphone, the MD4 microphone.

This microphone can suppress sound feedback in noisy environments and reduce background noise.

So far, the world's first noise-canceling microphone to suppress feedback was born, and its appearance has greatly improved the recording quality.

At the Hannover Messe in Germany in 1961, Sennheiser introduced two microphones, the MK102 microphone and the MK103 microphone.

They explain a new microphone manufacturing concept-RF RF condenser. A small and thin diaphragm is used, which is small in size and light in weight, and can ensure excellent sound quality, because this microphone is very sensitive to electromagnetic interference and has strong anti-interference performance to the impact of climate, it is very suitable for people who need to operate outdoors day and night, and work in environments with great temperature differences and harsh climates, such as Expeditions.

1963, the first neck hanging portable microphone MD212 was developed.

The chest hanging microphone was a big challenge for the engineers at the time. The sound waves of people were in front. At that time, none of the existing products could pick up the sound well, and the resonance generated by the chest was very easy to disturb the sound.

In order to avoid structural noise from clothes, this microphone uses a double-shell structure and the inner shell of the control diaphragm is suspended by a spring inside the outer shell.

1965, Sennheiser introduced an improved version of the MD214, which is the most successful neck-mounted microphone ever.

MD 214 uses wireless technology to transmit electromagnetic signals to a processing device with a transmitter.

At that time, this microphone was very popular with stars.

at the Hannover Expo in 1967, the first professional-level miniature microphone MK12 was unveiled again., the media is compared to a small and exquisite tie clip.

the same year, Sennheiser exhibited the first microphone designed specifically for musicians, the MD409, at the Consumer Electronics Expo.and its graphic design shape can be called Sennheiser's classic.

MD409 is a typical upright microphone with a black and gold look. It is one of the strongest voice microphones, and its subwoofer shell is all handmade and gold-plated.

Is similar to it is a handheld microphone-MD415.

Sennheiser later launched the black and gold MD421 Deluxe Edition, which is called "shining golden light" in its product manual ".

1978 Sennheiser launched a heart-shaped moving coil MD431 stage microphone, people give the nickname "potential".

In order to be able to naturally reproduce the instrument's graceful sound and the special sound quality of solo, to create a more suitable frequency response, engineers have done a lot of measurement and improvement work. Finally developed this MD431.

Its sound is simple and unambiguous, it also has a strong suppression of operating noise. The impact sound filter can ensure that the low-frequency noise on the stage will not affect the perfect reproduction of the sound.

Is a microphone with the absolute potential to become a performance superstar.

later, Sennheiser introduced the super-heart MD429 "Sound of Sound" microphone.This is a microphone specially designed and developed for the studio.

Its near-speaking effect is similar to that of a directional microphone, this effect and sensitivity to crackling are minimized.

The operating noise of the microphone is also greatly reduced due to the more complex spring suspension system.

And MD429 launched a "professional design of amateur microphone"-MD427 dynamic voice microphone. It and MD431 "potential" in the sound quality characteristics and shape characteristics are very similar.

1978, Sennheiser MKH816 super-heart strong directional microphone with impeccable sound quality won the award of the American Recording Society. This microphone has been selling well for the next 10 years. So far, microphone technology and form have been fully mature, while Germany represents the highest level in the field of sound recording.