Dynamic vs Condenser Microphones, What's the Difference?

greetings earthlings today I'm gonna explain the  differences between a dynamic and a condenser   microphone and help you decide which one's  right for you so throughout this video when   I'm talking about a dynamic microphone I'm gonna  be speaking into the rode procaster which is a   dynamic microphone and when I'm talking about  condenser microphones all be speaking through   the rode nt1-a which as you guessed it is a  condenser microphone so first let's talk about   how these different microphones work and in order  to help with that I did pull some diagrams off of   sure's website and have throw in a link in the  description directly to that site as far as the   dynamic microphone capsule you have three main  components the diaphragm the voice coil which   is actually attached to the diaphragm and the  magnet which is permanently charged and creates   a magnetic field so how this works is when sound  waves hit the diaphragm that actually vibrates   the voice coil and with that movement of the  coil within the magnetic field it converts the   audio signals into electrical signals that can  be interpreted by your audio interface or by   your amplifier the condenser microphone also has  three main components the diaphragm case which   just holds everything together the diaphragm and  the back plate and I should note that this design   is known as a capacitor or it used to be called  a condenser which is why they're called condenser   microphones so when this capsule is charged it  generates an electrical field and as sound waves   hit the diaphragm and it moves closer and farther  away from the back plate this translates the sound   signals into electrical signals and just another  note there are two different types of condenser   microphones a standard condenser microphone which  does require phantom power to actually charge the   capsule and an electret condenser microphone which  actually has a permanently charged of microphone   capsule and since I said that some of you are  probably thinking well if the electric condenser   microphone has a permanently charged capsule  why do I need phantom power and that's because   all condenser microphones have circuitry in them  that allow them to work with standard microphone   inputs so regardless of the condenser capsule you  have at the very least that circuitry is going to   require some voltage to work now that we have a  basic understanding of how these microphones work   let's explore the real-world differences between  them so when we look at dynamic mics they have a   very simple construction which means they end up  being extremely rugged dynamic mics also handle   extremely loud sound signals really well and  they also do a pretty good job at background   noise rejection on the other hand they have a  relatively low sensitivity meaning they have a   lower output level and they also most of the time  lack a full frequency response and the last thing   I want to point out is that dynamic microphones  have a very distinct broadcast sound to them   because most radio stations use broadcast mics  condenser mics on the other hand are more complex   meaning they will be more fragile but this allows  them to pick up a wider frequency response have a   more natural sound and have a better sensitivity  or a higher output level and on the downside with   this type of microphone capsule you do have to  be careful because you can overdrive the capsule   with extremely loud noises and the electronics  inside of all condenser microphones do generate   a small amount of noise and I just wanted to  throw in a quick comparison of these mics on   an acoustic to show you the different frequency  responses as well as the off-axis performance now moving off axis of the dynamic microphone  to show you how much of my voice is picked up   off to the sides of this type of microphone  now I'm just moving off axis of the condenser   microphone to show you how much of my voice  it picks up as I move around 180 degrees now   with all that information I know you're asking  yourself which microphone is right for me so I   think a dynamic microphone is gonna be best in  live situations because they are more durable   they handle loud noise as well and they do pretty  good at background noise rejection I also think   that if you're in any situation where you're  extremely concerned with background noise or   if you want that really standard broadcast sound  that you hear on podcasts or radio stations then   a dynamic mic might be right for you and I think  a condenser mic would be the right choice in a   controlled environment like a studio if you  have audio treatment you have control over   all the audio going into the microphone you  want that more natural sound and you're not   that concerned with background noise alright guys  I guess that'll do it for today if you found this   video fun or interesting or helpful or you want  to see more educational stuff like this on my   channel go ahead and give me a thumbs up and let  me know in the comments what questions you want   answered next if you thought the video sucked  give me a thumbs down if you want more videos   just like this go ahead and subscribe by clicking  the logo directly beneath me and also don't forget   to vote for the mics you want reviewed next as  well as follow me on all the social media stuff   links to everything description down below I'll  see y'all next time thanks for watching goodbye

Channel: Podcastage

Views: 857,019

Rating: 4.9489775 out of 5

Keywords: podcastage, podcast, bandrew, scott, microphone, review, audio, sound, test, demo, Dynamic Microphones, Condenser Microphones, What's the difference?, Which should I Buy?, Versus, Comparison

Id: Y01N_L1VA4I

Length: 5min 17sec (317 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 27 2017