|
Dynamic Mics
are ubiquitous (a big word that means everywhere). We have all sung into
a Shure SM-58. We’re all familiar with an SM-57, a Beyer Dynamic – the
list goes on. Dynamic mics are similar in principle to other mics in terms
of the physics that make them work, i.e. sound waves move a diaphragm causing
a small current to be sent down a cable and then amplified. However, dynamic
mics have more in common with guitar pickups than, say, a condenser mic.
The diaphragm (usually made out of plastic or Mylar) is in front of a coil
of copper wire (called the Voice Coil) which is suspended between two magnets
(hence my comparison to guitar pickups). It is the interaction of the voice
coil in the magnetic field that causes the small current.
Dynamic microphones
have a well-deserved reputation of being tough and road-worthy in the
extreme. They can also handle much higher sound pressure levels, or SPL
for the
uninitiated (volume, for the really uninitiated) than a condenser or
a ribbon mic. It is for this reason that dynamic mics such as the Shure
SM-57
are used to mic guitar amplifiers all around the world, both in the studio
and live situations. Dynamic mics are often described as sounding somewhat
‘boxy’, meaning that they don’t reproduce the highest and lowest frequencies
of your hearing with complete accuracy (not necessarily a bad thing,
as the sound they produce is pleasing.)
|
