What is Frequency Response?
what is frequency response and why does it matter? When you are new in the music field and you look for the best condenser microphone in the market. From there, you come to know about the term FREQUENCY RESPONSE. Well, the question arrives in mind – What is Frequency Response in a Microphone?
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Frequency response, which is often displayed on a graph or chart as a curve, describes how a device responds to sound across a range of frequencies, Frequencies are measured in Hertz along the x-axis of a graph with sound pressure level measured in Decibels alone on the y-axis of the graph.
A frequency response curve is a graphical representation of how a microphone will respond in the audio spectrum. So how it will affect the signal’s overall sound timbre. Most products list specifications that cover a minimum of 20 Hertz on the low end to 20Kilohertz on the high end which is the generally accepted hearing range for humans. Frequencies above and below these numbers are often referred to as wideband frequency responses and can also be important. The measurement of decibels indicates the maximum variation of volume level and how well a device remains uniform, from the lowest to the highest tone.
Why is Frequency Response Important?
Most audio products you purchase have a frequency response listed as one of the standard specifications. Frequency responses are available for speakers, headphones, microphones, DVD players, and any number of other audio devices or components.
Some manufacturers tout having a wide frequency range. But such numbers tell only part of the story and aren’t necessarily an indicator of overall sound quality. A set of headphones may list a frequency response specification of say 34 Hertz to 20 Kilohertz plus or minus 3 decibels, but what exactly does that mean? It indicates that sound between 34 Hertz and 20 Kilohertz is accurate within plus or minus 3 decibels.
I’ll provide you with a detailed explanation of what frequency response is. Just a word of warning; this is a bit of an advanced topic so if you do have questions, leave a comment below and I’ll answer them for you.
How to measure frequency response of a microphone?
Suppose, you bought a Microphone. And you want to know if the data about frequency response is given correctly. Well, you can check the frequency response of that microphone using a technique.
Also, knowing the correct frequency response of any microphone will help you adjust the eq on your DAW. This way you can improve your recordings even more. So, here’s how you can check it.
You need an anechoic chamber to get the correct result from the experiment. After getting that anechoic chamber, you need to place the microphone a fixed distance away. this is generally to understand the characteristic proximity effect. Now, after placing the microphone, you need to run a reference signal through an amplifier to the speaker. Remember, this procedure we are doing is in an anechoic chamber.
The next thing you need to do is to run the microphone through a reference preamp and then finally into a device in which the measurement is recorded(that could be basically your computer). Now, just compare both the results from the reference source that you have. You will get the frequency response of your microphone.
What is the Frequency Response Specification of a Microphone?
The Frequency Response specification of a microphone is a term used to explain the level of frequency amplified by the microphone as per the rating given about the same.
See, here the frequency response of a random microphone is given 20Hz-18kHz. NOw that means the microphone will record a 1kHz signal at nearly -35dB between the frequency rate of 20Hz to 18kHz.
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So how will you know, what frequency range mic will be suitable for you? How will you know which one to buy? Well, I am here to answer the same question. Actually buying the microphone on the basis of frequency response is quite dependent on the purpose you want to buy for.
If you are looking for a mic just for speech, then you must know that you will require a mic whose frequency response is low and narrow. However, if you are a Singer, Music Producer, or you play any instruments, then you’ll require a high-frequency microphone.
In the market, you will get different frequency range in microphones. A condenser microphone is one that has a large diaphragm and has a high-frequency response. While singers also do use a dynamic microphone for singing.
A detailed comparison between Condenser and Dynamic microphones is given on this blog. So before buying the microphone, you must read which one to buy.
Comparison between Condenser microphone and Dynamic Microphone.
Well, the answer depends on your requirements. If you are looking for a mic for speech or just normal use, the frequency response can be low as 300Hz to 3000Hz. But if you want to use the microphone for recording a song, you need a broader frequency response microphone.
So a good frequency response for a mic that you can buy is from 80Hz to 15kHz. That will give you a proper signal range.
As I answered above in detail, let me tell you again. Yes, a microphone with a frequency response of about 20Hz to 20 kHz is good.
Frequency response is a specification that lets you know about any particular microphone and how much it reproduces the audible frequencies. The frequency response helps the microphone to collect the frequency in a broad range. Generally, Condenser microphones are the ones with a broader frequency range that allows you to get detailed audio quality.
Well, I think ‘Ultramic’ is one of the few microphones that have a high-frequency response of about up to 125kHz. Other than this, there is also ‘Sanken CO-100k. This microphone has a frequency range of up to 100kHz.
The microphone that has a Figure 8 polar pattern is considered to have good side rejection and even frequency response. Figure 8 Polar pattern means the microphone is unidirectional.
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