~ONf!

DENT~Al
RESEAROH DEPARTME~~

THE EM~ MICROPHONE TYPE 2351E

Report No. M.Ol6
Serial No. 1953/11

Work carIied out byg

J.R. Chew
A. Gee
. (:.:.: ,.. 'f.oov/'{,/co(-< "
,j ( (,.ro ' . , '"
Report written bL: ~'_'_'-'"o.

A.. Gee (W. Proctor Wilson)

 THE EMI MICROPHONE TYPE.235lE
9.:.0NTENTS
Page

SUMM:ARY • • • o 0 0 •
• • • • • • 1
DESCRIPTION OF MICROPHONE • • • • 1
General • • • •
Weight .. o • •

• • •
411
•
·.•
• • 1
2
METHOD OF MEASUREMENT • Cl • Cl .. • 2
FREQUENCY CHARACTERISTICS .. • • 2
General • • 2
.A.symmetry • 0 0 • • 0 • 0
• • 2
IMPEDANCE • • • 0
'. • • • 3
TRANSIENT RESPONSE .. • • • • o • 3
SENSITIVITY ·. .. • • 3
NOISE • • • 0 •
• • o ~ •
• 4 0

General • • • • ••• 4
Interference from magnetio fi eIds. • 4

LISTENING TEST " ... ·. • • • • 4

CONCLUSIONS • 0 • • 00. $ • 0 0 e 5
TABLE • • • • • • ·. · 6
Researoh Department ~~NfJDENI~Al July 1953

REPORT NO. M.016

Serial No. 1953/17

THE EMI MICROPHONE TYPE Z351E

This report deals with the results of laboratory tests made

on a single specimen of the EMI ribbon miorophone, type 235lE.
The freQuenoy oharaoteristios, impedanoe, sensitivity, and
liability to interference from magnetio fields were measured, and
a listening test was carried out.

DESCRIPTION OF MICROPHONE

General

The instrument is a bi-directional ribbon miQrophone of low

oost. The list prioe is £7.l0s.

Fig. 1 shows the appearanoe and dimensions of the microphone;

the positions of the prinoipal parts are tihawn dotted.

The lower p.art of the oase is of sheet metq.l, and oontains.

the ribbon-to-line transformer. The upper part is a perforated
metal oover baoked by a wire gauze screen; it encloses the magnet
assembly and ribbon, with the wiring for the upper end of the
ribbon supported by a plastic framework. As with most Qommer-
oial microphoL"les there is no ribbon damping.

A lead. twelve feet long is supplied with the microphone,

which oan be mounted on a stand or suspended from hooks and oan
be tilted through more than a right angle eaoh way.

The front of the microphone was· defined quite arbitrarily as

the side nearer to the ribbon wiring, whioh oan be seen through
the cover when viewed against a strong light.
 - 2 -

The weight of the miorophone itself is approximately

1.7 lbs.; the total weight of the miorophone and oarrying
case is approximately 4.9 lbs.

METHO] OF MEASUREII.I[ENT

The measurements below 200 c/s were ce.rried out in an

acoustic, duot and those at higher f"requencies in a ·heavily
Ia..gged. dead room. The accuraoy of comparison of the
miorophone's response with that of a calibrated pressure
microphone is better+than ± t db; the calibration accuracy
is also better than - t db.

FREQUENCY CHARAC TERI STIC S

General.
Curves showing the opon-circuit rosponse of the micro-
phone to plane waves incident at various angles in the
horizontal and vertical planes appear in Figs. 2 - 5.
These curves can be oorrected to apply to the loaded con-
dition by means of Fig. 6(a). A ourve replotted from the
manufacturers' data, and also referring to the loaded Qon-
dition, is shown in Fig. 7; it differs markedly from our
measurements (a) in the irregul~rity of the high-frequency
responso, (b) in the frequenoies of ribbon resonanoe, and
(0) in the absolute sensitivity.

Although nominally symmetrioal, the microphone exhibits

considerable differences between the axial and 180 0 curves,
as can be seen from Fig. 5(a). The asymmetry at the high-
frequency end of the curves is in keeping with the faot
that the ribbon wiring and its supports are severely offset.
The cause of the divergence in the region of 750 c/s is
less clear, and, on investigation, was found to be assooi-
ated with the cavity in the lower part of the case. This
c;8.vi ty communicates with the upper part of the case [md
 - 3 -

thus with the ribbon, by spaces on three sides of the

mounting plate which supports both magnet assembly and
transformer~ the fourth·space, at the back, is blocked
by a felt pad. In an attempt to assess the effect· of
the cavity, the three openings were filled as tightly and
completely as possible with cotton wool. Fig. 5(b) shows
that this treatment was almost oompletely effective in
eliminating the asymmetry in the mid-band region.

~\[PEDANC~E

Fig. 6(b) shows the modulus of the impedanoe of the

microphone, which is nominally 20 ohms;,

Fig. 6( a ) gives the relationship. between the open-

cirouit voltage of the microphone and the voltage developed
['.cross a 300 ohm load when using an LGG/2/3 matohing trans-
formor.

TRANSIENT RESPONS~

The transient responso of the ribbon was' tested by the

method d03cribod in Report No. M.002e Rosonanoe was
observed at several frequenoies, as might be expected from
the oompleto ~,-bsanoe of ribbon damping. These· froquoncies
were 66 c/s, 145 c/s, 295 eis, 440 c/s, 580 c/s, 920 o/s and
1130 c/s, and c,re consistent with the tloasurod frequency
characteristics.

S¥pITIVIT.!.
The open-circuit sensitivity of the miorophone in the
mid-band regio~ i~ approximately - 90 db relative to
1 volt/dyne/cm. At the teroinals of an ideal 23 ohmg390 ohm
transformer the open-cirouit sensitivity would be about
- 79 db. The oorresponding figure for the type AXBT Llioro-
11hone is - 71 db.
The manufacturers' fi5~re for the sensitivity is - 85 db
relative to 1 mW/d:[Ff!e/o,o2 in 20 ohms q On the basis of a
 4 -
,
20 ohm res:i.stive impedanoe this oorresponds to - 96 db
relative to 1 volt/dyne/cm 2 open-oirouit, or - 84 db
referred to an impedance of 300 ohms.

NOISE

General

In the absence of interferenoe the noiee output of the

microphone is due to the resist;i.ve oomponent of its imped-
ance •. The r.m.s. open-oircuit noise voltage relative to
1 volt, in the band 0 - 10 kO/s is henoe - 144 db unweighted
and - 138 db weighted by an aural sensitivity notwork, type
ASN/3. The sound level in the mid-band region required to
produoe a.n r.m.s. output equal to that due to the weighted
noise is, therefore, + 26 db relative to 0.0002 dyne/cm 2 ,
or, taking the manufacturers' figure for sensitivity, + 31 db.
The oorresponding figure for the type AXBT miorophone is
+ 18 db.

Interferenoe from magnetic fields

The open-oiroui t output of the micropho'no duo to' a

uniform magnetic field was mea~mred at 50 o/s, 1 ko/s,
and 10 kC/s, the orientation being ,chosen at oaoh frequency
to give the greatest output. The figures for a field of
one milligauss are given in the Table, together with the
sound level in the mid-band region required to give the
same output level. Similar information about the type
AXBT miorophone is given for oomparison.

It should be remembered that the microphone tested has

a sensitivity 5 db higher than is claimed. by the manufaot-
urers and so the f:l.gures quoted in C;olumn II( a) of the
Table are liable to be optimistio by the same aoount.

LISTENING TEST
A listening test was oarried out with the microphone
in acoustically dead surroundings and using a male speaking
voice as. a sound souroo, The result was oonsistent with
 - 5-

the presenoe of the general slope in the frequenoy oharaoter-

istios shown in Figso 2, 3 and 4, together with the marked
irregularities they possess •

•CONCLUSIONS

The miorophone has very irregular frequenoy oharaoter-

istios, and the ribbon shows a number of low-damped resonance
modes. As regards sensitivity it is similar to many mioro-
phones used for publio address systemf!, but is inferior to
those oommonly used in studios. In the oiroumstanoes it
was not thought neoessary to suq.mi t i t to an operational
department for a field trial.

It seems likely that the manufacturers' curve was ob-

tained by oonsiderable smoothing of the measured oharacter-
istio.' The large differenoe of about 5 db in absolute
sensitivity, however, suggests· that the manufaoturers'
figure is a guaranteod minimum, and that +.he speoimen I:lub-
mitted for test was abnormally sensitive.

In the absonce of interferenoe, the signal-ta-noIse ratio

is 8 db worse than that of the AXBT; this figure would be
13 db for a speoimen having the sensitivity speoified by the
ma.nufacturers, The interf<9renoe c~msed by extraneous mag.,.
netic fields is not severe, and no trouble should arise from
this oause unless the miorophone is used near apparatus
having a high stray fiold.
 I 11

OPEIIT--GIRCUIT VOL'l'AGE SOUND LEVEL DJ ]'rrD-BA~D

.AT 300 OHl1 OUTPUT DlJ""E TO REGION TO GI'i.TE OPEN-CmCUIT
l'Ili.Gl'JETIC PICK-UP Hr 11. FIELD OUTPUT SH01J;J.N IN I
OF ONE 1.1ILLIGAUSS

o db ::; 1 volt o db:J 2 x 10-4 dyne/cm2

Ca) (b) (at) (b)

2351E * .AXBT ** 2351E lJCBT * *

c/s db db db db

0\
50 -1~ ...133 +49 + 12 I

1000 -98 -121 +55 + 24

10 000 -90 -lCJl +63 + 38

*At terr:dnals of ideal 23 01>. .,'.11 ; 300 ohm transformer.

:l$Figures given represent a t;Yllica1 microphone.

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E MI MICROPHONE 'TYPE 2351E
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EMI MICROPHONE TYPE 23SlE
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E MI MICROPHONE TYPE 2351E
FREQUENCY CHARACTERISTIC DERIVED FROM MANUFACTURER'S PUBLISHED CURVE