Sound recording & playback

• Dynamic microphone
• Condenser microphone
• Carbon microphone
• Frequency response curves
• Sound recording
• Amplifiers
• Loudspeakers

Sound recording & playback - 1 VCE Physics.com

 Dynamic microphone

• Dynamic microphones have a coil attached to a diaphragm suspended

in the magnetic field of a magnet.
• Pressure changes cause the diaphragm to vibrate, changing the
amount of magnetic flux threading the coil – inducing a current in the
coil to produce a signal.

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 Condenser microphone

• Condenser microphones have two charged plates, the front one of

which is very thin, and usually covered in a very fine gold layer.
• Pressure changes cause the front plate vibrate, changing the distance
between the plates. This changes the capacitance of the system.
• A voltage is supplied to plates, and thus the amount of charge on the
plates varies, causing a current to produce the signal.

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 Carbon microphone

• A carbon microphone uses a capsule containing carbon granules

pressed between two metal plates.
• A voltage is applied across the metal plates.
• The diaphragm vibrates with sound waves, applying a varying pressure
to the carbon. This changes the resistance and the current through the
microphone.
• Carbon microphones were once commonly used in telephones; they have
low-quality sound reproduction and a very limited frequency response
range.

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 Frequency response curves microphones

• The response curve of a microphone shows how well a microphone

records sound at different frequencies.
• Frequencies that have higher db values on the chart are reproduced at
a greater intensity.
• A perfect microphone would have a flat curve over the whole range of
frequencies.
• The response curve is determined by a number of factors, such as the
dimensions of the microphone & the type of transducer used.

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 Frequency response curves microphones

Condenser microphones tend to

have a fairly flat response curve.
The reproduce well over a
wide range of frequencies.

Dynamic microphones
have peaks designed to
gain clarity with stage
vocals. (1 - 5 kHz)

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 Sound recording

• There are a number of different methods that have been used to store
recordings of sound.
• Vinyl records have a groove with sideways variations that corresponds
to the sound wave.
• Magnetic tape has magnetic iron oxide particles aligned to represent
the sound wave.
• Digital recordings (such as CDs and mp3s) are created by converting
sound intensity into a digital number, at a defined rate.
• CD audio uses 16 bit quantisation (allowing for over 65,000 possible
values), with the intensity sampled 44,100 times per second. The
data is recorded as a series of 0s and 1s.
• MP3 files are converted to a lower bit rate and have some inaudible
frequency combinations compressed to reduce the file size.
• Digital signals need to be converted through a Digital to Analogue
Converter (DAC) for playback through a loudspeaker.

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 Amplifiers

• Audio amplifiers are designed to increase the electric current that

will be sent to the loudspeakers.
• Amplifiers are generally measured by their power output. Typical
home stereo systems will be rated between 20W and 100W per
channel.
• Clipping of the signal through the amplifier can cause distortion and
overheating in speakers, so the amplifier is best chosen to be a
higher power rating.
• Perfect amplifiers will increase the intensity of electric signals
uniformly across all frequencies.
• For audio systems, an equaliser is also used so that selected
frequencies can be made louder or quieter to suit the music or
listener’s tastes.
• A “loudness” button will increase the intensity of the lowest
frequencies, to accommodate the ears reduced perception at low
volumes. (Not so useful at higher volumes)

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 Loudspeakers

• A loudspeaker works like a

dynamic microphone in
reverse.
• A coil of wire surrounds a
magnet attached to the
diaphragm.
• Changes in the current
through the wire cause motion
of the diaphragm following the
same pattern.
• The movement of the
diaphragm causes movement
of air.

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 Loudspeaker design

• The basic principle of a loudspeaker is that

needs to move as much air as possible, in
phase with the electric signal.
• Speaker baffles are designed to stop the
destructive interference of waves in front
and behind the speaker.
• Ports allow for low very frequencies to
resonate and be reproduced louder.
• Two-way speakers have two individual
speakers:
- a small tweeter for high frequencies
- a woofer for low frequencies
- the crossover separates the signals
• The impedance of a speaker is a measure of
how the speaker opposes the variations in
alternating current produced. Most speakers
are between 4 and 8 ohms.
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