Twenty Questions: More Mic Questions
Evaluate yourself in private, brag about it in public
During the Year 2000, editor Anthony McLean created a half dozen Twenty
Questions quizzes. While these mini-tests proved to be popular and sometimes
controversial, they beat McLean up so much he refused to do any more.
In response, our friend Karl Winkler has come to the rescue, at least
for this issue, with a guest authored, microphone inspired Twenty Questions.
THE QUIZ FORMAT
Answer(s) to these questions can be a single letter choice (i.e. A.),
true or false, or any multiple of answers [i.e. A.), B.), and D.)]. “None”
is also a potential answer, as is “All.” The answers are at the bottom
of this page.
1.) Which has more overall rejection: cardioid or figure 8?
A.) Cardioid.
B.) Figure 8.
C.) They’re about the same.
D.) Omni has more rejection.
Your Answer(s)____________________
2.) Why would you choose a cardioid over a hypercardioid as a stage vocal mic?
A.) Cardioid offers more rejection overall.
B.) You’re using a single monitor wedge.
C.) You want to capture audience sound.
D.) Cardioid sounds more natural.
Your Answer(s)____________________
3.) Why would you choose a supercardioid over a cardioid as a stage vocal mic?
A.) Supercardioid offers more rejection overall.
B.) Supercardioid sounds more natural.
C.) Supercardioid mics are less expensive.
D.) You need a wider “sweet spot”.
Your Answer(s)____________________
4.) “Proximity Effect” refers to:
A.) Omni mics when used at a distance from the sound source.
B.) The relationship between low freq. response and distance between mic and sound source.
C.) How close the monitor wedge is to the lead vocal mic.
D.) How close drum mics are before struck by drummers.
Your Answer(s)____________________
5. True or false: Omni mics do not exhibit proximity effect.
Your Answer(s)____________________
6.) “Diffuse Field Response” refers to:
A.) A high frequency boost in omni mics to compensate for losses in air.
B.) How mics are affected by different lighting arrangements.
C.) Whether omni mics are pointed forwards or backwards.
D.) The relationship between low frequency response and distance between mic and sound source.
Your Answer(s)____________________
7.) True or false: condenser mics are better than dynamic mics.
Your Answer(s)____________________
8.) True or false: In general, condenser mics have better transient response than dynamic mics.
Your Answer(s)____________________
9.) What role does a transformer play in a solid state condenser microphone?
A.) Acts as a transducer.
B.) Acts as an amplifier.
C.) Acts as part of a linear DC power supply.
D.) Acts as an impedance converter.
Your Answer(s)____________________
10.) What does “FET” stand for in a microphone?
A.) Free Energy Trandsucer.
B.) Fair Equal Trade.
C.) Far Equipment Travel.
D.) Field Effect Transistor.
Your Answer(s)____________________
11.) What role does the FET play in a condenser microphone?
A.) Acts as a transducer.
B.) Acts as an impedance converter.
C.) Acts as part of a linear DC power supply.
D.) Acts as a logic gate.
Your Answer(s)____________________
12.) Why are FETs chosen over other types of transistors?
A.) They sound like tubes.
B.) They’re very expensive.
C.) They can be operated in class A mode.
D.) They can be operated on phantom power.
Your Answer(s)____________________
13.) Which one of these was never a microphone powering system?
A.) “T” power.
B.) “1099” power.
C.) “A-B” power.
D.) “P-48” power.
Your Answer(s)____________________
14.) Phantom power divides 48Volts across two resistors of what value?
A.) 100Kohms.
B.) 1Kohms.
C.) 6.8Kohms.
D.) 6.8Ohms.
Your Answer(s)____________________
15.) Condenser microphones operate on which principal?
A.) Faraday’s Law.
B.) The Electrostatic Principal.
C.) Tesla’s Maxim.
D.) The 2nd law of thermodynamics.
Your Answer(s)____________________
16.) Dynamic microphones operate on which principal?
A.) Faraday’s Law.
B.) The Electrostatic Principal.
C.) Tesla’s Maxim.
D.) The 2nd law of thermodynamics.
Your Answer(s)____________________
17.) All microphone designs are bound by which principal?
A.) Faraday’s Law.
B.) The Electrostatic Principal.
C.) Tesla’s Maxim.
D.) The 2nd law of thermodynamics.
Your Answer(s)____________________
18.) Each time you double the number of open mics on stage, you reduce the gain before feedback by approximately:
A.) 1dB
B.) 3dB
C.) 6dB
D.) 10dB
Your Answer(s)____________________
19.) Generally, you would choose a microphone with excellent transient response for what duty?
A.) Sound sources with maximum SPL.
B.) Sound sources with complex tonal characteristics.
C.) Sound sources with abundant high frequency material.
D.) Sound sources with abundant low frequency material.
Your Answer(s)____________________
20.) What factor has the greatest impact on the transient response of a microphone?
A.) Moving mass.
B.) Class A FET circuit.
C.) Transformer design.
D.) Oxygen free copper wire.
Your Answer(s)____________________
Twenty Question Answers
1.) C
2.) B
3.) D
4.) B
5.) True
6.) A
7.) False (It depends on application)
8.) True
9.) D
10.) D
11.) B
12.) A
13.) B
14.) C
15.) B
16.) A
17.) D
18.) C
19.) C
20.) A
Karl Winkler is a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Karl Winkler
earned a degree in music performance from the University of Arizona and
a certificate of advanced studies in recording arts from USC in Los Angeles.
From 1992 through 1996, he toured with the Air Force Jazz Band from Washington,
D.C.) as their front of house engineer. Since 1996, Winkler has been employed
at Sennheiser, beginning as Neumann product manager. In his present position,
Winkler oversees advertising, public relations and field communications
for the Sennheiser, Neumann, Innova-Son and D.A.S. Audio brands.
July/August 2001 Live Sound International