Weekly Music Lesson #6 "How Microphones Work"

[dacupsta]

i wish you would be my physics teacher...

[waltribeiro]

@dacupsta i wish you were my student!

[mrvlhs]

"Analog energy" doen't exist lol. It's more kinetic energy

[Schattensprinter]

hey boy, you make music, cool, you are crazy :-)

[waltribeiro]

@Schattensprinter crazy is cool :)

[golafs]

hey, you got things mixed up. @ 1.34: A/D converter in a mic or an amp?

not true. Don´t mix up digital vs electronic current.

electronic current can be analog or digital.

microphone transforms sound waves into analog electronic current.

if you are recording digitally on your computer (not on analog tape), then it´s likely that your soundcard has an built in A/D converter that converts the analog signal into digital (10010101...)

more about this on Wikipedia ;)

anyhow, nice video :)

[waltribeiro]

@golafs thanks for clarifying! i love learning about this stuff

[patof3rider]

when u speak in THE WORLD...funny

helpfull too

[waltribeiro]

@patof3rider haha nice

[KingsRok93]

I'm learning as the lead singer/guitarist for my band, Falling Freedom, so I guess this helped lol

[waltribeiro]

Yea it definetly helped! I'm positive at that :)

[bloodypeasant13]

The real point I was trying to make is that you can have an analog signal via electricity especially with audio electronics. Analog is often preferred over digital as it has an infinite level of signal precision while digital reduces all signals down to a series of 1's and 0's and your precision is then limited by how many "bits" you have. This is why the number of bits / second your midi software supports is important to your digital recording. A lot of modern cheap-o amps are digital BTW.

[bloodypeasant13]

Hey Walt, you got the basic concepts down, but your terminology is a little off,

Analog is a type of signal not a type of energy. We create kinetic energy with our voices (vibrating air)

It is converted to electrical energy as you describe by the diaphram of the mic, but is still an analog signal.

It's only converted to a digital signal if it goes thru some sort of analog to digital converter (as in modern amps and computers)

Analog = bell curve signal

Digital = series of off/on signals

[waltribeiro]

Your absolutely right. Sry about that :) Wanna come on my show?

[buskerbuoy]

I've got an SM 57 and my el cheapo Leem mike sounds just as good plus it has an on/off switch.

[waltribeiro]

Yea alot of people like the SM57!

[NietzscheNu]

Ode to the SM 57

it can be dropped,thrown,kicked, used to strangle uncoperative bandmates, swung by the chord (well, the old non plug in models), mic drums, or amps, sung through (in ancient times), used as an improvisational hammer and it still works!!!

However, wide diaphram mics are better for acoustic instruments, singing and picking up the sound of mice farting at 50 paces!

Great vid as usual Walt!

[waltribeiro]

You and Buskerboy both have the SM 57. And you both like it, too :)

[aprilheart7]

you should start your own music school!

[waltribeiro]

I did, it's online!

[maniakill]

yo thnx.. i didnt know that...fun! =]

[waltribeiro]

Glad you know it now Mania!

[GuitarLengends456]

hey buddy how you doing............. nothining

lol

your videos are gret

[waltribeiro]

Thx Guitar!

[paddycoolZ1]

cool. nice job

[Topdoginuk]

Good video on microphone basics.

[waltribeiro]

Top Dog, thx for your support!

[PercyBeanProductions]

Haha. Loving the intro.

[waltribeiro]

haha thx!

[PercyBeanProductions]

I did watch the whole video though, Honest!