When designing a microphone assembly the other day, I reached for an electret condenser microphone capsule without thinking. To be strictly accurate I ordered a pack of them, these small cylindrical ...

Electret microphones are capable of high-quality output, and are prized for their smooth frequency response. However, unlike other types, they can’t simply be plugged directly into a mixing desk.

In the Aug. 10 issue, we wrote about the centennial of condenser microphones. Let’s look more closely at electret condenser microphones. Fig. 1: The few components that make up an electret microphone.

This article originally appeared in the Feb. 8, 2017, edition of Radio World Engineering Extra and was posted on this website Feb. 9, 2017. If you like this content you should subscribe to Radio World ...

The electret microphone capsule is similar to those commonly used in telephones, cassette recorders, and computers. The element functions as a capacitor with a fixed trapped charge. Sound pressure ...