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When it comes to capturing pristine audio in challenging environments, interference tube microphones - or shotgun microphones - stand out as the go-to solution for professionals in various fields, including film, broadcast, field recording, sports and wildlife sound capture. These specialized microphones are designed to mitigate unwanted noise and deliver excellent sound quality.

One factor differentiating microphones from each other is directivity; how much sound the microphone picks up in a given direction. Usually, polar plots are used to explain the directivity. However, it is not always easy to judge the effect of the given polar pattern on the recorded sound.

A microphone should only react to acoustically transferred sound. However, unfortunately, most mics also pick up vibrations that generate unintentional output. This can create undesirable effects like low-frequency feeds, partial timbre shifts of musical instruments, metallic sounds, and so on. In this article, we look at the phenomenon and discover its seriousness.

Many situations require solutions to protect microphones from the elemental issues. Wind and rain generate noise in microphones. In addition, viruses, like Covid, can be transferred to the surface of a mic. Efficient protection in these cases is necessary, but how these solutions affect audio performance must be understood.

All condenser microphones need power. Phantom power is the primary standard for professional microphones. Here are answers to 10+ of the most frequent questions about phantom power and its use in microphones.

The microphone is an electroacoustic device that converts acoustic energy into electrical energy. This conversion occurs via a mechanical system, usually a diaphragm, set into oscillations by a sound field. The mechanical movement is then converted into an electrical signal by an electromechanical coupling.

Specifications are generated to inform the user about a microphone. From the specs, you can find out about the basic features and how the microphone fits your needs - and your equipment.

This article explains how Acoustic Pressure Equalizers can increase the directivity of a pressure microphone, providing a mid/high-range boost. It also explains the effect of various grids in front of the membrane. You will learn about the application of acoustic modification (acoustic pressure equalizers and grids) and the purpose of doing so.

This article list all the performance-related differences that exist when comparing omnidirectional and directional microphones.

Balanced lines provide better rejection of electromagnetically induced noise. This article explains the difference between signal balanced and impedance balanced lines.

CORE by DPA is a powerful new technology at the heart of DPA miniature microphones. Learn more about why CORE is important and why it sounds better.

Acoustic interference tubes are used to increase the directionality of microphones. Over the last decades, DPA Microphones has extensively researched and improved the interference tube technology to an unprecedented new level of performance.

Carefully-matched stereo pairs and surround sets are key to successful stereo or multi-channel recordings.

This article provides knowledge about the design principles of output stages for condenser microphones. Especially the advantages and disadvantages of transformer balancing and “Active drive”.

The aim of this article is to outline some differences between directional and omnidirectional microphones in order to remove some of the prejudices that especially PA/live technicians have about omnis.

The 5100 Mobile Surround Microphone is a plug and play solution for 5.1 capture. It employs five miniature pressure transducers with interference tubes and acoustic baffles. Tonmeister Mikkel Nymand explains the thinking and processes behind it.

This article looks into the special problems that microphones in connection with digital transmission systems may provide if not designed well.