Peter Weiss, Science News, Vol. 160, No. 23, December 8, 2001, p. 359. How the tiny design of a fly's coupled eardrums inspired a new approach to microphone design. As a musician, you’re always looking to achieve the best sound but sometimes your surroundings can keep that from happening.

Professional Microphone Techniques by David Miles Huber and Philip Williams. Mix Books, 1999. A practical guide to placing and using microphones for recording a wide range of different musical instruments.

Types of microphones

The carbon microphone was one of the first commercially available microphone types and was patented in the late 1800s though most started manufacture in the 1920s. Carbon microphones used a platinum bead pressed against a hard carbon disc to transmit sound. This bundle is designed for your home, rehearsal, or recording studio to ensure the best quality audio output. When you isolate a microphone from its environment, you enhance the quality of your voice and prevent distortions that inevitably occur in noisy environments. Nowadays, when the world has changed with pandemics, microphone shields have helped new talents to emerge and expose themselves on social media.

You’ll be surprised to discover that, while the term ‘microphone wasn’t coined until the early 1800s, the first device that echoes what came to be a microphone was created in 1665 when inventor Robert Hooke made an acoustic cup designed to transmit sound across a distance. When purchasing a vintage or antique microphone, what to look out for really depends upon your intentions for the item. For example, if you’re looking for a decorative or conversation piece, whether the microphone works or not isn’t relevant, but if you’re looking for a usable item, this will of course be your first concern. If you’re looking for an antique or vintage microphone from the perspective of a collector or enthusiast, you’ll probably want to avoid models which have been converted for compatibility for modern devices, whereas if you’re a music fan looking for that vintage tone a converted item can be very handy. Our Top List of Vintage and Antique Microphones The 1920s saw rapid improvements to microphone technologies largely thanks to the increased demand for broadcast radio services. In 1928 the first commercial condenser microphone was released. The high-density noise deadening barrier wraps around your microphone and acts like mini a vocal booth. The soundproof filter in this microphone shield allows you to record like a professional, with outstanding results.

Wired Microphones

The BBC's ornate 'royal microphone' from the 1930s revealed: BBC News, February 2011: How the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) made super-deluxe microphones for the King of England.