naturerecordists
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: mic sensitivity ratings

Subject: Re: mic sensitivity ratings
From: Eric Benjamin <>
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 17:55:44 -0800 (PST)
Derek,

The second sensitivity rating for the MKH 30 is the
sensitivity with the 10 dB attenuator engaged.  -10 dB
is 0.316, and 8 mV/Pa divided by 25 mV/Pa is 0.32.

If you are not accustomed to reading microphone specs,
Pa is an abbreviation for the unit of one Pascal,
which is equivalent to a Sound Pressure Level of 94
dB.  94 dB SPL is a loud but not painful level, and
thus makes a convenient reference level.  As a guide,
normal conversational speech is about 60 dB SPL.

Eric

--- derek holzer <> wrote:

> How do you read this stuff? For example, the
> Sennheiser MKH 30 has two
> ratings side by side:
>
> 25mV/Pa (8mV/Pa +-1dB)
>
> Which number would represent the effective
> sensitivity which I could
> compare with another mic, say the MBHO KA 100 LK
> capsule, which rates:
>
> 12 mV/Pa
>
> on the spec sheet?
>
> Does this mean that MKH mic is more than twice as
> sensitive as the MBHO,
> or that the MBHO is about one and a half times as
> sensitive as the MKH?
>
> Are there other factors in the spec sheets that I
> would have to take
> into account to get a good comparison between
> different mic
> sensitivities and self-noise?
>
> thx + best,
> d.
>
>=20=09
>
> --
> derek holzer ::: http://www.umatic.nl
> ---Oblique Strategy # 40:
> "Decorate, decorate"
>
>
> "Microphones are not ears,
> Loudspeakers are not birds,
> A listening room is not nature."
> Klas Strandberg
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>     
>
>=20
>
>
>
>



________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the naturerecordists mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the archive e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU