for the same sound with mic A you get twice the voltage of B. this means 6d=
B
increase in the logarithmic scale we use for measuring sound level. 1 dB is
the minimum level increase the human ear is supposed to distinguish. well
trained ears may discriminate level changes lower than that. 6 dB more mean=
s
twice the voltage, but not twice the perceived level. mic A will sound
louder, but not so much...
to judge overall quality you should also consider other parameters: the sel=
f
noise and its spectral distribution, if you are concerned with low level
signals: this means that two mics with almost the same self noise level
could appear very different, maybe one more acceptable than the other (for
example I hate the high frequency hiss of the Sennheiser MKH 70 and largely
prefer the warmer noise of the Sennheiser K6ME66). Then the frequency
response and its "shaping" of the sound. One mic could be less sensitive bu=
t
with a response that spectrally compensate the lower level to give a
loudness perception similar to a lower sensitivity microphone.
I'm sure others on the list could contribute more and better,
Gianni
2008/2/24, oryoki2000 <>:
>
> I'd appreciate it if someone could help improve my understanding of
> mic sensitivity and its effect on the loudness of a recording.
>
> Let's say the sensitivity of Mic A is rated at 30 mV/Pa, and mic B is
> rated at 15 mV/Pa. I think this means that the voltage Mic A sends to
> the recorder will be twice as high as the voltage Mic B sends when
> exposed to the same reference sound.
>
> Now think of using Mic A and Mic B with the same recorder, using the
> same settings. Will the recording of a reference sound made with Mic
> A appear to the listener to be twice as loud as the recording of the
> same reference sound made with Mic B?
>
> Or, since human hearing responds in a more logarithmic way to
> increases in sound pressure, will the recording made with Mic A appear
> to the listener to be only slightly louder than the recording made
> with Mic B?
>
> Thanks.
> --oryoki
>
>
>
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