evolution of the microphone

the First microphone

Oct 7, 1870

David Edward Hughes invented a carbon microphone in the 1870s. The first microphone that enabled proper voice telephony was the (loose-contact) carbon microphone (then called transmitter).

Microphone invented

Jul 19, 1920

In the mid-1920 the development of the condenser microphone
and the electronic vacuum tube amplifier paved the way for
sound on film recording, the first high quality, wide range
condenser microphone was developed by E. E. Wente at Bell
Labs as a measurement standard in the late 1910s.

First Electret Condenser Microphone

Oct 7, 1928

Work on the electret condenser microphones dates back to as
early as 1928. These microphones used permanently polarized
wax plates. Eventually, microphones with wax electrets were
offered commercially by Bogen (1938 to 1940) under the name
No-Voltage Velotron.

18 Carbon Microphone

Oct 7, 1929

Even though there were several advancements
In microphone technology, the early models had not
proved themselves reliable enough for broadcast
work. But, in 1929 and 1930, the 18
carbon microphones were replaced by three parabolic sound
reflectors used in conjunction with a condenser microphone.

77A mic.

Oct 7, 1930

When Olson developed the velocity mic it was a large step
forward in microphone technology; it was the first high quality
directional microphone. The effective solid angle of sound
reproduction for the figure-eight velocity mic is one-third that of
the omni directional mic.

The next step

Nov 7, 1930

Western Electric developed a dynamic
mic in the late 1930s that was omni directional to 15 kHz. Called
the 630A, it was better known as the "Eight-Ball" mic,
because it resembled an eight-ball right off a pool
table.

639Aunidirectional microphone

Jul 22, 1939

Western Electric, in 1939, introduced the 639A
unidirectional microphone with sound reinforce-
ment applications in mind. The 639A consists of a
ribbon velocity element and a dynamic pressure
element, whose outputs are combined so that
they yield a cardioid pattern.

639B microphone

Oct 7, 1941

The 639B has a six-position switch that yields omni, cardioid, several types of hypercardioid, and figure-eight patterns. In the House of Representatives, the hypercardioid afforded an increase of 5dB in the system gain

Electret Microphones

Oct 7, 1962

In 1962 and 1965 electret microphones in which the diaphragm was composed of a metalized thin foil of Mylar or Teflon, respectively, which has been converted into an electret were proposed. Finally, in 1968, Sony brought out the finest electret condenser microphone. Later, around 1971, Primo Company Ltd. introduced an electret mic with a monolithic IC preamp.

todays microphone

Oct 9, 2015

Although there are many microphones today from videogames to singers, the main one peoople like to use is Sennheiser SKM 5200