Measuring Microphones

Lindos miniature electret microphones are calibrated to UniSon-Mic standard and fitted with Minijacks for plugging directly into the MiniSonic MS1/MS10 test set. This allows precision measurement of loud speakers, room responses and other microphones. The MM1 and MM3 are both classed as "1/4 inch" mics (standard 7mm external diameter).

We favour the use of quarter inch mics, because, being small compared to the wavelength even at 20kHz (wavelength 18mm) they do not need to be pointed accurately at the source (omnidirectional), and do not disturb the propagating waves in free-field measurement as bigger microphones can.

The fact that calibrated mics can be plugged directly into the MiniSonic unit, without the need for a pre-amplifier or phantom power source, makes instant speaker measurements possible at last.

The MiniSonic units have dual (stereo) mic inputs for two reasons. Firstly, it is very easy to compare miniature mics (using the difference plot facility on Lin4Win) and even to compare traditional mics (using the line input too). Secondly, using two Lindos miniature mics, the MiniSonic becomes a 'purist' recording front end (spaced omni technique), or camcorder adaptor for interviews, with precision 1dB gain setting facility and PPM level monitoring.