How a Dynamic Microphone Works | Mics Explained - Part 1 of 2

Learn more about Dynamic Microphones in this educational video with Gary Boss from Audio Technica. This video answers the questions "How does a dynamic microphone work" and "What is a dynamic microphone".

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Hi, I'm Gary Boss, the National Marketing Director for Audio Technica and im here at Sonic Electronix talking about Dynamic Microphones.

All mics are transducers meaning they convert one form of energy (mechanical) into another form of energy (electrical).

I have brought an example of a dynamic mic. Microphones and speakers are very similar in design with just slight modifications done for their particular application.

Dynamic mics work by having the sound waves strike the diaphragm which causes it to move. Attached to the back of the diaphragm is a coil of wire called a voice coil. This coil moves through a magnetic field from a magnet on the back of the mic structure and generates voltage.

A fun trick is to plug a set of headphones into the input on a mixer...talk into the headphone and record it. Then plug the headphone into the headphone output and voila you are listening through the same transducer you recorded with. Speakers are not optimized to work as mics, but in some applications like intercoms they work well enough to be a speaker and mic too!

[MeruvaKodandaSuraj]

Great Video! keep going on making these types of videos

[Majnun]

Great video! I have a vintage 1961 Electro-Voice ev664 microphone and I have absolutely no idea how to use it.

[KyleMcCrary]

that looks like its gunna be sick. good idea sonic!

[skidogleb]

It blew my mind that speakers and dynamic microphones are technologically reverses of each other!

[cajosempronio]

hi audio-tecnica 's Gary, i would like to know if somewhere there is an audiotechnica or OTHERS with a video about a dynamic mic. I have an audio_technica AT_688 that is going on mass somewhere and buzzes quite a lot and i would like to see an example how to dismount one of those mics and about which can be the cause of any disturbances like mine and would show how to fix them. an all around footage. and also one on how to use them correctly. thanks in advance for any answer.

[scoutfears]

He means mechanical energy in the sense of its moving something rather than “properly” using the term kinetic. Just a differentish way of saying it. It made sense to me for a short 2 minute bit. More than I knew before.

[onicamorally]

I have one of them but is Heather lime and it's also I don't know what to plug it in to make it work can you please show a video with it lit right now please if you have the time

[GJOstudio]

I would say a mic transducer mosly converts acoustical energy into electrical energy, by mechanical means. What is mechanical energy anyway?

[BunkleMcCrunkle]

it would be the diaphragm moving back and forth. although that could be kinetic? i dunno

[jama]

I'd say it's kinetic energy to electrical energy. Wtf is mechanical energy? XD