[Gary Eickmeier]

Peter Larsen wrote:
Gary Eickmeier wrote:

that distance and angle. But how do you test a microphone in the
first place? What is the source?

You need items:

sound dead room

reference microphone

compressor with side-band input

device under test

poweramp

data-recording device

As alternative sound source I vaguely remember something about a
spark being used because its real world response tends to mimic the
theoretic reasonably well.

Well, that's almost an explanation! But seriously, does anyone know exactly
how they measure microphones? Is it this convolution thing on a spark
discharge, or do they take measurements all around like with a loudspeaker
and get some sort of 3D plot? Or both?

I know that it's just as important to measure the pattern of the microphone
as the axial response. I don't "need" to know, just curious. I do most of
this stuff by ear anyway. But Scott has me all concerned about the off axis
response of cardioids because I am using two side facing ones. Then I mix in
a front facing one just right, to fill in the center.

I used to equalize my AT-2050s, but they sound better left alone.

Gary Eickmeier