Microphone Identification
Level 1 · Open Level 2 · Free account
What it teaches
Choose the right microphone type and polar pattern for common recording and live scenarios.
How it works
- Press Start activity to load the quiz — five written scenarios, no audio or images needed.
- Read each scenario and choose the microphone type or pattern that fits the job.
- Check each answer for the explanation, then finish the set to see your score.
The theory
Three microphone families cover almost every job. Dynamics are rugged moving-coil workhorses — the default for live vocals and loud sources. Condensers use a light, charged diaphragm (they need +48V phantom power) and capture the fine detail studios demand. Ribbons are delicate vintage-flavoured studio tools. Polar patterns matter as much as type: cardioid rejects the rear and fights feedback, omni hears everything equally, figure-8 hears front and back, and shotguns reach for dialogue at a distance.
Answer explanations
- Live vocals on a loud stage
- A dynamic — rugged, needs no power, and its lower sensitivity rejects monitor spill.
- Acoustic guitar detail in a quiet studio
- A small-diaphragm condenser — its fast, light diaphragm captures transient shimmer (and needs phantom power).
- Rejects the rear, accepts the front
- Cardioid — the heart-shaped pattern that fights feedback from monitors behind the mic.
- Needs +48V phantom power
- Condensers — the capsule and internal preamp are powered down the same XLR. Dynamics and passive ribbons are not.
- Dialogue from a distance on a film set
- A shotgun condenser — its interference tube narrows the pickup so boom dialogue stays clean.
No audio / accessibility
Fully text-based: every question is a written scenario with written answers and explanations — no audio or images required.
The activity
Five real-world scenarios. Choose the right microphone type or polar pattern for each — explanations included with every answer.